Components of the VHA’s whole-person model of health

We’ve written about the U.S. Veterans Health Administration’s approach to holistic, person-centered care on the yogatherapy.health blog previously.

This model matters not just because it’s an effective way of addressing ALL of the components that contribute to well-being, but also because the VHA is the largest healthcare system in the United States—other systems and smaller practices often follow its example. Importantly, such an approach, which includes defining what matters most to someone, also helps to ensure that people have agency over their own care.

As we’ve noted before, yoga therapy similarly considers all elements of a person’s environment, from the immediate surroundings of their physical body to their home, lifestyle, and community. And yoga therapists work with clients to articulate their goals—and determine what really matters to them—in a co-creative relationship. Read more about how these professionals do their jobs in Who are yoga therapists?

We recently came across another great explanation of the need to consider all facets of a person’s experience when creating a picture of whole health—that is, not just what’s wrong in the moment, symptoms that may be bothersome, or a condition they may have: Read “Wellness as a Wheel: A Comic About Whole-Person Health” from Reasons to Be Cheerful. As the piece concludes, “By recognizing that health is impacted by so many parts of our lives, we can design care that responds to the needs of a whole person.”

From a comic by Jess Ruliffson on Reasons to Be Cheerful

As Western healthcare recognizes the value of ancient holistic approaches, we think the world is ready for yoga therapy on a grand scale! Learn more from the International Association of Yoga Therapists at iayt.org.