Calls for yoga to be available through the NHS to tackle anxiety and depression
Yoga therapist Louise Boyd
Yoga and breathwork therapist Louise Boyd believes yoga should be readily available on the NHS to help reduce depression and anxiety in the UK. She says, “it could be great for the economy and really help to reduce sick days and extended leave due to stress or depression. You need to get out ahead of it and deal with anxiety and stress in preventative ways rather than waiting until you have a problem.”
“I think it would be a great preventative offering to help reduce anxiety, depression and stress. In an ideal world, it would be fantastic to also tie in work with a professional, perhaps a counsellor, to monitor the person’s mental state and to allow them to talk as well.”
Her comments come just days after experts called for yoga to be available on the NHS after a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that regular yoga can help reduce depression. The study found the results were most noticeable in those suffering depression, schizophrenia and alcohol misuse.
More than 264 million people are living with depression according to the World Health Organisation. Last year, Harvard scientists also found that 30 minutes of exercise per day – including yoga – can lower the risk of depression by 17%.
With first hand experience of providing vital mental health and wellbeing support for NHS staff as a yoga and breathwork therapist through Duty to Care, Louise continued, “yoga can be a great tool for NHS staff . Physical movement (through yoga asanas) and time in stillness (in meditation) can help to manage any stress and anxiety they may be feeling and encourage them to let go of their day.”
“I think many of them won’t realise the full extent of what they’ve been through until afterwards and that’s when it could really hit them. This is when we could see a lot of anxiety, depression and PTSD.”
“The very philosophy of yoga is managing your life. I think changing the mindset is a huge thing right now – the practice of yoga can help you control how you react and respond to situations. It teaches you how to cope while giving you a sense of community and support.”
Harriet Hunt, one of the charity’s founders, comments:
“We decided to include yoga as a form of support for NHS workers right at the start when we created Duty To Care. For lots of people it provides the perfect combination of exercise and headspace, giving you the opportunity to escape as well as to reflect. The feedback we have had has been incredible. Doctors and nurses, some of whom had never tried yoga before, have told us they felt instantly stronger both physically and mentally after just a couple of sessions."
Duty to Care is delighted to have expert therapists such as Louise on board to help in their mission to provide care to NHS staff at such a vital time; it’s never been more important to ensure the physical and mental wellbeing of our NHS heroes. Duty to Care are committed to offering this much-needed service and supporting those who care for us when they need it the most.