What is Yoga Therapy?
The art of yoga is a living, breathing subject. Much like the English language which evolves with new words and phrases, yoga continues to march ahead with the introduction of innovative techniques, ancient texts which have been discovered, and the continuous goal of tweaking current standards to make them that much better. Like any complex tree the branches of yoga are often more numerous than one might notice upon first glance. Whether you’re a beginner in the world of yoga or have been practicing the art for several years then you may know how quickly new areas are developed within the field. One such area quickly becoming more notable throughout many different fields is yoga therapy.
Derived from the tradition of Patanjali and the Ayurvedic system of health care, yoga therapy takes certain yoga techniques and adapts them for healing purposes. Yoga therapy has slowly become a more accepted practice prescribed for those suffering from a wide variety of injuries – both mental and physical – including stress and pain management. More Western doctors are beginning to prescribe yoga therapy as another component to an overall healthcare regimen. Here are a few reasons why the health industry is sitting up and taking notice of yoga therapy.
Holistic Approach
More and more patients are seeking out alternative medicine when it comes to continued health issues. When a patient finds themselves out of options, or searching for a new way to assist with their pain, yoga therapy is a holistic approach which may be the perfect solution. Yoga therapy has been prescribed to assist with a variety of ailments such as depression, sports injuries, and even PTSD. For many, the idea of using a holistic approach to assisting with pain or injury is much more appealing than traditional medicines. Having another option when dealing with illness – mental or physical – can give anyone hope that another type of approach may work for them.
Wide Reach
Yoga therapy has slowly started its climb in popularity partly due to just how effective it can be in a huge variety of areas. According to a study by the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, “…research has shown that Yoga practices, including meditation, relaxation, and physical postures, can reduce autonomic sympathetic activation, muscle tension, and blood pressure, improve neuroendocrine and hormonal activity, decrease physical symptoms and emotional distress, and increase quality of life. For these reasons, Yoga is a promising treatment or adjunctive therapy for addressing the cognitive, emotional, and physiological symptoms associated with trauma.” Yoga therapy’s flexibility allows it to be adapted to each individual patient depending on their specific needs.
Continued Care
The major benefit to finding a holistic approach which works for your needs is that the side effects of continued use are non-existent. With Yoga therapy the only impact seen by patients are positive. While traditional medications may only be safe of effective for a certain length of time, yoga therapy holds none of the same timelines. Even when patients reach their prescribed finish line for yoga therapy, traditional yoga can be continued to ensure their positive progression continues far beyond what therapy has given.
Interested in learning more about yoga therapy? We would love to see you at our studio, contact us at 703-887-9574 to book a slot. Also check us out our 4 for 40 new student special that’s available for a limited time.