ABOUT US
Embedded Files
HISTORY
A Brief History of Yoga Therapy
The term yoga therapy was created in 1970 by Doctor Bernard Auriol. The French psychiatrist and psychotherapist specialising in states of consciousness had the novel idea of mixing classic psychoanalysis from the West with Eastern disciplines such as yoga.
He was one of those who fought for yoga to be taught in France. The main teaching is based on the principles of Hatha Yoga but that doesn’t mean yoga therapy can’t draw upon other types of yoga. Even though he was met with some opposition, Doctor Auriol showed that yoga therapy could benefit for those in psychiatric hospitals.
Having thus shown a way that the new method could be used to treat patients, Doctor Auriol set about spreading the word about yoga therapy in France. Two yoga therapy organisations were created in the country.
The Institute of Yoga Therapy (IDYT) was founded in 1993 by Doctor Lionel Condron, allowing carers and professionals to receive training for two years.
The French Federation of Yoga Therapy (FFYT) was founded in 2014, allowing budding yoga therapists to receive training.
Yoga therapy was born in France and is now known across the world for the benefits it can have on the body and mind.
What Is Yoga Therapy
“Yoga therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on the integration of mind and body to enhance mental health,” says Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a professor and clinical psychologist in New York City.
This form of therapy draws on yogic principles and practices, such as physical yoga postures, meditation, breathing techniques, and relaxation exercises, to improve mental and physical well-being.
“Unlike what people tend to imagine, yoga therapy does not look like a typical yoga class. Instead, yoga therapy is usually conducted on a one-on-one basis with a therapist,” says Romanoff.
Types of Yoga Therapy
While yoga therapy is typically performed on an individual basis, a subtype of yoga therapy includes a group element, where multiple people work together with a therapist in a small group and the power of the group is part of the healing process, says Romanoff.
Techniques
According to Romanoff, yoga therapy can involve several techniques, such as:
The treatment plan and techniques used in yoga therapy can vary based on your age, physical ability, and unique needs, says Romanoff. Furthermore, she explains that all the exercises and postures employed in yoga therapy are designed to maximize the synchronicity of mind and body functioning.
For example, the therapist will explain the importance and value that each exercise and yoga pose could have in alleviating your concern, thereby creating a bridge between the practice and its cognitive framework. So, for a person experiencing anxiety for instance, the therapist will guide them through poses like child's pose and tree pose, and explain how the poses help relieve anxiety.
Homework is an important element of yoga therapy so that the practices can be built into the person’s daily life instead of being stand-alone exercises at weekly therapy sessions, says Romanoff.
More traditional forms of yoga therapy can also involve other techniques, such as chanting, prayer, textual study, ritual, imagery, and spiritual counseling.
The Principles of Yoga Therapy
Yoga therapy exercises are often as simple as possible. The goal isn’t to put in the maximum amount of effort but rather to complete simple and slow movements. It has to be accessible to everyone, especially those with mental or physical conditions.
Yoga therapy is accessible to many but certain exercises may need to be adapted to the person doing it. (Source: StockSnap)
Yoga therapy is based on around 50 fundamental yoga exercises which are adapted to the patient by the yoga therapist. There are several types of exercises: physical, relaxing, meditative, respiratory, and philosophical. They come from various types of yoga: Nidra, Vinyasa, Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Ayurveda.
The poses in yoga are called Asanas; the main exercises that yoga therapy patients will do. Then there are breathing exercises, known as Pranayama, which are as important for the body as they are the mind. Finally, there are the symbolic and spiritual exercises known as Mudras.
A yoga therapy session tends to follow a specific order but it can change according to the patient. Here are some of the exercises you could practise during your sessions:
Meditation
Extended Side Angle Pose
Stretches
Shavasana
Synchronised breathing
Half Bridge Pose
Halasana
Sun salutation
Stomach massage
These are some very simple exercises that almost everyone can do. They allow you to effectively work on several parts of the body and strengthen your immune and nervous systems at the same time.
It’s easy to improve your health with yoga therapy.
Do yo know you can check for online yoga classes on Superprof?
PRACTICE AND BENEFITS OF YOGA THERAPY
Yoga therapy is practiced in a wide range of formats. Physical therapists, for example, often implement yoga techniques in their delivery of massage and other treatments. Yoga therapy practice can resemble physical therapy, rehabilitative therapy, and/or psychotherapy. Unlike a standard yoga class, yoga therapy sessions are typically conducted in one-on-one or small group settings. Yoga therapy can be provided as an adjunct therapy to complement other forms of treatment, or it can be used to directly treat a specific issue. Yoga techniques range from simple to advanced, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Potential benefits from yoga therapy include stress reduction, psychological well-being, improved diet, and efficient functioning of bodily systems. A 2011 qualitative study from Inkanyiso: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences examined the effects of yoga therapy on anxiety. The findings not only indicated that yoga therapy effectively reduced subjects' anxiety, but improvement across several dimensions of physical and mental health including physicality, relaxation, and mindfulness.
What Yoga Therapy Can Help With
Yoga therapy can be helpful in the treatment of mental health conditions such as:
Alcohol dependence
Autism
Bipolar disorder
Schizophrenia
Substance abuse
In addition, yoga therapy can be particularly effective for treating body-focused conditions, caused due to chronic pain, stress, or trauma that has been stored in the body and manifests through anxiety or depression-related symptoms, says Romanoff.
Benefits of Yoga Therapy
These are some of the benefits of yoga therapy:
Integrated mind-body focus: The exercises and postures of yoga therapy focus on the mind and body simultaneously, developing both mental and physical awareness. This helps with mind-body integration and improves mindfulness.
Physical health benefits: In addition to helping with mental health conditions, yoga therapy can also improve physical fitness and increase strength, balance, and flexibility. It can also help with physical health conditions such as pain, blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and arthritis.
Fewer side effects: Medication to treat mental health conditions can have side effects such as weight gain and other metabolic complications that can lead to an increased risk of heart disease. By contrast, yoga therapy has fewer side effects.1
Alternative form of therapy: A major benefit of yoga therapy is that it appeals to those who might not be ready for traditional talk therapy or those who might find more meaningful results through the mind-body integrative focus, says Romanoff.
Benefits of Yoga and Meditation in Communities of Color
Effectiveness
“Yoga therapy does not have as much empirical evidence of its efficacy due to limited randomized control trials relative to more established forms of therapy,” says Romanoff. However, there is a growing body of research demonstrating that yoga therapy may offer benefits.
For instance, a 2021 study found that yoga can help treat conditions like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol dependence, and schizophrenia.2 A 2011 study found that yoga could be a complementary form of therapy for mental health illnesses, with fewer side effects than medication.
Google Sites
Report abuse