Yoga therapy
Yoga is an ancient tradition of mental and physical exercises, which started in India over 5,000 years ago and is now widely practised in the UK. There are many different styles of yoga. Some are physically more demanding, some are gentler, some focus more on physical postures, while others focus more on breathing and meditation.
Yoga therapy involves the use of yoga to deal with and prevent illness and to maintain good health. It includes physical exercises, breathing techniques and relaxation.
What is yoga therapy commonly used for?
Yoga aims to strengthen the body and calm the mind. People who practice it regularly say that it helps them to feel well and stay fit and healthy, and that the benefits increase over time. Yoga is considered to reduce stress and encourage relaxation.
Research suggests that yoga may be helpful for hypertension, asthma and reducing joint stiffness in osteoarthritis. There is also some evidence to suggest that it may be useful in epilepsy (Sahaja yoga), some kinds of irritable bowel syndrome, for reducing cholesterol levels and for mild depression.
There are yoga therapy classes for a wide range of conditions including arthritis, asthma, back pain, cancer, diabetes, depression, digestive problems, fatigue, hypertension, heart disease, HIV & AIDS, ME, menstrual problems, multiple sclerosis, respiratory problems and stress. There are also classes for women before and after childbirth.
What will happen when I see a yoga therapy practitioner?
When you begin yoga therapy for the first time, you should have an initial assessment. This would include giving information about your medical history and lifestyle and a 30-60 minute consultation with a yoga therapy practitioner. After this the practitioner will be able to recommend a course of action, which might be one-to-one sessions with a yoga therapy practitioner or special yoga therapy classes.
What precautions should I take?
Check with your practitioner before doing any yoga postures on your own at home. You should only practice yoga at home after you have learned the postures and techniques properly, as you could injure yourself if you try a yoga posture incorrectly. Some yoga postures should not be used by pregnant women.
What will it cost?
Costs are from about £50 per hour in London. Sessions usually cost less outside London.
How do I find a yoga therapy practitioner?
At the moment, there is no single body that regulates the yoga therapy profession. There are a number of professional associations that practitioners can choose to belong to but a yoga therapy practitioner is not required by law to belong to a professional association nor to have completed a specified course of training, although many do belong to the organisations listed below.
These organisations are working together as the British Council for Yoga Therapy to develop common standards of training and practice and one register of practitioners who all meet a required standard. When this happens, members of the public will have a single point of contact for finding practitioners. However, this process takes time and at present standards of training can vary, which is why we suggest you speak to the practitioner before going for treatment.
see also:
- Yoga Dvara (Tel: 01299 824911)
