If you've been contemplating whether yoga or yoga therapy would be best for you, this article is for you. I explain the benefits of yoga therapy versus a regular yoga class.
Although the terms yoga and yoga therapy can sometimes be used interchangeably, there is a key difference between them, which we're exploring in this article.
Yoga serves as an excellent self-care practice for overall well-being. However, the benefits of yoga therapy extend further, as it is a targeted treatment for specific health conditions, using particular yoga exercises based on scientific research.
Read on to learn how yoga therapy benefits our mental and physical health.
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What is yoga therapy?
Yoga therapy combines specific tools and exercises from yoga philosophy to assist in therapeutic healing for a variety of health conditions.
In a yoga therapy session, the yoga therapist will select specific physical yoga postures (asanas), breathing techniques, and meditation/relaxation techniques for existing health problems that their patients want to address.
Yoga therapists have completed years of training and are qualified to create actual treatment plans for each of their patients. Treatments might include a daily physical practice that, depending on the individual case, ranges from gentle, such as Kundalini, to vigorous, such as Vinyasa.
Props like yoga blocks, straps, or chairs are commonly prescribed to assist patients with physical limitations or needs.
What is the goal of yoga therapy?
Yoga therapy aims to eliminate, reduce, or manage symptoms causing pain or suffering, resulting in improved health.
In cases of curing ailments and conditions, the goal of a long-term regular yoga therapy practice is to prevent the recurrence of the illness or the associated symptoms. Yoga therapy can be both preventative and/or curative.
Who can benefit from yoga therapy?
While yoga is beneficial for everyone, yoga therapy is ideal for people with health challenges.
People in good health most often practice yoga independently or via yoga classes with an instructor. However, for those who are considering yoga therapy to assist with the healing of an ailment, it is important to seek guidance from a certified yoga therapist.
3 mental health benefits of yoga therapy
Yoga therapy benefits extend beyond treating physical ailments. Regular yoga therapy sessions can improve mental health in many ways, including:
- Aiding in the relief of stress and anxiety
- Treating mental health conditions
- Alleviating post-traumatic stress disorder
1. Aiding in the relief of stress and anxiety
Like general yoga practice, yoga therapy is an excellent stress management tool. This is because of the connection to the breath that you cultivate through performing yoga poses and learning breathing techniques.
This conscious awareness of the breath calms the nervous system, switching off the fight-or-flight mode responsible for feelings of stress and anxiety. In addition, yoga techniques lower the stress hormone cortisol, which increases your tolerance for stressors, including physical pain.
2. Treating mental health conditions
A daily practice of yoga can help reduce the symptoms of a wide range of mental health conditions. One reason is that yoga restructures the pathways in your brain known as neural networks.
Every time you practice yoga, your brain cells develop new neural connections, strengthening key parts of the brain. This improves the brain's executive functions, such as reasoning, decision-making, memory, learning, and reaction time.
3. Alleviating post-traumatic stress disorder
A few studies have looked at yoga's specific effect on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sufferers.
For example, one study found that yoga reduces physiological arousal in PTSD patients and improves somatic regulation and body awareness, which are closely linked to emotion regulation.
This suggests that yoga can help us handle difficult emotions more healthily, allowing us to heal from traumatic experiences instead of suppressing them.
Takeaway on how yoga therapy is beneficial for mental health
Yoga therapy is a practice for targeted healing that uses the spiritual and movement components of yoga teachings. The benefits of yoga therapy are vast, and they may also include increased positive feelings and self-esteem and a deeper sense of inner peace in daily life.
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