Trauma-Sensitive Yoga at
Maroondah Hospital
Funded by Eastern Health and subsidised by our Community Wellbeing Fund, our Trauma-Sensitive Yoga program (now called Therapeutic Movement & Mindfulness) runs weekly across inpatient psychiatric wards at Maroondah Hospital.
Collective Being has been delivering this program in partnership with Maroondah Hospital for 6 years.
“[This program] with Collective Being has been great in the hospital. The facilitators have been really skilled and make sure the sessions are suitable to the needs of the people participating. They are adaptable and able to move with any changes and challenges that arise.
People like having the Collective Being program on the wards as it is an opportunity to move and do some gentle exercise and many people say they feel more calm and relaxed after the sessions.”
— Maroondah Hospital staff member
Our Partner
Eastern Health’s Maroondah Hospital Inpatient Units 1 and 2 provide care and support to people aged 18-64 who require an in-patient stay for the treatment of mental health issues.
The Program
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Weekly at Inpatient Units 1 and 2 at Maroondah Hospital, we deliver our Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Program.
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSY) is an evidence-informed, modified approach to yoga supporting people in reconnecting with their bodies in a safe and empowering way. Collective Being’s TSY approach integrates somatics, yoga-based movements and mindfulness practices.
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This is a voluntary program open to all inpatients on the wards. The program is also attended and supported by Maroondah Hospital occupational therapists and nurses, who are encouraged to participate (as opposed to observe) to minimise power dynamics between staff and participants.
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With 25 beds divided between the Low Dependence Unit and an Intensive Care Area, the wards are often busy and unpredictable. Collective Being Facilitator, Indrani, is a senior trauma-informed yoga teacher, movement therapist and Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) facilitator; Indrani uses her extensive skills and experience to ensure all sessions are adapted to the needs of the attending group.
Sessions take place in the common areas of the wards so may be interrupted by patients experiencing moments of aggravation and overwhelm, escalations and other daily disruptions typical to a hospital ward. Indrani has undertaken Eastern Health’s internal SAFE training and responds to the changing environment each week, skilfully adapting each movement and mindfulness practice to ensure they are safe enough and accessible, including for those experiencing medication side-effects (such as sedation and lethargy).
The Outcomes
Over 600 people have attended the Maroondah Hospital Trauma-Sensitive Yoga program since its commencement.
This program is currently enabled via a shared funding model; Eastern Health partially contribute to delivery costs, and our Community Wellbeing Fund fills the gap. This ensures that our facilitators are paid, mentored and supported in their roles.
What Participants Say
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