Yoga from Natural and Social Perspectives (Research Paper Sample)

Instructions:

Paper instructions:
For Paper #2, you were tasked with creating a literature review focused on an assigned topic from a specific disciplinary perspective.The main purpose of that work was for you to get a sense of the kinds of conversations going on in those particular fields of scholarship.
For Paper #3, you should build upon the work that you have already done by developing a clear, open-ended research question that is somehow connected to Paper #2.Ideally, it will spring out of an area of disagreement/contention that you identified while doing that research.It should not be framed as a yes/no, either/or choice.“Should the NCAA be abolished?” is a poor question.“What is the best way to regulate college athletics?” is a much better one. For this course I suggest using the alternative therapy that you have been researching and asking the question "Is Reiki, Massage Therapy, Yoga, Reflexology (select one) effective for......(select a condition or diagnosis such as cancer symptoms, anxiety, depression, etc.)".
Once you have settled on a question, your next move should be to find additional sources that help answer it.You should end up with a total of at least eight sources, which must be drawn from two different disciplinary perspectives.Half of your sources should be connected to your original perspective, and the rest should come from one of the others.If you were assigned Natural Sciences for Paper #2, for example, then you should expand your scope to also include either Social Sciences, History/Philosophy/Religion, or Art/Literature.If you wish, you may include some of the same sources from Paper #2.
Finally, write an essay that identifies your research question, summarizes the various responses to it expressed in your sources, and presents your own opinion on the matter.Again, note that there should be more than just two sides to the debate.
Include a bibliography at the end of all your sources.Use APA 7th edition to format the references.Do not forget to arrange them in alphabetical order.
Additional Instructions:
For this class it will be easiest to use the natural science and social science perspective to provide evidence as to the effectiveness of your assigned alternative therapy to what ever aspect you select. You can be broad (such as pain, relaxation) or more specific (such as cancer patients, low back pain, anxiety, etc.). For your paper your subheadings would be:
Introduction
Briefly discuss the alternative therapy and how is it used.
Natural Science Perspective
Discuss how the alternative therapy actually works from a scientific perspective
Social Science Perspective
Discuss how the therapy is effective for either pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, etc. Cite literature that supports the effectiveness or concludes that it is ineffective orthat the results were "statistically not significant". In health care, unless there is an experimental study with randomization of participants, researchers do NOT prove findings.
Conclusion
Discuss if you believe the alterative therapy is effect and why.

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Content:

Yoga from Natural and Social Perspectives
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Yoga from Natural and Social Perspectives
The philosophical and conceptual background of yoga can be traced back to ancient Indian society. Various modern schools provide different types of yoga, with each having its framework on how it should be conducted. The use of yoga as a therapeutic intervention utilizes the psychophysiological benefits that arise from its practices. The physical exercise components are believed to have a significant impact on the flexibility and coordination of individuals. The objective of the breathing aspect is to focus and calm an individual’s mind in order to enhance greater awareness to help them reduce anxiety levels. These elements of yoga play a significant role in improving people’s quality of life. Other essential benefits of yoga include reducing stress, controlling blood pressure, and improving moods and metabolic regulation in the body.
Despite the growing literature and systematic reviews on the impacts of therapeutic yoga, there is still no sufficient evidence to support its relevance in addressing various symptoms and conditions. The available evidence on the implication of yoga in various conditions and indications is inconsistent, with different studies indicating positive impacts of yoga as a therapeutic intervention while other researches offer inconclusive results. The discrepancies in the literature may be due to differences in the study population (gender and age), the type of yoga intervention being used, and the follow-up procedures. In light of this gap, this study will be guided by the following research question. What is the effectiveness of therapeutic yoga interventions in depression, stress and anxiety reduction?
Yoga
As stated earlier, yoga is a body and mind practice with its origin in India which involves various body movements. Yoga has been categorised into various types. The philosophical underpinnings of yoga are based on connecting the mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is categorized into six branches, as discussed below:
* Hatha yoga forms the physical and mental category of yoga, and it aims to connect the body and mind.
* Karma yoga is a form of selfless service where individuals perform various actions without expecting any form of benefit. This branch of yoga holds that individuals do not focus on the consequence of their action but rather on the moment. Karma yoga increases awareness of every action (thoughts, words and the action itself). Therefore, the objective of karma yoga is to help individuals as well as the world around them in order to create an enlightened world.
* Tantra yoga is a path that explores various aspects and energies that move in the body and mind. It includes various rituals that are secretively passed from one individual to another.
* Raja yoga is a precise and contemplative path whose objective is to intellectuals through meditation. Its objective is to help one to identify a universal true self.
* Bhakti yoga is a path that is concerned with reaching the heart in order to enhance positive emotions towards a higher calling.
* The Jnana yoga branch is concerned with helping individuals realize the truth about themselves through studying.
It is believed that there is a spinning wheel called “chakra” in yoga. The Chakras are considered to be the epicentre of energy, feelings as well as physical body (Chaturvedi et al., 2015). Moreover, they influence individuals’ reactions to their surrounding either through confidence, or physical symptoms (Verma, 2018). When the energy is blocked various effects are triggered which manifest in several effects and symptoms such as stress and pain. Therefore, yoga is aimed at contacting the blocked energy to unlock it.
Yoga from a Natural Science Perspective
Yoga as a way of life has strived to remain true to its ancient principles. The practice includes asanas, pranayama, and various yoga principles (sutras) that govern both the mind and body. Yoga practices play a significant role in enhancing the mind and body awareness in individuals required in self-management. As stated earlier, yoga comprises eight interrelated steps whose objective is self-realization in individuals. Studies have demonstrated that the benefits of yoga are not only realized in the quality of lifestyle but also in various health and mental conditions. Besides playing a significant role in depression, stress, and anxiety reduction, yoga contributes to decreased cellular aging obese individuals by having a counter-effect on the aging markers (Kumar et al., 2015). Moreover, studies have revealed that yoga not only prolongs youthful life but also plays a significant role in preventing the entry of various lifestyle disorders (Semwal et al., 2016). The role of yoga in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as other physical conditions, results in a healthy lifestyle that helps eliminate the chances of lifestyle-based disorders.
Yoga from a Social Science Perspective
Various studies have shown that yoga is effective in plummeting anxiety, stress, and depression. For instance, Janalipour et al.’s (2016) study established that therapeutic yoga interventions are efficacious in reducing anxiety, stress, and depression in women who have multiple sclerosis. However, the findings also demonstrated that the symptoms are likely to worsen when the withdrawal period of the intervention is increased, which implies that the intervention period should also be extended. The available literature exemplifies that yoga practices enhance brain activities, thereby reducing the cortisol levels in the body (Riera & Torres, 2015). The chemical and physical changes in the body help reach the chakras, unlocking the blocked energy to eliminate the manifested symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. Moreover, the intervention contributes to modifying the functions of the nervous system, resulting in a reduction of sympathetic activities and enhancing the relaxation of neuromuscular (Velikonja et al., 2010). Despite the findings demonstrating the effectiveness of yoga interventions, they also produce contradictory results that reveal the worsening of symptoms if the intervention is withdrawn. Therefore, this implies that reducing anxiety, stress, and depression in patients is not constant using yoga, necessitating the intervention to be extended.
Earlier explorations provided contradictory findings on the effectiveness of yoga on depression. Despite the existence of positive results in randomized controlled trial studies, the quality and quantity of their data appear insufficient to conclude that yoga interventions are effective in reducing depression levels (Büssing et al., 2012). Moreover, the

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Yoga from Natural and Social Perspectives (Research Paper Sample)

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