Perceptions Of Yoga Research Articles

Yoga as an adjunct treatment for eating disorders: a qualitative enquiry of client perspectives

BackgroundThis qualitative enquiry explores the experiences and perspectives of individuals with an eating disorder (ED) regarding their perceptions of yoga as an adjunct intervention to psychotherapy. It also explores the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of yoga from their perspectives.MethodsThis study used a practice-based evidence framework and employed semi-structured interviews with 16 females with an ED. Participants were asked about their perspectives on the use of yoga as an adjunct intervention in ED recovery, perceived risks and what factors supported or hindered engagement. Thematic template analysis was used.ResultsThree topic areas were elaborated. The first included participants’ perceptions of how yoga enhanced their ED recovery. The second included how and when participants came to find yoga in their ED recovery. The final topic explored factors that supported participants with ED to engage in yoga. These resulted in the development of guiding principles to consider when designing a yoga intervention for EDs.ConclusionsThis study adds further to the emerging evidence that yoga can bring complementary benefits to ED recovery and provides a biopsychosocial-spiritual framework for understanding these. Findings provide an understanding of how yoga programs can be adapted to improve safety and engagement for people with an ED. Yoga programs for people with EDs should be co-designed to ensure that the physical, social, and cultural environment is accessible and acceptable.

Feasibility of Integration of Yoga in a Behavioral Weight-Loss Intervention: A Randomized Trial.

This study examined the feasibility and comparison of two styles of yoga within the context of a standard behavioral weight-loss intervention (SBWI). Fifty adults with obesity (BMI: 31.3 ± 3.8 kg/m2 ) participated in this 6-month study that included a SBWI and a calorie- and fat-reduced diet. Randomization was to restorative Hatha (SBWI+RES) or Vinyasa (SBWI+VIN) yoga. Yoga was prescribed to increase from 20 to 40 to 60 minutes per session across the intervention. Weight was assessed at baseline and 6 months. Perceptions of yoga were assessed at the completion of the intervention. Adjusted weight loss was -3.4 kg (95% CI: -6.4 to -0.5) in SBWI+RES and -3.8 kg (95% CI: -6.8 to -0.9) in SBWI+VIN (P < 0.001), with no difference between groups. Of all participants, 74.4% reported that they would continue participation in yoga after the SBWI. Session duration was a barrier as yoga increased from 20 to 40 to 60 minutes per day, with 0%, 7.5%, and 48.8% reporting this barrier, respectively. Among adults with obesity, yoga participation, within the context of a SBWI, appears to be feasible, with weight loss not differing by style of yoga. Progressing to 60 minutes per session appears to be a barrier to engagement in yoga in this population.

Exploring the Psychosocial Impact of a Mindfulness Workforce Development Program on Instructors of Color: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

A growing body of literature supports the use of mindfulness-based practices to increase resilience and reduce emotional and behavioral problems of low-income youth of color who are exposed to chronic trauma. The current study, the first of its kind, addresses existing gaps in the literature by examining the social and emotional effects of mindfulness on instructors of color, a largely understudied population. All trainees (n = 25) in a year-long, mindfulness-based workforce development program in Baltimore were invited to participate in this qualitative descriptive study that involved semistructured interviews regarding the personal emotional impact of participating in the program, as well as possible changes in the subjects' perceptions of yoga and the potential role of yoga in their communities. We applied a transcript-based analysis approach to the data from the individual interviews and derived themes using the constant comparative method. Twenty-one trainees (84%) participated in semistructured interviews. Participants were between the ages of 18 and 29 and were predominantly male (71.4%) and African-American (85.7%). We identified four key themes related to participating in the program: (1) changes in emotional functioning and self-perception, (2) changes in interactions with others, (3) changes in perception of yoga and mindfulness, and (4) perceived real-world application of yoga and mindfulness. The current study adds to the literature by exploring the public health implications of mindfulness, particularly in addressing effects of chronic trauma in low-income communities of color. The workforce development program also merits further evaluation as a potential model for enabling local and national nonprofit organizations to offer low-income youth and youth of color employment options that enhance resources in trauma-affected communities.

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.

Investigating Early Childhood Teachers’ Perceptions of a Preschool Yoga Program

Yoga for young children has become a growing area of interest in early childhood settings across the United States. Evidence suggests that yoga has the ability to improve young children’s physical development, executive functioning, self-regulation, and can aid in decreasing stress and anxiety. While the scope of research on yoga for young children has primarily focused on the experiences and outcomes of the children who participate, far less is known about the experiences and perceptions of teachers who have engaged in such programs with their students. This study utilized a qualitative case study to investigate teachers’ perceptions of yoga in a school setting. It took place at a laboratory preschool in North Mississippi over the course of 6 months from January to June 2017. A variety of qualitative research methods were employed to garner data including semi-structured interviews, classroom visits, and observations of weekly yoga classes. Findings from the study revealed teachers perceive the benefits of yoga to be increased physical development, self-regulation, and socioemotional skills, along with behavioral and cognitive benefits in the classroom. In addition, teacher buy-in was found to be critical to program success, as the teachers who perceived yoga positively were more willing to incorporate it into their classroom, thus extending its benefits. Of particular interest were reports by preschool teachers of students who continued to use yoga in their daily lives and retain many of the skills learned in yoga even months after they had taken yoga classes.

Self-Perceived Health Status and Yoga-Related Perceptions among Yoga Practitioner

Aim: To&#x0D; determine self-perceived health status among yoga practitioners and their&#x0D; perceptions of yoga. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in an&#x0D; online yoga platform during the month of December 2017. A total of 1602&#x0D; individuals logged into the website during the data collection period, of which&#x0D; 158 volunteered to participate in the online survey. Data were collected using&#x0D; a questionnaire that included the participants’ descriptive characteristics (6&#x0D; questions) and their perceptions of yoga (5 questions), and the Perceived&#x0D; Health Status Scale. Results: In the study, 92.4% of the yoga&#x0D; practitioners were females between the ages of 32 and 38; 36.1% had been&#x0D; practicing yoga for less than 6 months. Purposes for doing yoga were for sport&#x0D; (39.3%), spiritual development (24.0%), personal development (22.8%), and&#x0D; meditation (13.9%). The most popular place to practice yoga was a yoga studio&#x0D; (62.6%). Circumstances that prevented yoga practice were financial limitations&#x0D; (32.9%), lack of spare time (30.4%), fatigue (19.0%), and yoga not being a&#x0D; priority (17.7%). The large majority (96.2%) of respondents stated that yoga is&#x0D; necessary for a healthy life. Perceived physical health was “very good” for&#x0D; 57.0% of the individuals. Mean perceived health score was 1.47±0.32. Perceived&#x0D; health score was significantly associated with duration of yoga practice&#x0D; (F=1.53, p&amp;lt;0.05) and perception of yoga as essential for a healthy life&#x0D; (F=2.81, p&amp;lt;0.05). Conclusion: The majority of yoga practitioners in&#x0D; our study were well-educated females between 32 and 38 years of age. More than&#x0D; half of the respondents rated their physical health as “very good”. Longer yoga&#x0D; practice was associated with greater self-perception of good physical health.Amaç:&amp;nbsp;Yoga&amp;nbsp;yapan bireylerin sağlık durum algısı ve yogaya ilişkin&#x0D; görüşlerini belirlemektir. Yöntem:&amp;nbsp;Tanımlayıcı&#x0D; araştırma, online bir yoga platformunda 01-30 Aralık 2017 tarihleri arasında&#x0D; yürütülmüştür. Evreni veri toplama sürecinde internet sitesine giriş yapan 1602&#x0D; kişi oluşturmaktadır. Örneklem seçimine gidilmemiş evrenin tamamına ulaşmak&#x0D; hedeflenmiştir. Araştırmaya online anketi dolduran 158 gönüllü&#x0D; katılmıştır.&amp;nbsp; Veriler, katılımcıların&#x0D; tanıtıcı özelliklerini (6 soru), yogaya ilişkin görüşlerini (5 soru) içeren&#x0D; soru formu ve Sağlık Durumunu Algılama Ölçeği kullanılarak toplanmıştır.&amp;nbsp;Bulgular:&amp;nbsp; Yoga yapan bireylerin&#x0D; %92.4 ü kadın ve 32-38 yaş aralığındadır. Bireylerin %36.1’i 6 aydan az süredir&#x0D; yoga yapmaktadır. Bireylerin yoga ile ilgili görüşleri incelendiğinde; yoganın&#x0D; birey için anlamı sırasıyla: spor (%39.3), ruhsal gelişim (%24.0), kişisel&#x0D; gelişim (%22.8), meditasyon (%13.9) olarak bildirilmiştir. Bireylerin en sık&#x0D; yoga yaptığı yer yoga stüdyosudur (%62.6). Yoga yapmayı aksatan durumlar;&#x0D; ekonomik sebepler (%32.9), zaman ayıramamak (%30.4), bedensel yorgunluk&#x0D; (%19.0), yoganın öncelik olmayışı (%17.7) olarak saptanmıştır. Bireylerin&#x0D; %96.2’si sağlıklı yaşam için yoganın gerekli olduğunu ifade etmiştir.&#x0D; Bireylerin %57.0’ı fiziksel sağlığını “çok iyi” olarak algıladığı saptanmıştır.&#x0D; Sağlığı algılama puan ortalaması 1.47±0.32’dir. Bireylerin yoga yapma süresi&#x0D; (F=1.53 p&amp;lt;0.05), yogayı sağlıklı yaşam için gerekli bulma (F=2.81 p&amp;lt;0.05)&#x0D; değişkenleri ile sağlığı algılama puan ortalaması arasında anlamlı bir fark&#x0D; bulunmuştur. Sonuç:&amp;nbsp;Yoga yapan&#x0D; bireylerin büyük bir kısmının 32-38 yaş arası, yüksek eğitimli kadınlardan&#x0D; oluştuğu belirlenmiştir. Bireylerin yarısından fazlasının fiziksel sağlığını&#x0D; “çok iyi” olarak algıladığı belirlenmiştir. Yoga yapma süresi arttıkça&#x0D; bireylerin fiziksel sağlık algısının “çok iyi” yönde arttığı gösterilmiştir.

Young children’s experiences with yoga in an early childhood setting

ABSTRACTSchool-based yoga programmes have been implemented in schools across the United States with promising results. However, the majority of research on yoga programmes has occurred within the K-12 setting. Much less is known about the benefits of yoga with young children. The current body of research on yoga and young children has been quantitative and aimed at measurable results. Conversely, the purpose of this study was to investigate young children’s experiences with yoga through a qualitative approach. Observations of yoga classes and group interviews with 34 preschool children were conducted. Participants were encouraged to be active agents in the research through language, creative art, and movement. This became data for qualitative analysis to ‘visualize children’s voice’. The findings indicated that children’s perceptions of yoga were overwhelmingly positive and that they would continue yoga if given the opportunity.

Practitioners' perceptions of yoga's positive and negative effects: Results of a National United States survey

Yoga is becoming increasingly popular, yet little information is available regarding practitioners' perceptions of effects of their practice. This study aimed to characterize perceptions of both positive and negative changes practitioners reported in physical and psychosocial domains. Cross-sectional internet-based survey. Yoga practitioners (N=542, including 162 teachers) recruited via email and flyers sent to yoga studios across the United States (US). Participants ranged in age from 18 to 85 years (M=44). Participants rated the extent to which they experienced positive or negative change in physical health and psychosocial dimensions and then listed up to three positive and three negative effects of their practice. Both students and teachers reported moderately high levels of positive physicalchanges and psychosocial changes, although teachers generally reported more positive changes. Few negative changes were reported. In open-ended responses, the most commonly reported positive effects were general health and fitness and relaxation. Most commonly reported negative effects were injuries, soreness, emotional triggers/irritability, and expense. Findings suggest that yoga practitioners generally perceive high levels ofpositivechanges, but some also experience adverse effects. Future research shouldassesssubjective experiences of change alongside more objective measures of improvement.

Use of formative research to develop a yoga curriculum for high-risk youth: implementation considerations

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the use of formative research to adapt, develop, and pretest a mindful yoga curriculum for high-risk youth attending a nontraditional high school. The formative work was conducted in the first year of a larger project to test the efficacy of a mindful yoga program through a randomized controlled trial. The formative work included focus groups with: (1) an Advisory Board of experts in preventive interventions with high-risk youth, yoga and mindfulness and (2) students in the target population. Major themes emerging from the Advisory Board included youths' preconceptions about yoga, desirable characteristics in a yoga teacher, racial/ethnic differences in yoga participation, gender differences, and youths' likely motivations for participation. Additional themes reported by the student focus group participants included perceived motivations for participation, likely benefits of yoga, perceptions of yoga, yoga experience, and peer opinions. Additional results pertaine...

Practitioners' Perceptions of Yoga's Impact and Positive and Negative Effects: Results of a National Survey

Practitioners' Perceptions of Yoga's Impact and Positive and Negative Effects: Results of a National Survey

Plasma Total Homocysteine and its Relationship with Cardiovascular Disease

Physical inactivity, overweight, and obesity are serious issues plaguing the American public. The extent to which regular yoga participation may be associated with the adoption and maintenance of health enhancing behaviors necessitates further investigation. Through a mixed method of inquiry, this study investigated the exercise and eating habits of adults who participate in yoga on a regular basis exploring facets of mindful eating, exercise habits, and body mass index. Survey packets were distributed across seven yoga studios and fitness facilities in central New Jersey; 87 adults with a mean age of 47 years self-selected to participate. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected including a Mindful Eating Questionnaire, a 7-Day Physical Activity Recall, height and weight, yoga tenure recorded in months/years of consistent yoga participation, and average daily fruit and vegetable intake. Results showed that mindful eating was inversely correlated with Body Mass Index (BMI) and that 72% of the yoga participants had a BMI of 24.9 or less, placing them in the normal weight category. A significant difference existed in mindful eating score relative to yoga tenure and vegetable and fruit intake relative to yoga tenure. Participants reported a mean of 239 minutes of weekly exercise other than yoga participation. Qualitative data were collected through two open-ended questions to ascertain the participants’ perceptions of yoga and their health-related behaviors; the data revealed that 87% of participants felt yoga enhanced their exercise adherence and 91% reported yoga promoted the adoption of positive health habits. The results suggest that yoga participation is associated with mindful eating and the adoption and maintenance of other positive health-related outcomes such as regular physical activity and weight management.

Development of the Beliefs About Yoga Scale

Beliefs about yoga may influence participation in yoga and outcomes of yoga interventions. There is currently no scale appropriate for assessing these beliefs in the general U.S. population. This study took the first steps in developing and validating a Beliefs About Yoga Scale (BAYS) to assess beliefs about yoga that may influence people's engagement in yoga interventions. Items were generated based on previously published research about perceptions of yoga and reviewed by experts within the psychology and yoga communities. 426 adult participants were recruited from an urban medical center to respond to these items. The mean age was 40.7 (SD=13.5) years. Participants completed the BAYS and seven additional indicators of criterion-related validity. The BAYS demonstrated internal consistency (11 items; α=0.76) and three factors emerged: expected health benefits, expected discomfort, and expected social norms. The factor structure was confirmed: x2 (41, n=213)=72.06, p<.001; RMSEA=06, p=.23. Criterion-related validity was supported by positive associations of the BAYS with past experiences and future intentions related to yoga. This initial analysis of the BAYS demonstrated that it is an adequately reliable and valid measure of beliefs about yoga with a three-factor structure. However, the scale may need to be modified based on the population to which it is applied.