How a Yoga Therapy takes place
Yoga classes are generally ‘one size fits all’, since the same practices are given to everybody, while the yoga teacher is unaware of the student’s relevant health information.
On the other hand, Yoga Therapy starts with the completion of a confidential Health Information Form and continues with the personal intake, postural movement and breathing assessments. Based on these and the feedback a personal practice is developed that addresses the goals and the limitations of the patient.
The personal and individualized short and simple yoga practice usually includes movements/exercises/asanas, breathing awareness, a simple breathing practice, guided relaxation or meditation and healthy lifestyle tips. The practice is given written and drawn with simple stick figures with the date and the name of the individual.
Through the movements we mostly address the structure either releasing tension or strengthening the area affected.
Through simple breathing practices, we address the state of the nervous system, either relaxing it by elongating the exhalation or lifting the energy levels by enhancing the inhalation and lifting the spirit.
The personalized short, guided relaxation based on the intake, the needs of the individual and the state of their mind & nervous system further supports patients’ needs by establishing a more balanced state of mind.
The yoga therapy sessions ideally last 90 minutes, although they can last only 60 minutes, except for the first one that needs to be 90 minutes due to the assessments. The second session usually takes place after a week practicing the personal yoga therapy sequence.
In the second session, based on the individual’s feedback we further develop the practice either modifying it or making it more complicated.
The third session usually takes place 2 weeks after the second one and the fourth session 3 or 4 weeks after the third one.
So, in total the 4 sessions take place within 2 months. In this way, the person gives the opportunity for the practice to show its results but also individuals get used to doing a personal 20–30-minute mind and body practice that works for them. It is their practice, the practice that was developed based on their feedback, on their body, on their energy levels and on their lifestyle.
Yoga Therapy is not only given in 1-2-1 but also in groups as in clinical studies where there are inclusions and exclusions criteria.
Yoga Therapy is given in groups of about 10 people with the same condition or symptoms such as stress and anxiety, insomnia, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, hypertension, multiple sclerosis or breast cancer where people are at the same treatment stage.
They usually take place on a weekly basis for 1 hour and for 8 weeks in total. They also start with the completion of the confidential information form and an hour session where the intake and the postural, movement and breathing assessments take place.
The assessments show whether it is safe and beneficial for the individuals to join but also the need for personal modification of the group practice and of the small and daily home practice. The small and personalized home practice is sent by email every week and is a fraction of the group practice. The 1-hour group practice is gradually modified every 2 weeks getting slightly more mentally or physically elaborate and intensive, while the home practice having started quite short and simple is getting longer and more effective. At the end of the 8 weeks, a specific to the condition feedback form evaluating the effect of the practice is completed by every participant.
