What is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga Therapy is a speciality area of Yoga that is useful for treating almost any health concern as it’s designed for your individual needs.
Working together, we start where you are most conscious of the need for change or discomfort, and progress from that point.
Customising a short daily practice to your body’s ability and specific health needs ensures it is available to everyone whatever your age, health or experience.
Can Yoga therapy help me?
Yoga Therapy is a simple and gentle complementary health treatment that is practiced every day.
It can be tailored to most health conditions but don’t worry if you don’t fit into the labels listed here.
A simple practice is specifically designed for each individual because the way health and life problems arise is different in each of us.
Some of the more common reasons people are referred to seek Yoga Therapy include:
- Acute injuries
- Insomnia
- Stress
- Digestive problems
- Lower back/neck pain
- Weight management
- Mental health
- Menopause, period problems, and fertility
- Chronic health conditions
- Cancer
- Asthma
- Arthritis
- Blood pressure
- Cardiac conditions
- Musculoskeletal conditions
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Chronic Fatigue
- Scoliosis/Kyphosis
- Pain
- Cancer treatments and aftercare
- Hormonal issues such as thyroid disease
- Neurodegenerative conditions
- Addiction
It doesn’t matter if you don’t fit into the labels listed here.
Yoga Therapy is designed for the individual –
the way health or life problems arise differently in each of us.
How does a private consultation work?
At All Bodies Yoga Therapy we talk and agree on what you want to improve in your life and after a brief assessment of your current abilities I design and teach you a targeted and regular practice to incorporate into your life.
I recommend 3 sessions over a period of a few weeks for Yoga Therapy to support you as you learn the practice.
If you have a specific concern, like a disability, injury or are keen to see if you can start yoga in a general community class a private consultation will help you understand the basics and your strengths and imitations before enjoying the benefits of a group class.
How is Yoga Therapy different from Yoga classes?
A qualified Yoga Therapist is trained to design, modify, teach and support you in a personal therapeutic yoga practice.
Ongoing supervision helps to refine and empower you to take more control of your health and life.
Yoga classes are available in most communities and there are a range of styles from traditional to Power, Pre and Post Natal, Hot or Bikram, Iyengar or Ashtanga yoga, to name a few.
Although Yoga can benefit everyone not everyone is suited to each type of yoga so finding the safest and most suitable yoga class for you can be hit and miss.
Yoga classes can be fun and the ‘Sanga’ or community is often a lovely addition to your life.
Injuries tend to occur in larger groups or with less experienced teachers where many people, especially those new to yoga, are left to follow along as best they can.
“Viniyoga is giving what is appropriate.
By an appropriate person, to an appropriate person,
it is not casual or routine, not by anybody to everybody, not anything and everything.
It is specific and highly individualized.”
– Dr. N Chandrasekaran
Yoga Therapy uses some of the tools and techniques of yoga in a way that is tailored to you, an individual with unique needs and goals.
It naturally complements other therapies and certified Yoga Therapists often work hand-in-hand with specialists across the medical and complementary health spectrum to address specific needs.
What does a Yoga Therapist do?
A Yoga Therapist is an experienced Yoga Teacher with additional qualifications, specialised skills, and knowledge in the application of yoga within a therapeutic setting.
Yoga Therapists draw from the principles of yoga and the full range of yoga practices, biomedical knowledge, and assessment skills to establish a professional relationship with clients.
Together, you and the therapist work to create a plan of care that is self-empowering, begins recovery, minimises the impact of symptoms and eases suffering in a way that is appropriate to your needs.
“If you can breathe, you can do yoga”
– Sri T Krishnamacharya
How does Yoga Therapy work?
As an accredited Yoga Therapist, Georgina provides Yoga Therapy through individual consultations. Her goal is to empower you to manage your own health and well-being.
The first session
The first one-to-one session is a time to understand and assess your needs, areas of focus, individual goals and to design and teach you a specific home practice.
Initial assessment
The initial assessment requires some background history and an assessment of your physical body’s range of movement and your posture, the range of motion and strengths of joints, and discussion about your priorities, goals, and preferences.
We know that developing new habits, like a daily practice, benefits from extra support and Georgina works closely with you during this early phase.
Designing your personal practice
Your personal practice is designed to meet your needs and will leave you feeling better able to take on your day and to rest well at night. The practice will not be painful and will leave you feeling more refreshed and relaxed.
As you recover, your daily home practice will change to meet your step-by-step progress and capacity.
Subsequent sessions are an opportunity to check and refine the practice depending on your rate of progress. These can be managed in a way that suits you such as face-to-face, phone calls, Skype or any other preferred medium.
Creating an integrated plan of care can be complex and take a few sessions depending on an individual’s needs. You set the pace of your physical, emotional or mental self-care regime as your ability to listen to your body and breath develops.
Group classes or courses
Yoga Therapy can also be tailored for group classes or courses or to develop a personal home yoga practice in privacy and at your convenience.
“We know nothing
We have problems
We do something about them
We have some power
We find this power is something other than mind.”
– TKV Desikachar
Yoga starts wherever your body and mind is at.
At All Bodies Yoga Therapy I work with you holistically to reduce symptoms and increase your ability to take more control of your health and life.
~ Georgina Green, Founder, All Bodies Yoga Therapy
Get in touch
Do you have a question? Would you like to know more?
Let's chat about how Yoga can support You.
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