Guide to Sequencing | Yoga in Occupational Therapy

Disclaimer: This is for educational purposes only and not for treating illnesses. Patients should consult their doctor before starting any new yoga or exercise program.

When planning an occupational therapy treatment session, yoga may be used as a tool to the patient’s plan of care, however should not be used as the primary intervention. Most yoga sequences involve breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation. Listed below is a general sequence I follow when planning my interventions for stroke rehabilitation.

My Protocol:

1. First set the focus of the treatment session to provide a goal.

2. Choose one breathing exercise to implement into the session.

   1. Examples include: equal belly breathing, alternative nostril breathing, and ujjayi breath.

      1. For breathing scripts refer our scripts here

3. Proximal Movements: Most individuals benefit from participating in 4 proximal warm-up exercises prior to starting an exercise.

   1. Examples include:

      1. Neck movements (neck flexion/extension/ lateral flexion)

      2. Shoulder shrugs (shoulder elevation/depression)

      3. Unilateral scapular elevation and depression

      4. Self-range of motion (shoulder flexion ~90 degrees; shoulder abduction/adduction; etc).

4. Incorporate the upper and lower extremities: Select one or more yoga poses from these four categories: (See template for examples of each category).

   1. Weight-Shifting

   2. Weight-Bearing

   3. Contralateral upper extremity (UE) / lower extremity (LE) Movements

   4. Functional reach

5. (optional) Lastly, select a meditation to close out the session.

   1. Examples include:

      1. Yoga Nidra

      2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

      3. Mental Imagery

   2.  Refer to our scripts here

Note: Not all elements of the protocol have to be completed together. You can use one element that may benefit your patient’s specific goals in the plan of care.

Protocol developed by Julianne Madeline OTD, OTR/L, RYT-200