Accessible yoga for adults with learning disabilities: the Yoga for Me approach
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Accessible yoga for adults with learning disabilities: the Yoga for Me approach

Lisa Harwood Senior staff nurse, Critical Care Service, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, Wales
Erika Hillman-Rees Co-director, Flexible Options Ltd, Newport, Wales

Why you should read this article:
  • To identify the physical and psychological benefits of yoga for adults with learning disabilities

  • To learn how yoga classes can be adapted to make them accessible and enjoyable for adults with learning disabilities

  • To be aware of the potential for online delivery of yoga classes for adults with learning disabilities

Yoga is a practice that consists of gentle stretching, breathing exercises and meditation. It can be used as a mind-body intervention, and has benefits for physical and emotional health and well-being. Different yoga styles involve a different intensity of practice. However, the accessibility of yoga to people with physical and learning disabilities is limited. People with learning disabilities experience many health and emotional disadvantages and have a lower average age of death than the general population. Yoga provides an opportunity to increase their well-being.

This article discusses the development of a method to teach yoga to adults with learning disabilities. The aim of this initiative was to demonstrate that by using a person-centred approach, people with learning disabilities can be supported to enjoy the practice and benefits of yoga in face-to-face classes and online.

Learning Disability Practice. 24, 4, 26-32. doi: 10.7748/ldp.2021.e2124

Correspondence

lisa_harwood@hotmail.com

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software

Conflict of interest

Erika Hillman-Rees is a codirector of Flexible Options

Correspondence lisa_harwood@hotmail.com

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