Yoga Professionals' Opinions about Yoga in Health Care.

BACKGROUND

Yoga effectively supports physical, emotional, and mental well-being and represents a powerful integrated holistic healthcare practice to support prevention, healing, and thriving for a variety of health and mental health conditions. Currently, no clear credentialing pathway exists for yoga services that are delivered in health care. This study explores interest among yoga professionals in providing yoga in health care, as well as their perceptions about the need for and likelihood of enrolling in training programs leading to specialized credentials for yoga interventions in healthcare settings.

METHODS

A descriptive survey was offered to US yoga professionals about perceptions of yoga's importance in health care and credentialing needs for providers. Through direct invitations, social media, and snowball sampling, 1877 individuals responded to the survey, with sample composition being commensurate with current US yoga practitioner demographics.

RESULTS

Respondents strongly agreed that yoga has an important role in health care, showed interest in providing such care, and expressed confusion about currently available preparation and credentialing for providing such yoga services. They strongly endorsed the need for specialized yoga credentials to provide yoga services in health care, with expressed strong likelihood to seek out such credentialing for themselves.

CONCLUSIONS

Yoga has emerged as invaluable in supporting physical and mental health and well-being. However, to become a recognized, reimbursable healthcare practice, the yoga profession needs to define itself through educational standards and credentialing policies. Findings suggest that yoga communities and credentialing organizations need to come together to support yoga's healthcare integration by clarifying the scope of practice, educational pathways, and credentialing for yoga services in health care and community health settings.