Yoga4nhs were at the House of Commons on UN International Yoga Day, pushing for local government to fully integrate yoga with the NHS. The Early Day Motion recognises that yoga is a “multi-dimensional approach to encouraging well-being” which appreciates
- the link between physical and psychological health and lifestyle
- that yoga is a reflective and non-invasive practice, which is appropriate in all stages of life
- that yoga should be included as part of mindfulness and well-being initiatives for NHS staff
- yoga should be integrated within treatment for patients
- yoga should be introduced to the school curriculum
Founder of The Minded Institute, Heather Mason MA gave an overview on the need for integration. “Yoga practice is correlated with positive health outcomes and its integration into the health services would reduce the economic burden associated with non-communicable diseases. There is a large and strong corpus of research evidence supporting yoga’s efficacy in the management of chronic conditions.”
Yoga has already been successfully integrated in to hospitals in Sweden where it is used for heart conditions, pain management, eating disorders, cancer rehab, psychiatry, treatment for the elderly, and palliative care. This development in Sweden is based on scientific research on yoga carried out since 1998.
