Experiences of children and parents in MiYoga, an embodied mindfulness yoga program for cerebral palsy: a mixed method study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A mindfulness yoga program (MiYoga) was developed and trialled with children with cerebral palsy and their parents. This mixed‐method study explores the experiences of children and parents who participated in MiYoga, to assess its acceptability, feasibility and implementation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of the forty‐two child‐parent dyads who participated in the MiYoga randomised control trial, 19 children and 22 parents were interviewed individually in a semi‐structured way about their experiences of MiYoga. Participants rated their mood on a 5‐point scale before and after each session and completed short questionnaires at the end of each session. RESULTS: Children and parents reported improved mood after each MiYoga session. Parents reported being more aware of their thoughts and feelings and possibly became more aware of their day‐to‐day mindlessness. CONCLUSION: MiYoga significantly improved children and parents' mood. Parents reported gains in awareness as well as challenges of adhering to the home practice.