Yoga Therapy

 

Yoga is a “potent tool of... health promotion.”
~ Singh, 1986, p.67

 

Yoga therapy is a holistic treatment approach, rooted in the belief that mind, body, breath, and spirit are interconnected. Yoga therapy aims to work with the natural inclination of the body and mind to move toward optimal well-being, health and healing. Yoga practitioners, medical and mental health professionals, researchers, and the public are increasingly aware of the health benefits of yoga practice, including but not limited to stress-reduction, physical benefits, and mental health benefits. Yoga therapy is a professional, client-centered, and tailored treatment to promote health and well-being within a therapeutic relationship with a certified yoga therapist. It includes personalized assessment, goal-setting, lifestyle management, and yoga practices. It differs from a traditional yoga class in that the yoga therapist works closely with each client to assess needs and their whole body-mind condition, ensure safety, consider limitations, attend to imbalances, and address specific goals in order to promote optimal health and well-being.

 

In the United States, a national certification through IAYT (the International Association of Yoga Therapists) identifies a practitioner as trained and qualified to provide yoga therapy. As of 2025, a certified yoga therapist is not a licensed health care professional in the United States—and, therefore, services cannot yet be covered by insurance (though some healthcare flexible spending accounts may honor and reimburse such services). Many doctors and professionals agree that yoga practices greatly benefit their clients in a number of important ways (though yoga is not a substitute for medical, psychological and psychiatric care). For some clients, yoga practice may be an important or essential adjunctive treatment, complementing standard care. For others, the integration of yoga practices and traditional care may enhance benefits and promote healing. And yet others may find that yoga therapy heals and supports them in a way that standard care is unable to provide.

 

Yoga therapy can occur on a mat, but it does not need to. It could involve seated or chair yoga, standing or reclined practices, or conversation. In some cases, for some concerns, it may appear similar to physical or rehabilitative therapy. (I have had some clients state that what I suggest is what they have worked on in a previous course of physical therapy). For other concerns, it may take a form that is similar to mental health interventions, coaching, or spiritual consultation. Yet others may focus on breathing practices. Prāṇāyāma has been shown to enhance lung capacity and improve respiratory function. (I have had some clients’ physicians exclaim that their respiratory conditions, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), have so significantly improved from yogic breathing practices that they have been able to reduce medication dosages). Slow and deep breathing can reduce anxiety and promote relaxation, while rapid breathing can invigorate and increase energy.

 

Yoga therapy is usually one-on-one (in a private session), but it can occasionally involve small groups working with a therapist; the power and dynamics of the group then become part of the healing process. It can also occur in person or via teletherapy. It does not involve teaching per se (as in a yoga class), but rather practices adapted to address the presenting concerns of the client. Bidirectional feedback between the client and yoga therapist is crucial to adapt the interventions to each client’s needs.

 

Most importantly, yoga supports each person’s own innate healing potential—connecting you to your own natural healing capacity, meeting you where you are, and supporting self-regulation and resilience. Yoga therapy develops increased self-awareness and self-empowerment through the experience of the interconnection between mind (mental, emotional), body (physical), and energetic and spiritual states. This recognition allows for more conscious choices that promote health, healing, and wellness.

 

From the perspective of yoga philosophy, dis-ease and illness fundamentally stem from separation/disconnection. The yogic model of health addresses every aspect of life rather than considering each body part or system separately. Yoga practice promotes physical and mental health, through “the maximization of joy and the complete unfolding of the human potential” (Ramaswami, 1989, p. 53). The definition of ideal psychological health proposed by yoga psychology is enlightenment, awakening, or realization. Health is seen as more than being free of symptoms, or adjusting and compromising to life’s constraints and difficulties. Yoga promotes health and well-being, rather than being curative medicine or seeking a reduction in physical symptoms alone (Singh, 1986). In fact, the word “yoga” is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means to yoke, bind, unite, join, or harness. Yoga can be seen as a philosophy and practice of connection, as we integrate all aspects of self and develop a sense of relatedness to other people, other beings, the environment, and the universe. Yoga develops your connection to self by supporting awareness of the links between mind, body, breath, feelings, memories, experiences, health, and states of consciousness. The techniques of yoga aim to uncover and highlight these connections.

 

Although all yoga can be therapeutic, stress-relieving and healing, yoga therapy involves the use of the full spectrum of yoga practices and principles to address a client’s physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual needs. These may include yoga postures and flows (āsanas), breathwork (prāṇāyāma), visualization and concentration practices (dhāraṇa), meditation (dhyāna), relaxation, lifestyle examination, mindset and mindfulness practices, affirmations or intention-setting (saṅkalpa), imagery (bhāvanā), cleansing practices (kriyās), sound vibration (mantra), energy locks (bandha), devotional practices (bhakti) and more. Yoga therapy can involve yoga postures or movement—and for some this may be vigorous—but it can also be used if you cannot move at all or if you have significant limitations in movement. Because sessions are tailored to your needs and abilities, you can participate and benefit regardless of flexibility, strength, balance, age, or physical condition.

 

Yoga therapy can be particularly effective for treating body-focused conditions, such as chronic pain, heart disease, weight or body image concerns, diabetes, and arthritis, or trauma that has been stored in the body. Prāṇāyāma (breathing practices) is crucial in chronic pain management because slow, deep breathing calms the nervous system and reduces stress levels (which can often exacerbate pain). A shift in mindset can also reduce one’s perception of pain. The movements and stretches involved in yoga therapy can promote a healthy weight by stimulating the digestive system, increasing metabolism, and promoting better digestion and absorption of nutrients. By engaging in healthy dietary and lifestyle choices and regular physical activity, as well as activating the parasympathetic nervous system, yoga therapy can also help regulate blood pressure and heart rate, lower cortisol levels (i.e., a stress hormone), reduce cholesterol levels, and improve cardiovascular health. Deep relaxation practices (or yoga nidrā) can be beneficial for those with insomnia or sleep disorders because such deep states of relaxation and rejuvenation can improve sleep quality and quantity, promote mental clarity, and support overall cognitive function. For those recovering from injury, physical and breathing practices can oxygenate the body, promote circulation, reduce inflammation, and support acceptance and positive states of mind, thereby accelerating natural healing processes.

 

Yoga begins with the body and the breath, but also develops the mind, awareness and concentration, and levels of consciousness. Yoga practices are one way to integrate work with the body, the breath, emotions, thoughts, interpersonal relationships, self-acceptance, healthy lifestyle choices, and self-awareness (emotionally, physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually/existentially).

 

In addition to bodily changes, yoga practices involve behavioral, cognitive, and affective changes. Yoga has been shown to affect the nervous system by improving the ability to self-regulate and supporting the parasympathetic nervous system (i.e., relaxation), affecting the mind and body bidirectionally. For example, the mind affects the body through the use of cognitive tools like meditation and visualization, and the body affects the mind through movement and breathing techniques that change the state of the nervous system and affect thoughts and emotions. Yoga supports self-awareness, self-inquiry (svādhyāya) and insight. Yoga may help cultivate and strengthen healthy attitudes and behavior such as mindfulness, compassion, focus, generosity, equanimity, joy, and ethical behavior, thereby changing our relationship to others, the environment, and the universe. Yoga can support us in remaining present and coping with anxiety, tension, anger, negative memories, and conflicts. In a world where stress is so prevalent, and in which so many illnesses are related to stress, yoga practices can help reduce physical and mental tension. Although we are surrounded by messages to avoid pain and to seek pleasure and gratification, yoga may help support each of us to be present with what is. The combination of physical movement, rhythmic breathing, and mindfulness practices also help release endorphins, the “feel-good” hormones of the body. This can alleviate negative feelings and mind states and improve overall well-being. Yoga therapy can also develop awareness of stressors, triggers, and effective coping strategies.

 

Yoga can be a powerful tool when words fail or are inadequate: a way to shift patterns, awareness or energy if someone has more difficulty expressing themself or if traditional (talk) therapy has only gone so far. We are beings with bodies and experiences that are sometimes difficult to describe through language. Emotions and sensations are often embodied–and sometimes encapsulated–in physical experiences. Some people may be blocked or struggling with powerful physical reactions and memories, such as those evoked by trauma, eating disorders, anxiety, or medical concerns. Physical work can support more acceptance of and comfort in the body, or in addressing problematic reactions to the body and bodily functions. Yoga practices encourage health by promoting suppleness, strength, endurance, and balance. Relaxation, deep breathing, and the release of physical tension helps us feel better, be more self-aware, and alter our perspectives and patterns. One of the goals of physical practices is to gain perspective on the body by gaining distance from it, fostering neutral observation and promoting higher levels of growth (Rama, Ballentine, & Ajaya, 1976). As the body releases tension and postures become effortless, the mind becomes calmer. Mental concentration and focused attention result and one naturally becomes more introspective, allowing access to intuition and one’s inherent wisdom.

 

Because the breath is both a voluntary and involuntary function (regulated by mind and body), it can be considered an intermediary between mind and body (Morse, Cohen, Furst, & Martin, 1984). The rhythm of the breath is often one of the most obvious physical indications of a person’s emotional and mental state. Although mental and emotional states often feel difficult to control, the irregularities of the breath can be easily observed and controlled. Yogic breathing exercises (prāṇayama) teach awareness of the breath, healthy breathing, and concentration. The breathing practices also teach one to be aware of and to control energy shifts.

 

In addition to promoting physical health, the physical yoga practices release tension and calm the body. The breathing and concentration practices calm both the body and mind, increasing focus and naturally promoting meditation. The mental and physical benefits of meditation practices, such as mindfulness meditation, have been very well documented. Many mental health practitioners already incorporate meditation into treatment. Yoga practices involving the physical body, the breath, and concentration prepare practitioners for meditation. Meditation ultimately leads to the experience of higher states of consciousness. This transpersonal consciousness—in which awareness is manifested as intuition and wisdom—must be directly experienced (Rama et al., 1976). The “witness consciousness” results in great bliss, joy, and peace. Ultimately, the practices involve the experience of universal awareness, in which the distinction between subject and object (knower and known) dissolves.

 

As described above, many physical and mental health goals are identical to those of yoga practice: promoting wellness and a strong, flexible body and mind, regaining a sense of peace and joy, balancing physical, mental, and energetic imbalances, creating cognitive, behavioral, and affective change, promoting introspection and self-awareness, coping with difficult experiences and mental states (e.g., anxiety), and developing self-acceptance and connection with others. There are also elements of yoga practice that are beyond the realm of traditional therapies, such as discussion of higher consciousness, integrated work with the physical body, energy body, breath and mental experience, and the felt-experience of the “witness consciousness.”

 

It is most important to work with a yoga therapist that you trust, someone who non-judgmentally understands you and your concerns, and someone that you feel is qualified and whose work and presence you can believe in. Yoga is based in ahimsā—non-harming; you should always feel safe and supported. Then, you can more readily address therapeutic goals, explore and connect with emotions, develop self-acceptance, foster self-awareness, and enlist your own wisdom and healing capacities.

 

For some extra information on yoga therapy, please visit:
How Can Yoga Therapy Help?
Research on yoga therapy and health
A yoga therapy perspective on the human system: The panchamaya model
Yoga and psychotherapy from Ware, C. J. (2007, June). Yoga and psychotherapy. Yoga Therapy in Practice, 15-17.

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Yoga is based in a number of “principles” that promote health and a healthy outlook:

• • There is wisdom in experiencing, in being. There is wisdom in your experience.

• • You are just right as you are. You may have forgotten this; all you have to do is remember or realize it.

• • Your body-mind is just right the way it is; you are full of light.

• • Yoga (union) is your natural state. We are all interrelated. If everything is connected, you can watch the body-mind-breath to understand the self, the universe, and your relationship to the universe.

• • Change is inevitable. Everything can and will change, including your body, your thinking patterns, your lifestyle, and your breath. Yoga helps prepare for change when and as it occurs. Yoga teaches you to be mindful of the transitions in life.

• • Yoga practices can help you become more aware of your body, breath, mind, spirit, and your link to the universal.

• • You are different from your thoughts. Your mind is usually filled with continually changing thoughts, images, internal commentary, and fantasies. It is possible to observe your thoughts if you cultivate the ability to separate yourself from them. Although you are likely to initially experience your identity as a stream of thoughts, emotions, and urges, you will eventually witness the stream of consciousness. This is the experience of the observer, the witness, or the witness-consciousness.  Eventually, both the witness and that which is witnessed will dissolve into the experience of pure consciousness.

• • Yoga practices bring you into the present. Breath and movement are your connection to the present moment.

• • Yoga practices bring calm, peace, and happiness to the moment.

• • Yoga helps you accept difficulties, accept pleasure and pain. Yoga helps you experience relaxation in action—living life as free of tension as possible.

• • Yoga encourages moderation (e.g., eating until you are satisfied; neither eating too much nor too little; eating in a way that is healthy for your body and questioning assumptions that we have about this)

• • Yoga teaches you to be “where you are,” physically, mentally, spiritually. Rather than pushing, “flow.” Witness your experience—thoughts, feelings, sensations. Do that for which you are ready. Postures are not the goal—but mindfulness and flow.

• • In terms of haṭha yoga: you will feel better if you physically strengthen, stretch, cleanse, and stabilize your body (muscles, joints, spine, skeletal system, internal organs, glands, and nerves). You will feel better if you learn to tune in to your energy level and internal energy flow (prāṇa). Yoga practices will help you revitalize, control, and enhance your energy. Meditation and concentration practices will increase your positive thinking, mental clarity, and focus. A conditioned, healthy body that holds as little tension as possible will help you be mindful, rest and watch the mind/breath, and sit in meditation more easily. The body moves to help calm the mind. The movement is also a point of focus for the mind, creating “meditation in motion."

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A number of reported health benefits of yoga:

 

Increases/improves

Attention span/concentration

Cognitive/academic performance

Interpersonal skills/relationships

Calmness (quiets the mind)

Quality of life/wellbeing

Relaxation of body

Creativity

Respiratory operations

Coping with medical problems

Self-esteem

Assertiveness

Body and sensory awareness

Self-control/discipline

Mental alertness

Learning readiness/capacity

Balance/coordination

Flexibility

Strength

Respect for others, self, body

Ethical behavior/awareness

Peacefulness/conflict resolution

Emotional awareness/control

Decreases                                                       

Anxiety

Depression                                       

Stress/tension                                                

Hyperactivity and impulsivity                                  

Posttraumatic stress                                      

Anger                                                             

Mental activity                                              

Physiological arousal                                    

Cholesterol                                                    

High blood pressure                                      

Chronic pain                                                  

Substance use/abuse                                      

Asthma/allergies                                           

Headaches                                                      

Test anxiety                                                   

Disruptive behavior                                       

Phobic reactions                                            

Shyness                                                          

Fatigue                                                                       

Nightmares/sleeping problems/insomnia

 

Helps regulate

Blood pressure                                   

Heart rate

Metabolic rate

Brain waves

Body temperature

Skin sweating

Energy/mood fluctuations

Sleep patterns

Digestion/assimilation/elimination

 

Supports coping with and adapting to

Healthy aging

Cancer

Diabetes

Heart disease and stroke

Parkinson's disease

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Arthritis

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Menopause

Fibromyalgia

Chronic fatigue syndrome

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References:

 

Morse, D.R., Cohen, L., Furst, M.L., & Martin, J.S. (1984). A physiological evaluation of the yoga concept of respiratory control of autonomic nervous system activity. International Journal of Psychosomatics, 31, 3-19.

 

Rama, Swami, Ballentine, R., & Ajaya, Swami. (1976). Yoga and Psychotherapy: The Evolution of Consciousness. Honesdale, PA: Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy.

 

Ramaswami, S. (1989). Yoga and healing. In Sheikh, A.A. & Sheikh, K.S. (Eds.), Healing East and West: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Psychology (pp.33-63). New York: John Wiley & Sons.

 

Singh, R.H. (1986). Evaluation of some Indian traditional methods of promotion of mental health. Activitas nervosa superior, 28, 67-69.

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Yoga Therapist

Citrinī Nata Devi, PhD, E-RYT(500), C-IAYT, CCTP-II

Citrinī has had long-standing interests in Eastern perspectives on mental and physical health, in the connections between mind, body and spirit, in the promotion of well-being, in stress-related concerns, and in alternative and complementary approaches to healing. She has been a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) since 2006 and a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) with IAYT since 2017. Citrinī has been a senior-level TriYoga® instructor since 2000, as well as a senior-level TriYoga teacher trainer. She is certified in TriYoga Basics through Level 3, as well as TriYoga Prana Vidya Basics through Level 3. She has led TriYoga teacher training programs and certified (i.e., examined) TriYoga teachers trained by others. She has been a guest instructor for the TriYoga Center of Boston in their 500-hour program in therapeutic yoga. She has also been registered as an Experienced-Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) with the Yoga Alliance at the 500-hour level since Feb 2013 and at the 200-hour level since Dec 2009. Similarly, she has been a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with the Yoga Alliance at the 500-hour level since August 2006 and at the 200-hour level since February 2005. She is also a Yoga Alliance Registered Children's Yoga Teacher (RCYT) and Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT). In addition, she completed Amy Weintraub’s Lifeforce Yoga Practitioner training (2006), prenatal yoga training (2008), and Mind-Body Intelligence Training (2006). She worked as a psychologist in private practice for over 20 years, and completed her doctorate in psychology in 2004 with a dissertation focusing on the mental health benefits of yoga practice for at-risk youth in a partial hospitalization program. Much of Citrinī’s professional life, publications and professional and academic presentations have focused on the intersection and integration of psychotherapy, yoga, and meditation practices.

 

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Please note: yoga practitioners, medical and mental health professionals, researchers, and the public are increasingly aware of the health benefits of yoga practice, including stress-reduction, physical benefits, and mental health benefits. Although yoga is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological and psychiatric care, many doctors and professionals agree that yoga practices greatly benefit their clients in a number of important ways. Yoga is a holistic practice that integrates and develops the mind, body, breath, and spirit. For some, yoga practice may be an important or essential adjunctive treatment, complementing standard care. For others, the integration of yoga practices and traditional care may enhance benefits and promote healing.