TF03: FOUNDATIONS College Students Need Yoga Therapy, Too

Presenter bios: Eden Goldman, DC, C-IAYT, and Jennifer Guinter, MA, LMT, C-IAYT

College is a stressful time: juggling academics, extracurricular activities, going out with friends, and part-time work or athletic scholarships can be extraordinarily challenging for young adults. College years are traditionally also a pivotal time when students establish a sense of personal identity through independence from their families and learn how time management, agency, and self-care fit into daily life.

The yoga therapy classes we offer through the Physical Education & Mind-Body Health Department at the University of Southern California (USC) help students cultivate physical, mental, and emotional resilience and can lead to personal growth and more sustainable life choices., including the development of a personal sadhana (home practice). Through a partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Los Angeles, we have been tracking the health outcomes of students who take yoga therapy classes at USC for several years, and we are excited to share our preliminary findings. In addition to background on the research and reports from students, we will share a few of the asana and pranayama practices that students cite as especially beneficial. We will also discuss how yoga therapists can use our findings to develop new yoga programming and curricula at other institutions.