PUDUCHERRY, INDIA, November 28,, 2016 (The Hindu): Yoga has now become part of the nursing curriculum at the Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (MGMCRI) under the Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV). The Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and Research (CYTER), SBV, which had pioneered the incorporation of Yoga concepts in the MBBS curriculum two years ago and later for dental education, has now introduced slightly modified modules on the therapeutic potential of the practice of attaining body-mind harmony for nursing students. The Nursing College has included yoga therapy in the BSc Nursing curriculum with students receiving 90 hours of yoga therapy training through CYTER during the three-year course. K. Renuka, Dean, Nursing Faculty and Principal of Kasturba Gandhi Nursing College, stated that it was a first that all medical, dental and nursing students of a medical university were receiving regular training in yoga. In fact, CYTER hosted the 6th Foundation Day on the theme of “Introducing Yoga in Nursing Education.”
Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, CYTER Deputy Director, said that although the curriculum content was largely similar for all streams, there were minor modifications. If MBBS students were taught about how yoga could complement modern medicinal interventions in the management of lifestyle disorders such as diabetes or hypertension, nurses would learn more about those aspects of yoga that help patients recuperate from illness. Students of dental sciences are exposed to yoga concepts more as a self-care tool in addressing postural problems, he added.
Addressing the meet, SBV Vice Chancellor Professor K.R. Sethuraman reminded nursing students of their vital role in healthcare as the primary caregivers for patients and stressed the importance of yoga in their personal and professional lives. “It is imperative that advances in medicine include the holistic approach of yoga to face the current challenges in healthcare. The antiquity of yoga must be united with the innovations of modern medicine to improve quality of life throughout the world,” he said.