Integration of hatha yoga and evidence-based psychological treatments for common mental disorders : An evidence map

Background Interest in the use of yoga to enhance engagement with and augment the benefits of psychological treatment has grown. However, a systematic approach to reviewing existing research examining the use of yoga with psychological treatment is lacking. Materials and Methods This mapping review identified and synthesised research trialling yoga as an integrated or adjunct therapy with evidence-based psychological interventions for the treatment of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and eating disorders. Results Overall, the review identified ten published and three unpublished studies, representing either single group or small quasi-experimental research designs. Discussion Limited but promising findings were shown for yoga with CBT for anxiety and depression, and the integration of yoga within intensive treatment models for PTSD. Conclusions Future research is encouraged to focus on controlled trials that enable examination of the component effect of yoga when applied with evidence-based psychological treatment and acceptability and feasibility data to further knowledge regarding a role for yoga in clinical practice

Luciano Floridi and contemporary art practice

This article examines how the thinking of Luciano Floridi, especially his emphasis on information, could affect the way we approach art practice. It aims to situate art practice in relation to contemporary informational theories and suggests that the way we view contemporary art practice needs to move beyond existing theories. Key components to Floridi’s philosophy are introduced with relevance to art practice, followed by an analysis of these concepts with examples from the history of art. It is hoped that, by clarifying some of the more complex terms and concepts, readers will form a better understanding of the connections and potential synergy between art practice and the sciences of information, through the philosophy of Floridi

The impact of hatha yoga on smoking behavior

Cigarette smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of premature death and disease in many countries, including the US and Australia. It has been suggested that smokers are probably more likely to feel personally susceptible and therefore more likely to feel personally susceptible and therefore more likely to reduce smoking behavior, if they develop self-awareness of the impact of smoking. McIver et al examine the impact of a hatha yoga intervention on smoking behavior, predicting that yoga stretching and breath awareness practices focused on pulmonary health would promote a desire to stop smoking.<br /

A scoping review of integrated yoga and psychological approaches for the treatment of eating disorders

Abstract Background Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that significantly impact the social and economic burden of mental ill health in Australia. Best practice treatment for eating disorders includes a multi-axial approach, including medical, psychiatric, and psychological approaches. More recently, complementary and alternative therapy approaches, such as yoga, are used to support eating disorder recovery. Methods This scoping review identified and examined current research exploring the use of yoga alongside psychological approaches for the treatment and management of eating disorders across the lifespan. Results Results highlighted the lack of available research, with only four studies identified. Three of these studies piloted programs and identified promising results with a reduction of eating disorder symptomatology. However, these results remain tentative due to methodological limitations and the overall lack of available evidence. In the future, researchers are encouraged to clearly articulate the theoretical concepts that underpin their yoga programs and focus on adequately powered and designed trials, such as RCTs, to accurately compare treatment effects between interventions combining yoga with psychological interventions and standard psychological treatment. Qualitative enquiry is also recommended to provide further insights regarding what makes interventions successful. Conclusions Current evidence suggests further guidance and pragmatic recommendations to guide researchers and clinicians alike are required, ultimately improving outcomes for people experiencing an eating disorder across the lifespan

"Overeating is not about the food" : women describe their experience of a yoga treatment program for binge eating

As part of a larger mixed-methods study, data from 20 personal journals were analyzed to examine the experience of a 12-week yoga treatment program for binge eating among a sample of 25 women who were obese. Qualitative analysis revealed a positive shift experienced by the women during the program, summarized by a general structural description: disconnection versus connection. Women’s comments suggested that the program appeared to encourage a healthy reconnection to food, as well as the development of physical self-empowerment, through cultivating present-moment awareness. Specifically, women perceived an overall reduction in the quantity of food they consumed, decreased eating speed, and an improvement in food choices throughout the program. The women also reported feel-ing more connected to and positive about their physical well-being. These evolving outcomes were summarized through two major themes: the way their physicality changed, and the way their food consumption changed over time. Findings provide insights relevant to therapeutic processes that might occur within eating disorder interventions that draw on meditation-based approaches