1 1680 187 ONE YEAR OF YOGA TRAINING ALTERS GHRELIN AXIS IN CENTRALLY OBESE ADULTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. INTRODUCTION: METABOLIC SYNDROME (METS) IS A MULTIPLEX CARDIOMETABOLIC MANIFESTATION ASSOCIATED WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES. YOGA TRAINING HAS BEEN SHOWN TO ALLEVIATE METS. RECENTLY, CIRCULATORY GHRELIN PROFILE WAS DEMONSTRATED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH METS. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF 1 YEAR OF YOGA TRAINING ON BETA-CELL FUNCTION AND INSULIN RESISTANCE, AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF METABOLIC PEPTIDES, INCLUDING UNACYLATED GHRELIN (UNAG), ACYLATED GHRELIN (AG), OBESTATIN, GROWTH HORMONE (GH), AND INSULIN, IN THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA TRAINING IN CENTRALLY OBESE ADULTS WITH METS. METHODS: THIS WAS A FOLLOW UP STUDY, IN WHICH DATA OF RISK FACTORS OF METS, PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE TESTS [RESTING HEART RATE (HR), CHAIR STAND TEST (CS), CHAIR SIT AND REACH TEST (CSR), BACK SCRATCH TEST (BS), AND SINGLE LEG STAND TESTS (SLS)] AND SERUM SAMPLES OF 79 CENTRALLY OBESE METS SUBJECTS AGED 58 +/- 8 YEARS (39 SUBJECTS RECEIVED 1-YEAR YOGA TRAINING AND 40 SUBJECTS RECEIVED NO TRAINING) WERE RETRIEVED FOR ANALYSES. BETA-CELL FUNCTION AND INSULIN RESISTANCE WERE EXAMINED BY HOMEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT (HOMA). CIRCULATING LEVELS OF UNAG, AG, OBESTATIN, GH, AND INSULIN WERE DETERMINED BY ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY USING FASTING SERUM SAMPLES. GENERALIZED ESTIMATING EQUATION ANALYSIS AND MANN-WHITNEY U-TEST WERE USED TO DETECT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS. RESULTS: WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (WC) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AFTER YOGA INTERVENTION (CONTROL: +2%; YOGA: -4%). SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN HR (CONTROL: +2%; YOGA: -5%), CS (CONTROL: -1%; YOGA: +24%), CSR LEFT (CONTROL: WORSEN BY 0.90 CM; YOGA: IMPROVED BY 4.21 CM), CSR RIGHT (CONTROL: WORSEN BY 0.75 CM; YOGA: IMPROVED BY 4.28 CM), RIGHT SIDE OF BS (CONTROL: IMPROVED BY 0.19 CM; YOGA: IMPROVED BY 4.31 CM), SLS LEFT (CONTROL: -10%; YOGA: +86%), AND SLS RIGHT (CONTROL: -6%; YOGA: +47%) WERE OBSERVED AFTER 1-YEAR YOGA TRAINING. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS IN INSULIN, HOMA INDICES, AND DISPOSITION INDEX. YOGA TRAINING SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED CIRCULATING GH (CONTROL: -3%; YOGA: +22%), TOTAL CIRCULATING GHRELIN (CONTROL: -26%; YOGA: +13%), AND UNAG (CONTROL: -27%; YOGA: +14%), WHEREAS DECREASED AG (CONTROL: -7%; YOGA: -33%) AND OBESTATIN (CONTROL: +24%; YOGA: -29%). CONCLUSION: ONE-YEAR OF YOGA TRAINING MODULATED TOTAL GHRELIN, UNAG, AG, OBESTATIN, AND GH WHILE EXERTING BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS AND CENTRAL OBESITY IN ADULTS WITH METS. THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ALTERATION OF GHRELIN GENE PRODUCT AND GH.	2018	

2 2216  31 THE IMPACT OF A DAILY YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH FIBROMYALGIA. BACKGROUND: FIBROMYALGIA (FM) IS CHARACTERIZED BY WIDESPREAD PAIN, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND STRESS AND IS NOTABLY DIFFICULT TO TREAT. INDIVIDUALS WITH FM HAVE LOWER PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ENDORSE FEARS THAT EXERCISE MAY WORSEN PAIN. GENTLE DAILY YOGA PRACTICE MAY ALLOW A GRADUAL INCREASE IN ACTIVITY AND POSITIVELY IMPACT MANY OF THESE FM SYMPTOMS. THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY INVESTIGATED THE IMPACT OF PARTICIPATION IN A PILOT TRIAL OF GROUP AND DAILY INDIVIDUAL HOME YOGA INTERVENTION ON WOMEN WITH FM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: FIFTEEN INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS AFTER PARTICIPATING IN THE YOGA INTERVENTION, WHICH INCLUDED SEMI-STRUCTURED QUESTIONS TO ELICIT INSIGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS OF THEIR EXPERIENCE. RESPONSES WERE SYSTEMATICALLY CODED AND THEMES IDENTIFIED. RESULTS: FIVE THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED: (1) PHYSICAL/BODY PERCEPTUAL CHANGES, (2) PRACTICES AFFECTING PAIN, (3) EMOTIONAL CHANGES, (4) PRACTICE MOTIVATORS AND BARRIERS, AND (5) GROUP EFFECT. PARTICIPANTS NOT ONLY REPORTED REDUCTIONS IN FM SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING PAIN AND STRESS, BUT ALSO A POSITIVE IMPACT ON MOOD, SLEEP, AND SELF-CONFIDENCE. CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPANTS ENUMERATED BOTH PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF STARTING YOGA PRACTICE. SPECIFIC HELPFUL POSES AND PRACTICES AND IMPORTANT BARRIERS WERE IDENTIFIED. GROUP PRACTICE AND SOCIAL CONNECTION WITH OTHERS WITH OTHER FM PATIENTS WAS AN IMPORTANT BENEFIT TO PARTICIPANTS.	2019	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
3  938  52 EFFECTS OF 1-YEAR YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: METABOLIC SYNDROME (METS) IS A CLUSTERING OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS, WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETES MELLITUS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS APPLIED TO PEOPLE WITH METS HAS CONSIDERABLE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON DISEASE PREVENTIVE OUTCOMES. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF 1-YEAR OF YOGA EXERCISE ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS INCLUDING CENTRAL OBESITY, HYPERTENSION, DYSLIPIDEMIA AND HYPERGLYCEMIA IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER HONG KONG CHINESE ADULTS WITH METS. METHODS: ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH METS USING NATIONAL CHOLESTEROL EDUCATION PROGRAM CRITERIA (N = 182; MEAN +/- SD AGE = 56 +/- 9.1) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A 1-YEAR YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP OR CONTROL GROUP. SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE, TRIGLYCERIDES, AND HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL WERE EXAMINED AT BASELINE, MIDWAY, AND ON COMPLETION OF THE STUDY. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL AND CALORIC INTAKE WERE ASSESSED AND INCLUDED IN THE COVARIATE ANALYSES. RESULTS: A REDUCTION OF THE NUMBER OF DIAGNOSTIC COMPONENTS FOR METS WAS FOUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE YOGA INTERVENTION. WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AFTER THE 1-YEAR YOGA INTERVENTION. A TREND TOWARDS A DECREASE IN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE WAS OBSERVED FOLLOWING YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA EXERCISE IMPROVES THE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS INCLUDING CENTRAL OBESITY AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS WITH METS. THESE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE COMPLEMENTARY BENEFICIAL ROLE OF YOGA IN MANAGING METS.	2015	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
4   68  32 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
5 1207  32 EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN A BETA-TEST FOR AN ONLINE-STREAMED YOGA INTERVENTION AFTER A STILLBIRTH. BACKGROUND: LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW TO BEST CARE FOR MOTHERS AFTER STILLBIRTH. AS SUCH, THIS PAPER WILL REPORT THE SATISFACTION AND PERCEPTIONS OF AN ONLINE YOGA INTERVENTION (12-WEEK BETA TEST) IN WOMEN AFTER STILLBIRTH. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS (N=74) HAD A STILLBIRTH WITHIN THE LAST 24-MONTHS (M TIME SINCE LOSS 9.65 +/- 6.9 MONTHS). POST-INTERVENTION SATISFACTION SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS AND DROPOUT SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS WERE USED TO ANALYZE SURVEY RESPONSES AND DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION. A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH WAS USED TO EXPLORE AND UNDERSTAND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPANT INTERVIEWS. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING NVIVO10. RESULTS: TWENTY-SIX WOMEN (M AGE 33.73 +/- 4.38) WERE COMPLETERS (> 3 WKS OF YOGA), 26 (M AGE 31.82 +/- 4.13) WERE NON-COMPLETERS (< 3 WKS OF YOGA), AND 22 (M AGE 32.94 +/- 2.93) DROPPED OUT. TWENTY COMPLETERS PARTICIPATED IN A POST-INTERVENTION SATISFACTION SURVEY WITH 75% (N=15) REPORTING BEING VERY SATISFIED OR SATISFIED WITH THE ONLINE YOGA INTERVENTION, FOUND IT TO BE VERY ENJOYABLE OR ENJOYABLE, AND VERY HELPFUL OR HELPFUL TO COPE WITH GRIEF. SATISFACTION AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE INTERVENTION IN THOSE WHO COMPLETED AN INTERVIEW (N=12) WERE CLUSTERED AROUND THE FOLLOWING THEMES: BENEFITS, BARRIERS, DISLIKES, SATISFACTION, AND PREFERENCES. OF THE 22 DROPOUTS, 14 COMPLETED A DROPOUT SURVEY. WOMEN WITHDREW FROM THE STUDY DUE TO PREGNANCY (N=3, 21%), BURDEN (N=3, 21%), STRESS (N=2, 14%), LACK OF TIME (N=2, 14%), DID NOT ENJOY (N=1, 7%), AND OTHER (N=3, 21%). CONCLUSION: FINDINGS HERE MAY BE USED TO HELP DESIGN FUTURE RESEARCH.	2017	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
6 1375  32 IMPACT OF DAILY YOGA-BASED EXERCISE ON PAIN, CATASTROPHIZING, AND SLEEP AMONGST INDIVIDUALS WITH FIBROMYALGIA. BACKGROUND: FIBROMYALGIA (FM) IS A CHRONIC WIDESPREAD PAIN DISORDER CHARACTERIZED BY NEGATIVE AFFECT, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, AND FATIGUE. THIS UNCONTROLLED PILOT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFICACY OF DAILY YOGA-BASED EXERCISE TO IMPROVE FM SYMPTOMS AND EXPLORED BASELINE PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE GREATEST BENEFIT. METHODS: FM PATIENTS (N=46, WITH 36 COMPLETERS) REPORTED PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING AND A RANGE OF FM SYMPTOMS USING VALIDATED INSTRUMENTS BEFORE AND AFTER PARTICIPATION IN SATYANANDA YOGA, WHICH INCLUDED WEEKLY IN-PERSON PAIN-TAILORED GROUP CLASSES FOR 6 WEEKS AND DAILY HOME YOGA VIDEO PRACTICE. RESULTS: CHANGES IN FM SYMPTOMS FROM PRE- TO POST-YOGA WERE VARIABLE AMONGST PARTICIPANTS. GROUP MEANS FOR PAIN DECREASED, AS REPORTED BY AVERAGE DAILY DIARY AND BRIEF PAIN INVENTORY, WITH GREATER HOME PRACTICE MINUTES ASSOCIATED WITH A GREATER DECREASE IN PAIN. AVERAGE DAILY RATINGS OF SLEEP AND FATIGUE IMPROVED. PAIN CATASTROPHIZING WAS DECREASED OVERALL, WITH GREATER CHANGE CORRELATED TO A DECREASE IN FM SYMPTOMS. WE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY GROUP MEAN CHANGES IN ACTIGRAPHY SLEEP EFFICIENCY, PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES MEASUREMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM-ANXIETY AND THE REVISED FIBROMYALGIA IMPACT QUESTIONNAIRE. MULTILEVEL MODELING ANALYSIS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION BETWEEN ANXIETY AND CATASTROPHIZING FOR END-STUDY SLEEP EFFICIENCY, FATIGUE, AND PAIN, SUCH THAT PATIENTS WITH HIGHER BASELINE CATASTROPHIZING AND LOWER BASELINE ANXIETY REPORTED LESS PAIN AND FATIGUE, AND HIGHER SLEEP EFFICIENCY AFTER THE SIXTH WEEK OF YOGA PRACTICE. CONCLUSION: THIS PILOT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY REDUCE PAIN AND CATASTROPHIZING, AS WELL AS IMPROVE SLEEP, BUT THESE CHANGES WERE MODEST ACROSS STUDY PARTICIPANTS. GREATER UPTAKE OF HOME YOGA PRACTICE AS WELL AS A PHENOTYPE OF HIGHER BASELINE CATASTROPHIZING COMBINED WITH LOWER BASELINE ANXIETY WERE ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER IMPACT. FUTURE RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS COMPARING DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA OR EXERCISE WILL ALLOW DETERMINATION OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS FOR FM AND ALLOW CLOSER TARGETING TO THE PATIENTS WHO WILL BENEFIT MOST FROM THEM.	2019	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
7 1162  28 EVALUATING EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AFTER A SHORT-TERM TRADITIONAL YOGA PRACTICE APPROACH IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH AN EXISTING WESTERN-TYPE YOGA PRACTICE. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE INFLUENCE OF A TRADITIONAL YOGA PRACTICE APPROACH (MORNING DAILY PRACTICE, TY) COMPARED TO THAT OF A WESTERN YOGA PRACTICE APPROACH (ONCE-TWICE WEEKLY, EVENING PRACTICE, WY) ON DETERMINANTS OF EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. TO THAT END, IN A PRE/POSTTEST BETWEEN-SUBJECT DESIGN, MEASURES OF POSITIVE (PA) AND NEGATIVE AFFECT (NA), MINDFULNESS, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND AROUSAL STATES WERE TAKEN IN 24 HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS (20 WOMEN; MEAN AGE: 30.5, SD = 8.1 YEARS) WITH AN ALREADY EXISTING WY PRACTICE, WHO EITHER MAINTAINED WY OR UNDERWENT A 2-WEEK, FIVE-TIMES-PER-WEEK MORNING PRACTICE (TY). WHILE WY PARTICIPANTS MAINTAINED BASELINE VALUES FOR ALL MEASURES TAKEN, TY PARTICIPANTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT BENEFICIAL CHANGES FOR PA, NA, AND MINDFULNESS AND A TREND FOR IMPROVED ABILITY TO COPE WITH STRESS AT THE COMPLETION OF THE INTERVENTION. FURTHERMORE, TY PARTICIPANTS DISPLAYED DECREASED SUBJECTIVE ENERGY AND ENERGETIC AROUSAL. ALTOGETHER, FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE 2-WEEK TY IS BENEFICIAL OVER WY FOR IMPROVING PERCEIVED EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. THE PRESENT FINDINGS (1) UNDERMINE AND INSPIRE A CAREFUL CONSIDERATION AND UTILIZATION OF YOGA PRACTICE APPROACH TO ELICIT THE BEST BENEFITS FOR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND (2) SUPPORT YOGA AS AN EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE AMONG HEALTHY YOGA PRACTITIONERS.	2016	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
8 1489  27 INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BODY AND SOCIAL AWARENESS IN YOGA. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: BODILY PROCESSES HAVE BEEN INTIMATELY LINKED TO SOCIAL-COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE FUNCTIONS, SUCH AS COMPASSION AND EMPATHY. YET, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW AWARENESS OF BODILY PROCESSES INFLUENCES SOCIAL AWARENESS AND VICE VERSA, ESPECIALLY IN NONOBSERVATIONAL BUT EXPERIENTIAL INVESTIGATIONS. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOMETRICALLY REPORTED BODY AND SOCIAL AWARENESS (INCLUDING ALTRUISM, EMPATHY, PERSPECTIVE-TAKING, AND COMPASSION) IN 90 YOGA AND YOGA-/MEDIATION-NAIVE CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. IN MODERN POSTURAL YOGA, ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS CLAIM BOTH INCREASED COMPASSION AND INNER FOCUS. METHODS: MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED TO PREDICT (1) THE LEVEL OF YOGA PRACTICE FROM BODY AWARENESS AND SOCIAL AWARENESS SKILLS IN THE YOGA GROUP AND (2) BODY AWARENESS FROM SOCIAL SKILLS IN BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS: BODY AWARENESS AND COMPASSION WERE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE AND INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF YOGA EXPERTISE. THIS FINDING SUPPORTS PRACTITIONERS' ANECDOTAL CLAIMS BUT ALSO IMPLIES THAT BOTH FUNCTIONS TAP INTO DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF YOGA EXPERTISE. WHEN BODY AWARENESS WAS PREDICTED, ALTRUISM EMERGED AS A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE PREDICTOR IN THE YOGA GROUP (BUT NOT CONTROL GROUP) AS A FUNCTION OF YOGA PRACTICE. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS MIGHT COMPELLINGLY SUGGEST THAT, DESPITE HIGH COMPASSION, HEIGHTENED BODILY SELF-AWARENESS MIGHT INCREASE A SELF-CENTRED PERSPECTIVE AND LIMIT ALTRUISTIC ACTS IN ADVANCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS.	2017	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
9   21  25 "YOGA RESETS MY INNER PEACE BAROMETER": A QUALITATIVE STUDY ILLUMINATING THE PATHWAYS OF HOW YOGA IMPACTS ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSE OF THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS TWOFOLD: (1) TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA PRACTITIONERS PERCEIVE INTRA- AND INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE, AND (2) TO DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF YOGA EFFECTS ON INTRA- AND INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES THAT MAY UNDERLIE THE "RELATIONAL" INFLUENCES OF YOGA. DESIGN: AS PART OF A LARGER STUDY, 107 COMMUNITY-DWELLING YOGA PRACTITIONERS (AGE M=41.2+/-15.9YEARS) COMPLETED OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS WHICH ASKED QUESTIONS FOCUSING ON WHETHER YOGA INFLUENCES ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. A SUBSAMPLE (N=12) COMPLETED IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS. THE OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS, AND VERBATIM INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYZED FOR EMERGENT THEMES USING A CONSTANT COMPARISON APPROACH. RESULTS: FOUR EMERGING THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED SUCH THAT PRACTITIONERS TALKED ABOUT THE ABILITY OF YOGA TO GENERATE CALM STATES, MINDFULNESS, (SELF-)COMPASSION, AND A SENSE OF CONNECTEDNESS. THROUGHOUT THE THEMES, A COMMON PATTERN EMERGED SUCH THAT YOGA PRACTICE FIRST LED TO POSITIVE INTRAPERSONAL CHANGES, WHICH THEN INFLUENCED ONE'S INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. BASED ON THESE RESULTS, A CONCEPTUAL MODEL WAS DEVELOPED DEPICTING POTENTIAL PATHWAYS OF HOW YOGA WORKS TO ENHANCE RELATIONAL OUTCOMES. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THE PROMISE YOGA HOLDS TO IMPROVE ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF (INTRAPERSONAL) THROUGH MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION, AND TO OTHERS (INTERPERSONAL), THROUGH THE ENHANCEMENT OF COMPASSION AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, WHICH MAY POTENTIALLY LEAD TO ENHANCED HEALTH AND WELLBEING OUTCOMES. FURTHER EMPIRICAL TESTING OF THE MODEL IS WARRANTED.	2018	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
10 1030  47 EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON SERUM ADIPONECTIN AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. OBJECTIVE: REGULAR AND CONTINUOUS YOGA EXERCISE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT NONPHARMACOLOGICAL METHODS OF IMPROVING SERUM LIPID CONCENTRATIONS, ADIPOSE TISSUE, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON SERUM ADIPONECTIN AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL KOREAN WOMEN. METHODS: SIXTEEN HEALTHY POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN AGED 54.50 +/- 2.75 YEARS WITH MORE THAN 36% BODY FAT WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A YOGA EXERCISE GROUP (N = 8) OR TO A "NO EXERCISE" CONTROL GROUP (N = 8). THE VARIABLES OF BODY COMPOSITION, VISCERAL FAT, SERUM ADIPONECTIN, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS WERE MEASURED IN ALL THE PARTICIPANTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE 16-WEEK STUDY. RESULTS: BODY WEIGHT, PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT, LEAN BODY MASS, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, AND VISCERAL FAT AREA HAD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED. HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL AND ADIPONECTIN HAD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED, BUT TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDE, LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL, BLOOD PRESSURE, INSULIN, GLUCOSE, AND HOMOEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT-INSULIN RESISTANCE HAD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED. SERUM ADIPONECTIN CONCENTRATIONS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL, DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, AND HOMOEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT-INSULIN RESISTANCE IN THE POSTYOGA EXERCISE GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: OUR FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA EXERCISE IMPROVES ADIPONECTIN LEVEL, SERUM LIPIDS, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME RISK FACTORS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. CONSEQUENTLY, YOGA EXERCISE WILL BE EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE CAUSED BY OBESITY IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL KOREAN WOMEN.	2012	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
11 1668  31 NEUROCOGNITIVE CORRELATES OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICE ON EMOTION AND COGNITION: A PILOT STUDY. MINDFULNESS MEDITATION INVOLVES ATTENDING TO EMOTIONS WITHOUT COGNITIVE FIXATION OF EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE. OVER TIME, THIS PRACTICE IS HELD TO PROMOTE ALTERATIONS IN TRAIT AFFECTIVITY AND ATTENTIONAL CONTROL WITH RESULTANT EFFECTS ON WELL-BEING AND COGNITION. HOWEVER, RELATIVELY LITTLE IS KNOWN REGARDING THE NEURAL SUBSTRATES OF MEDITATION EFFECTS ON EMOTION AND COGNITION. THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE NEUROCOGNITIVE CORRELATES OF EMOTION INTERFERENCE ON COGNITION IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND A MATCHED CONTROL GROUP (CG) UNDERWENT FMRI WHILE PERFORMING AN EVENT-RELATED AFFECTIVE STROOP TASK. THE TASK INCLUDES IMAGE VIEWING TRIALS AND STROOP TRIALS BRACKETED BY NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL DISTRACTORS. DURING IMAGE VIEWING TRIALS, YOGA PRACTITIONERS EXHIBITED LESS REACTIVITY IN RIGHT DORSOLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX (DLPFC) TO NEGATIVE AS COMPARED TO NEUTRAL IMAGES; WHEREAS THE CG HAD THE OPPOSITE PATTERN. A MAIN EFFECT OF VALENCE (NEGATIVE > NEUTRAL) WAS OBSERVED IN LIMBIC REGIONS (E.G., AMYGDALA), OF WHICH THE MAGNITUDE WAS INVERSELY RELATED TO DLPFC ACTIVATION. EXPLORATORY ANALYSES REVEALED THAT THE MAGNITUDE OF AMYGDALA ACTIVATION PREDICTED DECREASED SELF-REPORTED POSITIVE AFFECT IN THE CG, BUT NOT AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS. DURING STROOP TRIALS, YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD GREATER ACTIVATION IN VENTROLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX (VLPFC) DURING STROOP TRIALS WHEN NEGATIVE, COMPARED TO NEUTRAL, EMOTIONAL DISTRACTOR WERE PRESENTED; THE CG EXHIBITED THE OPPOSITE PATTERN. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT THOUGH YOGA PRACTITIONERS EXHIBIT LIMBIC REACTIVITY TO NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL STIMULI, SUCH REACTIVITY DOES NOT HAVE DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS ON LATER MOOD STATE. THIS UNCOUPLING OF VIEWING NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL IMAGES AND AFFECT AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS MAY BE OCCASIONED BY THEIR SELECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF FRONTAL EXECUTIVE-DEPENDENT STRATEGIES TO REDUCE EMOTIONAL INTERFERENCE DURING COMPETING COGNITIVE DEMANDS AND NOT DURING EMOTIONAL PROCESSING PER SE.	2012	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
12  324  37 ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND CLINICAL PARAMETERS IN CLIMACTERIC YOGA PRACTITIONERS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND CLINICAL PARAMETERS IN CLIMACTERIC YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHODS: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED 108 CLIMACTERIC WOMEN. WE RECRUITED 28 WOMEN BETWEEN 40 AND 65 YEARS OLD WHO STARTED YOGA PRACTICES IN PREMENOPAUSE AND HAD ALREADY PRACTICED FOR AT LEAST 5 YEARS. AS CONTROLS, WE SELECTED 30 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (PA) PRACTITIONERS WHO HAD PRACTICED FOR AT LEAST 5 YEARS AND 50 SEDENTARY WOMEN IN THE SAME AGE RANGE. WE CONDUCED ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS. RESULTS: THE YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE THAN THE PA PRACTITIONERS AND SEDENTARY WOMEN. YOGA PRACTITIONERS ALSO HAD LOWER WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE AND WAIST-TO-HEIGHT RATIO; HIGHER LEVELS OF HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL; LOWER LEVELS OF TRIGLYCERIDES, INSULIN, HOMEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT OF INSULIN RESISTANCE, URIC ACID, APOLIPOPROTEIN B AND HIGH-SENSITIVITY C-REACTIVE PROTEIN; AND LOWER FREQUENCY OF METABOLIC SYNDROME, LIPID ACCUMULATION PRODUCT, VISCERAL ADIPOSITY INDEX AND SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE THAN THE SEDENTARY WOMEN. CONCLUSION: YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD LOWER GLUCOSE SERUM CONCENTRATIONS THAN THE PA PRACTITIONERS AND SEDENTARY WOMEN. OVERALL, THE YOGA GROUP ALSO HAD BETTER ANTHROPOMETRIC, BIOCHEMICAL AND CLINICAL VARIABLES THAN THE OTHER GROUPS. ALTHOUGH FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS REQUIRED, YOGA PRACTICE IN PREMENOPAUSE SEEMS TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR WOMEN WHEN THEY REACH MENOPAUSE.	2022	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
13 2728  23 YOGA NOT A (PHYSICAL) CULTURE FOR MEN? UNDERSTANDING THE BARRIERS FOR YOGA PARTICIPATION AMONG MEN. YOGA OFFERS AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BENEFIT MEN. THIS QUALITATIVE DESCRIPTIVE STUDY EXAMINED MEN'S PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA, AND IDENTIFIED BARRIERS AND POSSIBLE FACILITATORS FOR PARTICIPATION. TWENTY-ONE NON-YOGA PARTICIPANT MEN, 18-60 YEARS OLD, AND LIVING IN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, WERE INTERVIEWED. TWO MAJOR BARRIERS WERE IDENTIFIED USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS: (1) PREFERENCE FOR OTHER FORMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND (2) GENDER-RELATED PERCEPTIONS AND PRESSURES (I.E., PERCEPTION OF YOGA AS FEMININE, AND PRESENCE OF "BLOKE" CULTURE AND MASCULINE IDEALS IN SOCIETY). POTENTIAL FACILITATORS INCLUDED: (1) ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AMONG MEN, (2) PROVIDING BRIEF INFORMATION SESSIONS, AND (3) MEN-ONLY CLASSES. THE NON-COMPETITIVE NATURE OF YOGA, IN ADDITION TO BEING PREDOMINANTLY UNDERTAKEN BY WOMEN, MAKES IT LESS APPEALING FOR MEN LIVING IN AUSTRALIA. THESE BARRIERS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED IF YOGA IS TO BE PROMOTED AS AN OPTION FOR MEN, PARTICULARLY THOSE NOT DRAWN TO TRADITIONAL SPORTS OR EXERCISE.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
14  683  45 EFFECT OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE AXIS, DISEASE ACTIVITY, AND PERCEIVED QUALITY OF LIFE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. VARIOUS EXTERNAL STRESSORS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES LEAD TO THE PROVOCATION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES LIKE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA). THE INAPPROPRIATE IMMUNE RESPONSE FURTHER TRIGGERS THE CASCADE OF INFLAMMATORY CHANGES RESULTING IN PRECIPITATION OF SYMPTOMS AND HAMPERS QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). THE UNDERLYING PSYCHO-SOMATIC COMPONENT OF THE DISEASE REQUIRES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ITS TREATMENT DIMENSION RATHER THAN THE USE OF PHARMACOTHERAPY. THE APPLICABILITY OF MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS HAS BECOME ESSENTIAL IN TODAY'S FAST-PACED LIFE. YOGA, A MIND-BODY TECHNIQUE, ALTERS THE MIND'S CAPACITY TO FACILITATE SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONING AT MULTIPLE ORGAN SYSTEM LEVELS. HENCE, WE CONDUCTED THIS STUDY TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF 8 WEEKS OF A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION (YBLI) ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE MARKERS, GENE EXPRESSION PATTERNS, AND QOL IN RA PATIENTS ON ROUTINE MEDICAL THERAPY. A TOTAL OF 66 PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: YOGA GROUP OR NON-YOGA GROUP AND WERE ASSESSED FOR A PANEL OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES (IL-6, IL-17A, TNF-ALPHA, AND TGF-BETA), MIND-BODY COMMUNICATIVE MARKERS (BDNF, DHEAS, BETA-ENDORPHIN, AND SIRTUIN) AND TRANSCRIPT LEVELS OF VARIOUS GENES (IL-6, TNF-ALPHA, NFKB1, TGF-BETA, AND CTLA4). WE ASSESSED DISEASE ACTIVITY AND QOL USING THE DAS28-ESR AND WHOQOL-BREF QUESTIONNAIRE, RESPECTIVELY. YOGA GROUP OBSERVED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LEVELS OF MARKERS, WHICH INFLUENCED THE PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE AXIS (P < 0.001) WITH AN ESTIMATED EFFECT SIZE FROM SMALL TO MEDIUM RANGE. IN THE YOGA GROUP, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DAS28-ESR (P < 0.001) AND IMPROVEMENT SEEN IN THE PHYSICAL HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS DOMAINS (P < 0.001) OF QOL, EXCEPT ENVIRONMENTAL (P > 0.05). THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED DOWNREGULATION OF IL-6, TNF-ALPHA, AND CTLA4 AND UPREGULATION OF TGF-BETA. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT A DECREASE IN DISEASE ACTIVITY AFTER YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, THE ELEVATION OF MIND-BODY COMMUNICATIVE MARKERS, AND NORMALIZATION OF VARIOUS TRANSCRIPT LEVELS, WHICH IMPROVED QOL. THUS THE ADOPTION OF YBLI IMPROVES CLINICAL OUTCOME IN RA, AND DECREASES SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION BY ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE AXIS AND NORMALIZATION OF DYSREGULATED TRANSCRIPTS. THUS YBLI MAY BE USED FOR RA PATIENTS AS AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY.	2020	
                                                                                                                                      
15  156  24 A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA: A GROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THEIR CAREGIVERS. PURPOSE: TO EXPLORE PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES IN A GROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THEIR CAREGIVERS.MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE CONDUCTED SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH 13 PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THREE CAREGIVERS WHO HAD COMPLETED LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA, A 6-SESSION, MANUALIZED, GROUP-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION THAT INCORPORATES BREATHING EXERCISES, YOGA, MEDITATION, AND PSYCHOEDUCATION. INTERVIEWS WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS.RESULTS: WE IDENTIFIED SEVEN THEMES: EASE OF PARTICIPATION, BELONGING, SUSTAINING COMMUNITY CONNECTION, PHYSICAL HEALTH, SELF-REGULATION, SELF-EFFICACY, AND RESILIENCE. ALL PARTICIPANTS VALUED THE COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA STUDIO ENVIRONMENT AND MULTIFACETED STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN STRENGTH, BALANCE, FLEXIBILITY, AND ATTENTION CONTROL, AND A GREATER SENSE OF BELONGING, COMMUNITY CONNECTION, AND ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR LIVES. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED ONGOING USE OF TOOLS (E.G., BREATHING EXERCISES) TO COPE WITH NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND STRESS. ABOUT HALF OF PARTICIPANTS SUSTAINED RELATIONSHIPS BUILT DURING LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA AND FELT MORE CAPABLE OF ACCESSING OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITY.CONCLUSIONS: LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA SUCCESSFULLY PROMOTED COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. IT ALSO FACILITATED DIVERSE AND MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH BENEFITS, WHICH SUGGEST THAT IT MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS OFTEN STRUGGLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF REHABILITATIONYOGA IS A HOLISTIC THERAPY WITH MANY BENEFITS, YET IS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY POPULATION AT THE COMMUNITY LEVELPARTICIPANTS IN A COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION IN SIX STATES EXPERIENCED DIVERSE AND MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH BENEFITSGROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS.	2020	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
16 1339  39 HOW DOES YOGA WORK ON PAIN DIMENSIONS? AN INTEGRATED PERSPECTIVE IN 2 INDIVIDUALS WITH FIBROMYALGIA. CONTEXT: THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA HAS BEEN STUDIED IN FIBROMYALGIA (FM) USING IMPROVEMENT IN ITS 5 KEY DIMENSIONS-PAIN, QUALITY OF LIFE, SLEEP, DEPRESSION, AND DISABILITY-AS OUTCOME MEASURES. STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PSYCHOSOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF PAIN AFTER YOGA PRACTICE, BUT THESE FINDINGS FAILED TO REACH STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. ALTHOUGH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN THE MODULATION OF PAIN, NO STUDY HAS YET INVESTIGATED HOW IT ACTS ON EACH DIMENSION OF PAIN. OBJECTIVE: THE STUDY INTENDED TO INVESTIGATE THE DIMENSIONS OF PAIN-SENSORY, EVALUATIVE, AND/OR AFFECTIVE-AND WHICH PSYCHOLOGICAL COMORBIDITIES-ANXIETY AND/OR DEPRESSION-THAT HATHA YOGA AFFECTS IN INDIVIDUALS WITH FM. DESIGN: THE RESEARCH TEAM PERFORMED 2 CASE STUDIES. SETTING: THE STUDY OCCURRED AT THE GIFT INSTITUTE OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (PISA, ITALY). PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS WERE 2 PATIENTS AT THE INSTITUTE WHO HAD FM. INTERVENTION: AT BASELINE (T0), PARTICIPANTS WERE PRESCRIBED 8 MO OF PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT. AT 2 MO AFTER BASELINE (T1), THEY PARTICIPATED IN AN 8-H, MIND-BODY, PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL COURSE (PEC) FOR SELF-MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN. EACH PARTICIPANT WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE EVERY WEEK FOR 2 MO AFTER THE PEC (IE, UNTIL 4 MO FROM BASELINE (T2). FOR THE NEXT 2 MO, PARTICIPANTS HAD NO CONTACT WITH A HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER, TO SUSTAIN A DEEPER PEC PROGRAM. PARTICIPANTS THEN TOOK A 2-MO HATHA YOGA PROGRAM FROM MONTHS 6 (T3) TO 8 (T4). OUTCOME MEASURES: SENSORIAL, AFFECTIVE, AND EVALUATIVE DIMENSIONS OF PAIN WERE INVESTIGATED USING THE ITALIAN PAIN QUESTIONNAIRE, AND DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY WERE INVESTIGATED USING THE HOSPITAL ANXIETY DEPRESSION AT T0, T1, T2, T3, AND T4. THE IPQ WAS ADMINISTERED WEEKLY, BEFORE AND AFTER EACH YOGA SESSION. RESULTS: HATHA YOGA PROVED TO BE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF RELIEVING PAIN IN FM. IN PARTICULAR, A MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENT IN SCORES OCCURRED FOR THE AFFECTIVE DIMENSION OF PAIN AFTER ONLY 4 YOGA SESSIONS; THIS EFFECT REMAINED STABLE THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE PROGRAM. CONCLUSIONS: MONITORING THE AFFECTIVE DIMENSION OF PAIN SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO PAIN, AND HATHA YOGA MAY BE BENEFICIAL IN THE PAIN MANAGEMENT OF FM PARTICIPANTS.	2018	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
17 2819  53 YOGA TRAINING MODULATES ADIPOKINES IN ADULTS WITH HIGH-NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE AND METABOLIC SYNDROME. METABOLIC SYNDROME (METS) IS ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETES MELLITUS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES. OUR PREVIOUS STUDY INDICATED THAT PEOPLE WITH METS SHOWED A DECREASE IN WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE AND A DECREASING TREND IN BLOOD PRESSURE AFTER 1-YEAR YOGA. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON METS PEOPLE WITH HIGH-NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE BY EXPLORING MODULATIONS IN PROINFLAMMATORY ADIPOKINES (LEPTIN, CHEMERIN, VISFATIN, AND PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR INHIBITOR-1 OR PAI-1) AND AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ADIPOKINE (ADIPONECTIN). A TOTAL OF 97 HONG KONG CHINESE INDIVIDUALS AGED 57.6 +/- 9.1 YEARS WITH METS AND HIGH-NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO CONTROL (N = 45) AND YOGA GROUPS (N = 52). PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP WERE NOT GIVEN ANY INTERVENTION BUT WERE CONTACTED MONTHLY TO MONITOR THEIR HEALTH STATUS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP UNDERWENT A YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM WITH THREE 1-HOUR YOGA SESSIONS WEEKLY FOR 1 YEAR. THE PARTICIPANTS' SERA WERE HARVESTED AND ASSESSED FOR ADIPOKINES. GENERALIZED ESTIMATING EQUATION (GEE) WAS USED TO EXAMINE THE INTERACTION EFFECT BETWEEN 1-YEAR TIME (PRE VS POST), AND INTERVENTION (CONTROL VS YOGA). GEE ANALYSES REVEALED SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION EFFECTS BETWEEN 1-YEAR TIME AND YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THE DECREASES IN LEPTIN AND CHEMERIN AND THE INCREASE IN ADIPONECTIN CONCENTRATION IN THE SERA EXAMINED. THESE RESULTS DEMONSTRATED THAT 1-YEAR YOGA TRAINING DECREASED PROINFLAMMATORY ADIPOKINES AND INCREASED ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ADIPOKINE IN ADULTS WITH METS AND HIGH-NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE. THESE FINDINGS SUPPORT THE BENEFICIAL ROLE OF YOGA IN MANAGING METS BY FAVORABLY MODULATING ADIPOKINES.	2018	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
18 1832  29 PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, HEALTH BEHAVIORS, AND WEIGHT LOSS AMONG PARTICIPANTS IN A RESIDENTIAL, KRIPALU YOGA-BASED WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM. UNLABELLED: THE INCREASING PREVALENCE OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN HUMANS IS A GROWING PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN IN THE UNITED STATES. CONCOMITANTS INCLUDE POOR HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND REDUCED PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTS YOGA AND TREATMENT PARADIGMS INCORPORATING MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION (SC), ACCEPTANCE, NON-DIETING, AND INTUITIVE EATING MAY IMPROVE THESE ANCILLARY CORRELATES, WHICH MAY PROMOTE LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS. METHODS: WE EXPLORED THE IMPACT OF A 5-DAY RESIDENTIAL WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM, WHICH WAS MULTIFACETED AND BASED ON KRIPALU YOGA, ON HEALTH BEHAVIORS, WEIGHT LOSS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE INDIVIDUALS. THIRTY-SEVEN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS (AGE 32-65, BMI<25) COMPLETED VALIDATED MIND-FULNESS, SC, LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOR, AND MOOD QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE, POST-PROGRAM, AND 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP AND REPORTED THEIR WEIGHT 1 YEAR AFTER PROGRAM COMPLETION. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN NUTRITION BEHAVIORS, SC, MINDFULNESS, STRESS MANAGEMENT, AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH WERE OBSERVED IMMEDIATELY POST-PROGRAM (N = 31, 84% RETENTION), WITH MEDIUM TO LARGE EFFECT SIZES. AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP (N = 18, 49% RETENTION), MOST CHANGES PERSISTED. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOOD DISTURBANCE HAD IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY POST-PROGRAM BUT FAILED TO REACH SIGNIFICANCE AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. SELF-REPORT WEIGHT LOSS AT 1 YEAR (N = 19, 51% RETENTION) WAS SIGNIFICANT. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST A KRIPALU YOGA-BASED, RESIDENTIAL WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM MAY FOSTER PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, IMPROVED NUTRITION BEHAVIORS, AND WEIGHT LOSS. GIVEN THE EXPLORATORY NATURE OF THIS INVESTIGATION, MORE RIGOROUS WORK IN THIS AREA IS WARRANTED.	2012	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
19   20  27 "WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER": A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME MINORITY PARTICIPANTS IN A YOGA TRIAL FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. OBJECTIVE: TO EXPLORE THE EXPERIENCES OF LOW-INCOME MINORITY ADULTS TAKING PART IN A YOGA DOSING TRIAL FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: INDIVIDUAL SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH NINETEEN PARTICIPANTS RECRUITED FROM A RANDOMIZED YOGA DOSING TRIAL FOR PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY ADULTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. INTERVIEWS DISCUSSED THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON LOW BACK PAIN AND EMOTIONS; OTHER PERCEIVED ADVANTAGES OR DISADVANTAGES OF THE INTERVENTION; AND FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO PRACTICING YOGA. INTERVIEWS WERE AUDIO TAPED AND TRANSCRIBED, CODED USING ATLAS.TI SOFTWARE, AND ANALYZED WITH INDUCTIVE AND DEDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS METHODS. SETTING: BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER, BOSTON, MA, USA. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS VIEWED YOGA AS A MEANS OF PAIN RELIEF AND ATTRIBUTED IMPROVED MOOD, GREATER ABILITY TO MANAGE STRESS, AND ENHANCED RELAXATION TO YOGA. OVERALL, PARTICIPANTS FELT EMPOWERED TO SELF-MANAGE THEIR PAIN. SOME FOUND YOGA TO BE HELPFUL IN BEING MINDFUL OF THEIR EMOTIONS AND ACCEPTING OF THEIR PAIN. TRUST IN THE YOGA INSTRUCTORS WAS A COMMONLY CITED FACILITATOR FOR YOGA CLASS ATTENDANCE. LACK OF TIME, MOTIVATION, AND FEAR OF INJURY WERE REPORTED BARRIERS TO YOGA PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA IS A MULTIDIMENSIONAL TREATMENT FOR LOW BACK PAIN THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FAVORABLY IMPACT HEALTH IN A PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY POPULATION.	2016	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
20 1789  30 PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS OF THE EFFECT OF A BRIEF YOGA INTERVENTION ON MARKERS OF INFLAMMATION AND DNA METHYLATION IN CHRONICALLY STRESSED WOMEN. YOGA IS ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED STRESS AND INCREASED WELL-BEING, ALTHOUGH THE MOLECULAR BASIS FOR THESE BENEFITS IS NOT CLEAR. MOUNTING EVIDENCE IMPLICATES THE IMMUNE RESPONSE, WITH CURRENT STUDIES FOCUSED ON PROTEIN IMMUNE MARKERS (SUCH AS CYTOKINES) IN CLINICAL POPULATIONS. TO EXPLORE THE MOLECULAR IMPACT, THIS PILOT STUDY USES A SUBSAMPLE (N=28) FROM A RANDOMISED WAITLIST CONTROL TRIAL INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION IN A COMMUNITY POPULATION OF WOMEN REPORTING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS (N=116). WE MEASURED INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6), TUMOUR NECROSIS FACTOR (TNF) AND C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) PROTEIN LEVELS, AND THE DNA METHYLATION OF THESE GENES AND THE GLOBAL INDICATOR, LINE-1. CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THESE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES WERE EXPLORED, IDENTIFYING MODERATE CORRELATIONS WITH CRP PROTEIN LEVELS, AND METHYLATION OF IL-6, CRP AND LINE-1. MANY CYTOKINE SAMPLES WERE BELOW DETECTION, HOWEVER A MANN-WHITNEY U DEMONSTRATED A TREND OF MODERATE BETWEEN-GROUP EFFECT FOR ELEVATED IL-6 IN THE YOGA GROUP. METHYLATION ANALYSES APPLIED CROSS-SECTIONAL AND NON-CONTROLLED LONGITUDINAL ANALYSES. WAIST-TO-HEIGHT RATIO AND AGE WERE COVARIED. WE DEMONSTRATED REDUCED METHYLATION OF THE TNF REGION IN THE YOGA GROUP RELATIVE TO THE WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP. NO OTHER GENES DEMONSTRATED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE. LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS FURTHER SUPPORTED THESE RESULTS. THIS STUDY IS ONE OF THE FIRST TO EXPLORE YOGA AND IMMUNOLOGICAL MARKERS IN A NON-CLINICAL POPULATION, AND IS THE FIRST STUDY TO EXPLORE DNA METHYLATION. THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT FURTHER RESEARCH INTO MOLECULAR IMPACT OF YOGA ON MARKERS OF IMMUNE FUNCTION IS WARRANTED, WITH LARGER STUDIES REQUIRED.	2016