What is Yoga Therapy?
Lets clarify the definition of yoga therapy
Wearing Yoga Therapy Jacket/Uniform
“Yoga therapy as a growing complementary and integrative healthcare (CIH) profession that draws on both traditional practice and contemporary biomedical science to create and evidence informed and holistic healing practice”, Marlysa Sullivan, MUIH Professor of Yoga Therapy
Yoga Therapy aligns with the bioscience approaches found in wellness and healthcare practices. Yoga therapy can complement physical, occupational and massage therapy practices as well and may add a cost saving impact within healthcare treatments. Yoga therapists do not diagnose or treat disease or illness, however they are trained in anatomy, physiology, social conditions and mental health. They study disease, illness and conditions to increase awareness, create safe plans of care and suggest referrals. Paige has had physical and massage therapists refer private yoga therapy sessions because they know that it will sometimes reinforce what they are doing and may also be a different course of learning.
Yoga Therapy is shaped by science however the foundation is rooted in the ancient philosophy. It is using specific yogic tools; postures, breath work, meditation, concentration techniques and more. Often used is the Kosha Model that helps the yoga therapist consider the wholeness of a person; physical, mental and emotional. Yoga therapists have in-depth training and knowledge that is above the standard yoga class training.
How is Yoga Therapy different from a Yoga class?
The approach of yoga-based practices is focused on the integration of ‘bottom-up’ neurophysiological and ‘top-down’ neurocognitive mechanisms. Yoga therapy is different from attending a yoga class; where yoga sequences are designed without the knowledge of a client condition. Although sometimes a yoga instructor may offer modifications, or learn about a bit of a condition during a yoga class, the main point of a yoga class wasn’t to address a clients specific condition. In some group classes the instructor may become aware of a client’s issues (ie a class for a population) however the teacher won’t know the client’s specific conditions as the yoga instructor and not a therapist; the instructor is there to offer yoga and will have a certification from the Yoga Alliance called Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT). Some RYT’s may complete continued education for ‘trauma sensitive’ however this is a short training and not the same as the IAYT requirements; often a 15 to 30 hour training.
In Yoga Therapy the intension of offering yoga is different as the Therapist has been trained specifically to understand with in depth study, the modern science issues of patients. They will be aware of the client conditions or concerns; often the sessions start out with in intake of information; survey, questionnaires and discussions. Also being able to measure and assess is what makes Yoga Therapy different from Yoga classes; you review and adjust in each session.
It is easy to misunderstand the difference of a yoga teacher and yoga therapist. There are parts that appear similar. Because both are using yoga as their tool. Just a like a yoga class, Yoga Therapy can be taught with small groups or individually. The therapist may use yoga poses to learn and study as part of the examination. At the end of the session the plan of care or homework is created so the client has some home instruction that will include yoga poses, breathwork, meditation and more yogic tools till they meet again.
““Everyone is injured in some way or another””
So Why consider Yoga Therapy?
2019 MUIH University Mug and lots of books
Mind-body therapies, like yoga, offer benefits in health and well-being through an integration previously mentioned processes called the top-down or bottom-up. Top-down process, such as setting an intension or concentration, have been shown to decrease stress and change the nervous system; sympathetic to a parasympathetic states. Bottom-up process, such as pranayama/breathing techniques and asana movement, have been shown to influence the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and nervous system function. As yoga addresses both of these processes, it may help regulate the autoimmune system, cardiovacetoral disease, emotional responses, behavioral and coping mechanisms in the mind and body that help with conditions like chronic pain, injury, depression and PTSD.
Keep in mind that ALL Yoga can have therapeutic results but the difference here is in the intent. In the United States the word “Yoga Therapist” means the person has to meet the level of training and education requirement that the IAYT accepts and then be certified by IAYT. A yoga therapist will have the words IAYT in their registration data (See how to find a yoga therapist below). The IAYT is a separate entity from the Yoga Alliance. Yoga Alliance does not certify yoga therapist. They certify yoga instructors. The yoga instructor will use terms like RYT (Registered yoga teacher) and then list hours such as 200, 300 or 500 hours of training.
There are other reasons yoga therapy may help as well. Even if someone is new to yoga Paige is always trying to meet the client where they are at and listen to them. When Paiges likes to discuss other studies outside of Yoga Philosophy, as a way to communicate and make a point more tangible to patients/clients and those in the scientific community. In this way she hopes to bridge the gap of those outside of the yoga community and yet she fully understands the deeper elements of yoga being used. (Read Sections in the “Resources” tab to understand various tools used by her in developing a plan of care).
For example instead of quoting religious yoga text to support reasons that yoga may help, we can examine other physiological views that also address the immune, pain, nervous system and mental state. One example is from Aristotle’s “Nicomachean Ethics” where he discussed “Eudaimonia” or a state of “Eudaimonic well being”. Before his time Plato and others really viewed a state of well being from doing the right things or actions. This is what Hedonic happiness is; which comes and goes. It is based on the notion that increased pleasure or decreased pain leads to happiness. But it is fleeting and happiness relies on the outcome. However Eudaimoic happiness (which is steadfast) is based on the premise that people feel happy if they experience purpose, meaning and experience self-realization. Humility and generosity are also experienced with a Eudaimoic well being. To reach this state of well being you examine and observe what your tendencies are and then learn to counter it to find balance.
Another discussion we can have is discussing current scientific studies that observe the vagus nerve. When someone is in flight, fight or freeze (dorsal deactivation) science has observed the relationship the vagus nerve has within a person that helps the entire body; nothing in our body works in isolation. The vagus nerve signals the internal organs, especially the heart, muscles, cells, mental emotions or mood as well as facial expressions. Finally when the vagus nerve changes the signal a person is able to sense what is going on more clearly and also able to perceive compassion and other things around them. The vagnus nerve responds to practices in yoga. Therefore Yoga Therapy may change the neural platform within a person. The Yoga Therapist can combine both modern and yogic wisdoms to develop a plan of care around healing that can create a felt experience of Eduaimonic well being to help with chronic conditions of pain and suffering. For example understanding clients current state of being (satva, rajas or tamas) would be using ancient techniques as part of the plan of care.
Often our society talks about health as ways to fix, solve or heal but yoga therapy is more about working within a holistic practice. The human body is very complex and there are so many parts that we don’t know for certain and science is always changing. Instead of absolutely knowing for sure if something is going to fix or solve, we can use the yoga therapy as a way to help build resilience or stability of the body and mind.
““My happiness is not dependent on the success or failure of the posture” A.G. Mohan”
Paiges Education in Yoga Therapy:
Paige is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) and completed her Masters in Science (MS) in Yoga Therapy at Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH). She completed a two year full time program that included clinic, scientific studies as well as APA papers. Ancient and philosophical Yoga studies were also a part of this educational program.
Areas studied:
Anatomy and Kinesiology
Physiology and Pathology
Structural Pathology in Integrative Health
Breath and Pranayama Health
Health and Disease: Yogic & Ayurvedic Perspectives and Practices
Therapeutic Relationship and Client Education
Mentored Student Clinic and Therapeutic Forms & Notes
Mental Health (neuroscience) and neurotransmitters
Mind Body Science: Endocrinology, Cardiology, Oncology, Women’s Health, & Specific Populations of illness, injury and disease
Specialized studies in Eating Disorder and Mental Illness
How to find a Yoga Therapist?
Like any field you should be asking a person where they studied as well as their credentials. Yoga Alliance started defining this years ago by putting strict terms for someone offering Yoga Therapy. The Yoga Alliance has made it clear that they are only certifying yoga teachers who follow their requirements of training to teach yoga classes to others. The certified yoga teacher is not there to offer therapeutic consultations. There is a different organization called the IAYT that has different requirements for those called Yoga Therapists” and it has a completely different requirement for education than the Yoga Alliance requirement.
So going forward:
Yoga Therapy scientific studies are still a new and are quite hard to find for various reasons. One is that scientific studies often are hard to find as they are new and many being conducted have small populations. Also the term Yoga is often grouped as if there is only One Yoga practice when in fact there are so many. Modern science is not as aware of this so the education process continues.
Right now a doctor or PT may suggest to a patient to explore Yoga. But they don’t know which kind. However the growing field of yoga therapy may offer a safer referral so patients see a qualified yoga therapist who can bridge the gap between the various yoga practices; allowing the person to have a broader sense of what yoga is and what is right for them before they go to a yoga class.
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Want to read more in depth knowledge on the topics above? Read this article:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00067/full
““Yoga is strong medicine but it is slow medicine. Don’t expect overnight cures with yoga (though for many people it does start to yield benefits right away). One major difference between yoga and many other approaches to healing is that yoga builds on itself, becoming more effective over time. This is not true of most drugs or surgery, which often gradually diminish in effectiveness. In this sense yoga is something like learning to play a musical instrument: the longer you stick with it and the more you practice, the better you get and the more you will get out of it.”
—Timothy McCall, MD, C-IAYT, Yoga as Medicine”