New LoveYourBrain Program and Research Remove Barriers to Accessing Yoga Among People with Brain Injury
Thursday, May 21st, 2020
Norwich, Vermont — The LoveYourBrain Foundation, a Vermont-based national nonprofit, is proud to announce the launch of a new online program to support those affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI), alongside a new body of research on best practices to make yoga more accessible for the TBI population.
In response to COVID-19, LoveYourBrain has launched LoveYourBrain Mindset, a free, six-week online yoga, mindfulness, and education program. LoveYourBrain Mindset aims to bring yoga, meditation, and education about the power of resilience to over 1,000 people affected by brain injury in its initial pilot phase. The program builds off the immense success of LoveYourBrain’s evidence-based Yoga program, now offered in 36 states and 6 Canadian provinces. To date, nearly 4,000 people affected by TBI have participated in the program across North America.
The launch of LoveYourBrain Mindset comes alongside a recently published study in the journal, International Journal of Yoga Therapy, that provides a blueprint for how to make yoga accessible for people affected by TBI, including concussion. While yoga can have many powerful physical, psychological, and social health benefits for people struggling with the impacts of TBI, yoga services that are safe and specific to TBI are largely inaccessible. For the past 5 years, LoveYourBrain has been working to address this gap through free programs grounded in yoga and mindfulness for people with TBI and their caregivers.
“We’ve used our learnings from implementing the LoveYourBrain Yoga program to produce the first-ever study of best practices for delivering community-based yoga specifically for TBI,” remarked Dr. Kyla Pearce, Senior Director of LoveYourBrain Programs and Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Dartmouth College. “This will serve as a critical resource for yoga teachers and medical professionals seeking to make yoga services more accessible for the TBI community. And now with the launch of the LoveYourBrain Mindset program, we can reach people with TBI in their homes with safe and accessible yoga and meditation services to support their health and wellbeing during this challenging time.”
TBI is caused by an external blow to the head, resulting in disrupted brain function that can range from mild (concussion) to severe. Each year, TBI affects more than 3 million people annually in the US and Canada alone, and is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. LoveYourBrain pioneered its Yoga, Retreat, and Education programs - offered across North America at no cost to participants - to empower the TBI community with new tools, resources, and connections. A series of published research studies on LoveYourBran Yoga have found diverse and clinically meaningful improvements in health outcomes from participants. “As LoveYourBrain continues to grow and expand in response to the health crisis of TBI, we do so with evaluation and evidence that ensure our programs work and are replicable,” said LoveYourBrain’s Board Chair, Pia Pearce. “This research is an important complement to our organization’s new virtual approach to program delivery.”
To learn more about the LoveYourBrain Mindset, Yoga, and Retreat programs, visit LoveYourBrain at loveyourbrain.com.
About LoveYourBrain
The LoveYourBrain Foundation is a national non-profit that improves the quality of life of people impacted by traumatic brain injury (TBI) and raises awareness about the importance of brain health through programs that build community and foster resilience. Guided by their family’s experience, brothers Kevin and Adam Pearce established LoveYourBrain in 2014 following Kevin’s severe TBI from a snowboarding accident prior to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Kevin’s remarkable resilience was documented and transformed into the award-winning HBO Documentary, “The Crash Reel,” which brought to light the experience and prevalence of TBIs. In response, LoveYourBrain developed programs and resources designed to create community and foster resilience. LoveYourBrain’s Yoga and Retreat programs are offered across North America, and the organization offers free online resources such as guided meditations, yoga classes, brain tips and community blog. Visit http://www.loveyourbrain.com to learn more.
Contact: Dr. Kyla Pearce, Senior Director of Programs, LoveYourBrain, & Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Dartmouth College
Email: kyla@loveyourbrain.com