What Is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga Therapy comes from the lineage of Patanjali and Ayurvedic philosophy. Students are welcomed as they are: body, mind, spirit. Any challenges are met with a custom designed treatment plan. This can include postures, movement, meditation, breath work and more. The overall plan is to help the student achieve harmony and balance with their health and in their life. For more information Yoga International.
Conditions that Benefit from Yoga Therapy
Yogic methods can promote healthy aging and be applied across all aspects of a person’s life, from anxiety to major disease. This is why Yoga Therapy is applied to such a wide array of health troubles. Postpartum mothers, children with special needs, and those who experience high levels of stress can get ample support from Yoga Therapy.
- Chronic pain such as lower back pain, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), arthritis, and fibromyalgia
- Neurologic conditions from stroke complications, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s, and brain trauma
- Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and insomnia
- Major disease such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease
- Osteoporosis and fall prevention
How does Yoga Therapy Differ from Yoga?
Public yoga classes are great for relieving bodily aches and improving your mood. Yoga therapists work one-on-one to address your personal goals, taking into account any physical limitations or difficulties. Yoga Therapy takes the same yogic methods much further by tailoring treatment to each individual’s needs.
Yoga therapists have undergone the training required to properly assess a client’s conditions and assist them in ways that are both safe and constructive. The recommendations a yoga therapist might make can range from the slightest of movements - such as meditation or breathing techniques - to vigorous physical exercises like balance or strength-improving routines.
IAYT-certified yoga therapists can competently assess a patient and suggest a yoga practice based on their training in anatomy, physiology, and mental health. Both yoga and Yoga Therapy can improve your health and well-being, but yoga therapy is complementary to other licensed practices such as physical, occupational, or massage therapy, to name a few.
How Does Yoga Therapy Work?
Yoga has been a popular practice in many countries for millennia, but applications of the yogic method as it relates to Western health sciences is fairly recent.
The benefits of Yoga Therapy can be profound and numerous. For example, a breathing practice intended to address an asthmatic patient may also improve their anxiety levels and relieve tension in the neck or shoulders. Research suggests that yoga’s capacity for regulating the nervous system tends to affect how a brain processes information. Thus, the yogic methods can function to the extent that a client is able to improve their own health and restorative capacities. Continued usage of routines of this nature can be used to improve your health throughout your lifetime.
What Is IAYT?
IAYT is the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Founded in 1989, the Association represents more than 5,500 yoga and healthcare practitioners worldwide. The mission of IAYT is to establish Yoga Therapy as a recognized practice held in high regard. Researchers have begun to confirm Yoga Therapy’s ability to relieve chronic debilitating conditions. The Association has a rigorous accreditation process, employing elevated educational standards and competency-based training.
Learn more at IAYT.org
