ABSTRACT

Yoga is increasing in popularity. As a holistic practice, it is being applied and researched as a healing modality for physical ailments, assisting with mental health issues, and addressing traumatic symptoms. However, little is known about how social workers understand and include Yoga in their personal lives or professional practice. As part of a larger narrative study, practitioners in an Australian regional centre were asked: “What, if any, impact do embodied practices like Yoga have on your experience and your clients’ experience?” This paper explores the stories told by three of the practitioners interviewed both individually and in focus groups. The dominant themes that emerged highlight that: a personal Yoga practice can be varied; the impact it has on professional outcomes is difficult to quantify; there is a lack of theoretical discussion about the body and embodied experience in social work; the challenges associated with introducing Yoga into social work practice are complex.

• IMPLICATIONS

• Embodied practices such as Yoga provide social workers opportunities to increase self-awareness, their capacity to engage with clients and self-care.

• Theoretical understandings of the body and embodiment need to be better articulated in social work if embodied practices like Yoga are to be included in the professional conversation.

抽象的

瑜伽越来越受欢迎。作为一种整体实践，正在将其作为身体疾病的康复方式进行应用和研究，协助解决心理健康问题并解决创伤症状。但是，对于社会工作者如何理解瑜伽并将其纳入个人生活或专业实践知之甚少。作为更大的叙事研究的一部分，澳大利亚区域中心的从业人员被问到：“瑜伽之类的实践对您和客户的体验有什么影响（如果有的话）？” 本文探究了三位从业人员在单独访问和在焦点小组访问中讲述的故事。出现的主要主题突出表明：个人瑜伽练习可以多种多样；它对专业成果的影响难以量化；缺乏关于身体和社会工作中的具体经验的理论讨论；将瑜伽引入社会工作实践所面临的挑战是复杂的。

• 含意

• 瑜伽等具有代表性的做法为社会工作者提供了提高自我意识，增强与客户互动和自我保健能力的机会。

• 如果在专业交谈中要包括瑜伽等具体实践，则应在社交工作中更好地表达对身体和身体的理论理解。