2019-04-01_Australian_Yoga_Journal

(vip2019) #1

How yoga helps


Parkinson’s patients


A Colorado State University doctoral student has merged occupational
therapy (OT) with yoga to help those with Parkinson’s disease reduce their


risk of falling. We already know the benefits of yoga to people with
Parkinson’s, with a 2014 study showing a huge improvement in


participants’ stability and ability to walk, which significantly reduced
their risk of falling. But OT and yoga seem to be the perfect companions
—with preliminary findings showing that participants reported a 40 per


cent decrease in the number of falls during the intervention (combining
yoga and OT) compared to yoga alone.


You may remember the world’s biggest tantric yoga


school, based in Thailand, closing late last year after


sexual allegations by 14 women were published in The


Guardian. The women claimed that Agama Yoga was


facilitating rape, sexual assault and misogynist


teachings by their guru, Swami Vivekananda


Saraswati. While the school has been stripped of its


Yoga Alliance stamp of approval, they have recently


re-opened for business, with the Swami returning to


teach. Although Agama has made no public


statements since resuming business, they have


introduced a number of workshops on


the topic of ‘boundaries and consent’ in relation


to the tantric teachings.


SCANDALOUS TANTRA YOGA


SCHOOL RE-OPENS AFTER


SEXUAL ASSAULT CLAIMS

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