Yoga Therapy for Modern Healing

“Yoga therapy is the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through the application of the teachings and practices of Yoga.” – International Association of  Yoga Therapists
Yoga practitioners have always gushed about the perks of practicing the ancient art of yoga. 

Yoga is often looked upon as a means of physical activity and relaxation, but little do people know that it can also be used to improve your overall health and well-being. 

Thanks to the growing awareness about the benefits of yoga, yoga therapy have now become a recommended addition to modern healing.

What is Yoga Therapy?

While there are a lot of people that take up yoga classes to train themselves physically, the therapeutic form of yoga is often overlooked. 

If you want to heal yourself physically, mentally as well as emotionally, yoga therapy can be the right choice for you.

Yoga therapy is a form of therapy that employs a variety of yoga postures, breathing techniques, lifestyle changes, and meditation to improve overall mental and physical health. 

Yoga therapy is a holistic approach that integrates the mind, body, and soul and thus works on them simultaneously to address various health issues. 

What differentiates therapeutic yoga from a regular yoga practice is that it pays close attention to your symptoms and what yoga techniques can be utilized to cure them. 

Thus yoga therapy sessions are customized to meet individual needs instead of teaching a mainstream yoga flow to a group of people. 

In therapeutic yoga sessions, the therapist makes use of their experience and knowledge to determine yoga practices that will benefit you the most.

What occurs in a Yoga Therapy session?

Once you decide upon initiating yoga therapy your therapist will first carry out an evaluation to know more about you and your health concerns:

• Determines your health issues
• Discovers your way of living 
• Identifies your physical capability
• Records the reason for seeking therapy
• Designs a course of action

Once the course of action has been decided and agreed upon, the process of teaching begins.

The common components that will be included in a therapy session are as follows: 

• Breathing Techniques: You will be introduced to a variety of breathing exercises to heal you based on the symptoms you are experiencing.
• Yoga Poses (Asana): The therapist will teach you appropriate yoga poses that will target your problem areas. 
• Meditation: A deep state of relaxation and mindfulness is achieved with the help of meditation while performing yoga poses.
• Guided Imagery: You will be guided by the therapist using visuals to relax the body and mind thereby relieving stress.
• Self-work: Usually you will be provided with some practices to work on and implement some changes in your day-to-day lives.

      (Picture: Trataka, candle gazing, kriya class)

What are the Health Benefits of Yoga Therapy:

Yoga therapy can be a great means to alleviate physical, mental, and emotional ailments. Like any other form of treatment, it is especially useful when used along with other kinds of medications. 

Yoga therapy can help you in reducing or controlling symptoms and improving certain health conditions such as:

• Hypertension
• Insomnia
• Trauma
• Asthma
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Anxiety
• Digestive problems
• Respiratory illnesses
• Restoration
• Stress 
• and other such conditions

Yoga therapy sessions are growing in numbers and yoga teacher training is paying close attention to including it through wellness programs. 

Yoga therapy addresses a large spectrum of ailments suffered by masses and helps maintain their health and well-being. 

If you are willing to improve your health, manage stress & anxiety, or reduce pain, but are not sure how to begin, don’t worry, we are here to help you get started. 

And if you have been to a yoga therapy session let us know what you have gained from it in the comment section below!