Lisa Roberts
Capturing imaginations through yoga-based play benefits the diagnostic and psychosocial needs of pediatric inpatients while serving as a distraction from the typical clinical setting. Developmentally appropriate movement, meditation, and mindfulness sessions are adapted to meet the individual needs of each patient, and presented in an unique and creative way to engage children. Therapeutically, these sessions provide essential tools to promote healing, wellness, and a sense of empowerment for young patients and families navigating the clinical setting.
Elevating the patient experience by offering yoga-based movement, meditation and mindfulness bedside in the pediatric hospital setting has garnered dramatic results at presenter’s hospital. Physicians write orders for inpatient yoga therapy sessions, and staff have reported positive results including greater ease administering treatments and procedures, pain control, and stress and anxiety relief. The yoga program complements expressive (music, art) and physical therapies (OT, PT) and co-treatment is often prescribed to support patients diagnostically and psycho socially. For the patient and families, the benefits of learning yoga-based skill sex tend beyond the hospital experience;teaching vital life skills such as self-regulation and self-care that are invaluable for all children, particularly those living with chronic illness.
