Healing centered yoga : an adjunct clinical intervention pilot study : trauma and chemical dependency

Abstract

Introduction: Healing Centered Yoga (HCY) is a multidisciplinary practice and program offered as an adjunct clinical intervention for individuals experiencing complex, acute, and/or treatment-resistant trauma and related stress. Research on the contemplative practices, including yoga and its relationship to trauma, physiologic regulation and overall wellbeing has grown exponentially. However, with poor reporting, colonization of yoga, lack of community-partnered studies as well as lack of understanding regarding the evolutionary, neurophysiological and neurobiological mechanisms of trauma and yoga, clinical applications have been difficult or limited. Methods: Facilitate Healing Centered Yoga (HCY): An Adjunct Clinical Intervention Program and Practice for Healing Trauma[copyright] as an academic-community partnership. Using a pre/post design, analyze: a) autonomic nervous system reactivity and body awareness; b) perception of choice and connection; c) involuntary and voluntary cognitive and neurophysiologic processes and coping strategies associated with stress responses; d) trends among individual and aggregate numbers of trauma exposure. Results: Adult female participants (n=25) experiencing residential-based treatment for chemical dependency recovery enrolled in the study. Trends in feasibility are low, acceptability is high, other results are mixed with data analysis in process for manuscript. Conclusion: The overall trends of this study reflect 1) high acceptability to the priority population; 2) low feasibility affecting therapeutic efficacy, but with opportunities to increase feasibility with changes to the program; 3) successful community-partnered study with mutually perceived co-learning and shared power; 4) trends in trauma and chemical dependency as comorbid.