Athens Yoga 
Yoga for Health Care Professionals
by Maja Zilih
Yoga for Heath Care Professionals program consists of two components. One is the same as the program for companies - Yoga that helps improve the working relations and environment. The second component is unique to individuals working in the health sector. Both are presented below:
1. The working environment usually puts considerable amount of stress on the individual, and, unless balanced out by some healthy and pleasant activity, may contribute to the general atmosphere of dissatisfaction at work.
The core belief of this program is that we are all interconnected. We influence one another not only by words and direct action, but also by thoughts, by our own mental states and energy fields. And just like a living organism depends on the well-being of each cell it consists of and the connection between them, the same way the overall state of the collective depends on the well-being of each individual, and the resulting nature of relationships between them.
Introducing yoga in the middle of the busy working day has long proven efficient in many western countries and has thus become a common trend. When people step out of the chaos that the work in most companies imposes, in order to therapeutically stretch, to truly breath, to look within, relax and let go of all stress and tension - even if only for 45 minutes - they do not only improve their own health, they improve the physical, mental, emotional and social state of the collective.
2. The health care professionals have a very demanding task. They need to use the maximum of their intellectual knowledge. At the same time, almost all the time, they need to remain in touch with the part that is beyond the intellect - their sensitivity, their humanity. When dissatisfied with the role one is given, working conditions, salary, or even personal life situation, it is not always easy to be kind, comforting and caring towards patients. The distractions of the mind that keep us away from being present can sometimes get overwhelming. They may make the person detach from their original goal of helping and assisting the healing process of other persons.
Yoga Program for Health Care Professionals takes into account these two aspects together. Except for yoga exercises, it includes mindful meditation, where we explore our thoughts and emotions, exercise acceptance and self-nurturing, as well as being present. This practice enables us to be more fully there for those who need us, and to pass our inner calmness further. We slowly awaken the compassion and understanding towards ourselves, which inevitably reflects itself on our approach to and relationships with others. We recognise that when we act without awareness, it is because of our mental and emotional conditioning. But at our core, in our very essence, we are all compassionate, caring human beings. This is the "us" that we get in touch with in meditation.
Yoga for Heath Care Professionals Program helps the individual with:
- Therapy and prevention of physical ailments and pain
- Reduction of stress and tension
- Concentration, mental sharpness and creativity
- Centring, balancing and emotional calmness
- Intuition
Yoga for Heath Care Professionals Program collectively:
- Enhances team work
- Strengthens social connections
- Increases collective creativity and inspiration
Yoga for Heath Care Professionals Program in relation to clients:
- Makes the person more capable of being non-judgmental and present with the patient, which has extensive healing effect
- Makes the person more aware of the human being behind the "role of the patient" and of the human being behind the “role of the doctor/nurse”
- Increases compassion, understanding and listening abilities
- Makes the person more intuitive and responsive to the patient's real needs
Note:
Insitutions that wish to try out this yoga program at their workplace will have the first few weeks of trial period - to test its benefits and effectiveness before deciding whether to continue. During this time we formulate the right kind of practice, the time and length of class, the frequency of classes and other details that always vary according to the particular needs of the client.
Image sketch by http://www.wizard-productions.net/occupations.html