Yoga Therapy
What is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga therapy is a self-empowering process, where the care-seeker, with the help of the Yoga therapist, create a personalized plan of care that is applied to the person’s unique circumstances and health challenges with the goal of improving, maintaining and optimizing health and well-being.
Yoga Therapy uses movement, mediation, breath work, yoga tools and techniques to address the whole person – physical, energetic, emotional, mental and spiritual. The goals of yoga therapy includes managing or eliminating symptoms that cause suffering, improving function, helping to prevent or remove the underlying causes of illness.
Yoga Therapy ultimately helps clients change their relationship to and identification with the specific disease state or condition that causes a separation from health.
According to the International Association of Yoga Therapists:
“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.”
The modern term, ‘Yoga therapy’ was coined by Swami Kuvalyananda in the 1920s who believed the changes it would be possible to measure the physical and physiological changes that occurred through yoga practice. His passion brought foreigner researchers to India to study yoga’s effect, a magazine, an entire yoga institution and a new field. Swami Kuvalyananda made it possible to start applying the specific effects of yoga to medical conditions.
Many doctor's are referring their patients to yoga therapy, making this holistic modality more popular. Likewise those in the field of mental health often recommend yoga to clients or may even integrate aspects into their work. Yoga is not a cure-all for physical or mental problems, but a growing body of research confirms yoga therapy’s promise to offer relief from the suffering associated with a number of chronic and debilitating conditions. IAYT, hosts an annual research conference, the Symposium on Yoga Research, and publishes a peer-reviewed, Medline-indexed journal, the International Journal of Yoga Therapy.Various medical journals reveal research as to yoga’s multi-tiered benefits. In fact, yoga therapy the evidence and support of yoga therapy is so great that in the USA cardiologist, Dr. Dean Ornish developed a yogic based intervention that can reverse heart disease. His program was so successful that it is now covered by public health insurance!
What is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga therapy is a self-empowering process, where the care-seeker, with the help of the Yoga therapist, create a personalized plan of care that is applied to the person’s unique circumstances and health challenges with the goal of improving, maintaining and optimizing health and well-being.
Yoga Therapy uses movement, mediation, breath work, yoga tools and techniques to address the whole person – physical, energetic, emotional, mental and spiritual. The goals of yoga therapy includes managing or eliminating symptoms that cause suffering, improving function, helping to prevent or remove the underlying causes of illness.
Yoga Therapy ultimately helps clients change their relationship to and identification with the specific disease state or condition that causes a separation from health.
Why do people choose yoga therapy?
Almost all clients want to address the discomfort associated with a diagnosis, treatment, or loss of function as the result of a specific disease state or condition. Often, clients are drawn to yoga therapy because they have benefited from a yoga practice
and now want to address a specific health concern. Others have not had full relief of symptoms with other approaches to their physical or psychological suffering and are seeking an alternative. Some clients have never done yoga, but are eager to try a safe, natural approach to achieve optimal well-being.
Yoga therapy has been found to be effective for a wide range of conditions including but not limited to: muscular and joint pain; chronic pain; inflammatory and immune conditions; emotional balance and mood regulation; mental health; and neurological conditions.
At I Am Yoga 808 we treat the whole person. We consider and address health on every level of Functioning - body, mind, and spirit. Many clients find that yoga therapy sessions effectively address their specific conditions as well as offer a general sense of increased calm and vitality.
Yoga Therapy can be used to treat:
Mental Health Conditions
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Stress
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Depression
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Anxiety
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PTSD
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Schizophrenia
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ADHD
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Eating Disorders
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Addiction
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Post-Natal Depression
Physical Conditions
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Back Pain
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Musculaskeletal problems
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Diabetes
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High Blood Pressure
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Parkinson’s
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Asthma
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COPD
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Cancer
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HIV
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Alzheimer’s
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Brain Injury
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Multiple Sclerosis
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Autoimmune Diseases
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IBS
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Obesity
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Heart Disease
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Insomnia
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Arthritis
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Osteoporosis
Potential Benefits of Yoga Therapy:
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An increased sense of overall health and well-being
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Improved strength, flexibility, and balance
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Correct musculoskeletal disorders and postural imbalance
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Relief of chronic pain, low back pain, headaches, and tension in neck and shoulders
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Increase range of motion, coordination and balance for clients with MS and Parkinson’s Disease
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Reduce symptoms of many chronic disorders including arthritis
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Stress management and greater ability to find calm
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Enhanced resilience and heart rate variability
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Emotional balance through mindful self-awareness
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Mood regulation
Yoga Therapy Session vs Yoga Class
The experience of a client seeking the help of a yoga therapist will be distinct from that they would find in a general yoga class. Yoga teachers may offer a variety of yoga classes, including classes for individuals or groups of people with specific conditions. The intention in these types of classes is to teach these students how to practice yoga while respecting their health conditions. Yoga therapy aims to treat the whole person by taking an individualized approach, with each course designed around a client’s specific needs, looking to address the root cause of their health issues and guide them on a path to restored wellbeing. While relieving a client’s symptoms is a primary aim, yoga therapy also looks to address the root cause of their illness, and provide a sustainable way to manage it.
The framework of yoga therapy provides a clear model of integrative heath through which to understand and work with the multiple domains of health including: physical, psychological, cognitive, social and spiritual. The practices and philosophies within this framework can help to cultivate the movement towards wellbeing throughout these domains of health. Yoga therapists facilitate a self-empowering process through which they guide and adapt practices based on individual needs. Through the combination of evidence based and ancient practices, modern yoga therapy encompasses techniques such as philosophical and ethical teachings, postures, breathing and various meditations to meet the needs of the individual.
What can I expect from a yoga therapy session?
As a yoga therapist, our relationship is central when trying to release core tension, and perhaps trauma. If trust, safety, and comfort are not present, things won’t progress as smoothly or as quickly as you might like.
So that you can work to your fullest potential, I offer a free, no-strings-attached 15-minute consultation by phone or Zoom. I am not interviewing you. You are interviewing me. Your consultation will give you the information you need to make the best choice in your therapy, and I will work with you to make sure you have options that are the most comfortable for you. It is a good idea to schedule this consultation at a time where you can be distraction-free and in a quiet location to make sure that I Am Yoga 808 is a good fit for you before scheduling your first session.
Yoga Therapy Session
After the consultation, I will send you an intake form. The intake form will provide me an overview of your current state of health, emotional and mental state and thus assess your physical capabilities and determine priorities.
** The intake form must be completed prior to the initial yoga therapy session. Initial Yoga Therapy sessions can be conducted in person or online. Please allow at least 48 hours after the intake form has been received before the initial session. This allows me an opportunity to research and familiarize myself with you before we meet. If possible, please have a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothing for mindful movements.**
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Intake Form
The intake form will be sent following your consultation. This form will give me a full picture about what’s going on with you at all levels—physically, energetically, emotionally, in the wisdom body, in the bliss body—not just the pain or other issue that might have brought them to us, though we do ask about that, too.
The questions target each of the layers, touching on everything from sleep to mood to their thought patterns to what brings them joy.
Throughout the session, we can come back to the intake form and ask additional questions or expand on a topic, giving both client and therapist more information and clarity. Assessment is a key component in the yoga therapy session It’s a process of inquiry to help us both discover the underlying issues they’re dealing with, and how yoga therapy can serve them.
Initial Yoga Therapy Session
During this 90-minute session we will discuss the information gathered on your intake form and the reasons you are pursuing yoga therapy.
I will conduct a full postural assessment to identify any musculoskeletal imbalance that may be causing pain or contributing to your dis-ease. This evaluation involves looking at your posture and habitual movement patterns, as well as the testing of key muscle groups that may be contributing to areas of pain or discomfort. Additionally, we will assess your breathing pattern as dysfunctional breathing can greatly affect our experience at the physical, mental, and emotional levels. Taking all of this into account, we will develop specific and attainable yoga therapy goals that will guide our work together.
Following the full evaluation and assessment, we will work in partnership to set goals for your therapeutic yoga practices based on your needs and the my therapeutic findings. You will leave your initial session with an individualized plan to address your specific needs and that will support your journey to increased health and well-being.
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Follow up Session
Your follow-up sessions are an important part of the process as they allow an opportunity to track progression, discuss what is working and adapt what is not. As your yoga therapist, I will ask you about your practice and provide additional guidance that includes postures, breathing practices and meditation to support your goals.
Like the world around us, we are dynamic and always changing. Therefore, what we need from our yoga practice is likely to shift overtime. Together we will work together on new goals or adapting a plan of care that will serve you.
Most individuals benefit from weekly or biweekly sessions in the beginning followed by maintenance sessions overtime as needed.
If you are part of the BIPOC community or price is keeping you from achieving your wellness goals - please do not hesitate to reach out to us. At I Am Yoga, we believe that cost should not keep anyone from leading a healthy and happy life and we are available to talk through affordable options via email or our contact form.