ABSTRACT The Benefits of Yoga Therapy for Heart Failure Patients by Paula R. Pullen STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The number of patients living with heart failure (HF) is on the rise. Yoga has been found to improve physical and psychological parameters amongst healthy individuals. The effects of yoga on HF patients are unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of yoga on cardio-vascular endurance [functional capacity (FC)], flexibility, inflammatory markers, and quality of life (QoL) on medically stable HF patients. METHOD Forty HF patients with compensated systolic or diastolic HF participated in the study. A randomized control design created two groups, yoga (N=21). and control (N=19).The treatment intervention consisted of 16-yoga sessions conducted bi-weekly (YG) vs. standard medical care (control- CG) for two months. All participants were asked to follow a home walk program. Pre- and post-study measurements included a treadmill stress test to peak exertion, flexibility (FLEX), girth, interleukin-6 (IL-6), c- reactive protein (CRP), and extra-cellular dismutase (EC-SOD). Quality of life was assessed by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLwHFQ). RESULTS Forty patients were randomized to YG (N=21) or CG (N=19). The results were significant for favorable changes in the YG as compared to the CG for flexibility (P=0.012), treadmill time (P=0.002), ~VO2peak (P=0.003), and all biomarkers (IL-6, CRP, and EC-SOD) of inflammation. Within the YG, pre- to post- test scores for the total and physical sub- scale of the MLwHFQ were significant (P=0.02 and P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Yoga therapy offered additional benefits to the standard medical care of HF patients by improving QoL, exercise capacity, FLEX, and biomarkers of inflammation

Tyrimo objektas – tiriamųjų liemens raumenų statinės ištvermės, pusiausvyros, lankstumo rodiklių pokytis. Tyrimo problema – pastaruoju metu greitai daugėja gyvenimo būdo sąlygotų lėtinių sutrikimų. Geriausias būdas prieš juos kovoti – ne invazinis gydymas bei prevencija, todėl kineziterapeutai yra geriausioje padėtyje užpildyti šią kritinę nišą sveikatos apsaugoje. Vienas geriausių prevencijos būdų yra fizinis aktyvumas. Fizinis aktyvumas daugumai asocijuojasi su sportu, tačiau sportas neatsiejamas nuo traumų ir ne visiems yra priimtina sportinė veikla. Žmonės vis intensyviau ieško alternatyvių sveikatos stiprinimo būdų. Joga vis labiau plinta tiek visoje Europoje, tiek Lietuvoje. Pripažįstama, kad joga taip, kaip ir fizinis aktyvumas, turi didelę naudą tiek fizinei, tiek psichinei sveikatai. Tačiau pagrinde tiriamas jogos poveikis pagyvenusiems, ar rečiau vidutinio amžiaus žmonėms. Verta ir aktualu nustatyti jogos poveikį vaikų fizinei būklei. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti jogos pratimų poveikį 6-9 klasių moksleivių fiziniam pajėgumui. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1. Nustatyti jogos pratimų poveikį tiriamųjų pilvo, nugaros ir šoninių liemens raumenų statinei ištvermei, bei santykiams tarp jų. 2. Nustatyti jogos pratimų poveikį tiriamųjų pusiausvyrai. 3. Įvertinti jogos pratimų poveikį tiriamųjų lankstumui. 4. Palyginti rezultatus tarp tiriamosios ir kontrolinės grupių tiriamųjų. Tyrimo metodai: testavimas (buvo naudojami testai pilvo, nugaros ir šoninių liemens raumenų statinei ištvermei... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The object of research – the changes in static endurance of core muscles, balance and flexibility of schoolchildren of 6-9 grades. Background – there is noticeable increase of lifestyle chronic conditions in recent times. The best way to fight them is non-invasive treatment and prevention, so physical therapist are in the best position to fill this critical health care niche. Physical activity is one of the best possible prevention. Physical activity is related to sports for majority people, sports are related to injuries and is not acceptable for everyone. People are searching for alternative health promotion ways. Yoga is getting more and more popular in Europe and in Lithuania. Yoga is acknowledged to be beneficial for health. It is necessary to asses effect of yoga on physical fitness in schoolchildren. The aim – assess effect of yoga on physical fitness in schoolchildren of 6-9 grades. Tasks: 1. Assess effect of yoga on static endurance of core muscles and the ratios between them. 2. Assess effect of yoga on balance. 3. Assess effect of yoga on flexibility. 4. Compare the results between groups. Methods: testing (tests for static endurance of core muscles, balance and flexibility). Statistical analysis (SPSS Statistics 17.0 and Microsoft excel were used to make the calculations). Hypothesis: yoga will improve physical fitness of schoolchildren of 6-9 grades. Conclusions: 1. The effect of yoga was statistically meaningful on static endurance of core muscles. The effect... [to full text]

<p>This dissertation offers an account of precarious neoliberal subjectivity by examining the suffering of the privileged as it relates to the practice of Western yoga in California's Silicon Valley. Yoga culture underlines creating connections and community. But my research, based on twenty-seven month fieldwork in an epicenter of the global high-tech economy, reveals that yoga practitioners actually seek to experience and create "space." I suggest that yoga practitioners often cultivate an interiority aimed at giving themselves room from the judgment and expectations of others. </p><p>This dissertation portrays the complicated lives of people who are more privileged than most. In so doing, this study questions the separation between "real" and "privileged" suffering; and it explores the ethical and political implications of the problems of the well-off. I suggest that the destructive aspects of neoliberal capitalism and late modernity do not hurt only the marginalized traditionally studied by anthropologists, but also--albeit in very different ways--those who supposedly benefit from them. The social scenes of modern yoga are sites of ambivalently embodied neoliberal logic, where clusters of promises and recipes for an "art of living" are critical about aspects of capitalism while enjoying its comfort. Even though the yogic ethic and politics do not adhere to the anthropological ideals of political action, Western yoga is often an ethical practice that does not simply reproduce neoliberal logic, but also shifts it slightly from within. By creating disruption of subjectivity and gaining space from old and habitual ways of being, yoga sometimes opens up a new territory of change and reflection.</p> / Dissertation

Scientific research is just beginning to empirically prove what people who practice somatic disciplines have known for years. In this thesis, I theorize that it is possible to combine yoga and somatics with modern research into the mind and body in a manner that could facilitate healing in a holistic, beneficial manner. There is an indisputable relationship between a person's overall physical and mental health. The practice of yoga strives to facilitate both physical and mental health, in addition to inner peace and well-being. By identifying similarities between the teachings of yoga and modern kinesthetic research, it is possible to gain a better understanding of why and how yoga makes practitioners feel better.

The intent of this research was to determine if participation in regularly offered Hatha Yoga or Effective Interpersonal Relationship Development classes for the duration of a university quarter (ten weeks) could produce a change in self-concept.Self-concept was defined as the total collection of attitudes, judgments and values which an individual holds with respect to behavior, ability, body, and worth as a person; i.e.self-perception and self-evaluation. Specifically, self-concept was defined as that entity which is measured by the self-report of the discrepancy between perceived self and ideal self using the Index of Adjustment and Values.Data for the study were collected from 215 female students enrolled in a mid-western university who volunteered to participate and who completed the self-concept measure (Bills Index of Adjustment and Values) at the beginning and end of the quarter. There were 54 female students in 3 Yoga classes, 53 in 3 Effective Interpersonal Relationship Development classes and 53 in 4 comparison classes (randomly selected algebra classes). Experimental treatment consisted of material which was normally taught in the classes. Information such as age, quarter in school and other subjects taken was collected with a demographic survey.A second group of 55 female students in 3 Hatha Yoga classes taught the following year completed the pretest and posttest self-concept measures, and also answered a Student Opinion Questionnaire.Analysis of variance of the pretest data across all classes and groups indicated no significant differences, providing an assumption of equivalence of the groups. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant difference on the self-concept measure between the pretest and posttest data (p =.015). The test for simple main effects indicated that only the Hatha Yoga group contributed significantly (p =.01) to the results.Individual group repeated measure analyses indicated significant change in self-concept for the Hatha Yoga group (p =.006) but not for the Effective Interpersonal Relationship Development group (p =.08), although there was a tendency toward a positive self-concept change, or for the comparison group (p =.36). A significant difference between the pretest and posttest also found for the second Hatha Yoga group (p =.043). The majority of students who answered the Student Opinion Questionnaire felt that participation in the Hatha Yoga class had helped them become more self-aware, to feel better about themselves and to solve personal and/or physical problems.

Vinyasa yoga, also known as power flow yoga, is growing in popularity in western cultures. Vinyasa yoga is characterized by moving with the breath and connecting the postures by a series of dynamic movement in between traditional yoga poses. The purpose of this thesis was to determine the intensity and metabolic costs of a typical Vinyasa yoga routine by measuring respiratory gas exchange, heart rate, and perceived rating of exertion. Secondary purposes were to determine whether there were differences between beginner and advanced practitioners and between males and females. Eight beginner (4 males and 4 females) and eight advanced (4 males and 4 females) yoga practitioners were tested while completing a Vinyasa yoga routine. Participants first completed a maximal aerobic test on a treadmill to determine maximal aerobic capacity, and to allow the assessment of relative workload during a subsequent yoga session. After adequate rest, the participant completed a 90-minute familiarization of the Vinyasa yoga session at his or her own skill level. After 4 – 7 days the participants returned, where the beginners completed the beginner routine and the advanced practitioners were randomly assigned to do either the beginner or advanced routine. The advanced practitioners came back on a separate day to complete the routine they had not yet completed. To allow participants to move freely, a portable system (Cosmed K4b2) was used to measure respiratory gas exchange (i.e. oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide output). A heart rate monitor was worn to collect heart rate data. Rating of perceived exertion was measured at set times throughout the session. The mean metabolic equivalents (METs) of Vinyasa yoga (4.7) were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than the 3.0 METs needed to achieve a moderate intensity based on the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. During the yoga session, 68 ± 10 minutes were spent above 3.0 METs (moderate intensity) and of those minutes, 16 ± 16 were spent above 6.0 METs (vigorous intensity). Based on the Canadian Guidelines for Physical Activity of 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity, three 90-minute Vinyasa yoga sessions a week can meet the recommendations for adults.

Doctor of Philosophy / Disruptive behaviour in children and adolescents has a negative impact on their families, schools, and communities. Common treatments include medication, behaviour management, psychosocial and family programs in various combinations. These treatments have some success, but there is need for improvement in response and relapse rates following treatment. Yoga encourages participants to be actively and independently involved in their own treatment and self-management through respiratory awareness and manipulation, postures and cognitive control. Yoga practices have a positive effect on brain wave frequencies, glucose metabolism, neurotransmitter activity and the autonomic nervous system, all of which are affected in disruptive behaviour. In young people, yoga and similar mind body approaches have been shown to reduce hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, aggression and anxiety. However, many of the trials involving young people, took place up to three decades ago. This research needs to be revived and applied to the school environment where the problems are most evident and where inexpensive, non-intrusive and self-management strategies are needed. Aims and Design This controlled field study, using a within and between repeated measures design examined the impact of yoga on the behaviour of students aged 8-16 years, enrolled at special schools for disruptive behaviour with the New South Wales Department of Education, Australia. Of the seventy-eight participants (five female) enrolled in the study, sixteen students acted as their own controls, fifty–five participated in yoga intervention only and seven were in the control condition only. Altogether seventy-one (71) students participated in the yoga intervention and twenty-three (23) in the control condition. Methods The yoga intervention, a 13-week comprehensive program consisting of two to three 30-40 minute sessions per week, was taught by a qualified, experienced yoga teacher who was also a specialist teacher for behaviourally disordered students (PSJ). The control group experienced the standard school program provided by the special school. Control and yoga participants were pre- and post-tested on the Conners’ Teacher and Parent Rating Scales–Revised Long Version (CTRS-R: L, CRRS-R: L), the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch), the Trait component of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) or the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) and the Self Description Questionnaire I or II (SDQI &II). Behaviour observations were conducted using the Behaviour Assessment System for Children- Portable Observation Program (BASC-POP) in both the classroom (for control and yoga groups) and the yoga classes by blind independent observers and by the main researcher. School staff wrote comprehensive daily notes, in yoga classes and recorded students’ on- and off-task behaviours. Measures designed by the researchers consisted of the Feelings Faces Scale (FFS) that was completed after the last yoga class for the week by all students; a yoga survey (YS) requesting student perceptions of the benefits of yoga and Individual Assessments of Yoga Competence (IAYC) that were completed at the end of the yoga intervention by two subgroups. A Physical, Emotional and Mental States (PEMS) measure was administered prev and post-yoga sessions for a subgroup. Breathing patterns before, during and after the yoga relaxation session were recorded using Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography (RIP) bands in a subgroup and compared with three young people without disruptive behaviour. Results were analysed using the General Liner Model for all pre- and post-test measures. Mean scores were calculated for the FFS, the Yoga Survey and the IAYC. Visual analysis of the RIP results was conducted by researchers. Results Of 71 participants in the yoga group 12 (16.9%) attended from 7 to 10 classes; 36 (50.5%) attended from 11 to 20 classes and 23 (32.5%) attended from 21 to 35 classes. Total absences from the yoga classes (39.76%) were due to sickness and truancy (32.35%); lack of interest, (45.71%); work experience, home school visits or other school programs, (15.89%); and suspension from school (6.04%). Of the 33 students in the control group, 10 (32.35%) discontinued due to leaving the school (n=6) or truancy (n=4); 23 (67.65%) remained in the control group. Major findings were as follows: On the Conners’ Teacher Rating Scales Revised-: Long Version (CTRS-R: L), significant improvement over time was found for the yoga group (n=64) in the Oppositional subscale. No other significant changes were seen over time or in group by time interactions for the yoga (n=64) or the control groups (n=20). On the Conners’ Parent Rating Scales Revised-: Long Version (CRRS-R: L), significant improvements over time were seen in ten out of fifteen subscales for the control group (n=10) and deterioration in vi six subscales for the yoga intervention (n=16). Group by time interaction, favouring the control group was seen in thirteen subscales. Significant improvements on the Test of Everyday Attention for Children, (TEA-Ch) were seen on two subtests of focused attention and two subtests of sustained attention (one borderline) for the yoga group and two subtests of focused attention, two subtests of sustained attention and one of switching attention for the control group. No significant changes were observed on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) or the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) nor on the Self Description Questionnaire I or II SDQ I & II) but pre-test levels were within normal limits. Subgroup analysis of the CTRS-R: L. of students who participated in over 20 classes (n=14) indicated more pronounced significance on the Oppositional subscale. On the Behaviour Assessment System for Children-Portable Observation Program, (BASC-POP) significant group by time interaction reductions were observed in oppositional behaviour with a trend in hyperactive behaviours favouring the yoga group in the classroom. Over time, the yoga group’s (n=19) classroom behaviours indicated significant reductions in impulsive behaviour and borderline reductions in hyperactivity and total ADHD behaviours. Numbers assessed on this measure were reduced due to one rater proving unreliable (and whose ratings were discarded) and due to technical problems. The control group (n=16) showed no significant changes in classroom behaviours. Subgroup analysis of the BASC-POP for students who acted as their own controls (n=8) indicated significantly less ADHD behaviours in yoga classes at the end of the program compared with all other assessment times. In the yoga classes (n=21) at the beginning of the intervention ADHD behaviours were 33% of classroom behaviours compared with 25% at the end (n=20) of the intervention. Staff observations of yoga classes indicated on-task behavioural descriptors outnumbered off-task descriptors by approximately 4:1. Weekly selfvii reports on the Feelings Faces Scale (n ≤ 35), immediately after yoga each week, showed an overall positive response in mood, enjoyment of the program, and confidence in yoga practice. Self-report on the Physical, Emotional, Mental States measure, showed significant positive changes in physical, emotional and mental states from the beginning of yoga sessions to the end of sessions in a subgroup of students (n≤13). The Yoga Survey indicated benefits for 63% to 80% of the respondents (n=27) in six out of the seven items. On the Individual Assessment of Yoga Competence students (n=11) scored a mean of 79.64 % (SD 9.44). Breathing patterns, for students with disruptive behaviour (n=7), indicated greater stability during the relaxation compared with before and to a lesser degree after the relaxation but were not as stable as the breathing patterns of students without disruptive behaviour (n=3) throughout the testing period. Discussion Yoga as an intervention for students enrolled at behaviour school appears to have immediate positive effects as perceived by students immediately after sessions, in observations of behaviour during the yoga class, in assessed ability during a yoga class and in the stabilizing effects on breathing effort during relaxation. Collecting data on a regular basis appears to be a method of overcoming spasmodic attendance and early withdrawal. Few significant results were found on standardized measures. Results on these tests were affected by a number of methodological issues such as (i) fluctuations in attendance, (ii) withdrawals from the program weeks before post-program assessments, and (iii) to the intervention not being long viii and intense enough for parents and teachers to perceive significant changes in the environments in which the students had been ‘acting out’ for most of their childhood.

PhD / Bodhasāra, previously untranslated into English, is a Sanskrit treasure. Written by Narahari in eighteenth century India, it consists of charming Sanskrit verse of the highest order. Full of metaphors and word puns, it is a clever piece of literature that stimulates the intellect and imagination. By carefully following the traditional protocols, Bodhasāra remains acceptable to orthodox Advaita Vedāntins. However, although superficially it appears to be merely another presentation of the Advaita Vedānta tradition, in-depth reading reveals a refreshingly new style. The Hindu tradition is poetically presented as invaluable to awaken discernment between the real and unreal, but the import of Bodhasāra is that, ultimately, liberation requires a maturity that is not bound by anything, including the tradition itself; it comes through an awakening discernment. Narahari is celebrating jīvanmukti, not as liberation from the world, but as liberation while living. Bodhasāra is stylishly poetic, but not poetry for poetry’s sake, nor bhakti (religious devotion); rather it exemplifies the potency of rasa (aesthetic flavour) and dhvani (aesthetic suggestion). Narahari understands the correspondence between words and truth and uses his poetic style to facilitate union of the individual and universal. Few eighteenth century Sanskrit works have even been read, let alone translated into English, so this translation of Bodhasāra is a valuable example of Indian thought immediately before Colonialism. It shows what modernity, defined here as a moving away from entrenched traditional beliefs to an empowerment of the individual living in the present moment, in an Indian context could have been like if Colonialism had not intervened. The implications of Bodhasāra to scholars of Indian history, Advaita Vedānta and Yoga need to be considered. Bodhasāra extends the project ‘Sanskrit knowledge systems on the eve of colonialism’ being a work on mokṣa written in the late eighteenth century. It revitalises academic research into Advaita Vedānta, presents a fresh view of Yoga, and fits well the notion of an Indian modernity or renaissance during the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries.

Doctor of Philosophy / Disruptive behaviour in children and adolescents has a negative impact on their families, schools, and communities. Common treatments include medication, behaviour management, psychosocial and family programs in various combinations. These treatments have some success, but there is need for improvement in response and relapse rates following treatment. Yoga encourages participants to be actively and independently involved in their own treatment and self-management through respiratory awareness and manipulation, postures and cognitive control. Yoga practices have a positive effect on brain wave frequencies, glucose metabolism, neurotransmitter activity and the autonomic nervous system, all of which are affected in disruptive behaviour. In young people, yoga and similar mind body approaches have been shown to reduce hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, aggression and anxiety. However, many of the trials involving young people, took place up to three decades ago. This research needs to be revived and applied to the school environment where the problems are most evident and where inexpensive, non-intrusive and self-management strategies are needed. Aims and Design This controlled field study, using a within and between repeated measures design examined the impact of yoga on the behaviour of students aged 8-16 years, enrolled at special schools for disruptive behaviour with the New South Wales Department of Education, Australia. Of the seventy-eight participants (five female) enrolled in the study, sixteen students acted as their own controls, fifty–five participated in yoga intervention only and seven were in the control condition only. Altogether seventy-one (71) students participated in the yoga intervention and twenty-three (23) in the control condition. Methods The yoga intervention, a 13-week comprehensive program consisting of two to three 30-40 minute sessions per week, was taught by a qualified, experienced yoga teacher who was also a specialist teacher for behaviourally disordered students (PSJ). The control group experienced the standard school program provided by the special school. Control and yoga participants were pre- and post-tested on the Conners’ Teacher and Parent Rating Scales–Revised Long Version (CTRS-R: L, CRRS-R: L), the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch), the Trait component of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) or the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) and the Self Description Questionnaire I or II (SDQI &II). Behaviour observations were conducted using the Behaviour Assessment System for Children- Portable Observation Program (BASC-POP) in both the classroom (for control and yoga groups) and the yoga classes by blind independent observers and by the main researcher. School staff wrote comprehensive daily notes, in yoga classes and recorded students’ on- and off-task behaviours. Measures designed by the researchers consisted of the Feelings Faces Scale (FFS) that was completed after the last yoga class for the week by all students; a yoga survey (YS) requesting student perceptions of the benefits of yoga and Individual Assessments of Yoga Competence (IAYC) that were completed at the end of the yoga intervention by two subgroups. A Physical, Emotional and Mental States (PEMS) measure was administered prev and post-yoga sessions for a subgroup. Breathing patterns before, during and after the yoga relaxation session were recorded using Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography (RIP) bands in a subgroup and compared with three young people without disruptive behaviour. Results were analysed using the General Liner Model for all pre- and post-test measures. Mean scores were calculated for the FFS, the Yoga Survey and the IAYC. Visual analysis of the RIP results was conducted by researchers. Results Of 71 participants in the yoga group 12 (16.9%) attended from 7 to 10 classes; 36 (50.5%) attended from 11 to 20 classes and 23 (32.5%) attended from 21 to 35 classes. Total absences from the yoga classes (39.76%) were due to sickness and truancy (32.35%); lack of interest, (45.71%); work experience, home school visits or other school programs, (15.89%); and suspension from school (6.04%). Of the 33 students in the control group, 10 (32.35%) discontinued due to leaving the school (n=6) or truancy (n=4); 23 (67.65%) remained in the control group. Major findings were as follows: On the Conners’ Teacher Rating Scales Revised-: Long Version (CTRS-R: L), significant improvement over time was found for the yoga group (n=64) in the Oppositional subscale. No other significant changes were seen over time or in group by time interactions for the yoga (n=64) or the control groups (n=20). On the Conners’ Parent Rating Scales Revised-: Long Version (CRRS-R: L), significant improvements over time were seen in ten out of fifteen subscales for the control group (n=10) and deterioration in vi six subscales for the yoga intervention (n=16). Group by time interaction, favouring the control group was seen in thirteen subscales. Significant improvements on the Test of Everyday Attention for Children, (TEA-Ch) were seen on two subtests of focused attention and two subtests of sustained attention (one borderline) for the yoga group and two subtests of focused attention, two subtests of sustained attention and one of switching attention for the control group. No significant changes were observed on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) or the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) nor on the Self Description Questionnaire I or II SDQ I & II) but pre-test levels were within normal limits. Subgroup analysis of the CTRS-R: L. of students who participated in over 20 classes (n=14) indicated more pronounced significance on the Oppositional subscale. On the Behaviour Assessment System for Children-Portable Observation Program, (BASC-POP) significant group by time interaction reductions were observed in oppositional behaviour with a trend in hyperactive behaviours favouring the yoga group in the classroom. Over time, the yoga group’s (n=19) classroom behaviours indicated significant reductions in impulsive behaviour and borderline reductions in hyperactivity and total ADHD behaviours. Numbers assessed on this measure were reduced due to one rater proving unreliable (and whose ratings were discarded) and due to technical problems. The control group (n=16) showed no significant changes in classroom behaviours. Subgroup analysis of the BASC-POP for students who acted as their own controls (n=8) indicated significantly less ADHD behaviours in yoga classes at the end of the program compared with all other assessment times. In the yoga classes (n=21) at the beginning of the intervention ADHD behaviours were 33% of classroom behaviours compared with 25% at the end (n=20) of the intervention. Staff observations of yoga classes indicated on-task behavioural descriptors outnumbered off-task descriptors by approximately 4:1. Weekly selfvii reports on the Feelings Faces Scale (n ≤ 35), immediately after yoga each week, showed an overall positive response in mood, enjoyment of the program, and confidence in yoga practice. Self-report on the Physical, Emotional, Mental States measure, showed significant positive changes in physical, emotional and mental states from the beginning of yoga sessions to the end of sessions in a subgroup of students (n≤13). The Yoga Survey indicated benefits for 63% to 80% of the respondents (n=27) in six out of the seven items. On the Individual Assessment of Yoga Competence students (n=11) scored a mean of 79.64 % (SD 9.44). Breathing patterns, for students with disruptive behaviour (n=7), indicated greater stability during the relaxation compared with before and to a lesser degree after the relaxation but were not as stable as the breathing patterns of students without disruptive behaviour (n=3) throughout the testing period. Discussion Yoga as an intervention for students enrolled at behaviour school appears to have immediate positive effects as perceived by students immediately after sessions, in observations of behaviour during the yoga class, in assessed ability during a yoga class and in the stabilizing effects on breathing effort during relaxation. Collecting data on a regular basis appears to be a method of overcoming spasmodic attendance and early withdrawal. Few significant results were found on standardized measures. Results on these tests were affected by a number of methodological issues such as (i) fluctuations in attendance, (ii) withdrawals from the program weeks before post-program assessments, and (iii) to the intervention not being long viii and intense enough for parents and teachers to perceive significant changes in the environments in which the students had been ‘acting out’ for most of their childhood.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.