Yoga Therapy means lots of different things to different people at different times in their lives. Your understanding of yoga therapy will often change and evolve over time depending on your experiences and situation in life.
The International Association of Yoga Therapists in America states that, “yoga therapy is 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 is care for the whole person, not just the physical body. Western medicine tends to deal with each body part or system individually. This can often lead to a fractured and disjointed approach. Using yoga practices of postures, breathing exercises, relaxation, meditation, sound work, yoga therapy can deal with all aspects of the human condition.
Yoga Therapy is a stand-alone therapy but it can also be used alongside your existing healthcare regime and at the same time as other treatments or interventions. Whilst a physio might be treating a specific issue or injury in one part of your body, a yoga therapist will look at the body as a whole. It is as important to keep the rest of the body balanced and working effectively to help and support your recovery as it is to deal with the specific issue. Breathing and relaxation techniques can also help calm down the central nervous system to help overcome a lot of the emotional issues that you might experience when ill-health or injury occur.
Yoga therapists help clients to work with awareness, listen to their body and tap into their own innate healing capabilities. There is a constant dialogue throughout the sessions as to how things are working and the practice is adapted and altered to meet your specific needs. As a fully trained and qualified yoga therapist I use my knowledge, expertise, and experience to choose safe, relevant, and appropriate yoga techniques to help support and guide you in improving your health and wellbeing.
Your yoga therapy session could either be one-to-one or in a small group. A 1-2-1 session is ideal as it means we can focus on your specific needs and requirements. However, I also tailor a class situation to meet the needs of all students present, whatever their abilities or condition; whether they are working from a chair or on the floor.
Over the years my understanding of yoga therapy has changed, and is still evolving. For me, I want to use the different yoga techniques to help you develop a greater awareness of your body, mind and emotions so that you can take better care of yourself and manage your own health and wellbeing more effectively.
Calming down the nervous system and allowing the parasympathetic nervous system to activate is a priority in every session – be it in a 1-2-1 or class situation. The body’s healing system cannot work if the fight/ flight /freeze or stress response is still active. I use several techniques that help the body do this, from lying, sitting or standing positions.
Once the body, mind and emotions have begun to calm down, you can start to focus a little better on what the postures feel like. I encourage everyone to keep things comfortable. This keeps the postures safe and pain levels to a minimum, if they were there in the beginning.
My experience has taught me that it’s the small, comfortable, easy movements that are most effective in making beneficial changes in the body; from reducing tension, aches and pains, to changing the body’s alignment or posture.
If your body feels more comfortable and works better, you can go about your daily life more positively and confidently, unhindered by limiting physical, mental or emotional ill health.
Sometimes a particular injury or health condition means that yoga therapy can only reduce discomfort, rather than getting rid of it completely. The intention is still to reduce the restricting factors as much as possible: to make the most of what you’ve got, for as long as you’ve got it!
When I ask students why they keep coming to class, they say, “because it makes me feel better!” It makes their bodies feel more comfortable, they can breathe easier, they have more energy and they feel better and more confident in themselves.
It is the most rewarding experience for me when students get up at the end of a session with a sparkle and a twinkle in their eye. “That’s better,” they say. “I’m glad I came.” One student recently noticed that, “I feel well oiled!”
Life continually changes and a yoga therapy practice changes with you. My intention is that a yoga therapy session helps to keep you balanced and functioning at your best so you can navigate the stresses, strains, and changes in your life as effectively as possible.
A perpetual student, I am always learning new things about the body, how it works and how yoga therapy practices can be used to improve it.
‘Listen to your body’ has been a constant mantra for me from the very first yoga class I attended. I would still say it is the single most important instruction I use with all my students and continue to use in my own personal practices.
I use different yoga techniques, including postures, breathing and relaxation techniques and chanting, to help keep you balanced and functioning at your best so you can navigate the stresses, strains and changes in your life as effectively as possible.
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I hold live over 50s classes in and around the Bury area and also over zoom. If you would like to know more about what classes I run throughout the week please go to my schedule list and find an over 50s class that's suitable for you.
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