1 2739 147 YOGA PRACTICE AMONG ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE EMERGING ADULTS: ASSOCIATIONS WITH BODY IMAGE, MINDFUL AND DISORDERED EATING, AND MUSCLE-ENHANCING BEHAVIORS. BACKGROUND: THIS STUDY EXPLORES CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA AND BODY IMAGE, MINDFUL EATING, DISORDERED EATING, AND MUSCLE-ENHANCING BEHAVIORS AMONG A POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE EMERGING ADULTS. METHOD: AN ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF 1,568 EMERGING ADULTS (18-26 YEARS) COMPLETED SURVEYS AS PART OF EAT 2010-2018 (EATING AND ACTIVITY OVER TIME). MODELS WERE ADJUSTED FOR SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND BODY MASS INDEX (BMI). RESULTS: PRACTICING YOGA AT LEAST 30 MIN/WEEK WAS REPORTED BY 12.7% (N = 210) OF THE SAMPLE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD HIGHER LEVELS OF MINDFUL EATING THAN THOSE NOT PRACTICING YOGA. ALTHOUGH EFFECT SIZES WERE SMALL, YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS TO USE STEROIDS (3.8 VS. 0.7%, P < .001, H = 0.22) OR PROTEIN POWDER/SHAKES (35.1 VS. 25.3%, P < .010, H = 0.21) TO INCREASE THEIR MUSCLE SIZE/TONE. BODY SATISFACTION, UNHEALTHY WEIGHT CONTROL BEHAVIORS, AND BINGE EATING TENDED TO BE SIMILAR AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION BETWEEN BMI AND YOGA IN PREDICTING BODY SATISFACTION WITH A TREND TOWARD A POSITIVE IMPACT AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AT HIGHER BMI VALUES. INTERACTIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND ALL BODY IMAGE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS ACROSS GENDER AND ETHNICITY/RACE WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. DISCUSSION: YOUNG PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE ETHNIC/RACIAL BACKGROUNDS WHO PRACTICE YOGA ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN MINDFUL EATING BUT HAVE EQUAL OR ELEVATED LEVELS OF UNHEALTHY BODY IMAGE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS AS COMPARED TO NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS. FURTHER RESEARCH SHOULD EXPLORE HOW YOGA IS BEST TAUGHT AND PRACTICED TO ENSURE THAT IT IS BENEFICIAL FOR BODY IMAGE AND RELATED BEHAVIORS. 2021 2 2434 46 YOGA AND PILATES: ASSOCIATIONS WITH BODY IMAGE AND DISORDERED-EATING BEHAVIORS IN A POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF YOUNG ADULTS. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN PARTICIPATING IN MIND-BODY ACTIVITIES (YOGA/PILATES) AND BODY DISSATISFACTION AND DISORDERED EATING (UNHEALTHY AND EXTREME WEIGHT CONTROL PRACTICES AND BINGE EATING) IN A POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF YOUNG ADULTS. METHOD: THE SAMPLE INCLUDED 1,030 YOUNG MEN AND 1,257 YOUNG WOMEN (MEAN AGE: 25.3 YEARS, SD = 1.7) WHO PARTICIPATED IN PROJECT EAT-III (EATING AND ACTIVITY IN TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS). RESULTS: AMONG WOMEN, DISORDERED EATING WAS PREVALENT IN YOGA/PILATES PARTICIPANTS AND NONPARTICIPANTS, WITH NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GROUPS. MEN PARTICIPATING IN YOGA/PILATES WERE MORE LIKELY TO USE EXTREME WEIGHT CONTROL BEHAVIORS (18.6% VS. 6.8%, P = .006) AND BINGE EATING (11.6% VS. 4.2%, P = .023), AND MARGINALLY MORE LIKELY TO USE UNHEALTHY WEIGHT CONTROL BEHAVIORS (49.1% VS. 34.5%; P = .053), THAN NONPARTICIPANTS AFTER ADJUSTING FOR SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS, WEIGHT STATUS, AND OVERALL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. DISCUSSION: FINDINGS SUGGEST THE IMPORTANCE OF HELPING YOGA/PILATES INSTRUCTORS RECOGNIZE THAT THEIR STUDENTS MAY BE AT RISK FOR DISORDERED EATING. 2011 3 1492 43 INTERNALIZED WEIGHT STIGMA AND INTUITIVE EATING AMONG STRESSED ADULTS DURING A MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION: ASSOCIATIONS WITH CHANGES IN MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION. PURPOSE: INTERNALIZED WEIGHT STIGMA (IWS) IS COMMON IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACROSS BODY WEIGHT CATEGORIES, AND IS IMPLICATED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISTRESS AND UNHEALTHY EATING BEHAVIORS (E.G. OVEREATING, DISORDERED EATING) THAT CAN FOSTER POOR CARDIOMETABOLIC HEALTH. WHILE EMERGING INTERVENTION RESEARCH SHOWS EARLY PROMISE IN REDUCING IWS, LONG-TERM EFFICACY IS UNCLEAR AND NOVEL STRATEGIES REMAIN NEEDED. THIS ANALYSIS EXAMINED WHETHER PARTICIPATION IN A MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED IWS AND INCREASED INTUITIVE EATING, AN ADAPTIVE EATING BEHAVIOR, AND WHETHER THESE CHANGES CORRELATED WITH EACH OTHER OR WITH CHANGES IN MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE STRESSED ADULTS WITH LOW FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE (N = 78, 64.1% WHITE, M. BODY MASS INDEX 25.59 +/- 4.45) ENROLLED IN A PARENT CLINICAL TRIAL OF A 12-WEEK MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION. VALIDATED SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF IWS, INTUITIVE EATING, MINDFULNESS, AND SELF-COMPASSION WERE ADMINISTERED AT PRE-TREATMENT, MID-TREATMENT (8 WEEKS), POST-TREATMENT (12 WEEKS), AND 4-MONTH FOLLOW-UP (24 WEEKS). RESULTS: LINEAR MIXED MODELING REVEALED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN IWS AND INTUITIVE EATING ACROSS THE FOUR TIMEPOINTS (P < .001). REDUCED IWS CORRELATED WITH INCREASED INTUITIVE EATING PRE- TO POST-TREATMENT (P = .01). IMPROVED SELF-COMPASSION AND MINDFULNESS CORRELATED WITH INTUITIVE EATING (BOTH P = . 04), BUT NOT IWS (P = .74 AND P = .56, RESPECTIVELY). CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY OFFERS PRELIMINARY SUPPORT FOR THE HYPOTHESIS THAT MINDFUL YOGA MAY PROMOTE INTUITIVE EATING AND REDUCE IWS AMONG STRESSED ADULTS WITH POOR DIET, AND SUGGESTS THAT CHANGES IN THESE FACTORS MAY CO-OCCUR OVER TIME. FURTHER INVESTIGATION WITH CONTROLLED DESIGNS IS NECESSARY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE TEMPORALITY AND CAUSALITY OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS.TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT02098018. 2021 4 1640 35 MOLECULAR SIGNATURE OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO YOGA THERAPY IN STRESS-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASE CONDITIONS: AN INSIGHT. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DEFINES HEALTH AS COMPLETE WELL-BEING IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL, AND NOT MERELY THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE. TO ATTAIN THIS, INDIVIDUAL SHOULD ADAPT AND SELF-MANGE THE SOCIAL, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES OF LIFE. EXPOSURE TO CHRONIC STRESS DUE TO URBANIZATION, WORK STRESS, NUCLEAR FAMILY, POLLUTION, UNHEALTHY FOOD HABITS, LIFESTYLE, ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN THE FAMILY, AND NATURAL CALAMITIES ARE THE TRIGGERING FACTORS, LEADING TO HORMONAL IMBALANCE AND INFLAMMATION IN THE TISSUE. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS AND ILLNESS IS COMPLEX; ALL CHRONIC ILLNESSES SUCH AS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND ASTHMA HAVE THEIR ROOT IN CHRONIC STRESS ATTRIBUTED BY INFLAMMATION. IN RECENT TIMES, YOGA THERAPY HAS EMERGED AS AN IMPORTANT COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE FOR MANY HUMAN DISEASES. YOGA THERAPY HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON MIND AND BODY; IT ACTS BY INCORPORATING APPROPRIATE BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MINDFULNESS TO ATTAIN CONSCIOUS DIRECTION OF OUR AWARENESS OF THE PRESENT MOMENT BY MEDITATION, WHICH HELPS ACHIEVE HARMONY BETWEEN THE BODY AND MIND. STUDIES HAVE ALSO DEMONSTRATED THE IMPORTANT REGULATORY EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS. DESPITE THESE ADVANCES, THE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA THERAPY RENDERS ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ARE INADEQUATELY KNOWN. A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA THERAPY HAS IMMUNOMODULATORY EFFECTS. HOWEVER, THE PRECISE MECHANISTIC BASIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED EMPIRICALLY. IN THIS REVIEW, WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTIONING WITH AN AIM TO IDENTIFY IMPORTANT IMMUNOLOGICAL SIGNATURES THAT INDEX THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY. TOWARD THIS, WE HAVE SUMMARIZED THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SHOWING POSITIVE IMPACTS OF YOGA THERAPY. FINALLY, WE HAVE EMPHASIZED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN IMPROVING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. YOGA HAS BEEN A PART OF INDIAN CULTURE AND TRADITION FOR LONG; NOW, THE TIME HAS COME TO SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATE THIS AND IMPLEMENT THIS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT METHOD FOR STRESS-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASE. 2020 5 2652 34 YOGA IMPROVES MITOCHONDRIAL HEALTH AND REDUCES SEVERITY OF AUTOIMMUNE INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: OXIDATIVE STRESS (OS) AND MITOCHONDRIAL ALTERATIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA). VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL TRIGGERS LIKE AIR POLLUTANTS, SMOKING, UNHEALTHY SOCIAL HABITS AND SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE INDUCE OS, WHICH MAY COMPROMISE MITOCHONDRIAL INTEGRITY. THIS TRIAL WAS DESIGNED TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF 8-WEEKS YOGA PRACTICE ON MITOCHONDRIAL HEALTH AND DISEASE SEVERITY IN AN ACTIVE RA GROUP COMPARED WITH A USUAL-CARE CONTROL GROUP. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 70 SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: YOGA GROUP AND NON-YOGA GROUP. MITOCHONDRIAL HEALTH WAS ASSESSED BY CALCULATION OF MITOCHONDRIAL DNA COPY NUMBER (MTDNA-CN), OS MARKERS, MITOCHONDRIAL ACTIVITY, MITOCHONDRIAL MEMBRANE POTENTIAL (DELTAPSIM), CIRCADIAN RHYTHM MARKERS AND TRANSCRIPTS ASSOCIATED WITH MITOCHONDRIAL INTEGRITY: AMPK, TIMP-1, KLOTHO, SIRT-1, AND TFAM. PARAMETERS OF DISEASE ACTIVITY AND DISABILITY QUOTIENT WERE ALSO ASSESSED BY DISEASE ACTIVITY SCORE - ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE (DAS28-ESR) AND HEALTH ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE-DISABILITY INDEX (HAQ-DI), RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS: IN YOGA GROUP, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT UPREGULATION OF MTDNA-CN, MITOCHONDRIAL ACTIVITY MARKERS, DELTAPSIM, AND TRANSCRIPTS THAT MAINTAIN MITOCHONDRIAL INTEGRITY AFTER 8-WEEKS OF YOGA. THERE WAS OPTIMIZATION OF OS MARKERS, AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHM MARKERS POST 8-WEEKS PRACTICE OF YOGA. YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN DAS28-ESR (P < 0.05) AND HAQ-DI (P < 0.05) OVER THE NON-YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: ADOPTION OF YOGA BY RA PATIENTS HOLDS THE KEY TO ENHANCE MITOCHONDRIAL HEALTH, IMPROVE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM MARKERS, OS MARKER REGULATION, UPREGULATION OF TRANSCRIPTS THAT MAINTAIN MITOCHONDRIAL INTEGRITY, REDUCE DISEASE ACTIVITY AND ITS ASSOCIATED CONSEQUENCES ON HEALTH OUTCOME AND HENCE CAN BE BENEFICIAL AS AN ADJUNCT THERAPY. 2021 6 2753 36 YOGA PRACTICE IS BENEFICIAL FOR MAINTAINING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND ENDURANCE UNDER RESTRICTIONS AND STRESS IMPOSED BY LOCKDOWN DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC. UNCERTAINTY ABOUT CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) AND RESULTING LOCKDOWN CAUSED WIDESPREAD PANIC, STRESS, AND ANXIETY. YOGA IS A KNOWN PRACTICE THAT REDUCES STRESS AND ANXIETY AND MAY ENHANCE IMMUNITY. THIS STUDY AIMED TO (1) INVESTIGATE THAT INCLUDING YOGA IN DAILY ROUTINE IS BENEFICIAL FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND (2) TO EVALUATE LIFESTYLE OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS THAT MAY BE INSTRUMENTAL IN COPING WITH STRESS ASSOCIATED WITH LOCKDOWN. THIS IS A PAN-INDIA CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY STUDY, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED DURING THE LOCKDOWN. A SELF-RATED SCALE, COVID HEALTH ASSESSMENT SCALE (CHAS), WAS DESIGNED BY 11 EXPERTS IN 3 DELPHI ROUNDS (CONTENT VALID RATIO = 0.85) TO EVALUATE THE PHYSICAL HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, LIFESTYLE, AND COPING SKILLS OF THE INDIVIDUALS. THE SURVEY WAS MADE AVAILABLE DIGITALLY USING GOOGLE FORMS AND COLLECTED 23,760 CHAS RESPONSES. THERE WERE 23,290 VALID RESPONSES (98%). AFTER THE STUDY'S INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA OF YOGIC PRACTICES, THE RESPONDENTS WERE CATEGORIZED INTO THE YOGA (N = 9,840) AND NON-YOGA (N = 3,377) GROUPS, WHO ACTIVELY PRACTICED YOGA DURING THE LOCKDOWN IN INDIA. THE STATISTICAL ANALYSES WERE PERFORMED RUNNING LOGISTIC AND MULTINOMIAL REGRESSION AND CALCULATING ODDS RATIO ESTIMATION USING R SOFTWARE VERSION 4.0.0. THE NON-YOGA GROUP WAS MORE LIKELY TO USE SUBSTANCES AND UNHEALTHY FOOD AND LESS LIKELY TO HAVE GOOD QUALITY SLEEP. YOGA PRACTITIONERS REPORTED GOOD PHYSICAL ABILITY AND ENDURANCE. YOGA GROUP ALSO SHOWED LESS ANXIETY, STRESS, FEAR, AND HAVING BETTER COPING STRATEGIES THAN THE NON-YOGA GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP DISPLAYED STRIKING AND SUPERIOR ABILITY TO COPE WITH STRESS AND ANXIETY ASSOCIATED WITH LOCKDOWN AND COVID-19. IN THE YOGA GROUP, PARTICIPANTS PERFORMING MEDITATION REPORTEDLY HAD RELATIVELY BETTER MENTAL HEALTH. YOGA MAY LEAD TO RISK REDUCTION OF COVID-19 BY DECREASING STRESS AND IMPROVING IMMUNITY IF SPECIFIC YOGA PROTOCOLS ARE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE. 2021 7 2139 25 THE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA ON HEALTH: CRITICAL REVIEW AND CLINICAL TRIAL RECOMMENDATIONS. BIKRAM YOGA IS A STYLE OF HATHA YOGA INVOLVING A STANDARIZED SERIES OF ASANAS PERFORMED TO AN INSTRUCTIONAL DIALOGUE IN A HEATED ENVIRONMENT (40.6 DEGREES C, 40% HUMIDITY). SEVERAL STUDIES EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF BIKRAM YOGA ON HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED OVER THE PAST DECADE. HOWEVER, TO DATE, THERE ARE NO COMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS OF THIS RESEARCH AND THERE REMAINS A LACK OF LARGE-SCALE, ROBUSTLY-DESIGNED RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCT) OF BIKRAM YOGA TRAINING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW IS TO CONTEXTUALISE AND SUMMARISE TRIALS THAT HAVE EVALUATED THE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA ON HEALTH AND TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. ACCORDING TO PUBLISHED LITERATURE, BIKRAM YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE LOWER BODY STRENGTH, LOWER AND UPPER BODY RANGE OF MOTION, AND BALANCE IN HEALTHY ADULTS. NON-RCTS REPORT THAT BIKRAM YOGA MAY, IN SOME POPULATIONS, IMPROVE GLUCOSE TOLERANCE, BONE MINERAL DENSITY, BLOOD LIPID PROFILE, ARTERIAL STIFFNESS, MINDFULNESS, AND PERCEIVED STRESS. THERE IS VAST POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER, IMPROVED RESEARCH INTO THE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA, PARTICULARLY IN UNHEALTHY POPULATIONS, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND INTERVENTION-RELATED ADAPTATIONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE PROGRESSION OF CHRONIC DISEASE. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD ADHERE TO CONSORT GUIDELINES FOR BETTER DESIGN AND REPORTING TO IMPROVE RESEARCH QUALITY IN THIS FIELD. 2015 8 68 39 A DIFFERENT WEIGHT LOSS EXPERIENCE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING THE BEHAVIORAL, PHYSICAL, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA THAT PROMOTE WEIGHT LOSS. YOGA INTERVENTIONS IMPROVE OBESITY-RELATED OUTCOMES INCLUDING BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), BODY WEIGHT, BODY FAT, AND WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, YET IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE DUE TO INCREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, INCREASED LEAN MUSCLE MASS, AND/OR CHANGES IN EATING BEHAVIORS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXPERIENCE OF LOSING WEIGHT THROUGH YOGA. METHODS. SEMISTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE QUALITATIVELY ANALYZED USING A DESCRIPTIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH. RESULTS. TWO DISTINCT GROUPS WHO HAD LOST WEIGHT THROUGH YOGA RESPONDED: THOSE WHO WERE OVERWEIGHT AND HAD REPEATEDLY STRUGGLED IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO LOSE WEIGHT (55%, N = 11) AND THOSE WHO WERE OF NORMAL WEIGHT AND HAD LOST WEIGHT UNINTENTIONALLY (45%, N = 9). FIVE THEMES EMERGED THAT DIFFERED SLIGHTLY BY GROUP: SHIFT TOWARD HEALTHY EATING, IMPACT OF THE YOGA COMMUNITY/YOGA CULTURE, PHYSICAL CHANGES, PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES, AND THE BELIEF THAT THE YOGA WEIGHT LOSS EXPERIENCE WAS DIFFERENT THAN PAST WEIGHT LOSS EXPERIENCES. CONCLUSIONS. THESE FINDINGS IMPLY THAT YOGA COULD OFFER DIVERSE BEHAVIORAL, PHYSICAL, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL EFFECTS THAT MAY MAKE IT A USEFUL TOOL FOR WEIGHT LOSS. ROLE MODELING AND SOCIAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE YOGA COMMUNITY MAY CONTRIBUTE TO WEIGHT LOSS, PARTICULARLY FOR INDIVIDUALS STRUGGLING TO LOSE WEIGHT. 2016 9 2377 33 WHO PRACTICES YOGA? A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF DEMOGRAPHIC, HEALTH-RELATED, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN THE US AND AROUND THE WORLD, YET BECAUSE MOST YOGA RESEARCH IS CONDUCTED AS CLINICAL TRIALS OR EXPERIMENTS, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS AND CORRELATES OF PEOPLE WHO INDEPENDENTLY CHOOSE TO PRACTICE YOGA. WE CONDUCTED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THIS ISSUE, IDENTIFYING 55 STUDIES AND CATEGORIZING CORRELATES OF YOGA PRACTICE INTO SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS, PSYCHOSOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. YOGA USE IS GREATEST AMONG WOMEN AND THOSE WITH HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND APPEARS FAVORABLY RELATED TO PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS SUCH AS COPING AND MINDFULNESS. YOGA PRACTICE OFTEN RELATES TO BETTER SUBJECTIVE HEALTH AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS BUT ALSO WITH MORE DISTRESS AND PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT. HOWEVER, EVIDENCE IS SPARSE AND METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS PRECLUDE DRAWING CAUSAL INFERENCES. NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE STUDIES HAVE MINIMALLY ASSESSED YOGA WHILE STUDIES WITH STRONG ASSESSMENT OF YOGA PRACTICE (E.G., TYPE, DOSE) ARE GENERALLY CONDUCTED WITH CONVENIENCE SAMPLES. ALMOST ALL STUDIES REVIEWED ARE CROSS-SECTIONAL AND FEW CONTROL FOR POTENTIAL CONFOUNDING VARIABLES. WE PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CORRELATES OF YOGA PRACTICE. 2015 10 635 38 DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS AND CORRELATES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. PURPOSE: YOGA HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY USED AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR EATING DISORDERS. HOWEVER, IT IS STILL NOT CLEAR WHETHER YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS, AS SOME STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS SHOW ELEVATED LEVELS OF DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS. THE GOAL OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IS, THUS, TO ANALYSE THE OCCURRENCE OF DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS AND CORRELATES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHOD: PRISMA GUIDELINES FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS WERE USED. SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED IN SEVERAL DATABASES AND SPECIFIC JOURNALS. RESULTS: TWELVE ARTICLES, ALL CROSS-SECTIONAL, WERE IDENTIFIED, FOLLOWING PRISMA GUIDELINES. RESULTS ACROSS STUDIES WERE INCONSISTENT. YOGA PRACTICE WAS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTHIER EATING BEHAVIOURS, LOWER DISORDERED EATING SYMPTOMS, AND HIGHER POSITIVE BODY IMAGE AND BODY SATISFACTION, SUGGESTING THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS MAY BE AT A LOWER RISK OF DEVELOPING EATING DISORDERS. HOWEVER, OTHER STUDIES SUGGESTED THAT A HIGH DOSAGE OF YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH A HIGHER PREVALENCE OF DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS. CONCLUSIONS: AS YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED AS THERAPY FOR EATING DISORDERS, UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA DOSAGE AND DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS IS CRITICAL TO GUIDE TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND ESTABLISH YOGA AS A VALUABLE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: LEVEL I, SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. 2019 11 357 37 ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PRACTICES AMONG WORKING ADULTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY FROM SINGAPORE. OBJECTIVES: THERE IS A PAUCITY OF RESEARCH ON THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGIC BREATHING AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FACTORS IN WORKING ADULTS. ALSO, THERE IS VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FREQUENCY OF YOGIC BREATHING PRACTICE AND ITS BENEFITS. THE AUTHORS INVESTIGATED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA (SKY) FREQUENCY AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF LEADING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE AMONG PRACTITIONERS AND NONPRACTITIONERS. DESIGN: CROSS-SECTIONAL INVESTIGATION ON NON-SKY AND SKY PRACTITIONERS, SKY WAS CATEGORIZED INTO NON-, MONTHLY, WEEKLY, AND DAILY PRACTITIONERS. CONFOUNDING VARIABLES INCLUDED AGE, GENDER, ETHNICITY, MARITAL STATUS, AND EDUCATION LEVEL. A MULTIVARIATE LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL WAS USED TO COMPARE PRACTICE FREQUENCIES WITH THE ODDS OF HAVING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE. SETTINGS: COMMUNITY CENTERS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, WORKPLACES, AND UNIVERSITIES THROUGHOUT SINGAPORE SUBJECTS: OF THE 531 WORKING ADULTS (54.8% FEMALE), 50.1% HAD A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE >/= 4 HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FACTORS). OUTCOME MEASURE: HAVING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE WAS DEFINED AS HAVING >/= 4 HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FACTORS OUT OF SEVEN (SMOKING, ALCOHOL, DIET, EXERCISE, SLEEP, STRESS, AND WEIGHT). RESULTS: MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS DEMONSTRATED THAT THOSE WHO PRACTICED SKY >/= 4 DAYS/WEEK HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ODDS OF HAVING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE (ODDS RATIO = 3.62; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL = 2.10-6.23). THE P FOR TREND ANALYSIS DEMONSTRATED THAT AS THE FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE INCREASED THE LIKELIHOOD OF HAVING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE ALSO INCREASED ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: THE PRACTICE OF YOGIC BREATHING MAY PROMOTE A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE IN WORKING ADULTS. FURTHER EXPERIMENTAL AND LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE WARRANTED. 2021 12 2764 40 YOGA PROGRAMME FOR TYPE-2 DIABETES PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) AMONG HIGH RISK PEOPLE IN INDIA: A MULTICENTRE FEASIBILITY RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL PROTOCOL. INTRODUCTION: A HUGE POPULATION IN INDIA IS AT HIGH RISK OF TYPE-2 DIABETES (T2DM). PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND A HEALTHY DIET (HEALTHY LIFESTYLE) IMPROVE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS IN PEOPLE AT HIGH RISK OF T2DM. HOWEVER, AN UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLE IS COMMON AMONG INDIANS. YOGA COVERS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND A HEALTHY DIET AND CAN HELP TO PREVENT T2DM. THE RESEARCH QUESTION TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MAIN RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) IS WHETHER A YOGA PROGRAMME FOR T2DM PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) IS EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING T2DM AMONG HIGH RISK PEOPLE IN INDIA AS COMPARED WITH ENHANCED STANDARD CARE. IN THIS CURRENT STUDY, WE ARE DETERMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF UNDERTAKING THE MAIN RCT. INTERVENTION: YOGA-DP IS A STRUCTURED LIFESTYLE EDUCATION AND EXERCISE PROGRAMME. THE EXERCISE PART IS BASED ON YOGA AND INCLUDES SHITHILIKARANA VYAYAMA (LOOSENING EXERCISES), SURYA NAMASKAR (SUN SALUTATION EXERCISES), ASANA (YOGIC POSES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING PRACTICES) AND DHYANA (MEDITATION) AND RELAXATION PRACTICES. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: THIS IS A MULTICENTRE, TWO-ARM, PARALLEL-GROUP, FEASIBILITY RCT WITH BLINDED OUTCOME ASSESSMENT AND INTEGRATED MIXED-METHODS PROCESS EVALUATION. ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS SHOULD BE AGED 18-74 YEARS, AT HIGH RISK OF T2DM (FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE LEVEL 5.6-6.9 MMOL/L) AND SAFE TO PARTICIPATE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES. AT LEAST 64 PARTICIPANTS WILL BE RANDOMISED TO INTERVENTION OR CONTROL GROUP WITH FINAL FOLLOW-UP AT 6 MONTHS. IMPORTANT PARAMETERS, NEEDED TO DESIGN THE MAIN RCT, WILL BE ESTIMATED, SUCH AS SD OF THE OUTCOME MEASURE (FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE LEVEL AT 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP), RECRUITMENT, INTERVENTION ADHERENCE, FOLLOW-UP, POTENTIAL CONTAMINATION AND TIME NEEDED TO CONDUCT THE STUDY. SEMISTRUCTURED QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WILL BE CONDUCTED WITH UP TO 20-30 PARTICIPANTS, A SAMPLE OF THOSE DECLINING TO PARTICIPATE, FOUR YOGA-DP INSTRUCTORS AND AROUND EIGHT STUDY STAFF TO EXPLORE THEIR PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF TAKING PART IN THE STUDY AND OF THE INTERVENTION, REASONS BEHIND NON-PARTICIPATION, EXPERIENCES OF DELIVERING THE INTERVENTION AND RUNNING THE STUDY, RESPECTIVELY. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: ETHICS APPROVAL HAS BEEN OBTAINED FROM THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEES: FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (UK); CENTRE FOR CHRONIC DISEASE CONTROL (CCDC, INDIA); BAPU NATURE CURE HOSPITAL AND YOGASHRAM (BNCHY, INDIA) AND SWAMI VIVEKANANDA YOGA ANUSANDHANA SAMSTHANA (S-VYASA, INDIA). THE RESULTS WILL BE WIDELY DISSEMINATED AMONG KEY STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH VARIOUS AVENUES. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CTRI/2019/05/018893. 2020 13 613 35 DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA PROGRAM FOR TYPE-2 DIABETES PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) AMONG HIGH-RISK PEOPLE IN INDIA. INTRODUCTION: MANY INDIANS ARE AT HIGH-RISK OF TYPE-2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM). YOGA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN MIND-BODY DISCIPLINE, THAT HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED GLUCOSE LEVELS AND CAN HELP TO PREVENT T2DM. THE STUDY AIMED TO SYSTEMATICALLY DEVELOP A YOGA PROGRAM FOR T2DM PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) AMONG HIGH-RISK PEOPLE IN INDIA USING A COMPLEX INTERVENTION DEVELOPMENT APPROACH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AS PART OF THE INTERVENTION, WE DEVELOPED A BOOKLET AND A HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO FOR PARTICIPANTS AND A MANUAL FOR YOGA-DP INSTRUCTORS. A SYSTEMATIC ITERATIVE PROCESS WAS FOLLOWED TO DEVELOP THE INTERVENTION AND INCLUDED FIVE STEPS: (I) A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE TO GENERATE A LIST OF YOGIC PRACTICES THAT IMPROVES BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS AMONG ADULTS AT HIGH-RISK OF OR WITH T2DM, (II) VALIDATION OF IDENTIFIED YOGIC PRACTICES BY YOGA EXPERTS, (III) DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERVENTION, (IV) CONSULTATION WITH YOGA, EXERCISE, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, DIET, BEHAVIOR CHANGE, AND/OR DIABETES EXPERTS ABOUT THE INTERVENTION, AND (V) PRETEST THE INTERVENTION AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND LAY PEOPLE (THOSE AT RISK OF T2DM AND HAD NOT PRACTICED YOGA BEFORE) IN INDIA. RESULTS: YOGA-DP IS A STRUCTURED LIFESTYLE EDUCATION AND EXERCISE PROGRAM, PROVIDED OVER A PERIOD OF 24 WEEKS. THE EXERCISE PART IS BASED ON YOGA AND INCLUDES SHITHILIKARANA VYAYAMA (LOOSENING EXERCISES), SURYA NAMASKAR (SUN SALUTATION EXERCISES), ASANA (YOGIC POSES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING PRACTICES), AND DHYANA (MEDITATION) AND RELAXATION PRACTICES. ONCE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETE THE PROGRAM, THEY ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE IN THE LONG-TERM. CONCLUSIONS: WE SYSTEMATICALLY DEVELOPED A NOVEL YOGA PROGRAM FOR T2DM PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) AMONG HIGH-RISK PEOPLE IN INDIA. A MULTI-CENTER FEASIBILITY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IS IN PROGRESS IN INDIA. 2020 14 1284 34 GOT YOGA?: A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF THEMATIC CONTENT AND MODELS' APPEARANCE-RELATED ATTRIBUTES IN ADVERTISEMENTS SPANNING FOUR DECADES OF YOGA JOURNAL. YOGA HAS BECOME AN INCREASINGLY COMMON HEALTH PRACTICE AMONG U.S. ADULTS OVER THE PAST DECADE. WITH THIS GROWTH IN POPULARITY, YOGA-RELATED PRINT MEDIA HAVE BEEN CRITICIZED FOR SHIFTING AWAY FROM YOGA'S TRADITIONAL PHILOSOPHIES AND PROMOTING A THIN, LEAN IDEAL PHYSIQUE REPRESENTING THE "YOGA BODY." THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO (A) ANALYZE THE PRESENCE AND CONTENT OF ADVERTISEMENTS OVER THE 40-YEAR PUBLICATION HISTORY OF YOGA JOURNAL MAGAZINE AND (B) EXPLORE FEMALE ADVERTISEMENT MODELS' SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC AND APPEARANCE-RELATED ATTRIBUTES OVER TIME. RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT YOGA JOURNAL NOW CONTAINS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ADVERTISEMENTS FOR FOOD, NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS, AND APPAREL AND FEWER ADVERTISEMENTS FOR MEDITATION AND NUTRITIONAL PRACTICES THAN IN ITS EARLY YEARS OF PUBLICATION. MODELS WERE MORE FREQUENTLY RATED AS WHITE AND IN THEIR 20S AND 30S IN RECENT YEARS OF PUBLICATION. TRENDS IN MODEL BODY SIZE MATCHED SHIFTS IN CULTURALLY DOMINANT BODY IDEALS OVER TIME. IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE CONSIDERED. 2017 15 2370 53 WHAT BRINGS YOUNG ADULTS TO THE YOGA MAT? CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AND PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AMONG PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROJECT EAT-IV SURVEY. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY EXAMINES MOTIVATIONS FOR YOGA AND IDENTIFIES UNIQUE MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AMONG A SAMPLE OF YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THIS STUDY FURTHER DETERMINES HOW YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS' MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES ASSOCIATE WITH PHYSICAL HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS. SUBJECTS/SETTING: SURVEY DATA WERE DRAWN FROM THE FOURTH WAVE OF A LARGE, POPULATION-BASED STUDY (PROJECT EAT-IV; EATING AND ACTIVITY IN TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS). DESIGN: LATENT CLASS ANALYSIS (LCA) WAS USED TO IDENTIFY MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AMONG PROJECT EAT-IV PARTICIPANTS PRACTICING YOGA (N = 297; MEAN AGE: 30.8-1.7 YEARS; 79.7 % FEMALE). CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN LATENT MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES, PHYSICAL HEALTH BEHAVIORS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS WERE DETERMINED WITH UNADJUSTED AND ADJUSTED (GENDER, RACE/ETHNICITY, AND BODY MASS INDEX) GENERAL LINEAR MODELS. RESULTS: ACROSS MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES, MOST YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MOTIVATED BY ENHANCED FITNESS AND STRESS REDUCTION/RELAXATION. ADDITIONAL MOTIVATIONS FOR YOGA CLUSTERED BY APPEARANCE (DESIRE TO CHANGE BODY APPEARANCE OR WEIGHT) OR MINDFULNESS (DESIRE TO INCREASE PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS) UNDERPINNINGS. THE LCA CHARACTERIZED MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AS "LOW APPEARANCE, LOW MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 1; N = 77), "LOW APPEARANCE, HIGH MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 2; N = 48), "HIGH APPEARANCE, LOW MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 3; N = 79), AND "HIGH APPEARANCE, HIGH MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 4; N = 93). HAVING A PROFILE WITH HIGH MINDFULNESS AND LOW APPEARANCE MOTIVATIONS (CLASS 2) WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER BODY SATISFACTION IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHER CLASSES (P < 0.001). RELATIVE TO CLASS 2, THOSE WITH LOW MINDFULNESS MOTIVATIONS (CLASS 1; CLASS 3) REPORTED LESS TOTAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (P = 0.002) AND THOSE WITH HIGH APPEARANCE MOTIVATIONS (CLASS 3; CLASS 4) REPORTED HIGHER COMPULSIVE EXERCISE SCORES (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: IN THIS SAMPLE, HIGH MINDFULNESS AND LOW APPEARANCE MOTIVATIONS FOR YOGA APPEARED OPTIMAL FOR PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH. CROSS-SECTIONAL FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS' MIND-BODY HEALTH MAY BE SUPPORTED BY MOTIVATIONAL UNDERPINNINGS THAT EMPHASIZE YOGA'S INTERNAL (MINDFULNESS) RATHER THAN EXTERNAL (APPEARANCE) BENEFITS. 2022 16 783 31 EFFECT OF YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY. CONSIDERABLE EVIDENCE EXISTS FOR THE PLACE OF MIND BODY MEDICINE IN THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY DISORDERS. EXCESSIVE ANXIETY IS MALADAPTIVE. IT IS OFTEN CONSIDERED TO BE THE MAJOR COMPONENT OF UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLE THAT CONTRIBUTES SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE PATHOGENESIS OF NOT ONLY PSYCHIATRIC BUT ALSO MANY OTHER SYSTEMIC DISORDERS. AMONG THE APPROACHES TO REDUCE THE LEVEL OF ANXIETY HAS BEEN THE SEARCH FOR HEALTHY LIFESTYLES. THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO STUDY THE SHORT-TERM IMPACT OF A COMPREHENSIVE BUT BRIEF LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION, BASED ON YOGA, ON ANXIETY LEVELS IN NORMAL AND DISEASED SUBJECTS. THE STUDY WAS THE RESULT OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH CARRIED OUT IN THE INTEGRAL HEALTH CLINIC (IHC) AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY OF ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES. THE SUBJECTS HAD HISTORY OF HYPERTENSION, CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, DIABETES MELLITUS, OBESITY, PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS (DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, 'STRESS'), GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS (NON ULCER DYSPEPSIA, DUODENAL ULCERS, IRRITABLE BOWEL DISEASE, CROHN'S DISEASE, CHRONIC CONSTIPATION) AND THYROID DISORDERS (HYPERTHYROIDISM AND HYPOTHYROIDISM). THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, GROUP SUPPORT, INDIVIDUALIZED ADVICE, AND LECTURES AND FILMS ON PHILOSOPHY OF YOGA, THE PLACE OF YOGA IN DAILY LIFE, MEDITATION, STRESS MANAGEMENT, NUTRITION, AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE ILLNESS. THE OUTCOME MEASURES WERE ANXIETY SCORES, TAKEN ON THE FIRST AND LAST DAY OF THE COURSE. ANXIETY SCORES, BOTH STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. AMONG THE DISEASED SUBJECTS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT WAS SEEN IN THE ANXIETY LEVELS OF PATIENTS OF HYPERTENSION, CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, OBESITY, CERVICAL SPONDYLITIS AND THOSE WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT A SHORT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND STRESS MANAGEMENT LEADS TO REMARKABLE REDUCTION IN THE ANXIETY SCORES WITHIN A PERIOD OF 10 DAYS. 2006 17 2454 28 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. METABOLIC SYNDROME (MS) IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SEDENTARY AND STRESSFUL LIFESTYLE AND AFFECTS UNDERACTIVE PEOPLE DISPROPORTIONATELY. YOGA IS CONSIDERED TO BE A LOW-IMPACT MIND-BODY STRESS-RELIEVING EXERCISE, AND RESEARCHERS ARE INCREASING THEIR FOCUS ON THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR MANAGING METABOLIC DISORDERS. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR PHYSICIANS AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TO UNDERSTAND THE THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF YOGA INTERVENTION, IN TERMS OF ITS TYPE, DURATION AND FREQUENCY ON VARIOUS MS RISK FACTORS. THE PRESENT REVIEW SUMMARIZES THE CURRENT SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MS RISK FACTORS SUCH AS GLUCOSE HOMEOSTASIS MARKERS, LIPID PROFILE, ADIPOCYTOKINES AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS, AND DISCUSSES THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION. MEDLINE, PUBMED, SCOPUS AND COCHRANE LIBRARY WERE SEARCHED FROM THEIR INCEPTION UP TO DECEMBER 2019, USING THE KEYWORDS "METABOLIC SYNDROME," "DIABETES," "CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES," "OBESITY" AND "YOGA." THE LITERATURE SUMMARIZED IN THIS REVIEW HAVE SHOWN MIXED EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MS RISK FACTORS AND DO NOT PROVIDE ROBUST EVIDENCE FOR ITS EFFICACY. MORE RIGOROUS RESEARCH AND WELL-DESIGNED TRIALS THAT HAVE A HIGHER STANDARD OF METHODOLOGY AND EVALUATE YOGA'S LONG-TERM IMPACTS ON MS ARE NEEDED. UNDERSTANDING YOGA'S BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF ACTION ON VARIOUS METABOLIC PATHWAYS IS ALSO NEEDED. 2021 18 2466 21 YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF PUBLISHED RESEARCH STUDIES. ALTHOUGH YOGA IS HISTORICALLY A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED CLINICALLY AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION. A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS ON THE BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL LITERATURE INVOLVING RESEARCH ON THE CLINICAL APPLICATION OF YOGA HAS REVEALED AN INCREASE IN PUBLICATION FREQUENCY OVER THE PAST 3 DECADES WITH A SUBSTANTIAL AND GROWING USE OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. TYPES OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS HAVE INCLUDED PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL (E.G. DEPRESSION, ANXIETY), CARDIOVASCULAR (E.G. HYPERTENSION, HEART DISEASE), RESPIRATORY (E.G. ASTHMA), DIABETES AND A VARIETY OF OTHERS. A MAJORITY OF THIS RESEARCH HAS BEEN CONDUCTED BY INDIAN INVESTIGATORS AND PUBLISHED IN INDIAN JOURNALS, PARTICULARLY YOGA SPECIALTY JOURNALS, ALTHOUGH RECENT TRENDS INDICATE INCREASING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INVESTIGATORS IN THE U.S. AND ENGLAND. YOGA THERAPY IS A RELATIVELY NOVEL AND EMERGING CLINICAL DISCIPLINE WITHIN THE BROAD CATEGORY OF MIND-BODY MEDICINE, WHOSE GROWTH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE BURGEONING POPULARITY OF YOGA IN THE WEST AND THE INCREASING WORLDWIDE USE OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. 2004 19 1675 23 OBESITY-RELATED INFLAMMATION & CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: EFFICACY OF A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION. OBESITY IS A GLOBAL HEALTH BURDEN AND ITS PREVALENCE IS INCREASING SUBSTANTIALLY DUE TO CHANGING LIFESTYLE. CHRONIC ADIPOSITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH METABOLIC IMBALANCE LEADING TO DYSLIPIDAEMIA, DIABETES, HYPERTENSION AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVD). ADIPOSE TISSUE ACTS AS AN ENDOCRINE ORGAN RELEASING SEVERAL ADIPOCYTOKINES, AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED LEVELS OF TISSUE AND CIRCULATING INFLAMMATORY BIOMOLECULES CAUSING VASCULAR INFLAMMATION AND ATHEROGENESIS. FURTHER, INFLAMMATION IS ALSO ASSOCIATED INDEPENDENTLY WITH OBESITY AS WELL AS CVD. KEEPING THIS IN VIEW, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A REDUCTION IN WEIGHT MAY LEAD TO A DECREASE IN INFLAMMATION, RESULTING IN CVD RISK REDUCTION, AND BETTER MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CVD. LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY SEVERAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES IN PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASES. A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION APPEARS TO BE A PROMISING OPTION IN REDUCING THE RISK FOR CVD AS WELL AS MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CVD AS IT IS SIMPLE TO FOLLOW AND COST-EFFECTIVE WITH HIGH COMPLIANCE. THE EFFICACY OF SUCH LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES IS MULTIFACETED, AND IS ACHIEVED VIA REDUCTION IN WEIGHT, OBESITY-RELATED INFLAMMATION AND STRESS, THEREBY CULMINATING INTO RISK REDUCTION TOWARDS SEVERAL CHRONIC DISEASES INCLUDING CVD. IN THIS REVIEW, THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN OBESITY-RELATED INFLAMMATION AND CVD, AND THE ROLE OF YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CVD ARE DISCUSSED. 2014 20 2531 27 YOGA EFFECTS ON BRAIN HEALTH: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE CURRENT LITERATURE. YOGA IS THE MOST POPULAR COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACH PRACTICED BY ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS AN ANCIENT MIND AND BODY PRACTICE WITH ORIGINS IN INDIAN PHILOSOPHY. YOGA COMBINES PHYSICAL POSTURES, RHYTHMIC BREATHING AND MEDITATIVE EXERCISE TO OFFER THE PRACTITIONERS A UNIQUE HOLISTIC MIND-BODY EXPERIENCE. WHILE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE ARE WELL ESTABLISHED, IN RECENT YEARS, THE ACTIVE ATTENTIONAL COMPONENT OF BREATHING AND MEDITATION PRACTICE HAS GARNERED INTEREST AMONG EXERCISE NEUROSCIENTISTS. AS THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA CONTINUES TO GROW, THIS ARTICLE AIMS TO SUMMARIZE THE CURRENT KNOWLEDGE OF YOGA PRACTICE AND ITS DOCUMENTED POSITIVE EFFECTS FOR BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION, AS ASSESSED WITH MRI, FMRI, AND SPECT. WE REVIEWED 11 STUDIES EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE BRAIN STRUCTURES, FUNCTION AND CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW. COLLECTIVELY, THE STUDIES DEMONSTRATE A POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE STRUCTURE AND/OR FUNCTION OF THE HIPPOCAMPUS, AMYGDALA, PREFRONTAL CORTEX, CINGULATE CORTEX AND BRAIN NETWORKS INCLUDING THE DEFAULT MODE NETWORK (DMN). THE STUDIES OFFER PROMISING EARLY EVIDENCE THAT BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS LIKE YOGA MAY HOLD PROMISE TO MITIGATE AGE-RELATED AND NEURODEGENERATIVE DECLINES AS MANY OF THE REGIONS IDENTIFIED ARE KNOWN TO DEMONSTRATE SIGNIFICANT AGE-RELATED ATROPHY. 2019