On 21 June 2025, our Founder Heather Mason addressed the Integrated & Personalised Medicine congress in London, on the 10th International Yoga Day, making the case for yoga in healthcare to leading integrative health professionals.
Read her impactful speech below.
“In recognition of the timeless practice of yoga originating in India, international yoga day was launched in 2015 and is one of the most widely celebrated global observances embraced by approximately 190 countries since its inception. This year marks the 10th year anniversary of this esteemed day established through an Indian-led UN resolution confirming yoga’s potential benefit for humanity.
Over the past decade, in part thanks to this day, the practice of yoga has grown exponentially and the concept of it as merely physical exercise is steadily falling away, supplanted by the knowledge that yoga facilitates wellbeing self development and stress reduction
Perhaps most strikingly, is that those at the vanguard of medicine are now turning their attention to classical yoga, wherein it is understood as a system of eight interconnected elements that together offer a fully formed biopsychosocial approach . Thus meeting a vast array of health dimensions now recognised as important by integrative medicine, effectively affirming yoga, as an integrative practice par excellence.
These components collectively drive awareness, self-care, self-efficacy, behavioural change, emotion regulation, physical health , and a coherent, compassionate way of being. The foundational principles of yoga set the foreground for truthfulness, non-harm, restraint, self-reflection and self-empowerment – qualities that shape how we relate to ourselves and others. The postures are approached not simply as exercise but with embodied attention that afford mindfulness and increased interoceptive sensitivity. These are complemented by an array of breath techniques that forge flexibility and plasticity in the nervous system, alongside practices that steady attention and deepen psychological insight.
And woven throughout is a commitment to connection—between body and mind, self and the external world. In fact, yoga philosophy espouses that disconnection, although ultimately an illusion, is the root of suffering. This tenet lies at the heart of yoga, expressed in the meaning of the word itself—union.
And just as yoga is devoted to connection, its enduring nature has given rise to assortment of lineages and threads, offering a wealth of tools meeting people where they are and resonating with varied physical, psychological, and cultural needs.
This broad applicability has paved the way for yoga to be integrated across a wide range of settings. It is now being introduced in schools, prisons, hospitals, GP surgeries, hospices, workplaces, and community centres. This reinforces the reality that yoga is for everyone and challenges outdated assumptions, making space for a richer, more diverse tapestry of practitioners, free from the limiting stereotypes that once narrowed its reach
In parallel with this widespread adoption, a distinct healthcare profession has evolved: yoga therapy—offering structured, evidence-informed, and individually tailored interventions that address the depth and complexity of modern and personal suffering.
The emergence of yoga therapy, supported by a growing body of research affirming its mental and physical health benefits, strengthens yoga’s relevance to the challenges of our time. It is not only a personal or cultural pursuit but a public good—a resource with the potential to transform how we understand care, prevention, and wellbeing at every level.
Today, we acknowledge yoga not only as a global phenomenon but as a profound offering to the future of healthcare and human flourishing.”
