What is Yoga Therapy?
What is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga therapy is a bespoke practice that is designed to address a specific health issue(s) using a variety of yoga tools such as postures (asanas), breathwork (pranayama), meditation, sound, visualisation and more.
It is a whole-person approach that considers the client’s general health, lifestyle, diet, sleep patterns and medical history. The aim is to work with the client to identify priorities, set short-term and long-term goals and explore yoga practices and techniques that resonate and help them heal physically, mentally and emotionally.
Clients are seen on a regular basis – weekly to start with – ideally for a minimum of six weeks. Before the initial session, clients are required to complete a confidential health information form and bring it along to the first consultation.
Yoga therapy is generally a one-to-one relationship between client and therapist, however, is sometimes taught in small groups to those experiencing the same condition. For example, this might be the case with a group of people who have finished active treatment for breast cancer who wish to rehabilitate and transition back to life after cancer.
What happens in a Yoga Therapy session?
The initial consultation is 90 minutes during which the therapist reviews the health information form with the client and agrees goals to work towards. The client will be asked to stand, move through some simple postures, and lie or sit still and follow some guided breathing while the therapist observes them, building a picture of the whole person physically and energetically.
Follow up sessions are 60 minutes, and a short home practice is given for the student to practise daily, or as often as they can manage. The home practice is reviewed at each session and adapted according to feedback from the client and observations of the therapist.
How is it different to regular Yoga?
Yoga Therapy is a tailored, bespoke practice for an individual or for a small group with the same condition. It requires commitment and self-motivation to do the short home practices regularly. Yoga Therapy is not like a yoga class or private yoga lesson where you might be led through a sequence by the teacher, it is a collaboration between client and therapist to address specific goals to heal and rebalance the whole body.
How is a Yoga Therapist different from a Yoga Teacher?
In addition to their general yoga teacher training, a yoga therapist will have undertaken significant additional training in the application of yoga for therapeutic purposes (600 + hours) to become a registered yoga therapist. They will be registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) or International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).
What conditions might I see a Yoga Therapist about?
A yoga therapist will be trained to support a whole host of conditions from chronic pain to mental and emotional issues, to musculoskeletal, to cancer. To date, I have had specific experience with clients who have had cancer: breast, lung and lymphoma and associated side effects of treatment; respiratory conditions; neurological disorders such as chronic fatigue syndrome, hip replacement surgery and arthritis.
Yoga Therapy is a complementary therapy to conventional medicine and does not cure any diseases, but can be helpful in supporting the individual holistically. A 2017 study has shown that Yoga Therapy has been shown to:
· Alleviate stress, anxiety and depression
· Reduce inflammation in the body and boost immunity
· Relieve fatigue
· Improve back pain and joint pain
· Improve sleep
· Increase lung capacity and respiratory function
· Boost muscle tone
· Bring balance to body and mind
As your yoga therapist, I am here to support and empower you to heal your body through the practice of yoga in its broadest sense.
I’m pleased to share a testimonial from one of my clients:
“Marcia really listened to what I wanted, adapted the yoga practice to my needs and it made me feel better physically and in myself. Marcia is a superb teacher/therapist – a superb combination of expertise and kindness in her approach.” – Yoga Therapy Client, Breast Cancer
If you would like to find out more about how yoga therapy might support you, please get in touch to schedule a complimentary 20-minute phone call with me.
M: 07813-005386