Yoga perspective on personal excellence and well-being

The discussions on conceptualization, operationalization, measures, and means of well-being (WB) and personal excellence (PE) are dynamic and debatable. Therefore, this study aims to coin a perspective of PE based on the Patanjali Yoga Sūtra (PYS). For this, professional, psychological, philosophical, and yogic perspectives of WB and PE are analyzed to derive a viable yogic framework for PE. The WB and the consciousness-based constructs of PE are discussed in terms of psychic tensions (PTs) (nescience, egoism, attachment, aversion, and love for life), yogic hindrances (YHs) (illness, apathy, doubt, procrastination, laziness, over somatosensory indulgence, delusion, inability, and unstable progress), psychosomatic impairments (pain, despair, tremors, arrhythmic breath), and yogic aids (wellness, intrinsic motivation, faith, role punctuality, physical activity, sensory control, clarity, competence, and sustainable progress). The PYS operationalizes PE as the dynamic level of WB and self-awareness until one attains Dharmamegha Samādhi (super consciousness). Lastly, Ashtanga Yoga (AY) is discussed as a universal principle, process, and practice for thinning PTs, vanishing YHs, empowering holistic WB, awakening extrasensory potentials, advancing self-awareness, and PE. This study will be a pioneering base for further observational and interventional studies to develop measures and personalized protocols for PE.

Integration of yoga within exercise and sports science as a preventive and management strategy for musculoskeletal injuries/disorders and mental disorders - A review of the literature

OBJECTIVES

Exercise-induced musculoskeletal injuries/disorders and associated mental disorders are prevalent among athletes. The main objective of this review is to analyze the prospects of Yoga practices as a preventive and management strategy for musculoskeletal injuries/disorders and associated mental disorders often encountered in exercise and sports activities.

METHODS

A review of the literature was performed using electronic databases such as MEDLINE/PubMed and google scholar published between January 1991 and December 2021 which yielded 88 research articles. The keywords used were yoga OR exercise AND musculoskeletal injuries OR disorders, yoga OR exercise AND mental disorders, yoga AND sports injuries, yoga AND stress, yoga OR exercise AND oxidative stress, yoga OR exercise AND inflammation, yoga OR exercise AND diet.

RESULTS

The moderate and regular exercises are beneficial to health. However, high intensity and overtraining physical activities lead to immune suppression, oxidative stress, muscle damage/fatigue, coronary risk, psychiatric disorders and so on due to enormous strain on various physiological functions. Yoga seems to undermine these adverse activities through up-regulating the functions of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and down-regulating the activities of hypothalamohypophysial axis (HPA) which are conducive to healing, recovery, regeneration, reduction in stress, relaxation of mind, better cognitive functions, promotion of mental health, reduction in inflammation and oxidative stress, and so on.

CONCLUSION

Literature suggests that Yoga should be integrated within exercise and sports sciences mainly to prevent & manage musculoskeletal injuries/disorders and associated mental disorders.

Mindfulness Meditation Interventions for Long COVID: Biobehavioral Gene Expression and Neuroimmune Functioning

Some individuals infected with SARS CoV-2 have developed Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS CoV-2 infection (PASC) or what has been referred to as Long COVID. Efforts are underway to find effective treatment strategies for those with Long COVID. One possible approach involves alternative medical interventions, which have been widely used to treat and manage symptoms of a variety of medical problems including post-viral infections. Meditation has been found to reduce fatigue and unrefreshing sleep, and for those with post-viral infections, it has enhanced immunity, and reduced inflammatory-driven pathogenesis. Our article summarizes the literature on what is known about mindfulness meditation interventions, and reviews evidence on how it may apply to those with Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Evidence is reviewed suggesting effective and sustainable outcomes may be achieved for symptomatology and underlying pathology of post-viral fatigue (PASC and ME/CFS).

Social Nervous Exercise Intervention and Its Association with Fasting Blood Glucose on Diabetes Mellitus Gestational

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been identified as a major complication of pregnancies and has remained a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, in both mother and child. Exercise can be used as a strategy to reduce hyperglycemia experienced during GDM. Regular exercise is important for a healthy pregnancy and can lower the risk of developing GDM. For women with GDM. Exercise is safe and can affect the pregnancy outcomes beneficially. The role of exercise about increases skeletal muscle glucose uptake and minimizing hyperglycemia. Social nervous (SaSo) exercise is a moderate-intensity exercise intervention that plays a role in controlling blood glucose through autonomic nervous stimulation so that it has an effect on glucose homeostasis. Social nervous exercise can stimulate the parasympathetic or myelinated vagus nerves. The social nerve or the social nervous system is the vagus nerve nc-X which is supported by cranial nerves, namely, nerves V, VII, IX, and XI centered in the nucleus ambiguous. AIM: The aim of the study is to determine the impact of a social nervous (SaSo) exercise training program consisting of warm-up, core (prayer movements), and cooling exercises on glucose homeostasis parameters in pregnant women diagnosed with GDM. METHODS: Thirty-seven pregnant women diagnosed with GDM at 24–28 weeks of gestation were allocated into two groups, thats the experimental group (n=19) with the SaSo program being regularly monitored and the control group (n=18) receiving only standard antenatal care for GDM. The Saso program started from the time diabetes was diagnosed until 6 weeks of intervention. Interventions were performed twice per week and sessions lasted 40–45 min. RESULTS: The baseline results for the experimental and control groups were homogeneous, without differences in the baseline variables (p > 0.05). Social nervous exercise the experimental group significantly reduced fasting blood glucose levels (p < 0.001) compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: A social nervous exercise program has a beneficial effect on fasting blood glucose levels in late pregnancy.

Preksha Dhyāna meditation induces alterations at the transcriptome level in novice and healthy college students

Background

The human transcriptome across a variety of cell types and tissues are affected by stress and other psychological factors. Preksha Dhyana meditation (PM) is effective at improving cognitive skills in novice healthy college student meditators after 8 weeks of intervention, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in these improvements are still largely unknown.

Methods

In order to decipher potential mechanisms at the cellular level, transcriptomic profiling analyses, from peripheral blood, were performed at baseline and 8 weeks post-intervention in 18-paired participants (RNASeq).

Results

At the transcriptomic level, 494 genes were nominally differentially expressed (p-value ≤ 0.05) between baseline and 8 weeks post-intervention. Our data showed that 136 genes were upregulated, while 358 genes were downregulated. These genes were enriched in several cellular pathways including innate and adaptive immunity, cell signaling, and other metabolic processes.

Conclusions

Overall, our findings indicate that PM meditation affects gene expression patterns from whole blood in novice healthy college students. Improvements at the cognitive skills were also mirrored with changes at RNA expression profiling.

Important Factors Affecting User Experience Design and Satisfaction of a Mobile Health App-A Case Study of Daily Yoga App

In recent years, mobile health (mHealth) has gained popularity. Yoga apps help users to exercise at home and improve their health. It is worth discussing how to give yogis a better experience and higher satisfaction to improve their willingness to keep using yoga apps. In this study, the Daily Yoga app was selected as the research object to explore important factors related to its user experience design and user satisfaction. Through a literature review and Delphi method composed of eight experts, this study put forward the important criteria framework of user experience design for the Daily Yoga app and then, used the DEMATEL (Decision Making and Trial Evaluation Laboratory)-based ANP (Analytic Network Process) method to determine the factors’ importance order and the causal relationships among them. Finally, combined with the results of an importance–performance analysis of 16 real users, we discuss the improvement measures. The research results show that the yoga class is the most critical factor in the user experience design of the Daily Yoga app, the target plan is a factor that is in great need of improvement, and having an attractive interface can improve user experience. The evaluation model of the study can act as a reference for improving user experience with the Daily Yoga app, and can also be widely used in the process of user experience design, questionnaire production, and evaluation optimization of mHealth app and related applications.

Meditation and Yoga Practices as Potential Adjunctive Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19: A Brief Overview of Key Subjects

Editor's Note: As an acute condition quickly associated with multiple chronic susceptibilities, COVID-19 has rekindled interest in, and controversy about, the potential role of the host in disease processes. While hundreds of millions of research dollars have been funneled into drug and vaccine solutions that target the external agent, integrative practitioners tuned to enhancing immunity faced a familiar mostly unfunded task. First, go to school on the virus. Then draw from the global array of natural therapies and practices with host-enhancing or anti-viral capabilities to suggest integrative treatment strategies. The near null-set of conventional treatment options propels this investigation. In this paper, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California-San Diego, Chopra Library for Integrative Studies, and Harvard University share one such exploration. Their conclusion, that "certain meditation, yoga asana (postures), and pranayama (breathing) practices may possibly be effective adjunctive means of treating and/or preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection" underscores the importance of this rekindling. At JACM, we are pleased to have the opportunity to publish this work. We hope that it might help diminish in medicine and health the polarization that, like so much in the broader culture, seems to be an obstacle to healing. -John Weeks, Editor-in-Chief, JACM.

Brief Report on the Psychophysiological Effects of a Yoga Intervention for Chronic Stress

Abstract. This paper evaluates the results of a longitudinal investigation of the potential benefits of yoga in a nonclinical sample of chronically stressed women (N = 116). Women undertook a twice weekly, hour-long yoga class for a period of 2 months, measuring psychological and physical indicators of health periodically. Changes in both areas were compared against a wait-list control group. The reported energy expenditure between groups was estimated to be similar, which suggests that the control group engaged in physical activities other than yoga. Of the six psychological outcomes measured, we found improvements in three. Specifically, those in the practicing yoga group experienced increases in positive affect, decreases in levels of distress and stress, as well as a decrease in waist circumference and increased flexibility. No between-group differences were found in mindfulness, well-being, and negative affect. These findings are generally consistent with an emerging literature, suggesting that yoga may provide both psychological and physiological effects that extend beyond its more obvious physical benefits, and are discussed in terms of the body’s allostatic load. These results should be considered in light of this study’s limitations, which include its small sample size, lack of an “active” control group, and female-only participants.

Potential self-regulatory mechanisms of yoga for psychological health

Research suggesting the beneficial effects of yoga on myriad aspects of psychological health has proliferated in recent years, yet there is currently no overarching framework by which to understand yoga’s potential beneficial effects. Here we provide a theoretical framework and systems-based network model of yoga that focuses on integration of top-down and bottom-up forms of self-regulation. We begin by contextualizing yoga in historical and contemporary settings, and then detail how specific components of yoga practice may affect cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and autonomic output under stress through an emphasis on interoception and bottom-up input, resulting in physical and psychological health. The model describes yoga practice as a comprehensive skillset of synergistic process tools that facilitate bidirectional feedback and integration between high- and low-level brain networks, and afferent and re-afferent input from interoceptive processes (somatosensory, viscerosensory, chemosensory). From a predictive coding perspective we propose a shift to perceptual inference for stress modulation and optimal self-regulation. We describe how the processes that sub-serve self-regulation become more automatized and efficient over time and practice, requiring less effort to initiate when necessary and terminate more rapidly when no longer needed. To support our proposed model, we present the available evidence for yoga affecting self-regulatory pathways, integrating existing constructs from behavior theory and cognitive neuroscience with emerging yoga and meditation research. This paper is intended to guide future basic and clinical research, specifically targeting areas of development in the treatment of stress-mediated psychological disorders.

The effects of mindfulness eating and yoga exercise on blood sugar levels of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus

AIM

This randomized controlled trial was carried out to investigate the effect of mindfulness eating and yoga exercise on blood sugar levels among pregnant Thai women with GDM.

BACKGROUND

Interventions promoting achievement of good glycemic control result in desired pregnancy outcomes. Little is known about the health benefits of mindfulness eating and yoga exercise on blood sugar levels among pregnant with GDM.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial was carried out. Main outcome measures were capillary fasting plasma glucose, 2-h postprandial blood glucose, and hemoglobin A1c.

RESULTS

The intervention group showed significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 2-h postprandial blood glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in the intervention group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Mindfulness eating and yoga exercise had health benefits on glycemic control in pregnant women with GDM. It should be recommended in clinical and community health services.

Effect of yoga therapy on plasma oxytocin and facial emotion recognition deficits in patients of schizophrenia

CONTEXT

Yoga therapy has been demonstrated to be useful in treatment of negative symptoms and improving the socio-occupational functioning and emotion recognition deficits in antipsychotic-stabilized schizophrenia patients. Oxytocin has been recently implicated in social cognition deficits in schizophrenia. The effect of yoga therapy on oxytocin levels in schizophrenia has not been studied.

AIMS

This study aimed to assess the effect of yoga therapy on symptoms, socio-occupational functioning, facial emotion recognition deficits and plasma oxytocin levels in antipsychotic stabilized schizophrenia patients.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

Randomized controlled study on 43 consenting, medication stabilized patients with schizophrenia in a tertiary psychiatric center using yoga intervention and waitlisted groups.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 43 schizophrenia patients were randomized to yoga group (n=15) or waitlist group (n=28). Patients in the yoga group received training in a specific yoga therapy module for schizophrenia. Patients in both groups were continued on stable antipsychotic medication. Assessments included scale for assessment of positive symptoms, scale for assessment of negative symptoms, socio-occupational functioning scale and tool for recognition of emotions in neuropsychiatric disorders (TRENDS) and plasma oxytocin levels; performed at baseline and at the end of 1 month.

RESULTS

A total of 15 patients in the yoga group and 12 in waitlist group completed the study. The yoga therapy group showed a significant improvement in socio-occupational functioning, performance on TRENDS (P<0.001) and plasma increase in oxytocin levels (P=0.01) as compared with the waitlist group.

CONCLUSION

The study supported the role of add-on yoga therapy in management of schizophrenia and demonstrated an improvement in endogenous plasma oxytocin levels in schizophrenia patients receiving yoga therapy.

Rapid gene expression changes in peripheral blood lymphocytes upon practice of a comprehensive yoga program

One of the most common integrative medicine (IM) modalities is yoga and related practices. Previous work has shown that yoga may improve wellness in healthy people and have benefits for patients. However, the mechanisms of how yoga may positively affect the mind-body system are largely unknown. Here we have assessed possible rapid changes in global gene expression profiles in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in healthy people that practiced either a comprehensive yoga program or a control regimen. The experimental sessions included gentle yoga postures, breathing exercises, and meditation (Sudarshan Kriya and Related Practices – SK&P) compared with a control regimen of a nature walk and listening to relaxing music. We show that the SK&P program has a rapid and significantly greater effect on gene expression in PBMCs compared with the control regimen. These data suggest that yoga and related practices result in rapid gene expression alterations which may be the basis for their longer term cell biological and higher level health effects.

Regulation of gene expression by yoga, meditation and related practices: a review of recent studies

Integrative medicine (IM) approaches have gained significant interest in recent years to provide a solution for the health care challenges we face today. Yogic cognitive-behavioral practices are among the most widely used IM approaches and include diverse practices such as yoga asanas, meditation, breathing exercises, Qi Gong, Tai Chi Chih, and various others. Studies to date suggest that these yogic/meditative practices have significant positive effects on the mind-body system and thereby can increase wellness and support the healing process from disease. Previous work has provided evidence for both psychological and physiological effects of these practices; however, the mechanisms of these effects, especially at the molecular level, have largely been missing. Three recent studies started to provide some of this information through gene expression profiling in circulating immune cells, which support the hypothesis that yogic/meditative practices have a measurable effect at the molecular level. These studies are reviewed herein and some future perspectives are considered.

The role of psychoneuroimmunology in personalized and systems medicine

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) may provide the scientific basis for personalized and systems medicine. The exploration of the extensive interactions among psychological and behavioral factors, the nervous system, the immune system, and the endocrine system may help understand the mechanisms underlying health, wellness, and diseases. PNI theories based on systems biology methodologies may contribute to the identification of patient patterns for establishing psychological and physiological profiles for personalized medicine. A biopsychosocial model will help elucidate the systemic interrelationships between psychosocial and bio-physiological factors for the development of systems medicine. Many evidences have supported the close relationships between stress, depression, inflammation, and disorders including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, skin diseases, infectious diseases, and sleep disorders. As inflammation is a critical connection among different diseases, the elucidation of the associations may contribute to the findings of systemic therapeutic targets. With the understanding of the translational implications of PNI, integrative interventions in multiple dimensions can be applied to modulate stress responses and promote healthier behaviors. These interventions include combination drug therapies, diets, nutritional supplements, meditation, and other behavioral and mind-body strategies.