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As a continuation of our conversation on air the other day, Julie Deife and I pursued further discourse on her work as editor of Yoga Therapy today and her view on the growing professional edges of Yoga Therapy and the standards process. We both welcome your input and reflections!
R: What’s it like to be editor of Yoga Therapy Today?
J: It’s different from anything I’ve done before in that Yoga Therapy Today is a membership publication. Submissions come from the membership so it is reliant on member interest in supporting their publication. Selected submissions from members, then, really contribute to shaping views about the field so it’s a wonderful opportunity for members. Of course, not all submissions are published and every so often an article will be published that is not written by a member. It’s interesting to me and hopefully to others to learn from one another. The downside is that only a small percentage of the members submit articles so I hope this communication we’re having here will help deliver the message that I’d like to hear from many, many more members. One area, in particular, that I’m focused on is Yoga therapy training. I’d like to see a graduate of every single Yoga therapy training program— especially if the school is a “member school” of IAYT— submit an article about the training they’ve undergone. Each school seems to have a unique approach and subject matter varies widely, so it would be helpful to know what it is that Yoga therapists are learning in these programs that allows them to have a designation of Yoga therapist. I think that is important information for the standards process as well as general information for what a Yoga therapist is.
R: Where do you see Yoga therapy making strides? What are the edges?
J: Research is the obvious place where great strides are being made and that is good in light of the fact that it is central to the mission of IAYT. It is science, and science doesn’t create anything new, rather measures and forms conclusions – which may then, of course, change based on new research later. But if it is applied, then we have real progress. But a huge area – and one which I certainly don’t get enough articles discussing but I know is important – is what Yoga therapists are actually doing out there – other than the researchers. You know, we keep saying that YT treats the person not the disease, but in reality people want to know if and how a YT can affect the course of a person’s cancer, or arthritis, or asthma or any number of psychological conditions too. These are the queries I get from people who randomly email me. The public is very disease focused (and that’s what gets funded) and growth for the field means that we have to meet them at least half way. If a goal of YT is integration with other healthcare modalities – and I can’t say if that is a goal, but it is happening in many settings – then we have to understand that this bonding is around a particular area like cancer treatment. To have a Yoga therapist as part of a team in these cases suggests that the common denominator is the disease and we have to recognize that evidence-based medicine is what “the medical community” is looking at.
J: It’s different from anything I’ve done before in that Yoga Therapy Today is a membership publication. Submissions come from the membership so it is reliant on member interest in supporting their publication. Selected submissions from members, then, really contribute to shaping views about the field so it’s a wonderful opportunity for members. Of course, not all submissions are published and every so often an article will be published that is not written by a member. It’s interesting to me and hopefully to others to learn from one another. The downside is that only a small percentage of the members submit articles so I hope this communication we’re having here will help deliver the message that I’d like to hear from many, many more members. One area, in particular, that I’m focused on is Yoga therapy training. I’d like to see a graduate of every single Yoga therapy training program— especially if the school is a “member school” of IAYT— submit an article about the training they’ve undergone. Each school seems to have a unique approach and subject matter varies widely, so it would be helpful to know what it is that Yoga therapists are learning in these programs that allows them to have a designation of Yoga therapist. I think that is important information for the standards process as well as general information for what a Yoga therapist is.
R: Where do you see Yoga therapy making strides? What are the edges?
J: Research is the obvious place where great strides are being made and that is good in light of the fact that it is central to the mission of IAYT. It is science, and science doesn’t create anything new, rather measures and forms conclusions – which may then, of course, change based on new research later. But if it is applied, then we have real progress. But a huge area – and one which I certainly don’t get enough articles discussing but I know is important – is what Yoga therapists are actually doing out there – other than the researchers. You know, we keep saying that YT treats the person not the disease, but in reality people want to know if and how a YT can affect the course of a person’s cancer, or arthritis, or asthma or any number of psychological conditions too. These are the queries I get from people who randomly email me. The public is very disease focused (and that’s what gets funded) and growth for the field means that we have to meet them at least half way. If a goal of YT is integration with other healthcare modalities – and I can’t say if that is a goal, but it is happening in many settings – then we have to understand that this bonding is around a particular area like cancer treatment. To have a Yoga therapist as part of a team in these cases suggests that the common denominator is the disease and we have to recognize that evidence-based medicine is what “the medical community” is looking at.
I have problems with that, however. Let’s take for example, mantra, which is a profound tool for healing. Do we know if and when Mantra Yoga works? I would say that we do because we have our own Yoga literature that clearly shows this is one of the most valuable tools of the Yogi. It’s difficult to research mantra however plus not that many Yoga therapists have a deep understanding of mantra and probably have not used mantra a lot in their personal practices which is critical to being able to use it competently with others. So partly because of some of the strides Yoga therapy has made, certain critical areas of the practice cannot, will not, and should not be used.
I would conclude that the edge for a Yoga therapist is really within knowing and understanding all aspects of Yoga very, very well. And, the edge for the profession is in an area that has virtually been untouched on a large scale, but needs to be, and that is in prevention. This is where Ayurveda could have enormous impact too. As far as a population segment goes, I think the edge is in working with kids, really having an effect on the youth.
R: How might adoption of standards affect the future of YT?
J: In addition to what was already said, it is possible that having standards could facilitate inclusion of YT into integrative medicine models. Some people would be interested in that in terms of their professional track. Lots of integrative medicine centers are popping up and the door is open even though I wouldn’t see how this would actually change what anyone is already doing. Standards could affect the way corporate wellness programs look at yoga, insurance companies, etc. Adoption of standards might also really move us away from the spiritual core of yoga deeper into only the proven health benefits aspect, however, which would be sad.
J: In addition to what was already said, it is possible that having standards could facilitate inclusion of YT into integrative medicine models. Some people would be interested in that in terms of their professional track. Lots of integrative medicine centers are popping up and the door is open even though I wouldn’t see how this would actually change what anyone is already doing. Standards could affect the way corporate wellness programs look at yoga, insurance companies, etc. Adoption of standards might also really move us away from the spiritual core of yoga deeper into only the proven health benefits aspect, however, which would be sad.
R: Thank you Julie for sharing your thoughts with us – and thanks for your heartfelt contribution to the field of yoga therapy with your work behind the scenes. Okay Yoga Therapy Community – Julie wants to hear from you! Send in those submissions!!!
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