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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Yoga therapy is a growing field in integrative healthcare, based on the
mounting research into yoga’s therapeutic benefits. With educational
standards and a scope of practice beyond those of yoga teaching, yoga
therapists use the tools of yoga to empower individuals toward well-being.
YOGA THERAPY
Q
What can i expect from a yoga
therapy session?
Yoga therapy sessions are often
one-on-one or in small groups of
people with similar conditions or
life situations. Yoga therapists will
always take your health history into
account and, though they don’t
make medical diagnoses, they
provide an individualized assessment
of your health using tools including:
•
Observations of posture,
movement, and breath
•
Questions about mood
and lifestyle
•
Observations through the lens
of yogic subtle anatomy, such as
the vayus and the five koshas.
The koshas are five layers, or
“sheaths,” that make up your self,
similar to the layers of an onion.
The koshas start with your physical
well-being and end with bliss (see
below). Yoga therapists consider
all aspects of your well-being
and how they interact in their
recommendations. For example,
arthritis in your physical body may
be affecting your emotions and
deeper connection to bliss, while
your emotions may be exacerbating
the pain. From these observations
and considerations, yoga therapists
create a personalized plan of care
for each client using tools such
as poses, breathwork, meditations,
and lifestyle suggestions.
Lifestyle changes
and
mindset shifts
from yoga can
help people move
beyond a disease
focus to cultivate
human flourishing.
THE FIVE KOSHAS
Each of these five layers or
“sheaths” must be looked
after if we are to live a
healthy, balanced life.
Bliss
(Anandamaya)
Wisdom
(Vijnanamaya)
Mind and emotions
(Manomaya)
Energy and breath
(Pranamaya)
Physical
(Annamaya)
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197
Q
How does yoga
therapy work?
Yoga has profound therapeutic
potential because it acts on what
researchers call a biopsychosocial-
spiritual model (see right). Much of
yoga research is done through this
lens, showing therapeutic yoga’s
promise for multidimensional
conditions such as chronic pain,
trauma, and anxiety. Just as with the
koshas (see left), the core of yoga
therapy is that each aspect of self
interacts with the others. To address
this, yoga therapy applies a balance
of research evidence, client values,
and clinician experience.
Q
How does
yoga therapy
compare to other
healthcare
practices?
Most healthcare systems work
on the level of pathogenesis, which
is a disease-based model of
healthcare. The primary aim in this
model is managing symptoms and
“fixing” parts and pieces of the
system. Although yoga therapy
often is successful at managing
symptoms, such as by providing
pain relief, it also works on a level
of salutogenesis, which is a health-
based model. Rather than focusing
on the disease to be cured or a
problem to be fixed, salutogenesis
focuses on creating well-being.
Lifestyle changes and mindset
shifts from yoga, therefore, can help
people move beyond a disease
focus to cultivate human flourishing.
Q
Do we have
scientific
evidence to
support the benefits
of yoga therapy?
Yes. The vast majority of scientific
research into yoga is focused on
understanding its therapeutic
benefits, particularly for one of the
world’s most pressing healthcare
issues: lifestyle-based chronic
diseases (see pp.178–79, pp.188–
91, and pp.194–95). The quality
of this research is also improving,
although some of the therapeutic
benefits of yoga may never be
fully understood through Western
scientific inquiry. The yoga therapy
profession is now growing partly
because of the need for highly
trained individuals who can work
with specialized populations, for
example veterans and those in
cancer care.
BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL-SPIRITUAL MODEL
SPIRITUAL
Self-actualization
Self-realization
Purpose
Meaning
SOCIAL
Community and
relationships
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Mood and
mental health
WELL-BEING
BIOLOGICAL
Genetics
Physical health
and fitness
Disease states
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