Regulating the breath is an important part of yoga practice. Descriptions in traditional yoga texts mention breath regulation as a way of getting spiritual realization. In yoga, there are several ways to modify breathing, such as changing the rate and depth, holding the breath, breathing through the mouth, or breathing alternately through one or both nostrils. These voluntarily regulated yoga b...

Yoga is a centuries-old tradition with origins in ancient India. Blending physical, mental, and spiritual practice, it seeks to bring about a state of harmony between mind and body through concentration, physical practice, and mental discipline. For many practitioners, yoga is seen as a path to spiritual enlightenment. “What is yoga?” (see page 36) provides more information on the background an...

BACKGROUND Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) often complain of persistent fatigue even after conventional therapies such as pharmacotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or graded exercise therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate in a randomized, controlled trial the feasibility and efficacy of isometric yoga in patients with CFS who are resistant to conventional treatments...

The purpose of this review of literature was to describe yoga and its possible effects on the engagement of students during literacy lessons. The literature reviewed included studies utilizing students in elementary, middle, and high school. The methods used included yoga poses, breathing, relaxation, and positive thoughts. Results and conclusions from the studies indicated that although many o...

Yoga is a centuries-old tradition with origins in ancient India. Blending physical, mental, and spiritual practice, it seeks to bring about a state of harmony between mind and body through concentration, physical practice, and mental discipline. For many practitioners, yoga is seen as a path to spiritual enlightenment. “What is yoga?” (see page 36) provides more information on the background an...

Lymphedema affects 3-58% of survivors of breast cancer and can result in upper extremity impairments. Exercise can be beneficial in managing lymphedema. Yoga practice has been minimally studied for its effects on breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of yoga on arm volume, quality of life (QOL), self-reported arm function, and hand grip s...

BACKGROUND The Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute has adapted a form of Hatha yoga into a trauma-sensitive adjunctive component of intervention for use with complexly traumatized individuals exhibiting chronic affective and somatic dysregulation and associated behavioral, functioning, and health complaints. OBJECTIVES This article explores the use of yoga with traumatized youth (aged...

We reviewed published literature regarding the use of yoga for managing rheumatoid arthritis to determine whether adequate evidence exists to suggest its usefulness as a therapy. A search for previous studies involving yoga and rheumatoid arthritis in PubMed yielded eight reports. These studies reported the benefits of yoga in the physical and mental health of patients with rheumatoid arthritis...

Grover et al (1994) have provided an excellent and thought provoking analysis of the usefulness of yoga in treating neurotic disorders. Some questions however remain. One criticism of psychotherapy is that the criteria for the selection of suitable candidates usually identify patients with good prognostic features-patients who may improve even without any therapeutic intervention. Another criti...

BACKGROUND Up to 20% of women experience postpartum depression (PPD). PPD is associated with anxiety and poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Efficacious treatments are critical; many women with PPD prefer complementary therapies. Thus, the current study examined yoga as a complementary therapy for PPD. METHODS Fifty-seven postpartum women with scores ≥12 on the Hamilton Depression Ra...