Management

Medical Yoga

Editors: Francine Frater MD; Dan Randall MD, MPH, FACP All Editors & Disclosures

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Background Information

Description

    CLINICIANS' PRACTICE POINT

    Spirituality in healthcare does not have a universally accepted definition, but it is generally accepted that one does not need to believe in the concept of a spirit to practice yoga, and yoga is compatible with most of the major religions.

  • yoga is a practice that seeks to harmonizes the body, mind, and spirit to obtain inner peace or liberation,,
  • medical yoga therapy is a personalized holistic approach incorporating a person's mind, body, spirit, social support, work situation, and culture for prevention and treatment of medical conditions,

Also Called

  • Yoga Chikitsa
  • yoga therapy

Definitions

  • medical yoga, also called Yoga Chikitsa, defined as use of yoga practices for prevention and treatment of medical conditions through breathing techniques, mindfulness, and meditation; Yoga Chikitsa also incorporates other lifestyle changes to diet, sleep hygiene, and activities outside of the lessons themselves
  • pranayamas, defined as breathing techniques,
  • asanas, defined as specific body postures,
  • svastha, the yogic definition of health, defined as the functions of the body and mind are in harmony reaching to self-realization
  • meditation focuses on concentrating thoughts on a particular figure, observing wandering thoughts, or reciting spiritual rhymes repetitively to obtain higher consciousness
  • spirituality, different from religion, often refers to an autonomous, individual experience, which may or may not include a religious component; spirituality with yoga does not have a single widely accepted definition but often refers to experiences and realizations about one's innermost self (Front Psychol 2021;12:695939)

Types

  • PubMed22852023Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAMEvid Based Complement Alternat Med201201012012981523981523various styles of yoga exist but no single type is superior to another; yoga practices do not require religious beliefs or dogma but some patients may experience contemplative states of consciousness and spirituality (, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012;2012:981523)
  • PubMed34408712Frontiers in psychologyFront Psychol2021080212695939695939yoga styles may differ based on inclusions of philosophical or spiritual elements; in Western societies Hatha yoga styles, which are predominately body-focused (physical movements and breathing), are common (Front Psychol 2021;12:695939)
  • Hatha yoga and Pranayama techniques reported most commonly used types for specific body and mind disorders
  • Ashtanga an 8-fold practice including
    • asanas (activity of muscle groups in specific postures with concentration on self)
    • dharna (focusing attention on one thought or activity)
    • dhyana (attaining higher consciousness with concentration of thought on particular figure or reciting spiritual rhymes)
    • niyam (observing discipline)
    • pranayama (breath regulation)
    • pratyahara (withdrawing pleasures or life habits)
    • samadhi (obtaining complete tranquility and feeling on oneness with cosmos)
    • yam (restraint from activities that deviate from social norms and lead to an 'unhealthy' lifestyle as defined by yogic practices)
  • Bhakti (being in devotion),
  • Bikram (hot yoga) (26 poses and 2 breathing exercises in a hot and humid room; a type of Hatha yoga) (, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2015;2015:428427)
  • Gyana (attaining knowledge and wisdom to understand and live present life and life after)
  • Hatha (beginner style of yoga incorporating postures with minimal focus on breathing or meditation)
  • Iyengar (emphasis on maintaining proper body position)
  • Jivamukti (challenging physical postures with meditation)
  • Karma (being involved in action),
  • Kundalini (focus on breathing and meditation to release latent energy, suitable for physically fit students),
  • Kripalu (involves emotional and spiritual aspects, breathing, and postures and can be physically challenging; or defined as breathing exercises followed up gentle stretches and poses with final relaxation),
  • Laya (dissolution or union with consciousness to achieve transcendence)
  • Mantra (enhancing specific rhyme with sound vibrations typically taught by guru to obtain higher consciousness)
  • Raja (focus on physical and mental purity-Shuddhi),
  • Siddhi Samadhi yoga (less physically focused, combines short meditation and breathing)
  • Sivananda (5-point approach including breathing, diet, relaxation, exercise, and positive thinking)
  • Vinyasa (continuous flowing movement between postures with coordinated breathing, geared toward physically fit students)
  • Yin (focus to release tension of different joints)
  • integrated (physical postures, breathing, and meditation)
  • prenatal (yoga for persons who are pregnant)

Epidemiology

  • PubMed20188966TalantaTalanta20100415811-2586-90586improvement in health reported to be the reason 50% of people who practice yoga began practice based on a 2008 survey (Talanta 2010 Apr 15;81(1-2):586)
  • 6.1% of Americans report a doctor or therapist recommended practicing yoga (Talanta 2010 Apr 15;81(1-2):586)
  • reported prevalence of yoga practice in the United States
    • estimated 13.2% lifetime prevalence and 8.9% twelve-month prevalence (Am J Prev Med 2016 Feb;50(2):230)
    • 17.9% of adults aged 18-44 and 6.7% of adults ≥ 65 years old practiced yoga in 2017 (CDC 8 Nov 2018)
    • White adults reported more likely to practice yoga (17.1%) compared to Hispanic (8%) and Black adults (9.3%) in 2017 (CDC 8 Nov 2018)
    • among children and adolescents aged 4-17 years, yoga practice in the last 12 months increased from 3.1% in 2012 to 8.4% in 2017; girls reported more likely to practice yoga vs. boys 11.3% vs. 5.6% respectively (CDC 8 Nov 2018)
  • STUDY SUMMARY
    regular yoga practice associated with lower body mass index (BMI), higher rate of mindful eating, unhealthy eating behaviors, steroid use, and use of protein powder/shakes among young adults
    CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY: Int J Eat Disord 2021 Mar;54(3):376

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