A Case Study of the Psychological Effects of Yoga Therapy's Awareness Techniques on a Patient Feeling Inconsistency between Mental and Physical Conditions after Recovering from an Eating Disorder

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  • 摂食障害回復後に心身の不一致感を呈した1事例
  • 症例研究 摂食障害回復後に心身の不一致感を呈した1事例 : 心身両面におけるヨーガ療法の意識化技法がもたらす心理的効果
  • ショウレイ ケンキュウ セッショク ショウガイ カイフク ゴ ニ シンシン ノ フイッチカン オ テイシタ 1 ジレイ : シンシン リョウメン ニ オケル ヨーガ リョウホウ ノ イシキカ ギホウ ガ モタラス シンリテキ コウカ
  • —心身両面におけるヨーガ療法の意識化技法がもたらす心理的効果—

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Abstract

Objectives : We are facilitating a yoga therapy group for people with Eating Disorder (ED). This is a case-study of yoga therapy as an effective intervention for a participant of the group whose main complaint was feeling inconsistency between mental and physical conditions after she had recovered from binge eating and purging. Overview of Yoga Therapy : Yoga Therapy is a system of psychotherapy that aims to increase physical, mental, social and spiritual health. It has its own pathology, therapy and instruction theory, techniques, philosophy, and theory of what comprises human beings. Panca Kosa, or the “Five Layered Existence,” is yoga's unique theory of humans as beings comprised of five layers. Yoga Therapy's pathogenic mechanism is based on this structural understanding. It is consistent with the pathogenic mechanisms in modern psychosomatic medicine. Participant/case study : Housewife in her 40's. 160cm. BMI over 30. Previously diagnosed as an eating disorder, but had no active symptoms at the beginning of this yoga therapy program. Main complaint was a sense of inconsistency between mind and body. Method : Yoga Therapy sessions were held once a week for 90 minutes each session. The program lasted 3 months. The program consisted of asanas, pranayama, meditation, and psycho-education. The yoga therapist paid particular attention to the participant's alexisomia (the condition of having difficulty in feeling physical sensations) and emphasized physical interventions. Psycho-education was incorporated into the yoga therapy program, which brought attention to changing physical sensations using slow movements. This was a practice in accepting the physical condition “here and now” and is similar to other mindfulness-based practices. Results : After the 3-month program, POMS results (T%) were as follows : Tension-Anxiety (50→41%) ; Depression-Dejection (66→48%) ; Anger-Hostility (51→42%) ; Vigor (53→48%) ; Fatigue (47→38%) ; Confusion (49→40%). The Shitsu-taikan-sho Scale results decreased significantly (70→52 pts). From the above results, improvements in mood states and alexisomia were inferred. In addition, the participant felt improvement in subjective physical symptoms. She expressed feeling more consistency between body and mind. There was also time for feedback about her awareness and experiences after each session. Conclusion : Yoga therapy's combination of physical and mental approaches facilitated improved physical awareness, and it was effective for this participant to alleviate alexisomia and the sense of inconsistency between body and mind. Another advantage of yoga therapy is that it can be practiced on one's own, making it a good practice for self care. In this way, because somatic aspects play such a large role in eating disorder pathology, yoga therapy's intervention in both body and mind is effective at the various stages of prevention, recovery, and recurrence of eating disorders.

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