{"id":59332,"date":"2016-08-04T15:36:19","date_gmt":"2016-08-04T19:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wanderlust.com\/?p=59332"},"modified":"2016-08-04T15:36:19","modified_gmt":"2016-08-04T19:36:19","slug":"rodney-yee-yoga-healing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wanderlust.com\/ja\/journal\/rodney-yee-yoga-healing\/","title":{"rendered":"Rodney Yee: Yoga for Healing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rodney Yee\u00a0is a Wanderlust Mentor. Join us at\u00a0an event near you<\/a>! We can\u2019t wait to see you there.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

The popularity of non-traditional medicines have surged in recent years, so it’s no surprise that when\u00a0Rodney Yee<\/a>\u00a0and his wife Colleen Saidman Yee<\/a>\u00a0launched their\u00a0Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT) program in 2009 it was a big hit. Originally designed for\u00a0Donna Karan\u2019s Urban Zen Foundation<\/a>, UZIT is\u00a0a training program for\u00a0members of the healthcare and yoga communities that provides support services to people facing illness, injury, or stress, both in and out of a hospital setting. Therapies offered include\u00a0restorative yoga<\/a>, essential oils<\/a>, breathwork, meditation, Reiki and nutrition<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In seven years more than 750 people have taken the training, bringing their services to hospices, hospitals and outpatient units, and\u00a0also to schools and prisons.<\/p>\n

There’s no shortage of studies the show that these types of therapies have a positive\u00a0impact on stress reduction. Many U.S. hospitals offer Reiki or meditation in some parts of their facility, usually provided by certified\u00a0volunteers. Some have gone as far to include in-house yoga and alternative therapy teams. Such therapies also seem to be gaining traction within prisons and schools<\/a>\u2014although hard data to support the growth remains scarce.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s not about just rolling the dice and picking one, but rather being schooled in the nuances of all of the therapies.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

UZIT seeks to ease the typical symptoms that come with physical, mental or emotional illness\u2014pain, anxiety, nausea, insomnia, constipation, exhaustion and sadness. \u201cThe idea of Urban Zen is to bring calm to the chaos that often come with illness, and to feelings of isolation and fear that can accompany those,\u201d says Rodney. It also offers the therapies for staff within hospital settings, and trainee nurses.<\/p>\n

The offering of yoga and alternative therapies as a compliment to healthcare has not come without its challenges for the yoga industry itself. In January this year Yoga Alliance (YA) announced<\/a> that it would not allow YA teachers or schools to use the terms yoga therapist<\/em>, yoga therapy<\/em> or therapeutic yoga<\/em>. The Alliance\u00a0said it was creating too much risk because\u00a0the term suggested \u201cthat the yoga instructor can diagnose and\/or treat a mental or physical health condition.\u201d The YA said that until a clear definition of yoga therapy is made, the term puts the industry at risk of over-regulation, and its members of being misconstrued and subject to legal action.<\/p>\n

“What is<\/em> required for anyone wanting to use alternative therapies and yoga within healthcare is curiosity.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Rodney is supportive of greater rigor around training, and a more defined wording around therapy. \u201cThe tools of breath awareness<\/a>, meditation etc. have to be learned in relation to the specific symptoms. What tool works best in this moment for that patient? Breath awareness, a body scan, restorative posture, essential oil, Reiki treatment, or simply holding space<\/a>? It\u2019s not about just rolling the dice and picking one, but rather being schooled in the nuances of all of the therapies. There is a level of expertise that needs to be gained.\u201d<\/p>\n

For example, he points out, if someone is at the end of life<\/a> then a grounding Reiki session is unlikely to be helpful. \u201cYou\u2019re not trying to sustain life, you\u2019re there to ease their transition,\u201d says Rodney. And many yoga poses are not suitable for those with trauma. \u201cYou have to understand the difference physiologically between a closed twist and an open twist<\/a>, between a seated pose and a standing pose, or the best way to alleviate pain,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Currently UZIT trainings are offered in California, New York, and Ohio, but Rodney says more cities are being offered as the program gains popularity. “It’s a great resource to have for any yoga teacher as it really drills into the specifics of restorative yoga, and the meditations and breathwork that suit those postures. But really, it’s great for anyone who is working in healthcare, or in education, or with veterans, or in the corporate world. There have been some great results.”<\/p>\n

What\u00a0<\/em>is\u00a0required for anyone wanting look to take the training, he says, is simply curiosity. \u201cAbove all, when you are working with people in intimate life situations you need to have a questioning mind,” says Rodney. “What is going to work? How can I learn more about this? What is the reaction? That mindset will bring the best outcome to the person you are working with and ensure you are always be present.”<\/p>\n

_<\/p>\n

\"HelenaveryHS\"<\/p>\n

Helen Avery is a senior writer for\u00a0Wanderlust Media. She is also a journalist, writer, yoga teacher, minister, and full-time dog walker of Millie, residing in Brooklyn, New York. You can find out more about her on her website, Life as Love<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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