Yoga therapy is considered to be a type of mind-body treatment that focuses on physical, mental, and spiritual components to improve an individual’s overall health and well-being. Designed to provide clients with a holistic approach to healing, yoga therapy can be used by skilled practitioners to address a wide range of conditions and imbalances.
Completing a yoga therapy program allows you to learn key elements of the practice and become a professional yoga therapist who can help clients improve their quality of life. By combining the Western understanding of anatomy with traditional Eastern Yogic practices, yoga therapy can offer clients a unique set of benefits.
Here’s a closer look at the therapeutic benefits of yoga therapy for those interested in pursuing a career in the field!
Addressing Mental Health and Emotional Imbalances in Yoga Therapy
Yoga Therapists work to assess and address mental, emotional, energetic, and spiritual imbalances in order to create an effective session—identifying health concerns that reflect the client’s specific needs. By promoting tranquility and peace of mind, yoga therapy can help boost the client’s self-confidence and encourage a positive outlook.
Studies have shown that yoga has a significant impact on peoples’’ mental health by reducing anxiety. For that reason, many individuals suffering from depression or anxiety seek out yoga as a therapeutic option. Our Yoga Therapy certification program (accredited with the International Association of Yoga Therapy) will introduce you to key concepts in yoga and mental health, teaching you trauma-informed yoga as well as body-mind integration to help you improve your clients’ mental wellbeing.
Improving Your Clients’ Physical Health after Yoga Therapy Training
Part of a Yoga Therapist’s role includes assessing a client’s physical body as related to specific tasks. The knowledge you gain through your training will help you assess alignment and motor control issues that may be contributing to their (in)ability to perform various activities.
Clients can directly benefit from various yoga techniques such as asana (postures), pranayama (breathing practices) and meditation to help reduce aches and pains while increasing functional mobility. This pilot study suggests that yoga may even help patients with osteoarthritis, while other research has associated yoga with providing effective relief for signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
By applying an understanding of biomechanics and manual adjustments, yoga therapists can also help clients improve their body posture and mobility. Findings in this exploratory study indicate that yoga might also help with gait function, making your practice even more important for your clients’ physical health.
Reducing Stress through Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
Yoga therapy is commonly linked to stress reduction, particularly as various yogic techniques, such as meditation and pranayama (breathing exercises), promote body-mind awareness and encourage mindfulness Yoga has been shown to improve many psychological and physiological conditions—helping to improve stress levels, blood pressure, and heart rate. Professionals with a yoga therapy career can apply their knowledge and skills to help their clients better manage stress.
Yoga emphasizes the present moment by encouraging clients to focus during postures or by anchoring their mind to the sensation of their breath, for example. In doing so, the client can experience a state of peacefulness and relaxation. This helps them balance their mental and emotional state while improving their overall well-being.
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