As some may know already, there is an Early Day Motion (EDM) on including yoga in the NHS which has been drafted through the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Indian Sciences. An EDM is a formal motion for a topic to be debated in the House of Commons and brings attention to the cause. There is a meeting in the House of Lords on the 27th June to celebrate International Yoga Day and address the topic of bringing yoga into the NHS. The text also mentions bringing yoga in to the PE curriculum in schools.
This is a really important step, and it is wonderful that the idea can be discussed, but we need to give it as much support as we can, and one way to do this is to get as many MPs to back the EDM as possible.
So, to promote the inclusion of yoga in health care and PE, please write to your MP (for example using the form here and request that he or she supports the EDM.
Jo Manuel, of Special Yoga will be one of the speakers at the House of Lords on the 27th June. She will be speaking about the work she has been doing for the NHS, teaching staff in hospitals how to use yoga in their work and giving them tools to use with children, and talking about the results of the work so far which has been very successful.
Jo will also be speaking at the Instill conference in two weeks time, focusing on her work in educational contexts, particularly in relation to how we can fit yoga in to the curriculum most appropriately. Jo founded The Special Yoga Foundation CIO as a charity in 2004 to give a nurturing and inclusive home to families of children with special needs.
We are honoured to have someone who has contributed so much to yoga speaking at the Instill conference, and wish Jo, Charlotta and Heather Mason (another speaker at Instill who has also worked hard to contribute to the EDM objective) all the best for Monday at the House of Lords!!
Please do your part to help yoga enhance wellbeing for all, and send a letter to your MP!!