What is yoga therapy?

Yoga therapy is normally done on a 1-2-1 basis as it uses yoga techniques to create, stimulate, and maintain an optimum state of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health for the individual.
It can help reduce stress and support recovery of strength and confidence after major surgery, or while under treatment for a serious or chronic illness. It can help cancer patients both before and after undergoing treatment, and also sufferers from asthma or arthritis. It can also help those suffering from pain or stress or dealing with physical or mental trauma.
For those suffering from muscular-skeletal problems we would prioritise issues relating to the body using appropriate yoga postures. But where pain is exacerbated by lifestyle and stress we would look to help the individual understand and alter aggravating factors in their lifestyle that can help release tension.

How a Yoga Therapy programme works

The initial diagnostic session lasts around 90 minutes, and can be at your home or at the BoCo studio in Surbiton. It will include:

• A visual assessment of your body and how you move

• A comprehensive interview covering your current symptoms and priorities; any illnesses or injuries and their treatment; any medication you are taking; and your work/life balance.

• A physical session in which the therapist will work with you to assess your range of movement and where pain occurs, see how far you can move safely and without pain, and decide which yoga tools will best help you.

• Your therapist will then design and work through with you a short daily yoga practice for you to do at home between sessions. This daily practice is vital - improvement comes from daily practice. You will be given a written copy of this practice.

After about a fortnight of daily practice you will meet again with the therapist to review your progress and practice. As you progress, your practice will be refined to meet your evolving needs and build on the improvement you have secured.
Once your practice is established, you will need to meet with your therapist monthly or every two months as appropriate, for as long as you feel that you need further help. In some cases you might also be recommended to attend an appropriate regular group class to help you progress.

To read further, see more about Yoga Therapy

Email Karin directly at karin@boco-uk.com or the studio at bookings@boco-uk.com or call 0208 399 3930

Why more Western doctors are now prescribing Yoga Therapy

A growing body of research confirms yoga therapy’s promise to offer relief from the suffering associated with a number of chronic and debilitating conditions. The following link outlines some of the research and their findings.

https://yogatherapy.health/research

The following extracts are from an article by Susan Enfield in Yoga Journal on 3rd February 2016:
With a growing body of research proving yoga’s healing benefits, it’s no wonder more doctors—including those with traditional Western training—are prescribing this ancient practice to their patients.
Yoga therapy is now recognized as a clinically viable treatment, with established programs at major health care centres, such as The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, Cleveland Clinic, and many others. In 2003, there were just five yoga-therapy training programs in the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) database. Today, there are more than 130 worldwide, including 24 rigorous multi-year programs newly accredited by IAYT, with 20 more under review. According to a 2015 survey, most IAYT members work in hospital settings, while others work in outpatient clinics or physical therapy, oncology, or rehabilitation departments (and in private practice).

“In yoga therapy, we work on individuals, not conditions,” says McCall, a former internist who now trains yoga therapists with his wife, Eliana Moreira McCall, at their Summit, New Jersey, yoga therapy centre. That’s because patients often have multiple, overlapping conditions, he says: “For instance, we may work on back pain, but the client also ends up sleeping better and becomes happier.” Some therapists focus on physical mechanics, while others bring in Ayurvedic healing principles and factor in diet, psychological health, and spirituality to create a holistic, customised plan.
Yoga therapy utilizes poses, breathing techniques, and meditation to benefit and improve overall health. Led by yoga teachers who’ve received additional training to work with clients with various health conditions, the styles and formats differ widely, ranging from chair yoga in hospitals and elder-care facilities to small, focused therapeutic classes and one-on-one sessions.
Increasingly, yoga therapy is making inroads in conventional health care settings. At Manhattan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in New York City, Loren Fishman, MD, author of Healing Yoga, regularly uses yoga alongside traditional treatments to treat scoliosis, rotator cuff syndrome, and other neuromuscular problems. “Many physicians have come to appreciate the beneficial effects of yoga, says Fishman.” 

The health care world’s increased acceptance of yoga therapy is partly due to a significant body of clinical research that now documents yoga’s proven benefits for a range of health conditions, including back pain, anxiety, depression, and insomnia, as well as its ability to help reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Yoga has even been documented as a way to alleviate the side effects of cancer treatment.

For the full article and for more information see tell me more about Yoga Therapy.