Mandela Yoga Group Medical Visit: A Culturally Resonant Public Health Intervention for Diverse Communities With Chronic Medical Conditions.

Gawande, Richa; Aviles, Keyona; Naganuma-Carreras, Julia; Thomas, Jeffrey; Rosario, Kalatauma; Small, Daphney; Schuman-Olivier, Zev; Gardiner, Paula · Am J Public Health · 2026

case_series · Level IV

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Abstract

Mandela Yoga Project aims to improve health outcomes and reduce costs for communities with lived experience of chronic illness and systemic racism. Codeveloped with diverse staff at a safety-net health center, the Mandela Yoga Group Medical Visit model was piloted (n = 32) in two five- to six-week groups for patients with multiple chronic conditions. We report qualitative and quantitative findings (reduced pain, increased belonging, healing relationships), and discuss systems alignment to scale this peer-led, trauma-informed, culturally resonant public health intervention. (<i>Am J Public Health</i>. 2026;116(S3): S138-S142. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308594).

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