What is Yoga Therapy?

Yoga Therapy is an ancient and recently re-emerging holistic healthcare modality. If we look back in time, yoga was always meant to be therapeutic in nature.

Yoga helped warriors prepare for battle, it helped the sick feel well again and it helped the weak grow stronger - both mentally and physically, might I add!

The practice of Yoga traces back over 5,000 years. Ayurveda, the healthcare system and sister science to Yoga, originated over 3,000 years ago. Both come from India.

Both practices are much older than most modern religions or health care systems. The origins of these two paths are important and interwoven. This history needs to be acknowledged because despite Yoga Therapy being “new” in the Western world, and only recently studied in clinical settings, it has been practiced for thousands of years.

Yoga Therapy is a holistic healthcare model based on Yoga and Ayurveda.

The western/allopathic healthcare model sees the human body as having many separate parts. Doctors, in allopathic medicine, often specialize only in one small part of the body. This has some benefits; it makes complex surgical interventions possible and allows practitioners to know a lot about their specialty. But it also has some downfalls. Allopathic medicine fails when it breaks us into pieces. It fails to see the person as an interconnected system where all parts affect each other.

 Yoga Therapy acknowledges and celebrates our interconnectedness. Yoga Therapists know that imbalances in our mind-body system can cause dis-ease in the body.

 A Yoga Therapist will take time to get to know you well. Then, they will search out root causes of imbalances in the mind-body and help the client learn how to heal themselves by bringing balance back.

This is an empowering practice. A Yoga Therapist does not “heal” you, more importantly, a Yoga Therapist teaches you how to heal yourself.

With Yoga Therapy we are able to bring ourselves out of dis-ease and back into balance and good health. A Yoga Therapist helps you understand and acknowledge the interconnectedness of your mind-body system.

Yoga Therapy utilizes tools such as breathwork (pranayama), yoga poses (asana), lifestyle modifications (diet, sleep, relationships, etc…), meditation (mindfulness), and deep relaxation techniques. 

Yoga Therapy is not an overnight fix. It is not a pill or a bandage. Yoga Therapy often requires patience, but the results are long lasting and can be deeply profound.

Each Yoga Therapy session is as unique as each client.

One client might come to a yoga therapist seeking out help with insomnia. A second client might have joint pain or tight muscles that need soothing. A third, might be looking for a way to manage the stress and nausea associated with cancer treatments. And, yet another, might be hoping to learn tools to manage post-traumatic stress symptoms and intrusive thoughts. All these individuals can benefit from Yoga Therapy.

In a Yoga Therapy session, you can expect ample time to discuss your concerns. You can expect deep listening and patience. You will never be rushed. A Yoga Therapist will meet you where you’re at and let you make empowered decisions for your own healthcare.

The best tools are the ones you will actually use. If something doesn’t resonate or work for you, we will try something new. Yoga Therapy is flexible and will adapt to your needs.

Yoga Therapy is not psychotherapy or a complete replacement for modern allopathic medicine. It is a tool that can be used as an adjunct treatment.

A good Yoga Therapist knows when to refer clients elsewhere when something is outside their scope of practice. A Yoga Therapist can also work alongside western medical doctors and clinicians to help provide well-rounded, in-depth care.

Do you have any other questions about Yoga Therapy? Send me an email at KendallAnneYoga@gmail.com

Interested in booking a session? CLICK HERE.