International Journal of Yoga Therapy

Yoga has promising benefits for women to reduce fall-injury risk by improving balance, strength, confidence, and other risk factors, although the effect of yoga on reducing injury risk and fall rates is still not clearly established. The objective of the present study was to determine postmenopausal women's perceived changes in overall health and well-being and some of the facilitators and challenges to participating in a 12-week Balance Flow Yoga class, a group-based hatha yoga intervention designed specifically to address fall risk factors...

Despite increased interest in mindfulness practices such as yoga as an adjunct for depression, anxiety, and other chronic health concerns, little research exists on the potential benefits of yoga in therapeutic settings. As a complementary therapy, yoga provides a value-added benefit to traditional clinical practices for (1) clinicians as a form of self-care in treating compassion fatigue caused by, for example, fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) the patients they serve. The primary goal of the present study was to understand clinician perspectives of yoga as an intervention in the therapeutic setting for clinicians and clients...

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Volitional yoga breathing techniques influence several physiological functions depending on the changes made in depth of breathing, relative duration of exhalation to inhalation, and breath frequency. The practice guidelines for three routinely practiced and researched yoga breathing practices (bhastrika pranayama [bellows breath], bhramari pranayama [bee breath], and kapalabhati pranayama [breath of fire]) were compared between the traditional written texts (i.e., Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita) and published research indexed in PubMed (a total of 73 studies; 25 on bhastrika pranayama, 17 on bhramari pranayama, and 31 on kapalabhati pranayama)...

Couple relationship satisfaction is an important predictor of physical and mental health. Despite this, currently offered interventions for distressed couples are not always effective. The present cross-sectional online survey design examined how yoga practice, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence interrelate when predicting relationship satisfaction. The study consisted of 128 heterosexual married or cohabiting Australian adults (mean age 29.7 ± 9.3) who practice yoga. Supporting the hypothesis, a serial mediation analysis revealed that time spent practicing yoga had a positive influence on relationship satisfaction through mindfulness, and then through emotional intelligence (b = 0...

Scientists caution against ignoring human-induced climate change and related health repercussions, with a growing body of literature highlighting the mental health effects of climate change and the importance of understanding coping and adaptation strategies. Less is known, however, about sustainable personal practices fortifying mental health in the context of climate change. The present study sought to investigate how long-term yoga practitioners (yoga therapists or yoga teachers) in Australia with a lived experience of climate change-related events are coping and adapting...

Scientific evidence on the benefits of yoga among patients undergoing dental implant surgery is sparse. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of performing yoga on the vital signs and salivary cortisol in patients undergoing dental implant surgery. This study was conducted in an outpatient prosthodontics clinic during June-July 2019 as a pilot outcome assessor-blinded randomized trial with parallel design. A total of 20 patients requiring dental implant surgery were divided into two groups, with 10 patients in each group...

To avoid severe courses of COVID-19 infections and reduce death rates, vaccination against the SARS-CoV-1 virus was considered an essential strategy in fighting the pandemic. However, some yoga practitioners reject such vaccinations and assume that their yoga practices protect them. We therefore aimed to analyze how many yoga practitioners were vaccinated, their reasons for being vaccinated, and the influence of the ethical principles of yoga (yamas/niyamas) on these decisions. In a cross-sectional survey in summer 2021, we enrolled 1,545 yoga practitioners (86% women; mean age 51...

Bone marrow transplant (BMT) is a curative procedure for patients with hematological malignancies, hemoglobinopathies, and errors of inborn metabolism. Survivors are not without symptom burden. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of a 12-week online yoga intervention compared to an educational control group in survivors of allogenic BMT. Participants were recruited nationally. Consenting participants were assigned to online yoga or a podcast control. Yoga and control group participants were instructed to complete 12 weeks of 60 minutes/week of online yoga and podcasts, respectively...

Yoga may offer benefits for children and adolescents affected by cancer or blood disease, yet there are challenges in translating evidence to practice. Yoga instructors are critical for the delivery of yoga. Understanding yoga instructors' experiences offering yoga to children and adolescents affected by cancer or blood disease could provide information to guide required competencies and training, as well as elucidate factors to consider in future research and programs. Therefore, the present study sought to understand yoga instructors' lived experiences preparing for and facilitating yoga for children and adolescents affected by cancer or blood disease...

The present randomized controlled trial examines the effects of yoga, as opposed to general physical education (PE) and passive controls, on the motor skills and self-esteem of Tunisian kindergarten children. Fifty-four children (24 females, 30 males; age 5.2 ± 0.6 years; weight 17.8 ± 2.3 kg; height 103.1 ± 5.0 cm; BMI 17.26 ± 0.46 kg/m2) were randomly divided into three groups of 18 (yoga, PE, and controls), and blindly administered the Eurofit physical fitness test battery and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale prior to and after 12 weeks...

Considerable evidence supports yoga as a treatment for chronic low-back pain (CLBP), yet more research is needed on the mechanisms of yoga. Yoga may be particularly helpful for military veteran populations, where there is a high prevalence of CLBP due to intensive training requirements. Our objective was to examine possible mechanisms by which yoga reduced disability in a clinical trial of yoga for veterans with CLBP. Using data from a prior randomized controlled trial, we used mediation analysis to examine factors that may mediate or influence the effects of yoga on disability over time...

The spread of COVID-19 has resulted in reports of increase in stress, anxiety, and depression across society, especially in people who have tested positive for COVID-19, which affects their mental health and well-being. This article reports a quasi-randomized controlled study conducted in the COVID wards of a hospital to examine the efficacy of add-on yoga intervention in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in COVID-affected patients under quarantine. The peripheral capillary oxygen saturation level and heart rate of the COVID-19-affected patients were also measured...

Yoga is a multidimensional and heterogeneous mind-body practice led by a therapist or teacher (e.g., yoga instructor). Although they constitute an integral part of delivery, content, and curriculum, factors that influence yoga instructors' choices have yet to be explored. Using a mixed methods sequential design for development of an instrument that identifies measurable epistemic (YIBS-E) and pedagogic (YIBS-P) beliefs, the Yoga Instructor Beliefs Scale (YIBS) reports validity evidence from four distinct phases...

Burn scar contracture greatly limits function for burn survivors, particularly when the scarring crosses multiple joints. Previous research has identified fields of skin recruited during single joint motion, called cutaneous functional units (CFU), indicating that impairments may be seen distal to the injured tissue. This case report connects the principles of CFU and yoga-inspired therapy modalities in improving clinical outcomes for a burn survivor. The patient is a 38-year-old male who sustained deep partial-thickness electrical burns to his neck, chest, and bilateral upper extremities, presenting with significantly decreased range of motion...

Hatha yoga (HY) and aerobic and strengthening exercise (ASE) programs are recommended for optimal management of osteoarthritis. However, evidence on long-term adherence to these programs and factors that influence it is lacking in older adults. The purposes of this study were to (1) describe and compare long-term HY and ASE adherence in community-dwelling older women with knee osteoarthritis 12 months post-HY/ASE intervention programs; (2) identify benefits and facilitators of, and barriers to, long-term adherence; and (3) examine other self-care interventions used after completing HY or ASE programs...

Chronic nonspecific neck pain (CNNP), which is neck pain in the absence of attributable structural and neurological findings, is often challenging for medical and rehabilitation professionals to treat. Conventional treatments such as medications and physical therapy often fail to provide lasting relief, which leads patients to pursue complementary therapies such as yoga. This review discusses the evidence from nine studies, including four randomized controlled trials, which suggests that a supervised yoga program may decrease pain intensity, disability, and mood symptoms in adults with CNNP...

There is a pressing need to identify non-opioid, evidence-based treatments to address the high prevalence of chronic pain in licensed opioid treatment programs (OTP). Yoga is an effective pain coping strategy but is not widely used by OTP patients. Few studies have examined underlying factors related to poor yoga utilization in this population. Seventy-one participants with and without chronic pain enrolled in a hospital-based OTP completed an acceptability survey assessing pain, current pain coping strategies, prior yoga experience, willingness to try yoga, and beliefs about yoga...

Mindfulness-based practices for school-aged children are increasingly common in the United States. Positive and negative affect are theoretically and empirically associated with school outcomes, and these constructs are likely to be impacted by school-based mindfulness practices. Furthermore, mindful states, such as being calm and focused, targeted by mindfulness-based practices are a potential causal mechanism to improve learning and behavior. This study describes a test of longitudinal factorial invariance for a brief measure of affect states plus a state of calm focus that is appropriate for use in mindfulness intervention studies with elementary school-aged children...

Yoga has been shown to have health benefits, whereas exercising in a hot environment has deleterious effects on kidney function. There are no long-term studies on the physiological effects of hot yoga. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in renal function acutely and over time between practitioners of hot and non-hot yoga. Urine and capillary samples were collected for urinalysis, albumin-creatinine ratio, and serum creatinine at yoga studios preand postexercise over 1 year. Thirty-two participants in non-hot yoga and 19 participants in hot yoga were recruited...