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PrintYoga Therapy: the Wave of the Future
Yoga can benefit the practitioner in numerous ways, even when a disease or condition cannot be fully corrected. While most types of yoga can bring health benefits, yoga therapy uses a variety of yogic practices to help improve a health condition or to ease a natural life process, such as pregnancy or menopause. While yoga by itself can alleviate a number of problems, it is particularly effective as a complement to alternative and conventional health care.
Among the yoga tools used therapeutically are asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), mudras (therapeutic hand positions) meditation and guided imagery. In utilizing yoga therapeutics, diet and lifestyle are also considered.
Most in the West experience lives filled with stress, and persistently high levels of stress hormones, particularly cortisol, can undermine the function of the immune system. Yoga, and by extension, yoga therapy, is perhaps the best overall stress reduction system ever invented. Stress has been linked to a wide variety of medical problems, from migraine headaches and irritable bowel syndrome to potentially life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease.
Therapeutic yoga is an inherently holistic approach, simultaneously working on the body, mind and spirit. Various yoga practices systematically strengthen different systems in the body, including the heart and cardiovascular system, the lungs, muscles and the nervous system. Yoga practices can also improve function of the digestive system, foster psychological well-being and improve respiratory system functioning and oxygen delivery to tissues. Yoga can help the body efficiently remove waste products, carcinogens and cellular toxins.
No two people are alike. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, different degrees of overall health and fitness and different levels of experience with yoga. Even people with exactly the same condition—say breast cancer—may vary in disease severity, their stage of treatment and the amount of time they can devote to their yoga practice. Yoga therapy can be used to address each individual’s unique and specific needs in a non-invasive, holistic way.
Joan Ryan, B.S., E-RYT500, IYT1000, is a professional yoga therapist and program director for the Integrative Yoga Therapy 200 hour therapeutic teacher-training program offered in NE FL. Joan offers yoga therapy full time to private students, groups and local businesses. Ryan is adjunct faculty at Discovery Yoga. For more information visit RWYogaTherapy.com.
