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OPEN MIND OPEN BODY Interviews |
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Interview for the International Yoga Therapy Conference (May 12-14, 2006) in San Francisco. Interview for the International Yoga Therapy Conference (May 12-14, 2006) in San Francisco. This interview addresses questions like, What is yoga therapy? and Do you need to believe in the spiritual aspects of yoga for it to "work"? Interview date: 4/12/06 How do you define yoga therapy? I define yoga therapy as the practice of yoga with the intention to reduce suffering of any form – physical illness, emotional suffering, social isolation. Some of the most therapeutic yoga practices include breathing, mindfulness or meditation, physical movement, self-reflection, and study of yoga philosophy. The therapeutic value of yoga is enhanced by a positive relationship with the teacher, and a supportive community (for example, a group yoga class that you attend regularly).
I would never suggest that yoga will replace medical care. In some cases, with some illnesses and injuries, yoga might be a sufficient treatment. But in general, yoga is about making this whole experience more comfortable. Yoga helps rehumanize the often dehumanizing experience of physical or emotional illness. Can
you give me some examples of conditions/illnesses you have seen yoga help?
What was it about yoga that made a difference?
As Editor-in-Chief of the
International Journal of Yoga Therapy, I review all of the research being
done on yoga and health. So that’s my primary perspective – looking at
the research on this topic, rather than my own clinical experience working
one-on-one with individuals with health care problems. One of the most
interesting findings is how helpful yoga can be for chronic pain, because
chronic pain is so challenging for conventional medicine to treat. The key
ingredient for chronic pain seems to be helping individuals learn new ways
of reacting to sensation – to increase the willingness to explore
movement that is not painful, to find ways to be with pain without
catastrophizing it, and to in general develop a sense that they can handle
their own experiences and don’t need to shrink their lives to avoid any
possibility of pain. All of these things can actually reduce the
experience of pain and dependence on pain medication. Yoga
also seems very helpful during all stages of cancer treatment and survival
– making the treatment more tolerable by offering relaxation and gentle
full-body movement, and helping individuals regain physical abilities and
self-confidence following surgery and chemotherapy. Yoga also seems
helpful for conditions that have progressed to a terminal stage, such as
cancer and AIDS – yoga is successfully used in hospice care to help
individuals in the final stages of illness. In these cases, it’s again
about finding a way to be comfortable in the present moment, and not
necessarily trying to fix the body. In
my own experience as a yoga teacher and psychologist, I see the greatest
impact on emotional suffering. Many of my own students are dealing with
depression, anxiety, and body-image issues. When yoga is helpful for
psychological issues, it seems to be because the practice of yoga
interrupts patterns of both the body and mind. We’re challenged to
experience our bodies in a different way – as strong, as powerful, as
able to feel pleasure and ease - and to pay attention what is actually
happening in the moment, instead of letting our minds run off on typical
patterns of self-criticism or worry.
Yes. At the Stanford Hospital, yoga is routinely offered to patients as part of integrative care. All over the U.S., healthcare professionals are being trained to include the most basic yoga practices (such as mindful breathing) in their work. Recently I was asked to consult for the building of a yoga studio for a hospital. Most people discuss the value of yoga in terms of prevention – yoga, as a lifestyle, may help to prevent certain common diseases in the U.S. But I think that yoga is becoming so welcome in medicine and psychology because it is not being presented as an alternative medicine, or alternative-to-medicine. It is presented as a way to reintroduce some of the core values of healing: helping individuals maintain some sense of power over their own well-being, honoring the importance of seeing the “whole” person and not just treating symptoms, and finding a way to prevent unnecessary suffering. As more and more people try yoga, they have the experience that is helps – and that includes both healthcare providers, who are motivated to share yoga with others, and patients, who are requesting that yoga be integrated into their care. Do people have to believe the spiritual side of yoga in order for it to work? In other words, are doing the exercises/movements enough, or do people need to understand the beliefs underneath the movements for changes to occur? This is an interesting question because it makes a few assumptions that I would not make. There really aren’t any beliefs inherent to yoga, except perhaps the belief that suffering is optional. Certain practices of yoga will help most individuals, whether they understand why they are doing them or not – most notably, mindful breathing and relaxation in a supported pose. And those practices reveal that suffering is optional. So, doing the practices in a simple and sincere way is how people learn what you might call the spiritual side of yoga. There’s not really anything you need to “buy into” first. If you show up, notice your breath, explore what it means to move with intention and self-care, and investigate the mind by simply noticing how you think about your experience – that’s enough.
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