A 2022 USA survey, which included input from 205 health professionals in the USA, clarified the considerations health professionals have, in what way they use yoga, and how those of us trying to bring yoga into healthcare may support the process.
The first question the survey asked was ‘Why clinicians were bringing yoga into clinical practice?’ Responses included:
1. “Patient preference”. Yoga is one of the fastest-growing complementary health approaches in the USA, so this is not surprising.
2. “Clinical reasoning.” In other words, given the needs of the client, be they psychological, physiotherapeutic, or other, there is a good reason to use therapeutic yoga with the client. This must also align with the belief that the client is open to yoga and the clinician feels it will be well-perceived.
Based on the second point above, it is incumbent upon Minded to highlight what kinds of situations may call for yoga and for which health populations.
Next, the paper discussed some tips for clinicians, interested to bring in yoga:
1. Set up a calm environment so yoga is associated with peace.
2. Tailor the yoga practices to the patient and not have a preconceived idea of what clients, in general, should do. This means that set-sequences are not ideal, and clinicians should know enough variations to be able to build bespoke practices.
3. Focus on breathing first as it is portable and easy to practice, this creates a good relationship to the potential of yoga.
At Minded we also find that breathing techniques are the easiest to introduce. We hope this little overview helps you to convince health professionals how and why they might want to bring in yoga. When coupled with papers about the positive outcomes of yoga, this is even better as a persuasive tool.
Find the full paper here.
‘Yoga therapy and Mindfulness for Chronic Pain‘ is coming up in September. Designed by Raquel Chinchetru in her many years of working in the NHS, this course offers innovative and time-tested techniques that can be incorporated into NHS environments. We welcome all healthcare professionals and yoga teachers to join us.
