The purpose of this manuscript style dissertation was to increase understanding of the experiences of counselor's with compassion fatigue as they participated in a yoga intervention. Compassion fatigue is a condition that creates both physical and psychological impairment as a result of working in the helping role. Yoga is an ancient body and mind practice that is thought to reduce various negative physical and psychological effects. In order to address how and why counselors with compassion fatigue were affected by a yoga intervention, research using an exploratory case study method was conducted. Four counselors were first interviewed for 45 minutes; next they participated in four 60 minute yoga classes, kept journals on their experience before and after each class, and finally participated in 60 minute focus groups. Five major themes emerged from the analysis of the qualitative data in response to the research question of how and why yoga impacted counselors with compassion fatigue: participating in both the intervention and the study, experiencing a change in how the counselors internally processed compassion fatigue, experiencing a reduction in compassion fatigue, experiencing a change in the counseling relationship, and experiencing a change in how they practice yoga. Counselor post-intervention scoring on the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) suggests lower secondary traumatic stress and burnout, and increased compassion satisfaction. In-depth qualitative interviews with participants further substantiated these findings. Both the literature review and case study provide implications for future research in the areas of compassion fatigue, counselor wellness, yoga interventions, and self-care. / Graduation date: 2013

In this dissertation the phenomenological method together with the hermeneutical concepts of experience, devotion, constant remembrance and transmission focus on yogic transmission in Sahaj Marg of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission. Sahaj Marg is an adaptation of Raj a Yoga. Sahaj Marg emphasises the practical approach and calls for the aspirant to follow the teachings and methods of the spiritual Master. Yogic transmission is the unique feature of this system. Preceptors have been trained by the Master to aid in the spiritual evolution of humanity. Pranahuti is defined by the Master as a forceless force for the spiritual transformation of humanity. This system can be followed by all aspirants, the only qualification being a willingness to follow the practice. Sahaj Marg has been created for the present day aspirant to achieve liberation in the quickest time possible. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M.A. (Religious Studies)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Stroke is a sudden and devastating medical condition. People who experience a stroke tend to have long-term physical limitations including impaired walking as part of the ongoing consequences of stroke. While a variety of rehabilitation interventions have demonstrated efficacy for improving walking after stroke, none of the interventions have emerged as superior, and prior to this study, therapeutic-yoga had not been tested as an intervention to improve walking recovery after stroke. METHODS: This study was a secondary data analysis of group therapeutic-yoga on walking recovery measures including walking speed, walking distance, and spatiotemporal step parameter symmetry. The walking recovery measures were collected as secondary outcomes in a sub-sample (n=12) in a pilot randomized controlled study (n=47) designed to test the efficacy of 8-weeks of group therapeutic-yoga on balance and fear of falling. Participants in the current study completed 12-weeks of group therapeutic yoga with outcome assessments at baseline, 8-weeks, and 12-weeks. The main analysis was repeated measures ANOVA to assess the main effect of time with additional analyses including effect sizes, percent of participants achieving change greater than or equal to minimal detectable change (MDC), and mean change score comparisons between baseline and 8-weeks, 8-weeks and 12-weeks, and baseline and 12-weeks. RESULTS: Twelve people with chronic stroke enrolled in the study with 9 completing the intervention and all 3 assessments. No significant main effect of time was found on any of the variables of interest. Walking distance demonstrated a trend toward significant change (p=0.064) and step length symmetry demonstrated significant change (p=0.05) between baseline and 12-weeks. Several spatiotemporal step parameter symmetry ratios demonstrated small to medium effect sizes with the majority (91%) being a negative effect. CONCLUSION: Twelve weeks of group therapeutic-yoga appears to be feasible in a population of people with chronic stroke. Walking distance and step parameter symmetry should be tested in a larger sample. An improved understanding of the impact, progression, and remediation of walking asymmetry is needed.

Ten selected yoga movements were successful applied in Gestalt Therapy to promote adolescent girls' awareness. The girls were between seventeen and eighteen years old. A review of the existing literature exercises indicated the value of meditation, breathing exercises, and relaxation exercises in the Gestalt therapeutic process. Hatha yoga however, offers a variety of movements that can be extracted and used as a resource for the promotion of awareness in the Gestalt therapeutic process. A case study method where research was only used as a tool to gain better insights concerning the use of yoga movements was followed. The study results indicated that awareness of the body, posture; muscles tension, the self, and the environment were promoted. After yoga movements were used as introduction to the session, the social experience of the group discussion afterwards seemed to have been positive. This form of awareness creation can contribute to adolescent girls' process of become aware in Gestalt Therapy. / Social Work / (M. Ed.)Play Therapy)

Ten selected yoga movements were successful applied in Gestalt Therapy to promote adolescent girls' awareness. The girls were between seventeen and eighteen years old. A review of the existing literature exercises indicated the value of meditation, breathing exercises, and relaxation exercises in the Gestalt therapeutic process. Hatha yoga however, offers a variety of movements that can be extracted and used as a resource for the promotion of awareness in the Gestalt therapeutic process. A case study method where research was only used as a tool to gain better insights concerning the use of yoga movements was followed. The study results indicated that awareness of the body, posture; muscles tension, the self, and the environment were promoted. After yoga movements were used as introduction to the session, the social experience of the group discussion afterwards seemed to have been positive. This form of awareness creation can contribute to adolescent girls' process of become aware in Gestalt Therapy. / Social Work / (M. Ed.)Play Therapy)