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Verbal instructions provided during yoga classes can differ substantially. Yoga instructors might choose to focus on the physical aspects of yoga (e.g., by emphasizing the characteristics of the poses), or they might take a more spiritual approach (e.g., by mentioning energy flow and chakras). The present study investigated the effects of verbal cues during yoga practice on various psychological measures. Eighty-four female students (22.0 ± 3.80 years) participated in the study. Two groups attended a beginner level hatha yoga course in which physically identical exercise was accompanied by different verbal cues. The so-called "Sport group" (N = 27) received instructions referring primarily to the physical aspects of yoga practice, while the "Spiritual group" (N = 23) was additionally provided with philosophical and spiritual information. A control group (N = 34) did not receive any intervention. Mindfulness, body awareness, spirituality, and affect were assessed 1 week before and after the training. 2 × 3 mixed (time × intervention) ANOVAs did not show an interaction effect for any of the variables. However, when the two yoga groups were merged and compared to the control group, we found that spirituality increased, and negative affect decreased among yoga participants. In conclusion, yoga practice might influence psychological functioning through its physical components, independent of the style of verbal instructions provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narratív összefoglalónkban megkíséreljük felvázolni az interocepcióval kapcsolatos kutatások jelenlegi helyzetét. A definíciós nehézségek, modalitások és dimenziók áttekintése után sorra vesszük a méréssel kapcsolatos elméleti és gyakorlati problémákat, majd részletesebben is bemutatjuk az interocepció idegrendszeri hátterét. Az alapok áttekintése után a szívdobogás-percepciós kutatást alapul véve három fő témakörre fókuszálunk: 1) az interocepció és az érzelmek kapcsolatára, 2) az interocepció szerepére a self felépülésében és fennmaradásában, valamint 3) az interocepció stabilitására/változtathatóságára. Végül megkíséreljük integrálni az interocepció káros és hasznos vonatkozásait hangsúlyozó elméleteket, majd megemlítünk néhány olyan átfogó modellt, amelyek valószínűleg meg fogják határozni az interocepció kutatásának következő éveit. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an overview of current research on interoception. An introduction to the challenges of defining interoception, as well as interoceptive modalities and dimensions, is followed by a description of theoretical and practical problems concerning its assessment. After presenting the neurological foundations of interoception, three main topics are discussed, based on the empirical findings of heartbeat perception research: (1) interoception and emotions, (2) interoception and continuity and development of the self, (3) the stability and malleability of interoceptive sensitivity. We attempt to integrate the theoretical accounts of adaptive and maladaptive aspects of interoception. Finally, we present some contemporary models that could influence the future of interoception research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We, in the field of body-oriented therapies, seem to agree that an adaptive bodymind connection is essential for the maintenance and restoration of health, and that socio-cultural effects can strongly damage it. Some traced back the historical origin of chronic body suppression to the beginning of civilisation (Fogel, 2013). Cultural criticism provides a model to explain the properties of civilisation, defined here as a complex socio-economical system characterised by totalitarian agriculture, settled lifestyle, mass-size population, constant exponential population growth and territorial expansion, and social stratification (Quinn, 2009a). Civilised lifestyle could lead to a discrepancy between biological and cultural evolution, and abandonment of evolutionarily adaptive self-regulatory (Bárdos, 2003) and social (Von Rueden & Van Vugt, 2015) strategies. We suggest that the consequent homeostatic dysregulation together with the pattern of domination might contribute to a damaged body-mind connection in the civilised culture, and interact with personal and family stories of trauma. We propose for the therapists an affirmative approach: explore the part of the clients' suffering that originates from civilisation, reveal it and empathize with it. We also suggest that the process of helping clients get in touch adaptively with their body resonates with helping society get in touch sustainably with the ecosystem, and that the two approaches could fruitfully interact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:This study investigated the temporal stability and correlates of attention-related body sensations that emerge without external stimulation during rest and due to focused attention on a body part. Materials:To assess attention-related body sensations, participants were asked to focus on a freely chosen body area with closed eyes, and had to report whether the sensation of that area had changed. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess various aspects of body focus (body awareness, body responsiveness, somatosensory amplification, subjective somatic symptoms), and positive and negative affectivity. Previous experiences in body–mind therapies were also measured. PEBL Continuous Performance Test was used to assess sustained attention. Heart rate variability scores were based on a 3-minute long resting heart rate measurement. Methods:Fifty-eight university students (22.3 ± 3.95 years; 34 females) participated in the study. The stability of attention-related body sensations was measured 8 weeks later on a randomly chosen sub-group (n = 28). Results:Attention-related body sensations showed a mediocre temporal stability (rρ = 0.47,p = 0.012). People reporting attention-related body sensations showed significantly higher body awareness, somatosensory amplification, and resting heart rate; and marginally higher somatic symptoms. No relation was found with body–mind practice, body responsiveness, positive and negative affect, the vagal component of heart rate variability, and performance in the sustained attention task. Conclusion:Attention-related sensations are relatively stable over time. They are connected to some, but not to all of the aspects of body focus. Further studies are needed to elaborate the influencing stable and situational factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body responsiveness is 'the tendency to integrate body sensations into conscious awareness to guide decision making and behavior and not suppress or react impulsively to them'. It is assessed by a 7-item tool, the Body Responsiveness Questionnaire (BRQ), which has not yet been validated on the European population. We aimed to translate the original version of Daubenmier's BRQ, and test its consistency and convergent validity, and explore its connection with positive and negative affect, spirituality, attention-related body sensations, cardioceptive sensitivity, age, and gender. Overall, 402 individuals participated in the research, recruited either through the internet or in a university course. The Hungarian version of the BRQ showed the same two-factor structure as the original version: importance of body in behavior, and perceived disconnection between body and mind. Total BRQ score correlated positively with body awareness, positive affect, mindfulness, spirituality, body-mind practice (e.g. yoga), negatively with negative affect and physical symptoms. NO connection was found between the BRQ scores and cardioceptive sensitivity. According to our mediation analyses, BRQ-total was a significant mediator between body awareness and affect. Our results can inspire future studies investigating somatic psychology or the effectiveness of a body-mind intervention to assess body responsiveness also. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Mental Health is the property of Semmelweis University, Institute of Mental Health, Faculty of Health & Public Services and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of European Journal of Mental Health is the property of Semmelweis University, Institute of Mental Health, Faculty of Health & Public Services and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cortical electrical activity during nonrapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep is dominated by slow-wave activity (SWA). At larger spatial scales (∼2-30 cm), investigated by scalp EEG recordings, SWA has been shown to propagate globally over wide cortical regions as traveling waves, which has been proposed to serve as a temporal framework for neural plasticity. However, whether SWA dynamics at finer spatial scales also reflects the orderly propagation has not previously been investigated in humans. To reveal the local, finer spatial scale (∼1- 6 cm) patterns of SWA propagation during non-REM sleep, electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings were conducted from subdurally implanted electrode grids and a nonlinear correlation technique [mutual information (MI)] was implemented. MI analysis revealed spatial maps of correlations between cortical areas demonstratingSWApropagation directions, speed, and association strength. Highest correlations, indicating significant coupling, were detected during the initial positive-going deflection of slow waves. SWA propagated predominantly between adjacent cortical areas, albeit spatial noncontinuities were also frequently observed. MI analysis further uncovered significant convergence and divergence patterns. Areas receiving the most convergent activity were similar to those with high divergence rate, while reciprocal and circular propagation ofSWAwas also frequent.Wehypothesize thatSWAis characterized by distinct attributes depending on the spatial scale observed. At larger spatial scales, the orderly SWA propagation dominates; at the finer scale of the ECoG recordings, non-REM sleep is characterized by complex SWA propagation patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]