Best Practices in Yoga for Better Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Prevention: Helping Shape the Future of Alzheimer’s Prevention
Host: Denyse LeFever, MBA, C-IAYT, member of ARPF Yoga Advisory Council
Facilitator: Dr. Chris Walling, PsyD
Vice President of the Board and VP of Education and Outreach, ARPF
Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Time: 4 pm PT / 7 pm ET for 60 minutes
The Yoga tools of movement, meditation and breathing, along with healthy lifestyle habits are beginning to become accepted complementary practices in some specialized health care settings. Cancer research and funding far exceeds that of Alzheimer’s. However, in 2023, Alzheimer’s has recently surpassed cancer as a leading cause of death in new reporting statistics.
In 2019, a group of yoga practitioners (people who practice yoga, yoga therapists and yoga teachers) came together and created the Yoga Special Interest Group as part of the Society for Integrative Oncology. These pioneers recently had their work published in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine "Integrating Yoga in Oncologic Care: Answering the Call to Develop Best Practices."
Another interesting paper "Yoga Effects on Brain Health: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature" was published in 2019.
Perhaps ARPF can be the forum to organize the experience of yoga practitioners to promote the evidence. Graduates of ARPF’s BLTT program are uniquely positioned to take on the leadership of this mission. ARPF and their graduates offer a unique body of knowledge that may help to create the evidence needed to be more widely accepted in prevention and treatment plans.
With this ambitious goal in mind, we are calling a meeting of like-minded individuals among the BLTT community to share best practices and practical knowledge on this important topic. This project will rely primarily on volunteers to bring it forth, so we will be asking for a team of volunteers to help create this white paper.
About Your Hosts:
Denyse LeFever, MBA, C-IAYT
Since her own cancer diagnosis in 2022, Denyse has been a member of the SIO’s Yoga SIG. Once she received a “no evidence of disease” diagnosis, she increased her interest in the area. She currently serves on the Yoga SIG executive committee with the authors of the above mentioned white paper.
After graduating from the BLTT program in 2018, she wondered why yoga practices in the treatment and prevention of chronic conditions like Alzheimer’s and T2 Diabetes did not have the broad acceptance in the medical community that is prevalent in the oncology community. Despite the 30 years of research by ARPF, the Alzheimer’s community is still somewhat fragmented. Most Alzheimer’s organizations seem to sponsor mainstream pharmacological based research.
Chris Walling, PsyD, MBA, C-IAYT, SEP 
Dr. Walling is a licensed clinical psychologist, researcher and an active leader in the biobehavioral sciences. His work in academic medicine has included the administration of multidisciplinary leadership teams in hematology-oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and geriatric psychiatry at some of the top academic medical centers in the United States. His clinical focus in the behavioral sciences has examined the intersections of neuro-psychotherapy, affect regulation, and psychophysiology.
Dr. Walling is an Adjunct Professor of Somatic Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, Past-President of the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy, and an Associate Deputy-Editor of the International Body Psychotherapy Journal. He is a Clinical Supervisor at the Wright Institute of Los Angeles, a Clinical Associate at the New Center for Psychoanalysis, and is a Clinical Research Fellow at the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium located at Indiana University where he and his colleagues are working to advance scientific insights from trauma psychology. Dr. Walling maintains a private practice in Los Angeles, California.
Best Practices in Yoga for Better Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Prevention: Helping Shape the Future of Alzheimer’s Prevention
Host: Denyse LeFever, MBA, C-IAYT, member of ARPF Yoga Advisory Council
Facilitator: Dr. Chris Walling, PsyD
Vice President of the Board and VP of Education and Outreach, ARPF
Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Time: 4 pm PT / 7 pm ET for 60 minutes
Please join us if you are:
- A provider who teaches yoga to cognitively impaired populations
- Interested in volunteering to bring this vision to fruition
- Familiar with creating statement papers
- A yoga teacher interested in learning more
- Simply curious about this topic
Everyone in the BLTT community is welcome!
Once you register, you will receive links to the 2 papers mentioned above, for your reference.
If you have any questions, please email Kirti at kirti@alzheimersprevention.org.
We look forward to your participation!
Why Join?
Our mission is to foster a thriving community where knowledge is shared, innovations are discussed, and every member uplifts the other. Be a part of this transformative journey and contribute to shaping the future of brain health!
Got queries? Our enthusiastic team is here to assist. Reach out to Chelsea at chelsea@alzheimersprevention.org.
Video Recording Note: Your presence means a lot to us. By joining, you agree that the session might be recorded for future references.
We are excited to be a resource to you and create this vibrant, collaborative community of uplifting one another. Thank you for taking part in this experience.
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