Rena's Method
Yoga Therapy & Sound Explorations
What is Yoga therapy?
I believe yoga therapy is what Yoga was intended to be, before it was brought to the West and mostly just looked at as a physical practice.
As Nischala Joy Devi says, “Today the word ‘Yoga’ conjures up the image of some difficult or contorted pose. Once relegated to a few faraway ashrams or caves, it is now practiced in gyms, health clubs, and studios all over the Western world. What is being taught under the name of Yoga is a minute part of this great tradition, a microscopic focus on the physical.” (The Secret Power of Yoga, pg. 13)
Yoga therapy looks at whole mind-body-spirit healing from a place of inquiry and exploration, rather from a “you’re broken, let’s fix you” perspective.
According to Ajna Yoga,
"Yoga therapy is a holistic approach to health and well-being. It includes mindful breathing, gentle and supported yoga postures, anatomy education, and meditation. Yoga therapists are trained to work with clients experiencing injury, illness, and mental health issues. Rather than diagnose or try to treat medical conditions, we use the evidence-based tools and techniques of yoga to cultivate an integration of the body, mind, and spirit.”
Why yoga therapy?
One size fits all is not a thing, and has never been a thing. Yoga therapy provides personalized programming to support your overall health and wellness, drawing from the ancient tools of yoga to support you on your journey.
Yoga therapists have extensive training and specialize in supporting people from a variety of backgrounds.
Some of my past yoga therapy offerings include:
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working with youth (programming for children and teens)
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working with adults for back care
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working with adults for healthy aging
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working with adults with persistent/chronic pain
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stress management and relief
What Can Yoga Therapy Help With?
“Yoga Therapy develops a connection to our inner wisdom, which promotes healing in the largest sense, whether there is a physical cure or not.” (Ajna Yoga)
Some evidenced based examples include:
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Chronic Pain including low-back pain, arthritis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and other types of pain such as that associated with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome
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Mental health, including concerns like anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, insomnia, and others
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Neurological issues and complications of stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
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Support for illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease
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Overall well-being (you don’t need to be sick or in pain for yoga therapy to have value!) and healthy aging
How is Yoga Therapy Different Then Going to a Studio Class?
“Although all yoga is potentially therapeutic and healing, yoga therapy is the specific application of yoga tools- postures/exercises, breathwork, meditation techniques, and more to address an individual’s mental, physical and emotional needs.” (https://yogatherapy.health/what-is-yoga-therapy/)
(Information adapted from Ajna Yoga and Gary Kraftsow’s article, 'The Distinction Between a Yoga Class and a Yoga Therapy Session')
What is the International Association of Yoga Therapists? (IAYT)?
Rena is a recently certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) from Ajna Yoga.
Ajna Yoga "was awarded accreditation in the first round of announced colleges on June 7, 2014, accredited with the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT)" (Ajna Yoga).
“The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) was founded in 1989, and consistently championed yoga as a healing art and science. IAYT supports research and education in yoga and serves as a professional organization for yoga teachers. and yoga therapists worldwide. Our mission is to establish yoga as a recognized and respected therapy. https://www.iayt.org/page/LearnAbout
IAYT-accredited yoga therapy training programs take place over a minimum of 800 hours and 2 years and prepare yoga therapists to safely offer client care in a range of settings." (IAYT.org)