What is yoga therapy?
Yoga therapy uses practices from yoga in relation to a person's health, capacity, and daily life.
The work may include movement, breathing, relaxation, attention, reflection, and other aspects of the wider yoga tradition. What makes the process therapeutic is not the individual technique. It is the way the practice is selected, adapted, reviewed, and used for a particular person or health concern.
You do not need previous yoga experience, physical flexibility, or the ability to follow a general class.
The practice begins with the person
Yoga therapy does not start with a standard sequence. We first look at your health, history, present capacity, what is affecting daily life, and what you are hoping to change.
From there, the practice is developed with a clear purpose and adjusted according to what you experience over time.
Personalised
The practice is selected and adapted to your condition, capacity, circumstances, and priorities.
Structured
The work develops over time rather than as a collection of unrelated sessions.
Reviewed
We consider what is changing, what is proving useful, and what may need to be adjusted.
Intended to become your own
Over time, you become more familiar with the practices that support you and when it makes sense to use them.
Yoga offers more than movement
Movement is one part of yoga therapy, but it is not the whole of it.
Depending on the person and the purpose of the work, a practice may also include breathing, relaxation, meditation, attention, reflection, and aspects of daily routine.
These practices come from a wider yoga tradition that considers physical, physiological, psychological, intellectual, and reflective dimensions of human experience together.
Traditional terms such as asana, pranayama, dhyana, and yoga nidra describe some of the practices that may be used. They are chosen because they are relevant to the person and the purpose of the work, not because everyone needs the same combination.
A shared class and a therapeutic process have different starting points
A general yoga class offers one practice to a group.
Yoga therapy begins by understanding a particular person, condition, or clearly defined group need.
The practice has a therapeutic purpose. It is adapted where needed, developed over time, and reviewed according to what is actually happening in daily life.
A general class can still be useful. It simply serves a different purpose.
A practice that becomes useful in daily life
Yoga therapy develops through conversation, guided practice, observation, and adjustment.
Understand
We begin with your health, present capacity, and what is affecting daily life.
Practise
You learn a practice that may draw from movement, breathing, relaxation, attention, and reflection.
Review
We consider what is changing and adapt the practice according to your experience.
Make it your own
You learn when and how to use the practices that have proved most useful.
We look at what changes where it matters
Progress is not judged by how well you perform a posture. Depending on why you are seeking support, we may pay attention to areas such as:
These observations help us understand what is useful, what may need to change, and which practices are realistic to continue. Where appropriate, established questionnaires may also be used at the beginning and end of a programme to help make change more visible.
Different conditions affect daily life in different ways
I work with people managing chronic health conditions, particularly non-communicable conditions in which stress, lifestyle, and daily patterns may also play a part, including burnout, anxiety, multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions, and sleep and recovery difficulties. Whether individual or group support fits depends on the condition, its complexity, and how much adaptation is needed.
See who yoga therapy is for and how to choose →Yoga therapy works alongside the care you already receive
Yoga therapy has its own scope.
Where you are already working with a doctor, specialist, physiotherapist, psychologist, or another healthcare professional, the work sits alongside that care.
I do not make medical diagnoses, prescribe medication, or ask people to change or stop treatment prescribed by another healthcare professional.
Informed by training, research, and review
I hold an MSc in Yoga from S-VYASA. Research and programme evaluation inform how I structure and review the work.
A few things people ask before starting
Do I need previous yoga experience?
No. The practice begins with your present capacity. Previous yoga experience or flexibility is not required.
How long does yoga therapy take?
There is no single answer. Meaningful therapeutic work usually requires time to practise, observe, and adjust. Mindful Yogis group programmes therefore run over several weeks, while individual work develops according to the person and situation.
Can yoga therapy be adapted for a medical condition?
Often, yes. Adaptation is central to the process. The consultation helps determine whether online yoga therapy is appropriate for your situation and whether individual or group support makes more sense.
Is yoga therapy a replacement for medical or psychological care?
No. It works alongside the care you already receive.
How do I know whether individual or group work is right for me?
That depends on the condition, complexity, present capacity, and level of individual guidance required. We can look at this together during the free consultation.
Read more on the practice and the evidence
Start with a conversation
In a free 30-minute consultation, we look at what you are managing, what you are hoping for, and whether yoga therapy may be relevant. There is no obligation to continue.
You may be directed towards individual yoga therapy, a group programme, another Mindful Yogis resource, or a different form of support.