Yoga Medical News Daily

Study examines developing mindfulness through movement

This study by researchers at the Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, "examined whether mindfulness increased through participation in movement-based courses and whether changes in self-regulatory self-efficacy, mood, and perceived stress mediated the relationship between increased mindfulness and better sleep."

Participants included 166 college students participating in 15 week classes in Pilates, Taiji quan, or GYROKINESIS. At intervals during the semester, participants completed measures of mindfulness, self-regulatory self-efficacy, mood, perceived stress, and sleep quality. 

The study demonstrated an increase in total mindfulness scores and mindfulness subscales overall. "Greater changes in mindfulness were directly related to better sleep quality at the end of the semester after adjusting for sleep disturbance at the beginning."  Researchers concluded that "Movement-based courses can increase mindfulness. Increased mindfulness accounts for changes in mood and perceived stress, which explain, in part, improved sleep quality."  Abstract: PubMed PMID: 20304755. "Developing mindfulness in college students through movement-based courses: effects on self-regulatory self-efficacy, mood, stress, and sleep quality," by Caldwell K, Harrison M, Adams M, Quin RH, Greeson J., Journal of American College Health [2010 Mar-Apr;58(5):433-42]

Clinicians' guide to integrating mindfulness into evidence-based practice

This doctoral dissertation by Lara Fielding, completed at Pepperdine University in 2009, points out that in "recent years mindfulness-based interventions have been gaining empirical support together with clinician interest in their use. The APA now mandates the use of evidence-based practices in psychology (EBPP), which incorporate the best empirical evidence, clinical expertise, and individual population characteristics and culture. . . . This dissertation contributes to EBPP utilizing mindfulness approaches by (a) identifying the commonly shared elements of effective mindfulness based interventions; (b) offering treatment considerations for the integration of mindfulness into clinical practice based on EBPP requirements. This is the first attempt to provide such clinical considerations for the integration of mindfulness approaches that are consistent with the APA policy on evidence-based practice in psychology (APA, 2005)."  PQDT Open (site loads slowly) wtih abstract and link to full-text PDF version of the dissertation.

Mindful Living a la Ellen Langer . . . and Jennifer Aniston

Ellen Langer's latest book Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibiity New York: Ballantine Books, 2009), along with her earlier publications such as Mindfulness (1989), backs up her statements about the obvious with relevant research in an engaging and mind-opening process – so needed in this time of datafied, categorized, and compartmentalized mindlessness. In essence her message is that "opening our minds to what’s possible, instead of clinging to accepted notions about what’s not, can lead to better health at any age." 

Instead of summing up the extent of her work in this brief post, here is a selection of sites describing her message and the reception to her findings: ellenlanger.com (illustrated with her paintings); Get Mindful, Psychologist Tells Davos Elite; and Botox for the Brain.

And there's more, including the Harvard Psychologist Ellen Langer to be Portrayed by Jennifer Aniston in the Film "Counterclockwise" (November 17, 2009) on Behavioral Health Central.com; and the Ellen Langer workshop at Kripalu scheduled for February 5-7, 2010.

Perceptions of Children Following Participation in a Yoga and Mindfulness Program: A Qualitative Study

Master's thesis (2009) completed by Julie Sines at Ohio State University. "Following participation in a yoga and mindfulness program, twenty-one second grade children were participants in focus groups designed to explore their experiences and perceptions of the program. . . . An iterative process was used to identify and confirm themes from transcripts of the focus groups. The children interviewed during the focus groups perceived that following their participation they had increased strength, attention and on-task behavior, and social emotional abilities." Abstract and link to PDF full-text.

A pilot study measuring the impact of yoga on the trait of mindfulness

Appearing in Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy [2009 Oct;37(5):595-8] by Shelov DV, Suchday S, and  Friedberg JP, of Yeshiva, University, New York, this study's findings "suggest that a yoga intervention may be a viable method for increasing levels of trait mindfulness in a healthy population, potentially implicating yoga as a preventive method for the later development of negative emotional mood states (i.e. anxiety and depression). Abstract: PubMed.