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Inspiring health and well being in all areas of the community
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Who we are yoga4care provide innovative, person-centered classes and training modules for mental health care providers, learning disabled and many other vulnerable client groups. The business is committed to inspiring health and wellbeing in all areas of the community and yoga is an exercise that is suitable for any age group or ability. With over 25 years experience within the health care and fitness industry yoga4care can also provide consultancy and training in all areas of fitness, dance and movement for high and low functioning groups within the Learning Disabled & Autistic Spectrum. Classes can be taken in small groups or tailored to meet individual needs.
About Cathy Cathy Underwood is an award-winning entrepreneur and business women with over 25 years experience within the health and fitness industry. Her passion for better health provision within the UK inspired her to create yoga4care; offering gentle exercise to client groups who are traditionally hard to engage in physical activity. Cathy believes that yoga4care, with it’s unique approach, is key to improving health and well-being within the community, regardless of gender, race, age or ability.
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yoga4care provide gentle exercise and well-being programmes for a number of service users and care providers. Committed to inspiring great health within the community, we use yoga because it's an exercise that is suitable for all age groups and abilities. Our teachers are fully qualified and have a sensitve and practical approach.
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Cathy Underwood, Director and Founder, yoga4care
Our approach These person-centered yoga4care exercise sessions are designed to actively promote a regular level of weekly activity amongst a client group that have been traditionally hard to engage in structured exercise, andthey take place within a safe and familiar setting.
There are three key stages within our approach: 1
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We encourage the individual to develop a mindful, non-competitive approach to their physicality to enhance their mood, confidence and neurological development.
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WORKING WITH OTHERS: Partner work encourages an emotional awareness: empathy, understanding and the concept of sharing. Supporting one another and praising fellow participants helps improve self-esteem.
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AWARENESS OF SELF:
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REACHING OUT: Developing skills as a group encourages positive interactions, trust and a sense of community. Here we begin to explore movement in an expressive and creative format, inviting participants to work together as a team.
Our clients include: TreeHouse School education centre for children with autism
The Hub, Hoffmann Foundation care centre for autistic adults
The Priory Hospital mental health care and substance misuse
What our users say
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Yoga is peaceful. It doesn’t demand anything from me. I can focus my mind away from my problems for a while
Sarah, mental health care client, Enfield, London
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Senel, service user at The Hub, Harringey, London
What our clients say
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Cathy has an excellent professional rapport with each individual Service User. She has built stability and security within her sessions that allows the service users to feel comfortable and able to express themselves in a safe setting. Cathy is respected and liked by the service users and staff alike. Demonstrating her great enthusiasm for the work she does, Cathy is reliable, trustworthy, conscientious, supportive, positive and very professional in her role at the Hub
Noray Ahmet, Manager, The Hub, Hoffmann Foundation for Autism
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Yoga4care provides an excellent service for the TreeHouse and Ambitious About Autism staff. The majority of participants work with special needs children so the yoga provides an excellent release from the strains and stresses of the day
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Claire Palmer, Senior Fundraiser, Ambitious About Autism & TreeHouse School
What we offer
1- Consultancy & In - house training We would like to share our knowledge and experience to help improve the health and wellbeing of the service user and their service provider. We can provide an outline for improving health and well-being services including in-house training, workshops and seminars for staff, parents and key-workers.
2- Exercise Modules Yoga & movement Yoga is the perfect solution to health and well-being for any individual. It’s relaxed approach that inspires calm and is less intense or competitive than other fitness activities. Special yoga breathing techniques can help improve sleep patterns and agitated states. Other breathing techniques can help to clear the build up of mucus, a common result of medication taken and interrupted sleep patterns.
Walking & ball games Walking is one of the easiest methods of exercise. It’s a fun activity that encourages service user’s out into the fresh area and local community. Ball games, such as kick and catch, can enhance eye hand coordination and reflex response.
Dance and movement – higher functioning group Dance and movement to music is a great way to improve stamina and fitness. It can develop strength, coordination and spatial awareness. It’s also a valuable tool to encourage self expression and engaging others within a group. Each module includes preparation for exercise using breathing techniques, stretch and cool down exercises.
Benefits of regular exercise & movement modules; • • • • • • • •
Improved motor control and spatial awareness Better postural alignment, strength and flexibility Increased self-awareness, calm and organised mental states Improved concentration Reduced hyperactivity Better breathing, relieving respiratory ailments Increased ability to relax and release tension Enriched quality and quantity of sleep
What about the staff/carers...? We offer yoga classes for carers, parents and families. We appreciate the dedicated attention and care that carers, parents and families provide each day. Therefore, we have devised a simple yoga programme that can help relieve physical and mental stress and replenish energy.
Monitoring and evaluation yoga4care's innovative approach to delivering on site exercise, specifically designed to meet the abilities of clients with Learning Disabilities and Mental Health issues, sits perfectly within the Government’s Wellbeing and Personalisation agendas, and is completely person-centered. We have introduced a monitoring and evaluation system to measure the benefits and the impact of the services offered. In order to provide and retain the very best practices, we work within the guidelines set out by the Department of Health concerning health, wellbeing and personalisation: Department of Health The Department of Health’s purpose is to improve England’s health and well-being and in doing so achieve better health, better care, and better value for all. Andrew Lansley, Secretary of State for Health, set out a new vision for health and social care focused around five key priorities: • A patient-led NHS • Delivering better health outcomes • A more autonomous and accountable system • Improved public health • Reforming long-term and social care Healthy Lives, Healthy People •
This policy statement reaffirms the Government's bold vision for a new public health system. It sets out the progress we have made in developing our vision for public health, and a timeline for completing the operational design of this work through a series of Public Health System Reform Updates
Department of Health – Personalisation •
Across Government, the shared ambition is to put people first through a radical reform of public services. It will mean that people are able to live their own lives as they wish; confident that services are of high quality, are safe and promote their own individual needs for independence, well-being, and dignity. This holistic approach is set out in 'Putting people first: a shared vision and commitment to the transformation of adult social care', the ministerial concordat launched on 10 December 2007.
Our Health, Our Care, Our Say •
The Our Health, Our Care, Our Say White Paper sets out a vision to provide people with good quality social care and NHS services in the communities where they live. It confirms the vision set out in the Department of Health Green Paper, Independence, Well-being and Choice. There will be a radical and sustained shift in the way in which services are delivered, ensuring that they are more personalised and that they fit into people's busy lives.
Our yoga instructors and therapists are all qualified, CRB checked and fully insured.
Contact us To find out more please contact: Cathy Underwood 07957 272066 email: info@yoga4care.co.uk Visit our website:
www.yoga4care.co.uk