Therapeutic Yoga: Biopsychosocial Applications for Rehabilitation

Yoga continues to rise in popularity, and a growing evidence-base supports the therapeutic utility of yoga in healthcare. Yoga is the most used mind-body therapy in western complementary medicine and can be integrated into rehabilitation efforts to improve physical and cognitive outcomes. Rehabilitation specialists can capitalize on the popularity and efficacy of yoga to improve functional outcomes as well as engage patients to participate in an activity that they can continue independently or in group classes to maintain rehab gains and optimize health. Clinicians are tasked with treating patients as people rather than problems to solve, and yoga offers mind-body tools thatsupport a person-centered, evidence-informed, and biopsychosocial approach to care that both improves theexperience of rehabilitation for patients and clinicians alike.

This course will introduce yoga philosophy as well as explore applications of therapeutic yoga that have beensubstantiated by scientific evidence. Participants will be invited to practice yoga postures as well as breathing techniques with emphasis on mindful attention and sensory integration. Clinicians can immediately utilize these mind-body techniques as self-care to prevent burnout, as well as integrate these practices into physical and cognitive rehabilitation of patients ranging from pediatric to geriatric in a variety of settings.

Target Audience: Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Speech-Language Pathologists, Athletic Trainers

Highlights

• Immediately apply yogic practices that support a person-centered, biopsychosocial approach to rehabilitation efforts.
• Incorporate evidence-informed yoga practices intopatient care to improve outcomes in physical, occupational, and cognitive/speech domains.