Yoga Therapy for Wellness: Finding Greater Acceptance in the Medical Community
What is Yoga Therapy?
While all yoga is potentially therapeutic and healing, yoga therapy is the specific application of yogic tools -- sithilikarana vyayama (warm-ups), asana (postures), pranayama (breath techniques), kriyas (cleansing techniques), mudras and bandhas (seals and locks), mantra (chants), samyama (meditation techniques) and more -- to address an individual's physical, mental, and emotional needs.
Many people learn about yoga through its physical practices, but a common misconception is that the discipline is all about stretching or movement. Yoga therapy can help people who can't move at all, as well as active clients. Yoga Therapy is unique as it addresses every aspect of life rather than considering each body part or system separately. Yoga therapy is a safe way of working with the natural capacity of your body and mind to optimize well-being.
What is the difference between Yoga and Yoga Therapy?
A general group yoga class can ease everyday aches, pains, and mood complaints. However, a yoga therapy session goes much further because it is customized for the individual. Yoga therapists can work with clients to address their specific goals while considering any limitations they might be experiencing. Yoga therapy can complement physical, occupational, and psychotherapy and more.
Although they don't diagnose or treat diseases, certified yoga therapists are trained in anatomy, physiology, and mental health. This allows them to interact with clients' other healthcare professionals effectively and competently suggest referrals when needed. Therefore, yoga therapy complements a client's medical treatment.
How Does Yoga Therapy Work?
Although yoga has been practiced in some form for millennia, we are just beginning to understand these mechanisms from a Western scientific perspective. A tool applied in one area -- a breathing practice -- can profoundly affect a completely different area of the body or mind. Researchers think this works partly because of yoga's ability to regulate the nervous system and affect how the brain processes information.
Yoga therapy clients heal themselves by learning and practicing the tools that can be highly beneficial throughout a lifetime.
Another reason it works so well is that it's not a treatment done to a patient -- yoga therapists instead empower their clients to tap into their innate healing capabilities.
Yoga therapy clients heal themselves by learning and practicing the tools that can be highly beneficial throughout a lifetime.