What is yoga therapy?

Yoga therapy is an ancient tradition that’s an emerging profession in the West, serving as a complement to modern Western medicine much as Ayurveda does. Yoga therapists use the tools and teachings of yoga to address an individual’s needs. People with all kinds of conditions--structural, physiological, emotional-- can work with a yoga therapist either one-on-one or in the context of a group class or workshop series designed to address that condition (see Dr. Timothy McCall's website for a comprehensive list of conditions that have been treated with yoga therapy). The therapist’s job is to figure out which yoga tools and methods are most appropriate for the individual(s): for example, someone with a chronic condition like diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis might have a very different practice from a client with low back pain, or one with anxiety.

The yoga therapist sees the whole person--the relationship to self and to the outside world-- and works with clients to

  • Reduce symptoms and suffering, if possible

  • Increase self awareness and improve function

  • Manage symptoms that can’t be eliminated or reduced

  • Help shift perspective about challenges, so as to overcome them, and

  • Establish routines of self-care so that clients are empowered to improve their health and well-being

Together with the client, the yoga therapist establishes appropriate goals for treatment, develops a practice, teaches the client how to do it, and then assesses the impact of the practice, adjusting it as needed to provide maximum benefit.  Personal practice tailored to the individual is the main tool of yoga therapy, and it’s the therapist’s job to inspire clients to do the practice consistently and pursue lifestyle changes.

The Process

  • Initial Consultation: we’ll talking about your condition and how it’s affecting your life, including

  • Symptoms/pain

  • What makes you feel better; what seems to aggravate your condition

  • Treatments you’ve tried or are currently pursuing

  • Your ability to cope with your condition

  • How your condition impacts your relationships

  • How your condition impacts your ability to do the things you love

After talking, I will develop a practice for you taking in to account what you can and want to do and how much time you have to practice. We’ll make sure you feel confident to do the practice and then you’ll go home and try to do it on your own. Most practices will likely include breath-centered movement, stand alone breathing practices and possibly meditation.  

  • Follow up sessions: together we’ll evaluate if the practice is effective and alter it as needed. All changes will be based on your feedback and developing awareness of what seems to help you the most.

Group classes and workshops designed to address a particular condition typically include educational components, group discussion, and a breath-centered movement practice, along with other tools of yoga as appropriate. Each participant also receives a short and simple home practice to do between classes.

"If you cannot find happiness in your attitude, in the way you look at things, then you cannot find happiness anywhere else either."

--Gurumayi Chidvilasananda