What is Yoga Therapy?

It is my hope that this will help you to understand the definition of yoga therapy, the expectations of practitioners and the cornerstones of my practice

To define yoga therapy, we will first need to define yoga: 

Yoga means union - it is an integration of the body, mind, and heart, in which each uplifts, propels, and vitalizes the others. This integration of all of our parts is yoga. 

In this way, yoga can be thought of as a noun and a verb. 

I.e. the state of integration that we feel can be described as yoga the noun. According to yoga philosophy, in our truest form, we embody this state of integration. If we were to remove all blockages, we would discover that we already exist in a state of yoga. 

The act of moving towards that integration can be thought of as yoga the verb. Therefore, practicing yoga is not an attempt to arrive anywhere new, it’s the act of returning to our truest selves.

When we start to let all parts of ourselves (body, mind, emotions, heart, soul) speak and be heard, we are practicing yoga.

When we follow curiosity about mind-body healing, we are beginning yoga.

When we think of yoga as a verb instead of yoga as a static state, we release the trap of believing that we need to be “yogic” all of the time, and instead embody one of the core teachings of yoga - impermanence. A part of healing is acknowledging the spiral like movement towards integration - the process of forgetting, getting back on track, and holding compassion for ourselves the whole way.

With this definition, it is my belief that yoga can be accessible to anyone. 

And - I think it warrants mention that as a facilitator of yoga, I deeply feel the incongruence between the teachings and the application of yoga. I’ve witnessed lots of microaggressions in the yoga classroom, and have seen abuse and misconduct in spaces that are supposed to be safe.  I’m aware that the practice of asana was created for young men, which explains why some of the postures are inaccessible for other bodies. Advertisements and magazines center skinny white cisgendered women, and “yoga clothing” lines run small in their sizing. Studio memberships are expensive, and many teachers aren’t paid a livable wage.

There’s a lot of gatekeeping going on here and messages that say “yoga might be for you if you fit these criteria, and if you’re wiling to push through.” There’s some dirt built up around the term. So approaching the practices of yoga and yoga therapy includes a responsibility to acknowledge the dirt, sift through it, and uplift that which serves ALL bodies, minds, and hearts. Because there’s a light, I promise - I’ve also witnessed some of the safest and most nurturing healing spaces in yoga containers.

With those things said, we can move on to some more concrete definitions:  

The International Association of Yoga Therapy (IAYT) defines yoga therapy as follows: 

“the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through application of the teachings and practices of Yoga.”

Yoga therapy is not a replacement for other medical or professional care. It serves as a supportive, complementary treatment to other specialized forms of healthcare like CBT, psychiatry and physical therapy.

Yoga therapists complete a total of 1000 hours of training to become certified (through an accredited school) with the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

My practice of somatic coaching draws from my training and background in yoga therapy and integrates embodiment, philosophy, mindfulness and creative practices.

In my practice, embodied experience is centralized, and the intelligence of the body is celebrated. My belief is that information from the body reveals important desires of the heart.

As D.H. Laurence writes: “My belief is in the blood and flesh as being wiser than the intellect. The body unconscious is where life bubbles up in us. It is how we know we are alive, alive to the depths of our souls and in touch somewhere with the vivid reaches of the cosmos.”

I think I’ll leave us with that. If you have questions about how somatic coaching can support you, feel free to reach out! 

In devotion to the wholeness within you and within me, 

Namaste

Sami M.