Kundalini yoga as mutual recovery: a feasibility study including children in care and their carers

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test whether incorporating a 20-week Kundalini yoga programme into a residential home for children improves well-being outcomes. Design/methodology/approach This is a mixed methods feasibility study. Feasibility was assessed through recruitment and retention rates as well as participants’ self-report perceptions on social inclusion, mental health and well-being and through semi-structured interviews on the benefits of the study. Mutual recovery entailed that children in care (CIC), youth practitioners and management participated together in the Kundalini yoga sessions. Findings The study initially enrolled 100 per cent of CIC and 97 per cent (29/30) of eligible staff. Attendance was low with an average rate of four sessions per participant (SD=3.7, range 0-13). All the participants reported that the study was personally meaningful and experienced both individual (e.g. feeling more relaxed) and social benefits (e.g. feeling more open and positive). Pre- and post-yoga questionnaires did not show any significant effects. Low attendance was associated with the challenges faced by the children’s workforce (e.g. high levels of stress, low status, profile and pay) and insufficient consultation and early involvement of stakeholders on the study implementation process. Research limitations/implications Because of the chosen research approach (i.e. feasibility study) and low attendance rate, the research results may lack generalisability. Therefore, further research with larger samples including a control or comparison group to pilot similar research questions is mandatory. Practical implications This study has generated a number of valuable guiding principles and recommendations that might underpin the development of any future intervention for CIC and staff working in children’s homes. Social implications The concept of togetherness and mutuality within residential spaces is discussed in the paper. Originality/value The effects of Kundalini yoga have not been reported before in any peer-review publications. This paper fulfils an identified need (i.e. poor outcomes among CIC and residential staff) and shows how movement and creative practices can support the concept of mutual recovery.

Capoeira for beginners: self-benefit for, and community action by, new Capoeiristas

“…The concept of mutuality is central to this capoeira paper too. Further, regarding yoga, Perez et al (2016) conducted a mixed methods feasibility study to test whether incorporating a twenty week Kundalini yoga programme, where both children and staff took part, into a residential home for children improved well-being outcomes. In terms of findings 'all the participants reported that the study was personally meaningful and experienced both individual (e.g.…”

The Effects of the Compassionate Mind Training for Caregivers on Professional Quality of Life and Mental Health: Outcomes from a Cluster Randomized Trial in Residential Youth Care Settings

“…Research involving compassion-based interventions also revealed the maintenance of changes (Irons & Heriot-Maitland, 2020 ; Matos et al, 2022a ) or continued improvements in depression symptoms at follow-ups (Ferrari et al, 2019 ). Other programs designed for the RYC setting, using other theoretical frameworks, did not show significant improvements on burnout (Donald, 2015 ) and mental health (Vallejos et al, 2016 ). Hence, both the compassion training and its theoretical framework seem a promising approach to counteract burnout, anxiety, and depression on caregivers, helping to improve their functioning and the quality of the care they provide.…”

“…Altogether, the above-mentioned demands reinforce the need to offer proper training to support caregivers in high-stress work environments, as it is the case of RYC (Barford & Whelton, 2010 ; McElvaney & Tatlow-Golden, 2016 ). Although some studies tried to overcome this need, some limitations still persist: (1) existing research showed that interventions didn’t had the expected impact (Donald, 2015 ; Silva & Gaspar, 2014 ; Vallejos et al, 2016 ); (2) when positive effects on stress and related syndromes were reached, those studies presented methodological limitations, such as small sample size, lack of randomization and/or absence of control group (Hidalgo et al, 2016 ; Schmid et al, 2020 ; Turner, 2017 ; van Gink et al, 2018 ); (3) programs were specifically tailored to babies homes (St. Petersburg–USA Orphanage Research Team, 2008 ). Some trauma-informed approaches also addressed staff mental health.…”

Saúde Na Escola: A Inserção Do Kundalini Yoga Como Prática De Cuidado

“…9-10-11 A percepção dos participantes sobre a Kundalini Yoga no ambiente escolar revelou que o yoga propicia espaço de tranquilidade. 19 Os participantes ganham acesso às experiências dos outros e suas respostas aos exercícios criam momentos para empatia, união social, tranquilidade e sensação S de proximidade com os semelhantes, o que contribui para a sensação de bem-estar relatada pelos participantes. Já os aspectos mais dinâmicos do yoga, como os exercícios posturais e a respiração, combinados com o relaxamento, aprimoram os efeitos positivos da saúde mental, conforme identificado em vários dos relatos.…”

“…Já os aspectos mais dinâmicos do yoga, como os exercícios posturais e a respiração, combinados com o relaxamento, aprimoram os efeitos positivos da saúde mental, conforme identificado em vários dos relatos. 19 Além disso, o benefício da Kundalini Yoga no controle da ansiedade também foi relatado pelos participantes. O yoga é munido de um vasto arsenal de meditações, em que muitos deles foram descobertos como específicos para tratamentos de transtornos psiquiátricos.…”