Mindfulness Yoga Research Articles

The Qualitative Impact of Mindful Yoga for Young People with Chronic Skin Conditions: A Feasibility Pilot

The Qualitative Impact of Mindful Yoga for Young People with Chronic Skin Conditions: A Feasibility Pilot

Effects of Mindfulness Yoga vs Stretching and Resistance Training Exercises on Anxiety and Depression for People With Parkinson Disease

Clinical practice guidelines support exercise for patients with Parkinson disease (PD), but to our knowledge, no randomized clinical trials have tested whether yoga is superior to conventional physical exercises for stress and symptom management. To compare the effects of a mindfulness yoga program vs stretching and resistance training exercise (SRTE) on psychological distress, physical health, spiritual well-being, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with mild-to-moderate PD. An assessor-masked, randomized clinical trial using the intention-to-treat principle was conducted at 4 community rehabilitation centers in Hong Kong between December 1, 2016, and May 31, 2017. A total of 187 adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic PD who were able to stand unaided and walk with or without an assistive device were enrolled via convenience sampling. Eligible participants were randomized 1:1 to mindfulness yoga or SRTE. Mindfulness yoga was delivered in 90-minute groups and SRTE were delivered in 60-minute groups for 8 weeks. Primary outcomes included anxiety and depressive symptoms assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Secondary outcomes included severity of motor symptoms (Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale [MDS-UPDRS], Part III motor score), mobility, spiritual well-being in terms of perceived hardship and equanimity, and HRQOL. Assessments were done at baseline, 8 weeks (T1), and 20 weeks (T2). The 138 participants included 65 men (47.1%) with a mean (SD) age of 63.7 (8.7) years and a mean (SD) MDS-UPDRS score of 33.3 (15.3). Generalized estimating equation analyses revealed that the yoga group had significantly better improvement in outcomes than the SRTE group, particularly for anxiety (time-by-group interaction, T1: β, -1.79 [95% CI, -2.85 to -0.69; P = .001]; T2: β, -2.05 [95% CI, -3.02 to -1.08; P < .001]), depression (T1: β, -2.75 [95% CI, -3.17 to -1.35; P < .001]); T2: β, -2.75 [95% CI, -3.71 to -1.79; P < .001]), perceived hardship (T1: β, -0.92 [95% CI, -1.25 to -0.61; P < .001]; T2: β, -0.76 [95% CI, -1.12 to -0.40; P < .001]), perceived equanimity (T1: β, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.79-1.42; P < .001]; T2: β, 1.19 [95% CI, 0.82-1.56; P < .001]), and disease-specific HRQOL (T1: β, -7.77 [95% CI, -11.61 to -4.38; P < .001]; T2: β, -7.99 [95% CI, -11.61 to -4.38; P < .001]). Among patients with mild-to-moderate PD, the mindfulness yoga program was found to be as effective as SRTE in improving motor dysfunction and mobility, with the additional benefits of a reduction in anxiety and depressive symptoms and an increase in spiritual well-being and HRQOL. Centre for Clinical Research and Biostatistics identifier: CUHK_CCRB00522.

The experience of mindful yoga for older adults with depression.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Mindful yoga combines yoga techniques with the mindfulness-based stress reduction approach. Previous studies on mindful yoga have reported improvements in depression for working-age adults, but no studies have been conducted with older people. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Mindful yoga may be a safe and acceptable intervention to improve the mental and physical health of older adults with depression. The beneficial therapeutic ingredients of mindful yoga, included calmness, being non-judgmental, letting go and seizing the day. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Single-sex mindful yoga groups may be more acceptable for some people. Well-conducted feasibility studies comparing mindful yoga with an alternative group-based approach are necessary. Abstract Introduction Mindful yoga combines yoga techniques with the mindfulness-based stress reduction approach. Previous studies on mindful yoga have reported improvements in depression for working-age adults, but no studies have been conducted with older people. Aims To explore the experiences of older adults with depression participating in a mindful yoga group to establish whether the approach has potential as a future intervention for this client group. Method This study adopted a qualitative descriptive method and used inductive content analysis. Eighteen in-depth individual interviews were conducted with nine participants (each participant had one interview following the programme and another four weeks later). Results Six main themes emerged: "improved physical status," "actively involved in the community," "positive psychological effects," "perceived therapeutic ingredients," "facilitators of practising mindful yoga" and "barriers to practising mindful yoga.". Discussion Most participants reported benefitting from the programme. Two male participants expressed that exercises were too challenging and more suited to women, suggesting single-sex groups may be more acceptable. Implications for practice Mindful yoga may be an acceptable/useful intervention for older adults with depression, but future studies are required to establish its feasibility and potential efficacy.

Feasibility of a mindful yoga program for women with metastatic breast cancer: results of a randomized pilot study.

Patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) experience high levels of symptoms. Yoga interventions have shown promise for improving cancer symptoms but have rarely been tested in patients with advanced disease. This study examined the acceptability of a comprehensive yoga program for MBC and the feasibility of conducting a randomized trial testing the intervention. Sixty-three women with MBC were randomized with a 2:1 allocation to yoga or a support group comparison condition. Both interventions involved eight weekly group sessions. Feasibility was quantified using rates of accrual, attrition, and session attendance. Acceptability was assessed with a standardized self-report measure. Pain, fatigue, sleep quality, psychological distress, mindfulness, and functional capacity were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 3 and 6months post-intervention. We met goals for accrual and retention, with 50% of eligible patients enrolled and 87% of randomized participants completing post-intervention surveys. Sixty-five percent of women in the yoga condition and 90% in the support group attended ≥ 4 sessions. Eighty percent of participants in the yoga condition and 65% in the support group indicated that they were highly satisfied with the intervention. Following treatment, women in the yoga intervention had modest improvements in some outcomes; however, overall symptom levels were low for women in both conditions. Findings suggest that the yoga intervention content was highly acceptable to patients with MBC, but that there are challenges to implementing an intervention involving eight group-based in-person sessions. Alternative modes of delivery may be necessary to reach patients most in need of intervention.

Raising Emotional Intelligence from the Mat How Mindful Yoga Accelerates and Deepens Training in Emotional Intelligence

Raising Emotional Intelligence from the Mat How Mindful Yoga Accelerates and Deepens Training in Emotional Intelligence

Mindfulness yoga relieves anxiety and depression for Parkinson’s patients

Mindfulness yoga relieves anxiety and depression for Parkinson’s patients

Experiences of children and parents in MiYoga, an embodied mindfulness yoga program for cerebral palsy: A mixed method study

Background and purposeA mindfulness yoga program (MiYoga) was developed and trialled with children with cerebral palsy and their parents. This mixed-method study explores the experiences of children and parents who participated in MiYoga, to assess its acceptability, feasibility and implementation. Materials and methodsOf the forty-two child-parent dyads who participated in the MiYoga randomised control trial, 19 children and 22 parents were interviewed individually in a semi-structured way about their experiences of MiYoga. Participants rated their mood on a 5-point scale before and after each session and completed short questionnaires at the end of each session. ResultsChildren and parents reported improved mood after each MiYoga session. Parents reported being more aware of their thoughts and feelings and possibly became more aware of their day-to-day mindlessness. ConclusionMiYoga significantly improved children and parents’ mood. Parents reported gains in awareness as well as challenges of adhering to the home practice.

A Study on the Experience of Mindfulness Yoga Process of College Students

A Study on the Experience of Mindfulness Yoga Process of College Students

The Effects of Mindfulness Yoga on Career Program Effectiveness of College Freshmen: Focusing on Career Decision-making Self-efficacy and Depression

The Effects of Mindfulness Yoga on Career Program Effectiveness of College Freshmen: Focusing on Career Decision-making Self-efficacy and Depression

Trial Protocol: The use of mindfulness-based intervention for improving bracing compliance for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients: protocol for a randomised, controlled trial

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most prevalent deforming orthopaedic condition; it causes significant disability when spinal curves progress beyond 45deg. Bracing is the primary treatment prescribed for adolescents with an immature skeleton who have spinal curves between 25 and 45deg. New evidence suggests that compliance with bracing significantly decreases the progression of high-risk curves to the threshold for surgery. Nonetheless, bracing is a stressful experience. Therefore, interventions that mediate health-related quality of life for AIS patients are of great interest. In the past few decades, numerous studies have documented the benefits of mindfulness training on chronic pain, stress management, anxiety and emotional disorders. Mindfulness might additionally provide AIS patients with psychosocial support. This study will investigate the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on bracing compliance and quality of life among AIS patients with poor bracing compliance. The study also plans to evaluate if the mindfulness-based intervention effect is sustained after the intervention period. The potential mechanism by which mindfulness affects bracing compliance will be explored. Single-blind, two-arm, randomised, controlled trial. The study will recruit 120 AIS patients aged between 10 and 15 years with non-satisfactory bracing compliance. Patients who have previously practised or are currently practising meditation or mindful yoga or who cannot finish the whole intervention will be excluded. The study will take place at the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care building. Patients in the mindfulness-based intervention group will join weekly sessions for 8 weeks. This program is a short version of a mindfulness-based stress relaxation program to address the specific issues of AIS patients. Two to three experienced instructors will deliver the program. Control group patients will participate in an 8-week physiotherapy exercise program as recommended in the International Scientific Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment (SOSORT) 2011 guideline. The primary outcome is the 6-month post-intervention total score of bracing compliance. Secondary measures are non-bracing-specific quality of life, bracing-specific quality of life, self-compassion, emotional regulation, mindful awareness and acceptance, self-efficacy, perception of stress, and general measure of health outcome. 120 participants will be assigned to either an intervention or control arm by simple randomisation, and the randomisation result will only be revealed once participants have confirmed availability to attend intervention classes. Clinicians of the scoliosis clinic and research staff will be blinded to the treatment allocation. ANCOVA will be conducted to compare the effect of mindfulness-based intervention versus physiotherapy exercise on the outcome measures. To investigate significant change over time, linear mixed models analyses will be conducted following the intention-to-treat principle. The R-package lavaan will be used to conduct structural equation modelling to study the potential mechanism of mindfulness. This will be the first psychosocial intervention study conducted on braced AIS patients with the aim of improving patients' bracing compliance and quality of life. The results from this study will potentially carry significant impact on future AIS treatment by emphasising psychosocial care for braced AIS patients.

Effect of mindfulness yoga programme MiYoga on attention, behaviour, and physical outcomes in cerebral palsy: a randomized controlled trial.

To investigate the efficacy of an embodied mindfulness-based movement programme (MiYoga), targeting attention in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Total number of participants 42, with 24 boys (57.1%) and 18 girls (42.9%); mean age 9y 1mo, SD 3y; Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I=22, II=12, III=8) and their parents were randomized to either MiYoga (n=21) or waitlist comparison (n=21) groups. The primary outcome was attention postintervention measured by the Conners' Continuous Performance Test, Second Edition (CCPT). Secondary outcomes included parent and child mindfulness, child quality of life, parental well-being, child executive function, child behaviour, child physical measures, and the parent-child relationship. Children in the MiYoga group demonstrated significantly better attention postintervention than the waitlist comparison group, with lower inattention scores on the hit reaction time standard error (F1,33 =4.59, p=0.04, partial eta-squared [ηp2]=0.13) variable and fewer perseveration errors (F1,33 =4.60, p=0.04, ηp2=0.13) on the CCPT. Intention-to-treat analysis also revealed that sustained attention in the MiYoga group was significantly better than in the waitlist comparison group postintervention (F1,37 =5.97, p=0.02, ηp2=0.14). Parents in the MiYoga group demonstrated significantly decreased mindfulness (Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale; F1,33 =10.130, p=0.003, ηp2=0.246). MiYoga offers a lifestyle intervention that improves attention in children with CP. MiYoga can be considered as an additional option to standard rehabilitation to enhance attention for children with CP. MiYoga, an embodied mindfulness-based movement programme, can enhance attention (more attentive and consistent performance) in children with cerebral palsy. MiYoga had no significant effect on physical functioning.

Mindful work: how meditation is changing business from the inside out

A broad trend in business management is emerging in favor of the deployment of contemplative practices such as mindfulness meditation and yoga in the workplace. In his book Mindful Work: How Medita...

Miyoga – a randomized controlled trial of a novel mindfulness yoga program to enhance attention for child‐parent dyads with unilateral and bilateral cerebral palsy

Miyoga – a randomized controlled trial of a novel mindfulness yoga program to enhance attention for child‐parent dyads with unilateral and bilateral cerebral palsy

Mindful Yoga for women with metastatic breast cancer: design of a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundWomen with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) have average life expectancies of about 2 years, and report high levels of disease-related symptoms including pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, psychological distress, and functional impairment. There is growing recognition of the limitations of medical approaches to managing such symptoms. Yoga is a mind-body discipline that has demonstrated a positive impact on psychological and functional health in early stage breast cancer patients and survivors, but has not been rigorously studied in advanced cancer samples.MethodsThis randomized controlled trial examines the feasibility and initial efficacy of a Mindful Yoga program, compared with a social support condition that controls for attention, on measures of disease-related symptoms such as pain and fatigue. The study will be completed by December 2017. Sixty-five women with MBC age ≥ 18 are being identified and randomized with a 2:1 allocation to Mindful Yoga or a support group control intervention. The 120-min intervention sessions take place weekly for 8 weeks. The study is conducted at an urban tertiary care academic medical center located in Durham, North Carolina. The primary feasibility outcome is attendance at intervention sessions. Efficacy outcomes include pain, fatigue, sleep quality, psychological distress, mindfulness and functional capacity at post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up.DiscussionIn this article, we present the challenges of designing a randomized controlled trial with long-term follow-up among women with MBC. These challenges include ensuring adequate recruitment including of minorities, limiting and controlling for selection bias, tailoring of the yoga intervention to address special needs, and maximizing adherence and retention. This project will provide important information regarding yoga as an intervention for women with advanced cancer, including preliminary data on the psychological and functional effects of yoga for MBC patients. This investigation will also establish rigorous methods for future research into yoga as an intervention for this population.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifer: NCT01927081, registered August 16, 2013

Mindful Yoga for Symptom Management in Metastatic Breast Cancer (S738)

•List at least three characteristics of a comprehensive yoga intervention.•List at least two ways that yoga can help with pain and symptom management. Women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) often report high levels of pain and other disease-related symptoms including fatigue, sleep disturbance, psychological distress, and functional impairment. Yoga and mindfulness interventions have shown promise for improving the management of pain and related symptoms, however they have rarely been tested in patients with advanced disease. We developed a mindful yoga intervention that specifically targets pain and related symptoms and are currently testing its feasibility and preliminary efficacy in women with MBC. Study aims are to test the feasibility and acceptability of the yoga intervention along with its effects on pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, psychological distress, and functional impairment. This presentation will include an overview of the yoga intervention along with preliminary data on feasibility outcomes. Approximately 70 patients will be recruited and randomized to either the yoga intervention or a comparison condition (social support group). Assessments occur at baseline, post-treatment, and 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Currently 51 patients have been enrolled and completed baseline and post-treatment assessments. The mean age of the sample is 56.5; 24% are African American and 72% are White. At baseline, patients reported mild levels of pain (mean=2.0, SD=1.5 on Brief Pain Inventory) and fatigue (mean=3.4, SD=2.5 on Brief Fatigue Inventory), and moderate levels of psychological distress (mean=11.8, SD=7.0 on Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale). Retention is 84% which contrasts favorably with prior behavioral studies in MBC (retention ≤ 74%). 71% of patients have attended at least 4 of the 8 sessions. There have been no adverse events associated with the yoga intervention. Mindful yoga appears to be a feasible and acceptable approach for symptom management for women with MBC.

Complementary therapy for treating depressive symptoms: A systematic review

Depression is a mental state characterized by feelings of sadness, loneliness, despair, low self-esteem, and self-reproach; accompanying signs include psychomotor retardation. Complementary therapies span a broad range of treatments for depression. The aim of this review was to determine whether the use of complementary & alternative therapy (CAT) for treatment of depression is supported by evidence of effectiveness from rigorous clinical trials. Database literature searches were performed in a pre-defined manner. Thirteen RCTs were located that investigated Complementary & alternative therapy and depression: Reflexology (1), Cognitively Behavioural Therapy (3), Yoga (1), Mindfulness therapy (1), Reiki intervention (1), Aromatherapy massage (1), Essential oils (1), Creative arts therapy (1), Herbal medicine (1), Music therapy (1) and Massage (1). The evidence is not compelling for any of these therapies, with many trials suffering from significant methodological flaws. There is evidence to suggest some benefit of mindfulness therapy, yoga, creative art, massage and music therapy on reduction of depressive symptoms. Cognitive Behaviour therapy and aromatherapy massage have a short-term beneficial effect on depression. There is no difference in using herbal, reflexology, essential oil and Reiki therapy in depression but Reiki therapy within the bounds of the conventional care setting may be more effective. In all the CATs examined further investigations are needed in the form of rigorous large-scale trials.

Mindful Yoga Pilot Study Shows Modulation of Abnormal Pain Processing in Fibromyalgia Patients

Mindful Yoga Pilot Study Shows Modulation of Abnormal Pain Processing in Fibromyalgia Patients

“The Program Affects Me ’Cause it Gives Away Stress”: Urban Students’ Qualitative Perspectives on Stress and a School-Based Mindful Yoga Intervention

School-based mindfulness and yoga studies generally measure stress-related outcomes using quantitative measures. This study answers the following research questions: How do youth define stress and in what ways, if any, was a mindful yoga intervention helpful to youth during stress experiences? To explore youths' own perspectives on stress, stressors in youths' lives, and perceived changes in responses to stress post-intervention, we conducted focus group discussions with 22 middle school students from low-income urban communities following a 16-week mindful yoga intervention. Using thematic analysis, the following three themes emerged: (1) youth conflated stress with negative emotions; (2) peer and family conflicts were common stressors; and (3) youth reported improved impulse control and emotional regulation following the intervention. Study findings have implications for refining intervention content (e.g., discussions of stress), as well as informing the selection and development of quantitative measures for future research on stress and stress responses in urban youth.

母親を対象としたマインドフル・ヨーガの効果検討 ――KJ法に基づく質的分析を通して――

母親を対象としたマインドフル・ヨーガの効果検討 ――KJ法に基づく質的分析を通して――

Mindful Yoga Pilot Study Shows Modulation of Abnormal Pain Processing in Fibromyalgia Patients.

Published findings from a randomized controlled trial have shown that Mindful Yoga training improves symptoms, functional deficits, and coping abilities in individuals with fibromyalgia and that these benefits are replicable and can be maintained 3 months post-treatment. The aim of this study was to collect pilot data in female fibromyalgia patients (n = 7) to determine if initial evidence indicates that Mindful Yoga also modulates the abnormal pain processing that characterizes fibromyalgia. Pre- and post-treatment data were obtained on quantitative sensory tests and measures of symptoms, functional deficits, and coping abilities. Separation test analyses indicated significant improvements in heat pain tolerance, pressure pain threshold, and heat pain after-sensations at post-treatment. Fibromyalgia symptoms and functional deficits also improved significantly, including physical tests of strength and balance, and pain coping strategies. These findings indicate that further investigation is warranted into the effect of Mindful Yoga on neurobiological pain processing.