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Yoga as Lifestyle Medicine I (M5)


Abstract

While biomedical care saves lives with its demonstrated excellence in acute, crisis-based disease intervention (Garner 2016), it has a less success with chronic disease prevention and management (Pomeroy 2012, Van Hecke et al., 2013, Elliott et al., 2002). However yoga, the perfect adjunct to clinical rehabilitation disciplines, has long term healthcare benefits not matched by the sole reliance upon biomedical care. Simply put, yoga’s use as Lifestyle Medicine can improve rehabilitation, including its preventive, acute, and chronic care aspects, while also fostering creative, innovative dialogue that can transform healthcare, now and for the future. Further, the critical aspects of Lifestyle Medicine that the licensed healthcare provider can include offers best care evidence-based options for our patients and for our communities.

THE FOUNDATIONS OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE TAUGHT IN THE PYTI® CERTIFICATION PREPARE THE LICENSED HEALTHCARE PROVIDER TO:

  • Help determine the root cause of the individual’s condition through evaluation, diagnosis where appropriate, and treatment that is encased in a biopsychosocial model of assessment. Taking a thorough subjective intake, listening to the person and validating their experience and needs, and using the Functional Movement Assessment© enables the clinician to personalize a treatment plan.

  • Affect behavioral health and lifestyle choices. Lifestyle choices contribute to the high cost and frequency of chronic illness that plagues our society today and which stems from complex, difficult to treat disease processes. Often the orthopedic conditions we see, for example, can be linked with lifestyle choices, inflammation, obesity, and stress. And the effects do not stop there. An orthopedic condition, such as low back pain, doesn’t typically occur as a single, isolated condition. There are often multiple affected body systems driving the back pain, such as gastrointestinal function, gut microbiome, and neuroendocrine health, for starters. The back pain eventually takes a toll on these systems, which inevitably impairs social, relational, and spiritual health. Or, the situation can work in reverse and what begins as a relational or emotional issue can manifest as physical pain. Functional medicine works to identify root causes of illness and impairment instead of treating a single diagnosis. Diet, nutrition, lifestyle changes, and movement/fitness can all be a part of intervention.

  • Use best-fit Integrative Medicine approaches that are evidence-based, scientifically sound in a compassionate, inclusive environment driven by person-centered care.

  • Use the model of Lifestyle Medicine to deliver care.

CE Earned

36 hours

Certification

After completion of Modules 1-8 and after passing the exam, the clinician is eligible to be LEVEL I Certified. To complete the full certification, all 15 modules must be completed and the faculty mentor must sign off on all completed work. However, clinicians can begin to use the clinically applicable skills learned in any module immediately.

Topics Covered include

  • Biopsychosocial (BPS) model of assessment and application

  • Interdisciplinary 10 Precept application and case study analysis

  • Lifestyle Medicine foundations for practice in Health Promotion

  • Behavioral Change Public Health models

  • Yoga posture, breath, mantra, mudra, and meditation prescription using Medical Therapeutic Yoga (MTY) methodology

  • Trauma sensitive yoga concepts

Outline

  • 10 Precepts of Medical Therapeutic Yoga

  • Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine

  • Foundations of Behavioral Change

  • Foundations of Biopsychosocial Care

  • Trauma Informed Yoga

  • Social Determinants of Health

  • Functional Movement Assessment (FMA)

  • Orofacial Assessment

  • Breathwork & Posture Prescription

  • Postural & Breath Integration

  • Mindful Movement

  • Case Studies

  • Sequencing

  • Business of Lifestyle Medicine & Yoga

  • Coding & Billing

  • Orthopaedic Concepts

  • Systems-Based Evaluation using The Vector Analysis

  • Myofascial & Neurovascular Mobilization

  • Spine & Pain Care

  • Yoga Props Education

  • Requisites for Safety in Practice

  • Oral Practical

  • Mid-Term Exam

Clinical Objectives

  1. Apply the 10 MTY Precepts to your clinical practice in order to increase clinical efficacy and safety of yoga prescription as lifestyle medicine.

  2. Discuss the common factors which are responsible for general therapeutic effects across psychotherapy and rehabilitation sciences.

  3. List the implications for use of MTY to impact health promotion and wellness practice.

  4. Identify quantitative and qualitative outcome measures to use in MTY.

  5. Practice & demonstrate understanding of the FMA algorithm in the context of Lifestyle Medicine evaluation, diagnosis, and prescription.

  6. Demonstrate multidisciplinary knowledge of indications and contraindications for using the FMA for prescriptive movement and/or manual therapy.

  7. Critically analyze physical yoga movement and respiratory therapies and their modifications in a lab setting.

  8. Discuss how to impact change in the 5 major biopsychosocial categories that guide the practice of lifestyle medicine in licensed practice.

  9. Complete case studies via real time assessment with peers using live model(s) to address complex medical histories and pain.

  10. Demonstrate knowledge of guidelines to practice, teaching, manual cuing, and instruction in yoga postures, breathing techniques, mindfulness and meditation practice.

  11. Integrate the biopsychosocial, lifestyle medicine driven Vector Analysis into practice in a lab setting.

  12. Describe the code of ethics for becoming a Lifestyle Medicine practitioner & certified Professional Yoga Therapist.

  13. Discuss research and legal implications for licensed versus unlicensed use of yoga in the United States.

  14. Verbalize the distinction between yoga, yoga therapy, and medical therapeutic yoga.

  15. Practice MTY to address multi-joint and systemic stabilization in a lab setting.

  16. Practice safe polyvagal intervention in a lab setting.

  17. Critically analyze how myofascial and neurovascular impairment can be addressed through MTY.

  18. Demonstrate competence with use of yoga props and blanket folding.

  19. List the tenets of including meditation and postural practice sequences in clinical practice.

  20. Discuss business matrix analysis for health promotion, and both cash-based and insurance-based practice.

  21. Understand how coding and billing practices for licensed providers.

  22. Pass a Mid-Term Exam to demonstrate competency with principles learned at Level I. (Done outside of class time)

Course includes

  • Tuition

  • Access to Virtual Classroom Forum (for class handouts and communications)

  • Printed & Bound Course Manual

Required Text

Garner, G. (2016). Medical Therapeutic Yoga: Biopsychosocial Rehabilitation and Wellness Care. Handspring Publishing Ltd. Edinburgh, UK.  

What to Bring

  • Yoga mat

  • 2 yoga blocks

  • 2 yoga blankets (Mexican blankets work best). Do not bring cotton throws are irregularly, non-matching sized blankets.

  • 1 yoga strap. Quick release buckle highly recommended. Cotton preferred.

  • Medical Therapeutic Yoga text

Questions?

Please email info@professionalyogatherapy.org for more information and join PYTI® to receive our newsletter with course updates.