Therapeutic Yoga Practices

The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council describes Yoga as a living practical philosophy. Although over the years, Yoga has gained ground in several fitness regimes by offering the practitioner the benefit of mindfully building strength physically, we are now witnessing an ever increasing number of  people turning into yoga therapy seeking a mind body connection and embracing a philosophical self enquiry for a harmonious and balanced living.

When health concerns arise, we naturally turn to Western medicine for health care professionals to treat our symptoms and often a certain amount of self enquiry is required to make sense of our health condition in order to make certain lifestyle changes. This conscious decision to make ourselves better is what constitutes our responsibility to actively participate during the prescribed treatment process and Yoga Therapy serves as a safe alternative. Instead of fast paced vinyasa classes, yoga therapy prescribes specific yoga practices emphasising on self care, which go beyond teaching yoga for fitness or relaxation or offering modifications to support people in a general yoga class. This move seems to complement conventional treatments by adding value in sustaining health and wellbeing in a balanced manner.

According to the National Occupational Standards set by healthcare bodies across the UK, a Yoga Therapist is trained to have the ability to address a client’s specific problems in individual sessions or in small therapy groups. Based on an individual assessment with the client, the Yoga Therapist is able to plan and agree a programme of yoga therapy sessions for each client. Experienced yoga teachers often become yoga therapists with additional training from a handful of recognised schools by the British Council of Yoga Therapy, whose mission is to promote high standards by assessing courses and accrediting Yoga Therapy training.

With Yoga Therapy we focus on meeting the client’s needs rather than curing conditions and this was witnessed in particular with a client with coronary heart disease who achieved better mobility, became more confident and felt happier as a result of being prescribed a holistic customised plan that takes into consideration physical ability, breathing pattern, emotional health and the yogic philosophical enquiry on connectedness. Evidently, according to Ornish, D. et al. THE LANCET, Volume 336, Issue 8708, 129 - 133, these practices are recognised as a clinically viable treatment stating that “comprehensive lifestyle changes may be able to bring about regression of even severe coronary atherosclerosis after only one year without use of lipid-lowering drugs.” The increasing number of clinical trials for yoga therapy published in peer-reviewed journals now document evidence based benefits of yoga for a range of health conditions including diabetes, back pain, anxiety, depression, hypertension, hormonal imbalances in women, insomnia, as well as alleviating the side effects of cancer treatment giving birth to the first professional medical textbook, Principles and Practice of Yoga in Health Care (Handspring Press, 2016), co-edited by Khalsa; Lorenzo Cohen, PhD; Shirley Telles, PhD; and Yoga Journal’s medical editor, Timothy McCall, MD.

So, what is Yoga Therapy, exactly?

Yoga therapy is a holistic approach to health and wellness that has gained popularity in recent years for its benefits that encompass physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing emphasising on disease prevention and management over cure. Rooted in ancient Indian tradition, yoga therapy combines various yoga practices, including postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation to address specific health concerns and promote overall wellness. Here are some of the key benefits of yoga therapy:

Physical Healing and Rehabilitation: Yoga therapy offers gentle yet effective methods for healing and rehabilitating the body. Through targeted asanas and movement sequences, individuals can improve flexibility, strength, and balance while managing pain and discomfort associated with various physical conditions, such as chronic back pain, arthritis, and injuries.

Stress Reduction and Relaxation: One of the most well known benefits of yoga therapy is its ability to manage stress and induce relaxation. Mindful movement, deep breathing techniques and guided meditation practices help activate the body's relaxation response, leading to decreased levels of stress hormones like cortisol and increased feelings of calmness and tranquility.