Day 2 :
Keynote Forum
L Ari Kopolow
George Washington University School of Medicine, USA
Keynote: Self-transcendence: the peak of Maslow’s hierarchy
Biography:
L. Ari Kopolow majored in psychology at Brandeis University where Abraham Maslow was his Mentor. With Maslow’s guidance, he chose a career in medicine and obtained his M.D from the University Of Missouri School of Medicine and completed a Harvard Psychiatry Residency at Mclean Hospital. He has served as Instructor at Harvard, adjunct faculty at Georgetown, and Assistant Professor at George Washington University. He is a distinguished life fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Primary Investigator in many international pharmacological studies, and a national speaker on Neurobiology of Depression and Stress Management.
Abstract:
When I was a sophomore at Brandeis University taking Motivation and Personality with Abraham Maslow, I thought self-actualization was “as good as it gets”. After all, I reasoned it was the top of the Hierarchy of Needs. Self-actualization was an impressive level of development which Maslow believed could be achieved by most people if the right conditions were satisfied. I was wrong. During my subsequent classes and individual talks with him, Maslow referenced the transcendent state and its religious/mystical quality. He treated transcendence as a major new development in his thinking about motivation and human nature. He spoke about transcendence in the following way: “It means a way of life and a world view generated not only by the hierarchy of basic need, but also by the need for the actualization of one’s personal, idiosyncratic potentialities (i.e., identity, real self, individuality, uniqueness, self-actualization). That is, it refers to the fulfillment not only of one’s species-hood but also of one’s own idiosyncratic potentialities.” Maslow recognized that some self-actualizers rarely or never had peak experiences while for others these moments were frequent and transformative. He also recognized that these transcenders were significantly different from “merely healthy people”. Transcenders have transcended the state of self-actualization along with numerous dichotomous cognitive and value states. They represent the new pinnacle of human nature and a model for emulation. Their guiding values are the highest values we recognize the B-Values. He described 25 distinct qualities that separated the transcenders from the rest of humanity. see how many you come up with before coming to this talk).
Keynote Forum
Asoka Jinadasa
Intrinsic Leadership Academy, Sri Lanka
Keynote: Happiness and wellbeing of older people: A 6-dimensional foundation of modern science and ancient wisdom
Biography:
Asoka Jinadasa is a UK Chartered Engineer with a US Ph.D. in Business Strategy. He is a Corporate Trainer specializing in human potential development and Founder of the Intrinsic Leadership Academy. He formulated a 6-dimensional foundation and developed practices based on modern science and ancient wisdom to stay healthy, young and happy. He looks 20 years younger than his 72 years and enjoys drug-free natural health. He became physically fit and sharpened his mental abilities to win prestigious awards in areas that were new to him: Human resources, Corporate communication, Media advertising, Brand marketing, and Filmmaking. After his 70th birthday, he self-healed a heart condition (leaky mitral value), made keynote speeches and presentations at 14 international conferences in 6 countries, was featured on 10 US talk shows, and won 4 global awards for his techniques for unleashing human potential presented in his award-winning self-coaching book, Flying Penguin.
Abstract:
Statement of the Problem: Scientists have published numerous theories on the physical, mental and emotional processes of aging. But no one seems to have integrated all that complex information into a holistic foundation that older people can easily understand and use to nurture happiness and wellbeing. What is needed is a simple set of daily practices based on modern science and ancient wisdom that enhance the mental, emotional, physical, and health aspects underlying happiness and wellbeing.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Based on a literature review and grounded theory, an attempt was made to identify the diverse factors that influence the happiness and wellbeing of older people. These were correlated to the empirical 6-dimensional foundation symbolized by heart, mind, body, passion, focus and health, and techniques for developing each dimension drawn from modern science and ancient wisdom. The objective was to identify simple daily practices that nurture the happiness and wellbeing of older people. From all the practices presented in the book Flying Penguin, 30 were selected and correlated with factors that were found to influence ageing such as: neurogenesis, killing senescent cells, mitochondria resuscitation, calorie restriction, epigenetic reprogramming, whole-food plant-based diet, exercise, sex, chi kung (qigong), de-stressing, positive mindset, and nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, medium chain triglycerides, coq10, pqq, vitamins, minerals, nitric oxide, choline and theanine.
Findings: Using 35 references it was established that the 30 selected daily practices integrated all the fragmented anti-aging factors identified in the literature review into an actionable framework that older people can use to nurture happiness and wellbeing.
Conclusion & Significance: A set of simple daily practices, founded on modern neuroscience and nutrition combined with ancient energy techniques, appear to hold the key to empowering older people to self-improve their happiness and wellbeing-especially those without relatives who look after them.
- Sessions on: Stress, Depression and Anxiety | Philosophy and Religion | Buddhism and Wisdom | Mental Health | Illness and Psychiatry Nursing | Happiness and Well-being | Wellness, Yoga and Meditation | Psychology and Psychological Resilience
Location: Cannes Room
Session Introduction
Saranyan Senthelal
St. George’s University School of Medicine, USA
Title: The role of medical cannabis in mental health: A literature review
Biography:
Saranyan Senthelal is a third-year medical student from St. George’s University and aspires to be psychiatrist.
Abstract:
The use of cannabis in medicine is no new encounter. In fact, there is evidence that describes the use of medical cannabis dating back to 400 AD. More recently, cannabis was described as a medicine in the United States Pharmacopoeia in 1850. It was not until many years later, under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, that cannabis became a prohibited substance in the United States. In Canada, cannabis was prohibited in 1923 under the Narcotics Drug Act Amendment Bill. Despite these attempted restrictions, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), cannabis is the most commonly abused illicit drug worldwide. With the legalization of cannabis in Canada, there has been an increasing interest regarding the psychological and physiological effects of cannabis. As cannabis use continues to steadily increase across Canada, it is imperative that healthcare providers are aware of the potential indications or contraindications that this substance may provide for their patients. This review attempts to detail and highlight the necessary information found in the literature regarding the possible role of cannabis in psychiatric medicine. It should be noted that research in the field of medical cannabis is extremely limited at this point in time so it is difficult for any definitive conclusions to be made from the literature. The options that healthcare providers have surrounding the administration of medical cannabis include the use of cannabidiol (CBD) or delta–9–tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Although both compounds are derived from the same plant and are associated with the endocannabinoid system in the body, they have very different psychopharmacological effects. THC binds to the cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors in the brain, producing the psychoactive effects commonly described by cannabis users as euphoric. CBD on the other hand, has very little interaction with CB1 receptors, if at all. In fact, CBD has been shown to even block these CB1 receptors and disrupt the THC and CB1 interaction. Although the literature remains limited, the use of cannabis in adolescents has not been shown to prove any significant benefit with respect to the treatment of behavioral and intellectual disability. On the contrary, there have been unique cases that have shown the benefit of cannabis for refractory Tourette disorder and Autism Spectrum disorder. In adults, cannabis has been shown to increase the severity of depressive episodes in Major Depressive Disorder (p=0.1). However, multiple cases have shown a relief of depressive and manic episodes in patients with Bipolar disorder. Next, psychotic disorders are of particular interest as rodent studies and a few cases have demonstrated the anti-psychotic properties of cannabis in individuals already diagnosed with schizophrenia. Interestingly, multiple randomized controlled trials have shown an increased predilection for schizophrenia disorder in cannabis smoking individuals. The literature regarding anxiety disorders is limited but a randomized controlled trial showed relief of anxiety in patients with Social Anxiety Disorder (p=0.012), however, only a few case reports have shown similar findings in General Anxiety Disorder. Lastly, there has been improvement noted with cannabis use in both Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Jaclyn Costello
University of Nevada, USA
Title: The revival of indigenous medicine: Plants as healers of mind, body, and spirit
Biography:
Jaclyn Costello received an MFA in Fiction & Poetry Writing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she now teaches multidisciplinary seminars in the Honors College and leads a meditation program called ‘Mindfulness in the Mountains.’
Abstract:
Statement of the Problem: When asked about the sickness of the West, the beloved shamans say, “It’s quite simple. You have severed your connection with Spirit. Unless you reconnect with Spirit and do so soon, you’re going to bring the whole house of cards down around your heads and ours.”
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Our team is currently participating in a fully immersive study of sacred, ceremonial, indigenous healing techniques within a variety of South American and North American lineages. Through our studies in Brazil, Peru, Mexico, and on our home soil—the United States—we are witnessing first-hand the cultural fusion of ancient practices within modern society. Our approach arrives from three angles: given Jaclyn Costello’s background in Comparative Spiritual Studies and Creative Writing, her research is shared poetically, exploring indigenous healing techniques and how they work upon one’s spirit. Since Estefania Herrera has a background in Health Sciences, hers is a scientific approach, exploring the ways indigenous healing techniques work upon the body and how they are applicable to our current medical system. Alina Lindquist, with a background in Anthropology and Yoga, is researching the body-mind connection in indigenous medicine and how this connection leads to a greater sense of overall well-being within the individual.
Findings: Shamans, especially those from the Amazon, are currently mounting a reverse missionary activity, hoping to heal the spiritual disconnect they witness in Westerners. Rightly or wrongly, many of these shamans believe the remedy for this disconnect to be sacred plant medicines such as Ayahuasca, “the vine of the soul.” It is our collective finding that plant- medicines, such as Ayahuasca, can be used in a respectful, ceremonial fashion to help Westerners reduce anxiety, heal from trauma, and harmoniously integrate all parts of themselves to build happier, more ‘conscious,’ more purposeful lives.
Biography:
Madelene Sta. Maria is currently teaching and doing research at De La Salle University in Manila. She teaches graduate courses in human development and her researches to include investigations on risk and protection mechanisms in adolescent development, on social networks among older adults, and on resilience among youth living on the streets. Her researches also cover the area community mental health interventions and programs. She is currently doing researches on teenage pregnancies and on the impact of transnational family structures on the development of left-behind children and on caregiving arrangements in the Filipino family. Her publications have been on the sociocultural approach to the study of the self, spiritual development, adolescent mental health, the socioemotional development in aging, global citizenship, and on youth-at-risk.
Abstract:
The research systematically reviewed the academic literature on well-being and resilience in the life periods of adolescence, adulthood, and later adulthood. The approach outlined by Whittemore and Knafl (2005) was used to guide the narrative review procedure. The appraisal process included a determination of theories, definitions, and contextual and psychological variables related to well-being and resilience. The search and appraisal yielded ca. 42 articles on adolescence, adulthood and later adulthood from the period of 2014-2017. The systematic review revealed differences in developmental contexts in which the positive psychological constructs gain significance in these life periods. A compensatory model of resilience is often used in studying resilience in adolescence, i.e., positive family relationships and community resources provide the young person with emotional support and a sense of safety to reduce the impact of adverse conditions. Resilience in adulthood is likewise marked by nurturing and supportive relationships. Resilience in later adulthood is evident when the individual exhibits the ability to access social networks to maintain everyday activities. Resilience is studied as an antecedent to wellbeing. However, there are differences in the means by which individuals within each period gain wellbeing. Adolescent wellbeing emerges from the individual’s interaction and engagement in multiple contexts of development. It is within these nurturing contexts where the young person develops assets, such as self-regulation and identity. While wellbeing in adulthood and later adulthood is also derived from positive social relationships, studies show that adult wellbeing is a consequence of abilities to develop personal strengths and resources. Wellbeing in later adulthood is gained through an individual’s capacity for social and physical mobility. In conclusion, processes in which the positive psychological constructs of wellbeing and resilience develop are closely associated with the outcome and tasks persons have to accomplish to optimally develop in a given life period.
Biography:
Lan Luo is currently a third-year undergraduate at Yale University who is triple majoring in Economics, Psychology, and Statistics & Data Science. His previous work experiences include systematically mapping the space of morality using machine learning, computational linguistics, and cognitive neuroscience, evaluating the impact of retirement on spending and consumption in light of prototypical life-cycle models that implicate consumption smoothing, evaluating cognitive ability in economic decision making as modulated by age, developing a case study on a financial intervention program in France, and analyzing census data with respect to policy decisions on trade bills.
Abstract:
This paper seeks to integrate perspectives from psychology, cognitive science, and behavioral economics to address how multiple selves theory relates to the science of pleasure. Drawing attention to one’s different selves can affect the experience of suffering, and more importantly, how and why someone may gain pleasure from pain. For instance, pain serves as a psychological anchor, emphasizing the awareness of one’s current self. This physical suffering may dissolve away the concerns of the future self, leaving the current self both intact and salient. However, under certain conditions, the current self can dematerialize in response to pain. This destruction of self creates an empty vessel of a human being, which can be filled with a new identity in extraordinary circumstances. Even without the complete destruction of self, reduced higher-level awareness could provide the current self with the possibility of seeking out entirely new abstract, conceptual representations. The author ends by proposing three precursors, which outline when such transformative experiences may occur.
Lee Peitzu
United International College(UIC), China
Title: A study on the effects of the mindfulness and wisdom comprehensive as an intervention strategy for college student internet addiction
Biography:
Lee Peitzu is currently an Assistant Professor in the counseling psychology field. At present, her research focuses on mindfulness related interventions, counseling and psychotherapy, the relationship between the mind and behavior, mindfulness-based group therapy, effective learning methods and the benefits of spiritual counseling.
Abstract:
Studies showed that the excessive use of the internet is caused by its high prevalence and harmfulness, attracting public attention gradually (Kruss, 2015). The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of mindfulness and wisdom intervention on college students’ internet addiction. Students are analyzed by attending two full weeks of intensive mindfulness and wisdom comprehensive meditation retreat. Samples are screened by using an internet addiction disorder diagnostic questionnaire (IAD-DQ). A quasi-experimental pretest and posttest design were used as the research design. Participants were required to complete the internet addiction questionnaire and subsidiary questionnaires about emotional control before and after the intervention. The finding showed that mindfulness and wisdom intervention appeared to be effective in reducing internet addiction and increasing the ability of self-control. In addition, researchers used the semi-structured interview method to ask the participants about their changes after the intervention. The participants reported positive changes, including the reduction of internet use, an increase of awareness, self-control, and concentration, and a more positive lifestyle. Hence, mindfulness and wisdom intervention appeared to be effective in reducing internet addiction.
Nathan Burandt
Florida International University, USA
Title: Cultivating a culture of wellness and resiliency in the workplace
Biography:
Nathan Burandt has his expertise in strength and conditioning, worksite wellness, and teaching. His knowledge and experience has helped in creating a successful wellness program at Florida International University. His abilities to reach out and connect with people come from years of coaching athletes and teaching those very athletes about positive lifestyles off the field.
Abstract:
Statement of the Problem: Today more than ever a culture of well-being and resiliency in the workplace is needed. Obesity is at an all-time high as well as its associated conditions; Heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer incidence rates continue to grow. The National Health Expenditure (as of 2016) was $3.3 trillion or 17.9% of the Gross Domestic Product. The U.S. spends more of its GDP on healthcare than any other nation, yet we are less healthy. Mental health around the world continues to deteriorate. The workplace is in ideal position to assist in combating these maladies. Creating a culture of wellness and resiliency in the workplace allows for positive psychology, mindfulness, and well-being to take a central role in responding to stress and health issues in a healthy way such that goals are achieved at minimal psychological and physical cost. It allows the individual to grow stronger and to build supports in place to reach their goals, mentally and physically. This also allows the workplace assist in changing social determinants and environments to allow for healthy, happier people.
Steven Hughes
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada
Title: Finding safe sanctuary: Creating the neural pathways of healing through yoga nidra
Biography:
Steven Hughes, M.Ed., is an Education Specialist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto. He has worked in the mental health community and psychiatric hospital system facilitating educational programs in the area of Prevention and Management of Aggressive Behaviour (PMAB) and community safety programs with CAMH and the CTI Canadian Training Institute for over 30 years. As a life-long learner, he has interests in delivering educational programs pertaining to creating psychologically safe work environments that are characterized by optimal individual and team resilience and well-being. He has been a certified yoga teacher since 1985 specializing in yin yoga and yoga nidra. He integrates his interests that include transformative learning, positive psychology, dialogue methods, contemplative neuroscience, mindfulness, holotropic breathwork, and wellness-based modalities that assist individuals to cultivate self-awareness and unlock their full potential. All of his programs support learners to gently explore the edges of their personal growth boundaries and to experience new realms of self-discovery.
Abstract:
We know that in clinical populations in mental health, the prevalence rates of trauma is at 90% or more (National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, 2006) and it is reported by Mathieu (2011) that 60% of clinical staff working in Canadian healthcare environments report histories of trauma before they enter the helping profession (p. 13). In this 75-minute workshop participants will be introduced to the mind-body practice of yoga nidra (Lusk, 2015). This practice comes to us from the Yoga tradition. In recent years, there has been accumulating evidence that this practice is demonstrating therapeutic benefits in helping trauma survivors manage and support their healing and recovery journeys (Fritts & Khusid, 2014; Miller, 2015; Pence, 2014). The session will provide an overview of the practice and situate the practice within an embodied discipline that supports healing. Participants will begin to develop a comfortable stance of welcoming for all thoughts, feelings, and sensations and to distinguish between these qualities. Participants will have an opportunity to experience some of the layers that comprise the practice of yoga nidra. The foundational skillset is accessing the relaxation response by activating the parasympathetic nervous system to calm the stress-response system and reduce emotional over-reactivity (Benson & Proctor, 2012; Jerath, et al., 2006). The second skill set is gaining an orientation to interoceptive awareness and beginning to direct the breath (Brown & Gerbag, 2012; Craig, 2014; Marks-Tarlow, 2012). The third skillset invites one to create an imaginal inner sanctuary of safety (Fay, 2017; Brown & Elliott, 2016; Davenport, 2009; Fogel, 2009; Holmes, 2001; Mikulincer, Shaver, Sapir-Lavid & Avihou-Kanza, 2009; Yelling & White, 2011). Developing a safe sanctuary provides a platform for us to apprehend the emergence of presence, connectedness, and joy (Gilbert, 2009; Geller, 2017; Goleman & Davidson, 2017). The session will conclude with a group discussion to process the experience and allow time for questions, discussion and explore potential next steps.
Learning Objectives: (a) Experience and develop the skill of relaxing your physical body fully while the mind remains awake and focused. Clarify the difference between “spaciousness” versus “spaceyness” supporting the emergence of presence. (b) Distinguish between “thinking” and the “felt-sense of sensation”–sensing the flow of breath and the radiant sense of energy in the body. (c) Experience the imaginal environment via guided imagery to create an internal sense of safety and an enhanced self-efficacy by creating an inner safe sanctuary that can be accessed at any time as a way to ground and center one’s self.
The healing perspective surging underneath this session is in keeping with Carl Jung’s conception that we are all on a path seeking wholeness. This self-organizing process seeking expression, Jung referred to as individuation (Jung, 1966). This unfolding process posits that each of us is on a journey seeking the integration and healing of all of the “parts of ourselves” that have been alienated, repressed, or dissociated (Kalsched 2013; Siegel, 2016). This session provides a potential path for this unfolding odyssey.
Participatory Caution: The facilitators will work towards co-creating a psychologically safe, inclusive, and welcoming learning environment. However, some elements of the session may be potentially evocative for some individuals who have experienced trauma (especially hyper-arousal and dissociation) and who have significant challenges in managing anxiety. These experiences are not necessarily contraindications for participation—however, self-screening is important. Participation should be discussed with one’s therapist if one is currently in therapy.
- Poster Presentations
Location: Cannes Room
Session Introduction
Thais Cristina Martino Sehn
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Title: Reading together: The relation between the oxytocin and the reading out loud
Biography:
Thais Cristina Martino Sehn is a Fulbright and Capes Scholarship Grantee currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Design at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. As part of her doctoral program, she is a Visiting Researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US. Previously, she worked as a Professor, teaching Graphic and Digital Design topics in two universities in Brazil, at PUCRS (2017) and UFPel (2014-2016). After that, she established her own graphic design studio Ame Studio Criativo. Now, she is studying Emotional Design, with the focus in positive psychology, and reading.
Abstract:
Nowadays, reading together is usually associated with an activity address for someone with difficulty to understand the writing codec, like the children, that is not alphabetized, or with people who have vision problems. However, it was a social activity between adults until the eighteen century (Williams, 2017). Sonneschein and Munsterman (2002) identified that the quality of affect interaction is the principal children`s motivation for the interesting in books. Likewise, Peixoto and Leal (2008) show that the activity offers pleasure also to the reader-adult, even if the reader does not have the habit of reading. The oxytocin is considered the hormone of love. Many studies show how the oxytocin changes in accordance with the activities and with who you are developing the action. Seltzer et al. (2010) demonstrates that the vocalization higher the levels of oxytocin in humans. The study proves that this hormone is produced in the same way with touch interaction or oral communication (without touch). Furthermore, Leslie et al. (2011) showed that the levels of oxytocin mushrooms with touch and vocal contact, but not change with a text message. The relation between the voice with the hormone was not tested yet between adults. The aim of this work is to do an experimental study, analyzing if it the level of oxytocin between couples will higher when they read out loud together, one for each other. This experiment will be done with a sample of 30 couples. The oxytocin of both (reading and listener) will be measured before and after the reading to analyze the change of the activity. The practice of reading out loud for a beloved one demands attention and dedication for both sides: the reader and the listener. Through the sharing reading, they might create a particular ritual to spend a moment that belongs only to them.
Veronica Bucci
Pawling High School, USA
Title: The effects of stress and anxiety on memory, self-efficacy, and impulsivity among adolescents ages 13-17
Biography:
Veronica Bucci is a Senior at Pawling High School in Pawling, New York and has researched Psychology for the past 3 years as part of the SUNY Albany Science Research course. She completed her first project involving teenagers and how they respond to stressful and anxious situations based on a variety of episodic memory tasks. She has successfully competed in numerous competitions with her research and has traveled to locations such as San Francisco, California, and Paris, France in order to present her various projects. After the success of her first project, SHE is continuing her work in the field of Psychology involving reliability in a child’s environment influencing lie-telling and decision making. She hopes her research has the power to give children and teenagers a better grasp on the way to live a truly meaningful life.
Abstract:
Stress and anxiety are key mental factors that are a part of the brain’s extensive network. Caused by the hormone cortisol, stress and anxiety can bring detrimental effects to other aspects of the mind. Previous literature has identified a correlation between adult stress and anxiety, low self-esteem, a loss in the ability to retain memories, and impulsive decision-making. Adolescents, ages thirteen to seventeen years old, have not been investigated due to the shortened duration of human adolescence. However, this adolescent time frame plays a crucial role in the developmental stages of the mind. Self-efficacy inductions of positive, negative, and neutral emotions were used as an indicator of the functionality of memory and impulsivity. The survey-based analysis was used through the combination of episodic memory tasks and compared to the induced emotional states. This research investigated past and present memories that involved stressful situations that prompted a teenager to change their behavior and ability to properly complete described tasks. Results suggest that during adolescence, memory retention is higher when positive self-efficacy was utilized, in comparison to the low self-efficacy induction. Impulsivity was relatively the same throughout each self-efficacy group. The high self-efficacy group scored higher (m=18.1429) in comparison to the low (m=8.4286) and neutral (m=13.3571) inductions. Significant results for positive self-efficacy caused a higher ability to retain memories and be descriptive (p=0.01912). Further research should explore the integration of positive self-efficacy in episodic memory exercises to improve brain functionality, memory retention, and impulsivity.
Yoko Kamada
Toyo University Graduate School of Information Sciences and Arts, Japan
Title: Preliminary yoga therapy experiments testing the impact of self-awareness on interoception
Biography:
Yoko Kamada is a yoga therapist certified by the Japan Yoga Therapy Society and The Society for Integrative Medicine in Japan. Currently, she is a board member of the Japan Yoga Therapy Society. Having trained on site with the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Foundation and having participated in the 2001 SVYASA Yoga Instructor Course in Japan, she completed the Yoga Therapist Course in 2005 and was accredited as a yoga instructor and yoga therapist by the Central Government of India. In July 2017, she passed the Indian government’s QCI Yoga Instructor Voluntary Certification Exam level 2. She's guiding yoga therapy and also doing yoga guidance at a person with disabilities' facilities. She and her colleagues have been doing yoga therapy as volunteers for the victims of the Great East Japan earthquake. She would like to thank Mr. Keishin Kimura, chairman of JYTS, Prof. Chieko Kato and visiting Prof. Minoru Kamata of Toyo University.
Abstract:
The world’s yoga population is increasing. Many meta-analyzed papers on the effects of yoga and of mindfulness-based yoga have been published. According to Kanbara and Fukunagas, (2016) hypothesis, the foundation of physical self-awareness is receiving interoception, which mainly involves the anterior insular cortex (part of the cerebral cortex) and the cingulate gyrus (part of the limbic system) and is implicated in the regulation of the autonomic nervous system. In biofeedback therapy, this is where homeostasis is based. We hypothesize that the same applies to yoga therapy. We plan to prepare a program that allows becoming very aware of intraception and to prove its effectiveness. This experiment, as a preliminary step, verifies whether the program in itself is effective. Subjects concentrate their awareness regarding their interoceptive feelings of now, here, this moment. Their objectivity is enhanced doing isometric yoga exercises, a trademark of Japan Yoga Therapy Society, which alternately tenses and relaxes muscles. Matching ones breathing with movements enables us to understand the changes during and after exercise. The 30-minute program includes ‘body scan’ meditation and breathing exercises. The experiment was conducted on 14 yoga therapy students aged 38 to 74, whose consent was obtained. An abbreviated version of POMS 2 was used and a physical symptom record table before and after practical sessions was completed. No adverse effects were caused by the subjects. POMS 2 indicated a significant reduction of negative feelings and improved physical symptoms, therefore a significant difference was observed. It was recognized that this program encourages self-awareness and the objective of interoceptive sensations is that they influence emotions. In the future, to verify the impact of objectivity and self-awareness, experiments will be conducted with a control group which will not be encouraged to become self-aware and objective.