michelle@mytyoga.ca
Yoga Therapy
What is yoga therapy?
The way that I describe Yoga Therapy is to say that it's therapy utilizing yoga as its' theoretical paradigm. This means that all the asana's (postures), pranayama's (breathwork), dhyana's (meditations), and all the other countless yoga tools are used to address your specific ailments. These sessions are all about you and vary depending on what you are needing to heal mind, body, soul.
Yoga Therapy can help people who can’t move at all. While I was studying in India, my teacher shared with us how Yoga Therapy helped one of her immobile students become mobile. Yoga is for everyone, regardless of mobility issues. Yoga Therapy is an integrative healing modality in that it looks at and addresses every aspect of your life. Everything is related and all systems impact each other.
Yoga therapy versus a yoga class
From personal experience and through my academic research, all yoga has the potential to be therapeutic and healing. There are many differences between a regular yoga class and a yoga therapy session. The most obvious is that a yoga class is geared to a group whereas yoga therapy is tailored to you. While it is my hope that all yoga classes incorporate yogic philosophy, this doesn't always happen unfortunately. A lot of people, myself included, think that yoga is all about touching your toes. Yoga is so much more and its' philosophy has changed my life in so many ways. Yoga therapy will pull on and integrate yogic philosophy to help guide you on your healing journey.
What to expect
Come dressed in comfortable clothes and an open mind. It's helpful if you bring your health information with you such as current doctors, physiotherapists, and other health care practitioners you are working with. I believe that people are more likely to heal and succeed in life when they have a team of people supporting them which is why it's important for me to know who else is supporting you. There will be some paperwork to complete upon your arrival as well however, I can email it to you prior to you coming to help save some time. Think about what it is you are wanting help with and identify why you are working on this. Knowing your why is half the battle! Some things we may do together include:
- Yogic philosophy
- Gently to vigorous movement
- Pranayama! I'm a huge advocate for conscious breathing
- Meditation, visualization, and body scan practices
- Yoga specific quizzes and assessments
- A combination of any of these tools!
International Association of Yoga Therapists
The IAYT is my governing board for Yoga Therapy. They recognized me as Yoga Therapist in 2017. I was able to meet all their requirements through taking my Yoga Therapy training with Erin Byron at the Welkin Yoga Life Institute.
For more information on Yoga Therapy, visit the IAYT website. The IAYT has a ton of information and some amazing articles to read too. I'm in the midst of submitting my latest research to them. Fingers crossed they publish my work!
Length & Cost
My sessions are 60 minutes in length and are all about you! Some people come on a weekly basis while others come on a monthly basis. How often you come is really up to you. Sessions are $110.00.