Yoga for the Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome

Study Interventions: There will be a 12-week intervention period. 1. Yoga Therapy Group: Those randomized to yoga therapy will receive twice-weekly group yoga sessions at the Osher Center for the entire intervention period. The yoga postures and breathing techniques will be taught by a qualified and certified yoga instructor using a standardized protocol that was determined by a Yoga Expert Panel. Each group yoga session will take approximately 90 minutes. Participants will also be required to practice yoga at home at least 3 times per week, and be given yoga materials (mat, blocks, straps), an instruction manual, and a video for their use at home. They will be asked to keep a calendar log of the dates/times that they practiced yoga at home. This group will also receive a 20-30 minute session with a counselor to discuss Standard Health Education at the beginning of the 12-week intervention. This session will be similar to the control group intervention. 2. Standard Health Education Group: Participants assigned to the standard health education group will receive an individual 20-30 minute session with a trained research associate within a week of their baseline visit. In this session, participants will be informed of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, given written information of the Food Guide Pyramid12 and told to follow the equivalent of the National Cholesterol Education Program Step I diet13. They will be counseled to reduce weight and increase physical activity. This is similar to the intervention given to the "Standard Lifestyle Group" in the Diabetes Prevention Program4.