What Is Yoga Therapy?
Compare and contrast your average yoga class and yoga therapy session, and you will, of course, find some overlaps. But there are differences, too. While a student at a yoga class may be there to learn how to stay in good health, increase and maintain flexibility, or seek emotional Zen, a yoga therapy patient will be looking to target specific challenges.
The International Association of Yoga Therapists defines yoga therapy as “the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through the application of the teachings and practices of Yoga.”
Yoga therapy clients typically already have a diagnosis or physical/emotional issue they are trying to resolve with a complementary therapy. Yoga therapists spend a lot of time listening and observing, and seek ways to alleviate symptoms and improve functionality. Therapists teach targeted yoga techniques to clients so that they may practice them at their leisure and feel that they have agency in their recoveries. Yoga therapists address the client’s specific issue and seek to support them with techniques that contribute to their wellness physically, emotionally, and/or psychologically.
Yoga therapy may be preventative, curative, or palliative, depending on the individual’s needs. Ideally, it should be an empowering experience, leaving the client feeling better overall.
How Is Yoga Therapy Different from a Regular Yoga Class?
Whether teaching a yoga therapy group class or a one-on-one experience, there are some basic steps the yoga therapist will follow.
The typical yoga therapist will conduct an assessment during intake and design a program to help alleviate specific symptoms. Yoga therapy is not disease-curative, but it can address the symptoms that sometimes accompany illness or medical treatment like fatigue, pain, trouble sleeping, etc.
A yoga therapist should have special training in how to avoid health complications and contraindications during treatment, that a typical yoga teacher may not have been trained in.
Many clients report great satisfaction with the results of their yoga therapy, whether they seek to reduce symptoms or facilitate healing. In order to maximize their benefits, it is important to remember that 1) yoga therapy is not a cure-all, and 2) clients must be very clear when speaking with yoga professionals about the type of services they are seeking. As mentioned above, there is some overlap, but yoga teachers and therapists each have a different focus and skillset.
Yoga Therapy at Trauma Treatment Center
If you would like more information about how the yoga therapy services at Trauma Treatment Center could help you, please call or email us using the information below.
Phone 505.404.9892
Email: admin@ttcnm.com