Abstract
This study aims to evaluate yoga as a resource for the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the context of Primary Health Care (PHC), considering the phenomenon of medicalization. To this end, an essay was conducted, based on the hermeneutic-philosophical approach, in which elements of the yoga tradition were placed in interface with biomedical rationality, the anticipation process and the discourse on risk factors, present in the current logic of primary prevention. It was observed that certain concepts of yoga are opposed to the anticipatory process, and the incorporation of these by the user can prevent the excessive medicalization of risk, generated due to expectations of control over future diseases and suffering. The results point out that the insertion of parameters, values and concepts of yoga within discussions in the PHC groups can contribute to the greater autonomy of users by expanding the current discourses on risk factors, with greater appreciation for the underlying psychological and emotional issues that underlie the development of CVD. As a conclusion, there is a need for future studies that investigate concepts present in the yoga tradition, not only the already known and well explored psychophysical techniques, for the primary prevention of CVD.
Keywords:
Yoga; Primary prevention; Cardiovascular diseases