YOGA ON SOCIAL PRESCRIPTION

Edinburgh Community Yoga is a not-for-profit social enterprise working to make yoga and its many potential physical, mental, and social benefits more accessible to those who may benefit the most. ECY aim to minimise the financial, attitudinal and accessibility barriers that may prevent someone from attending a public yoga class by prioritising inclusivity.  One of the ways we do this is through our programme of yoga on social prescription where we partner with GP practices and local agencies to offer (by referral) onsite trauma-informed yoga in areas of social and economic deprivation.

Information for Healthcare and Third Sector Staff

Yoga has been proven to benefit people by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, improving chronic pain conditions, and enhancing overall well-being. Research supports its role in lowering blood pressure, improving flexibility, and aiding recovery in patients with conditions like heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and mental health issues.

• Evidence suggests yoga is a safe and effective way to increase physical activity, strength, flexibility, and balance.
• Research supports its role in improving physical wellbeing such helping pre-diabetic patients by improving insulin sensitivity, reducing inflammation, and promoting weight management, aiding recovery in patients with conditions like heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and for lowering blood pressure.
• NHS Physical Activity Guidelines for adults advise two sessions of strengthening exercises per week. Yoga is one way by which people could achieve this.
• Yoga is also a type of mindfulness practice and can be a valuable adjunct in the management of mental health problems such as stress, anxiety, and depression.
• A regular yoga class can help foster a sense of community engagement to help tackle the growing problem of social isolation and loneliness.
• Current NICE guidelines for lower back pain and sciatica suggest recommending stretching and strengthening exercises such as yoga as the main component of non-pharmacological treatment.
• Current findings increasingly support yoga and mindfulness as promising complimentary therapies for treating and preventing addictive behaviours.
• Yoga has also been proven to improve symptoms in chronic pain conditions.
• Evidence-based research shows that trauma-informed yoga can help individuals with C/PTSD by regulating the nervous system, reducing hyperarousal, and improving emotional resilience.

Click the button below to read the evidence of teh impact we are having on communities in The City of Edinburgh, Midlothian and Fife. 

Our Impact

Which classes can I refer patients to?

We accept referrals for all the classes listed below. Please select the most appropriate class for your client or patient by reading the class description and noting the geographical area of the class venue.  Please contact us for further information if required.

How do I make a referral?
Please submit the information on the form below and we will take it from there.  Once sent, you should see the confirmation message as below.

Please note, if you do not see the confirmation message, the form has not been sent, in which case you can either call 07966 502 085 or 07931 258 465 to put make a referral over the phone, or email the form HERE to admin@edinburghcommunityyoga.co.uk to request a word doc copy of the form.

Information for the referee
Once the form has been sent, you can inform your service user that someone from ECY will be in touch ASAP to arrange class details and attendance. Information on what to expect for the referee can be found below. Where possible, please download and print a copy of the information sheet below for the referee to take away.

TO MAKE A REFERRAL PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW

If the form will not send.
We understand that some NHS systems do not allow the form to be sent. If, on completing and pressing ‘send’ you do not receive a message as shown below, You can either call 07966 502 085 or 07931 258 465 to put make a referral over the phone, or email the form HERE to admin@edinburghcommunityyoga.co.uk to request a word doc copy of the form.