What is Yoga Therapy?

The History
The emerging field of yoga therapy is steeped in the history and tradition of yoga, which goes back at least 3,000 – 5,000 years. One can say that modern yoga and yoga therapy began to be developed about 200 years ago when western science and medicine began to notice and study yoga. 

The first institutes of modern yoga began in India in the 1920s while India was under British rule. During that time, new teaching forms were brought in from the English education system, such as group classes as opposed to one-on-one study with a teacher. These were departures from traditional spiritual culture. Another change was the focus on postures. According to Mark Singleton, author of Yoga Body, 

“The primacy of ãsana performance in transnational yoga today is a new phenomenon that has no parallel in premodern times.”

Joseph Le Page, the founder of Integrative Yoga Therapy, says that asana based yoga and yoga therapy are in many ways new creations, rather than a continuation of a specific Indian spiritual tradition. 

Since the 1970’s:

• Yoga has become more integrated with Western culture. 
• Research estimates approximately15.8 million people now practice yoga. 
• There is a growing body of research seeking to quantify the benefits of yoga in the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of conditions.
• Yoga is gradually being accepted as a complement to allopathic medicine.

All of these factors have given rise to the emerging profession of yoga therapy.

The Goals of Modern Yoga Therapy
The current ‘short’ definition developed by the International Association of Yoga Therapists is:

“Yoga therapy is the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved
health and wellbeing through the application of the teachings and practices of yoga.”

The practice of yoga therapy is aimed at developing self-knowledge through a process of personal witnessing and understanding the self at all levels, body, breath and mind (including intellect and emotions) – and their mutual interaction. From the yoga perspective, self-knowledge is health in the most complete sense. It’s a modality that can be applied to groups or individuals with specific health challenges. 

The goals of yoga therapy include eliminating, reducing, and/or managing symptoms that cause discomfort and suffering; improving function; helping to prevent the occurrence or re-occurrence of underlying causes of illness; and moving toward improved health and well-being. Yoga therapy recognizes that relief of symptoms is just one facet of the healing process and that not all illness and disease can be cured. It does, however, provide a methodology to heal lives, reduce pain, and stress, and relieve physical symptoms and psychological suffering. Yoga therapy recognizes that the healing journey is unique to each individual and so selects, adopts and modifies all practices appropriately for the individual and/or group depending upon age, physical condition and ability, religion and culture. 

What’s the Difference Between Yoga and Yoga Therapy?
All yoga is considered therapeutic but yoga therapy is yoga with a specific focus on health and healing. It is distinct from other systems of yoga where the class content may be pre-structured and the students mold themselves to the form of yoga being taught. Yoga therapy is based in creative, student-centered education, where the yoga therapists see themselves as facilitators and guides and adapt the practices to the needs of the students and clients. 

What’s in a Yoga Therapist’s Toolbox?
A yoga therapist has several lenses through which to view their student/client’s condition or situation. These lenses are used to detect levels of stress and its effects on the body/mind, along with any underlying factors such as physical, or energetic imbalances and to suggest appropriate practices to increase awareness, optimal health and healing. They include but are not limited to:

• The five layers of self-awareness
• Assessment and intake protocols 
• Yoga postures
• Breath practices
• Guided imagery
• Relaxation practices
• Meditation practices

The focus of yoga therapy is to awaken the student’s connection to their own true source of wellness because that is where true healing can occur.

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