What is Yoga Therapy?

Yoga therapy uses the diverse and time-tested principles and practices of Yoga to assist body, mind and spirit in the process of healing and evolving. Ultimately Yoga therapy provides one with the tools to not only address an emotional or physical ailment or injury, but to build a more balanced, enriching and productive lifestyle. Yoga therapy is preventive, curative and generative.

The tools of yoga therapy include yoga poses (modified as required), breathing exercises, meditation practices (including mindfulness techniques, imagery work and the use of sacred words), self-inquiry, and relaxation methods. Once they have been learned, these tools then become gifts that last a lifetime.

There is an increasing body of research evidence to support the experiential findings of yoga practitioners across the centuries. For example, a 2015 study by Vijayaraghava et al shows that a sustained yoga practice over many years strengthens immunity and protects one from inflammatory diseases; and a 2016 literature review by Innes and Selfe shows that yoga practices help reduce blood sugar, fatty acid and cholesterol levels in adults with type two diabetes.  For more information on such studies, click here.

For more information on such studies

Yoga therapy is the process of empowering individuals towards improved health and well-being through the application of the teachings and practices of Yoga.

International Association of Yoga Therapists, 2012