Yoga Therapy Book Club – Event Summary

In this second gathering of the Yoga Therapy Book Club, authors Lee Majewski and Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani joined us to explore the themes of their book Yoga Therapy as a Whole Person Approach to Health. Together, they discussed bringing yoga’s holistic and spiritual roots into modern healthcare, the importance of personal sadhana, and strategies for integrating yoga therapy through relationship-building, experiential learning, and research.

The conversation touched on salutogenesis, end-of-life healing, and the power of presence, as well as personal stories from clinical work and teaching around the world. The session closed with a short sound-based practice led by Dr. Ananda and an open dialogue about communicating yoga therapy within healthcare systems.

Next Book Club Meeting: December 9 — Yoga for Arthritis.

Pour yourself a cup of tea, settle in, and enjoy the conversation. 

LINK TO RECORDING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lscEP-bnkRg&t=4s

Summary: Yoga Therapy Book Club Discussion

The meeting began with introductions and setup for the Yoga Therapy Book Club's second event, featuring authors Lee Majewski and Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani. Rachel explained the format, emphasizing 45 minutes of interviews followed by a 30-40 minute Q&A session, with participants encouraged to submit questions via chat. Lee and Ananda shared their backgrounds, with Lee highlighting her work as a certified yoga therapist and retreat leader, and Ananda discussing his heritage in yoga and role as professor and director of an Institute of Saletogenesis. The session was set to include recorded interviews but would not capture the live Q&A portion.

Yoga Therapy's Holistic Healthcare Approach

Lee and Ananda discussed the importance of their book "Yoga Therapy as a Whole Person Approach to Health," emphasizing the need to integrate yoga's spiritual and holistic perspective into modern healthcare. They highlighted the book's aim to address yoga therapy as a comprehensive approach, focusing on the individual rather than just the condition. Rachel asked how this approach could be implemented within the modern healthcare system, to which Lee responded by emphasizing the need to treat the person, not just the disease, and to maintain the yoga in yoga therapy.

Yoga Therapy Integration in Healthcare

Dr. shared his vision for integrating yoga therapy into the Western healthcare system, emphasizing the importance of creating human bridges between traditional yoga and modern medicine. He described a successful approach at a healthcare university where students receive electives in yoga and music therapy, and healthcare professionals are encouraged to experience yoga firsthand. Dr. highlighted that trust and acceptance are built through personal experience rather than logic or facts, and shared examples of how this approach has led to collaboration and research opportunities over 15 years. He advised yoga therapists to use the "camel in the tent" strategy, starting with small opportunities and building credibility through research and practical experience, rather than waiting for formal yoga therapy departments to be established.

Yoga Therapy Integration in Healthcare

The discussion focused on the challenges and strategies for integrating yoga therapy into mainstream healthcare, with Lee sharing her experience of persistent efforts to gain acceptance at a top cancer institute despite resistance due to pharmaceutical funding. Dr. emphasized the importance of a bottom-up approach and highlighted success stories where yoga therapy improved patient outcomes, leading to changes in healthcare provider perspectives. They discussed the need for yoga therapists to maintain personal sadhana (practice) as a core competency, contrasting with the misinterpretation of yoga as a form of self-care, and stressed the importance of presenting yoga therapy as an adjuvant rather than an alternative to modern medicine.

Yoga's Role in Modern Therapy

Lee shared her experience of how being in the presence of her guru eliminated her mental questions, attributing this to the organizing effect of subtle energy. Dr. discussed sadhana as a focus on higher reality, contrasting it with mundane concerns, and emphasized the importance of personal experience in yoga therapy practice. The discussion highlighted the unique perspectives of traditional yoga practices and their relevance in modern education and therapy.

Yoga Therapy and Salutogenesis

The discussion focused on the importance of combining evidence-based practices with personal experience in yoga therapy, emphasizing the need to address both pathogenesis and salutogenesis. Dr. explained salutogenesis as the development of resources to resist stress, highlighting the concept of a sense of coherence (SOC) composed of understanding life, managing it, and finding purpose. The conversation also touched on the application of yoga in various life stages, including palliative care, and the work of the Institute of Salutogenesis in India.

Healing Versus Curing in End-of-Life Care

The discussion focused on the concept of healing versus curing, particularly in end-of-life care, with Lee and Dr. Bhavanani sharing experiences of patients who found peace and acceptance despite terminal conditions. They emphasized that healing involves regaining a sense of wholeness and completeness, which can occur even without a cure, and highlighted the role of spirituality and presence in therapeutic work. The conversation concluded with Dr. Bhavanani and Lee sharing contact information and details about their online and in-person training programs, including a 3-month internship for yoga therapists at their hospital.

Yoga Therapy Practice and Communication

The meeting focused on a final practice session led by Dr. Ananda, who shared a technique involving sound vibration and breathing exercises. Participants discussed the importance of effective communication when introducing yoga therapy to healthcare professionals, emphasizing the need to address their needs rather than promoting yoga as an alternative. The group also touched on the concept of salutogenesis and its relevance in healthcare. The session concluded with an announcement about the upcoming meeting on December 9th, which will feature a discussion on yoga for arthritis.