What is yoga therapy?
Yoga Therapy
The aim of Yoga Therapy is to help reduce or manage the symptoms of your health conditions, by using yoga and mindfulness techniques tailored to your specific needs.
Rather than centring on general Yoga practices, I primarily focus on your specific needs by conducting an assessment, establishing an appropriate goal, and developing a tailored programme.
I work with many common medical conditions, and with recovery, such as from surgery. We also deliver specialised group classes and workshops which include therapeutic adaptations of Yoga.
As a qualified Yoga Teacher, with specialist training in the therapeutic adaptation of Yoga, and as a CNHC registered Yoga Therapist accredited by the British Council for Yoga Therapists, my approach is holistic – working with the mind, body, and emotions to bring about balance.
Yoga versus Yoga Therapy
| Yoga | Yoga Therapy |
| A group class follows a sequence or standard routine of poses, breathing, meditation, and relaxation techniques to strengthen, stretch, and calm the body. | A customised session draws from a variety of Yoga practices to individually meet ability, aims, and needs for a specific health condition. |
| May draw upon a specific school of Yoga that has a particular style, for example: Hatha, Ashtanga, Iyengar, etc. | Draws upon a wider variety of Yoga practices and techniques that are adapted to individual needs. |
| Instruction of poses that focus on alignment cues. The Yoga class is teacher led. | To empower the individual towards better health by promoting self-care. Yoga therapy sessions are client-led. |
| The requirement to teach Yoga is 200 hours of training. There are no entry requirements except a regular personal practice, and the length of experience expected varies per school. | The requirement to train is the completion of 200 hours of Yoga training, with a set minimum years experience in Yoga teaching. The common minimum training is 1,000 hours. |
| A trainee Yoga Teacher will learn: Yoga poses, breathing, and meditation techniques, including safety and alignment, anatomy and physiology, the history and philosophy of Yoga, and how to plan and teach mainly group classes. | A trainee Yoga Therapist will learn: The assessment and understanding of common health conditions and how to address them in small group therapy practices, clinics/hospital settings, and in one-to-ones. There is an emphasis on developing a therapist/client relationship. |
| Yoga Teacher training schools can be accredited by a recognised body, for example, the British Wheel of Yoga. | A recognised Yoga Therapy training course in the UK complies with standards set by the British Council of Yoga Therapy (BCYT). |
| A qualified Yoga Teacher can register with an accreditation body such as Yoga Alliance. | A trained Yoga Therapist can register with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). It’s standards allow the NHS to refer a patient to a Therapist who must follow a code of practice. |
