LibGuides: Yoga with Kacy Lovelace @ MU Libraries: Journals, Magazines, and Articles

Yoga Journals & Magazines

Yoga Journal Presents information about physical & spiritual well-being through the practice of yoga.
Yoga Mimamsa
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Covers scientific findings and research in the field of Yoga.
Yoga Therapy Today Yoga Therapy Today is a showcase for the voices of the yoga therapists who form the heart of IAYT’s membership. Find inspiration in this issue from our Seva Award, presented with the Give Back Yoga Foundation, as we highlight the 2020 finalists and the 2019 winner. You’ll also learn how you can help to ensure that the voice of yoga therapy is included in COVID-19 reporting, and access a tool for building bridges with healthcare providers and employers while pointing yourself toward paths for further learning. And the Global Grief Survey offers another opportunity for self-reflection. We hope you’ll enjoy spending time with these diverse voices, along with many others, from the yoga therapy sangha.
International Journal of Yoga International Journal of Yoga is a multidisciplinary 3 Issues scientific Yoga journal, dedicated to Yoga research. The journal is an official publication of the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA University) Bengaluru, India. This journal is published by Medknow Publications, Mumbai, India. IJOY publishes original research articles, review articles, short communications, case reports, Letter to the Editor related to Yoga.
International Journal of Yoga Therapy Current research on yoga, emphasizing various philosophies, styles, and applications of yoga therapy.

Journal Articles

Yoga - Benefits Beyond the Mat Yoga, an ancient practice and meditation, has become increasingly popular in today's busy society. For many people, yoga provides a retreat from their chaotic and busy lives. This is true whether you're practicing downward facing dog posture on a mat in your bedroom, in an ashram in India or even in New York City's Times Square. Yoga provides many other mental and physical benefits. Some of these extend to the kitchen table.
“More than I expected”: Perceived benefits of yoga practice among older adults at risk for cardiovascular disease This study was conducted with participants from trials examining the effects of an Iyengar yoga program on cardiovascular disease risk. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the perceived benefits of yoga in a population of older, predominantly overweight adults participating in a gentle 8-week yoga program. This study used a constructivist-interpretive approach to naturalistic inquiry. A total of 42 participants completed the intervention and met the inclusion criteria for the current qualitative study. The 8-week Iyengar yoga program included two 90-min yoga classes and five 30-min home sessions per week. Participants completed weekly logs and an exit questionnaire at the end of the study. Qualitative data from weekly logs and exit questionnaires were compiled and conventional content analysis performed with the use of ATLAS.ti to facilitate the process. Four broad themes emerged from content analysis: practicing yoga improved overall physical function and capacity (for 83% of participants); practicing yoga reduced stress/anxiety and enhanced calmness (83% of participants); practicing yoga enriched the quality of sleep (21% of participants); and practicing yoga supported efforts toward dietary improvements (14% of participants). These results suggest that yoga may have ancillary benefits in terms of improved physical function, enhanced mental/emotional state, enriched sleep quality, and improved lifestyle choices, and may be useful as a health promotion strategy in the prevention and management of chronic disease.
Chair yoga: benefits for community-dwelling older adults with osteoarthritis
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The aim of this pilot study was to examine whether chair yoga was effective in reducing pain level and improving physical function and emotional well-being in a sample of community-dwelling older adults with osteoarthritis. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to examine the effectiveness of chair yoga at baseline, midpoint (4 weeks), and end of the intervention (8 weeks). Although chair yoga was effective in improving physical function and reducing stiffness in older adults with osteoarthritis, it was not effective in reducing pain level or improving depressive symptoms. Future research planned by this team will use rigorous study methods, including larger samples, randomized controlled trials, and follow up for monitoring home practice after the interventions.
Yoga: health benefits. A literature review Yoga is an unconventional form of physical exercise, it is an ancient technique that has three essential components: muscle stretching, exercises to control breathing and meditation for a mind-body intervention. This type of physical exercise has a particularity for its holistic look which makes it interesting and striking. The objective of this review was to search for evidence that supports Yoga for its usefulness for the benefit of people's health. This was a narrative, non-systematic review, focused on primary literature, selected from a search of the PubMed and SciELO databases. The key terms used for the search and selection were: "Yoga and physical exercise", "Yoga and physical health", "Yoga and mental health". Secondary literature (books and book chapter, made by experts) was extracted to complement the primary literature and further contribute to the research. All authors participated in the research and literature review. They concluded that there is evidence that supports the usefulness of Yoga for the benefit of people's health, although it is still limited, due to still existing paradigms on health concepts that limit the methodological design of many studies on the subject.
Yoga befits the body and mind In the first of three articles about the use of alternative therapies in the workplace, the author looks at the health benefits of yoga for the working population. Yoga developed in India about 5,000 years ago. It is a form of exercise with so many variations and adaptations that everyone can join a class or practice in their home and find a style that works for them. Yoga is designed to bring balance and health to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions of an individual. The two main benefits for the working population are on the mind and on the body. Physically, there is so much that yoga can help with. It is widely accepted that people live in a fast-paced society, however, it is common for many people to be sitting down for most of the day. Mentally, there is much that yoga can do to prevent aches and pains and promote a better feeling of wellbeing.
Depression and Anxiety Disorders: Benefits of Exercise, Yoga, and Meditation Many people with depression or anxiety turn to nonpharmacologic and nonconventional interventions, including exercise, yoga, meditation, tai chi, or qi gong. Meta-analyses and systematic reviews have shown that these interventions can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders. As an adjunctive treatment, exercise seems most helpful for treatment-resistant depression, unipolar depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Yoga as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy shows positive effects, particularly for depression. As an adjunctive therapy, it facilitates treatment of anxiety disorders, particularly panic disorder. Tai chi and qi gong may be helpful as adjunctive therapies for depression, but effects are inconsistent. As monotherapy or an adjunctive therapy, mindfulness-based meditation has positive effects on depression, and its effects can last for six months or more. Although positive findings are less common in people with anxiety disorders, the evidence supports adjunctive use. There are no apparent negative effects of mindfulness-based interventions, and their general health benefits justify their use as adjunctive therapy for patients with depression and anxiety disorders.
Effects of yoga asana practice approach on types of benefits experienced Context: Modern science and the classic text on hatha yoga, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, report physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational benefits of yoga practice. While all have specific suggestions for how to practice, little research has been done to ascertain whether specific practice approaches impact the benefits experienced by practitioners. Aims: Our aim was to relate the experience level of the practitioner, the context of practice approaches (time of day, duration of practice, frequency of practice, etc.), and experience level of the teacher, to the likelihood of reporting particular benefits of yoga. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive survey of yoga practitioners across levels and styles of practice. Data were compiled from a large voluntary convenience sample (n = 2620) regarding respondents' methods of practice, yoga experience levels, and benefits experienced. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify approaches to yoga practice that positively predicted particular benefits. Results: Frequency of practice, either with or without a teacher, was a positive predictor of reporting nearly all benefits of yoga, with an increased likelihood of experiencing most benefits when the practitioner did yoga five or more days per week. Other aspects of practice approach, experience level of the practitioner, and the experience level of the teacher, had less effect on the benefits reported. Conclusions: Practice frequency of at least 5 days per week will provide practitioners with the greatest amount of benefit across all categories of benefits. Other practice approaches can vary more widely without having a marked impact on most benefits experienced.
The benefits of yoga for older adults Embracing yoga as a therapeutic practice in nursing and residential care settings can be a rewarding experience for all concerned, and can greatly enhance the physical, psychological and spiritual wellbeing of older people.