Heather Mason
Heather Mason[edit]
Heather Mason is a campaigner, teacher and researcher in the field of yoga therapy. Originally from New York.[1], she is the founder of the The Minded Institute[2] and the founding director of the Yoga in Healthcare Alliance[3], which are both based in the UK. Mason co-wrote and edited the reference guide Yoga for Mental Health, which was published in 2018[4]. She is also the secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Yoga in Society[5].
Background[edit]
After spending three years in South East Asian monasteries and yoga centres (as a response to her experiences of chronic depression and anxiety), Mason became interested in the application of yoga as a treatment pathway for certain health populations. She subsequently undertook further education in Buddhist studies, psychology and neuroscience, while training as a yoga therapist[6][7][8].
Yoga Programs[edit]
In 2011, Heather Mason designed and taught a mind-body course, Embodied Health, for medical students at the Boston University School of Medicine[9]. Students who elected to take part in the program were later assessed in their self-reported ability to manage tasks and enact self-compassion[10].
Developing a specialisation in the use of yoga therapy for mental health populations, with a specific focus on yoga therapy for survivors of trauma, Mason created a yoga program for those living with PTSD at the Maudsley Hospital in London[11].
Campaign Work[edit]
Heather Mason is actively focused on the integration of yoga into the UK’s National Health Service, and frequently campaigns within the UK Parliament on the subject[12]. In June 2016, Mason was described as "instrumental" in the introduction of an early day Motion to the House of Commons, recommending that yoga be included for NHS staff and patients.[11]
In 2018, Mason helped to create an All Party Parliamentary Group with Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe and other peers called “Yoga in Society"[5], becoming nominated as the group’s secretariat.
Mason, alongside others, contributed to the creation of the Yoga 4 Health programme. Commissioned in 2017 by the West London Clinical Commissioning Group and currently being clinically assessed by the University of Westminster[13], this is a social prescribing initiative aimed at utilising yoga to treat NHS patients.
The Yoga in Healthcare Conference[edit]
Through her role in the Yoga in Healthcare Alliance, Heather Mason organised the Yoga in Healthcare Conference in order to discuss the research base, best practice guidelines and practicalities of introducing yoga into the NHS[14].
The conference took place in February 2019 and speakers included prominent mind-body researcher Sat Bir Singh Khalsa and Duncan Selbie, the CEO of Public Health England. The conference opened with a written address from Prince Charles[15]
Links to Research Articles[edit]
- Bond AR, Mason HF, Lemaster CM, Shaw SE, Mullin CS, Holick EA, Saper RB (2013). Embodied health: the effects of a mind-body course for medical students. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23639275. Article (PDF Available) in Medical Education Online 18:1-8
- Mason H, Vandoni M, Debarbieri G, Codrons E, Ugargol V, Bernardi L. (2013) Mason H1, Vandoni M, Debarbieri G, Codrons E, Ugargol V, Bernardi L. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23710236 Article in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
- Mason H, Schnackenberg N, Monro R (November 2017). Yoga and Healthcare in the United Kingdom https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29131732 Article in International journal of yoga therapy 27(1):121-126.
- Cramer H, Quinker D, Pilkington K, Mason H, Adams J, Dobos G (2018). Associations of yoga practice, health status, and health behavior among yoga practitioners in Germany-Results of a national cross-sectional survey. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30670242 Article in Complementary Therapies in Medicine 42.
References
- ↑ Kirwan-Taylor, Helen (2009-06-08). "Yoga: Well don't just sit there..." ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ↑ "MINDED YOGA LIMITED - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ↑ "THE YOGA IN HEALTH CARE ALLIANCE LTD - Officers (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ↑ "Yoga for Mental Health". Handspring Publishing. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "House of Commons - Register Of All-Party Parliamentary Groups as at 26 April 2018: Yoga in Society". publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ↑ Friday, Leslie. "Yoga Gets into Med School | BU Today | Boston University". BU Today. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ↑ "Cardiovascular and Respiratory Effect of Yogic Slow Breathing in the Yoga Beginner: What Is the Best Approach?". Research Gate.
- ↑ "Ms. Heather F Mason - International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT)". www.iayt.org. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ↑ "Mind-body course has positive impact on well-being of medical students". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ↑ "BUSM study shows positive impact of mind-body course on well-being of medical students". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Brewer, Kirstie (2016-07-19). "Mind over mat: how yoga is helping refugee women | Kirsty Brewer". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ↑ "Embracing Yoga within the NHS". www.hindumattersinbritain.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ↑ https://www.westlondonccg.nhs.uk/media/42475/Yoga4Health%20leaflet.pdf
- ↑ "Yoga in Healthcare Conference". conferencealerts.com. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- ↑ Taylor, Rosie (2019-02-18). "Yoga can ease pressure on health service, says Prince Charles". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
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