What is Yoga Therapy?

by Janet Nash, MSW, LISW-S, RYT-200

The earliest references to Yoga come from four early sacred Hindu texts known as the Vedas. The Vedas are historically recognized as the earliest existing form of scriptures of humankind. These texts explained and regulated aspects of life from supreme reality to life on earth, and were orally passed from guru to disciple for thousands of years before being written down. Other sources of reference with regard to the practice of yoga include Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Through many centuries, the art and science of Yoga, (8 limbs of yoga including asana, pranayama, yamas, niyamas, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi) has evolved into a combination of spiritual practices, yoga asana techniques and passive treatments, including medicinal treatments, we now call Yoga therapy. Yoga was introduced in the United States in 1893 when Swami Vivekananda of India spoke at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. The goal of the Parliament was to integrate the religions and sciences of East and West cultures. At that time, Yoga began to grow with the creation of the Vedanta society. Early North American Yoga was guided by the Vedanta society, but would be nurtured for the most part by female gurus.

Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya is considered to be the father of modern Yoga and contemporary Yoga Therapy. Today, most schools of Yoga Therapy can be traced back to him. He was the teacher of BKS Iyengar, Patabi Jois, A. G. Mohan, and TKV Desikachar, four of the most well known Gurus of contemporary Yoga Therapy.

In the 1980s, Yoga therapy was re-introduced to North America in a publication by Dr. Dean Ornish concerning the study of the effects of lifestyle intervention on heart disease. The study demonstrated heart disease could be reversed through lifestyle changes which included therapeutic Yoga, meditation, and diet. By the 1990s, the Program for Reversing Heart Disease was approved for health insurance coverage, making Yoga therapy a part of medical procedures.

Since the introduction of Dr. Ornish’s enlightening program for reversing heart disease, research for many other conditions has been explored and developed. Research has proven Yoga breathing exercises (pranayama) used in a therapeutic context helps manage symptoms of disease and often makes ailing patients feel better.

Some of the many conditions Yoga therapy has relieved are: Depression, insomnia, breathing difficulties, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, mourning, sciatica and muscle tension, autoimmune illnesses, nervousness, perfectionism, eating disorders, and many other ailments.

Yoga therapy helps individuals loosen joints, ease sore muscles, and tone internal organs with a combination of passive, or assisted, Yoga, acupressure, reflexology, energy work and massage techniques. Often during the Yoga therapy session, the energy lines (nadis) and energy centers (chakras) are activated to create vital energy (prana) which alleviates symptoms of discomfort on physical, mental, and emotional levels.