Yoga Therapy
Yoga Therapy is fast becoming an accepted health modality in Australia providing a holistic approach to support people, including those experiencing a wide range of ailments or disabilities.
Yoga therapy applies the tools of yoga for therapeutic benefit. It supports and empowers the individual by providing him or her with a personalised practice according to his or her needs. The practice is developed within a professional therapeutic context and draws on the tools of yoga in order to assist the whole individual.
The tools used may include simple movements, a focus on breath, sound, relaxation and meditation techniques, dietary advice, lifestyle counselling and self-development guidelines.
Properly applied and practiced, a yoga therapy program provides a foundation that can lead to optimal health on all levels, physical, physiological and psychological.
Yoga Therapy supports and works in conjunction with all other health modalities, including western medicine, with the objective of achieving the best holistic outcome for the individual.
How Yoga Therapy works
This is a holistic therapy. We aim to support healing and growth by addressing the root of your challenge, not just by relieving symptoms at the surface. In Yoga Therapy, the "medicine" is prāna (life energy), which is ‘administered’ through Yogic tools and daily lifestyle changes. Depending on your situation, we may work with a combination of the following layers and tools:
Physical Body (Annamaya): The goal is to restore, strengthen and improve the functioning of the body’s organs and systems. The tools we use may include Yoga postures (asana), diet and nutrition, lifestyle adjustments, adequate rest and appropriate exercise. Yoga Therapy can be used in conjunction with allopathic, naturopathic, homeopathic, Ayurvedic, and Chinese medical systems.
Energy Body (Pranamaya): The core principle is to support the free flow of prana (life energy) and to release pranic blockages in your system, which are often at the root of physical or mental illness. We support the free flow of energy in the system through the tool of breath, which may be integrated with and also independent from asana, as well as time in nature. We can work alongside other energy healing systems if the student wishes e.g. acupuncture, acupressure, reiki, pranic healing.
Mental Body (Manomaya): Many health and stress related difficulties can originate from the mind, so we work with the student to cultivate a more relaxed, grounded, clear and positive mental state. We might integrate practices such as sound and chanting, guided rest (e.g. yoga nidra), meditation, creative or nourishing activities (e.g. time with loved ones, animals, music). We may also work in collaboration with psychologists or other mental health professionals.
Wisdom Body (Vijnanamaya): Sometimes unwellness can be linked to deeper causes or linked to a lack of alignment with one’s inner calling. In these cases, we may work with prayer visualisation, meditation, support with major life transitions.
The session may include:
a discussion on relevant aspects of health and lifestyle
a physical assessment
the design of a personalised practice to suit the specific needs of the individual
teaching of the various practices prescribed (this may take place over a series of private classes)
a written copy of the program provided for daily practices
other lifestyle and dietary guidelines
Once you have a practice it is appropriate to meet with your teacher from time to time, to check that you are practising it correctly and to update it in accordance with changes as they take place. The number of classes you may have will depend on your situation and needs. Generally a few classes are held over the first month, then less frequently as the practice progresses.
Yoga Therapy Session Bookings
To book in a Yoga Therapy consultation with Deepa or one of our other Yoga Therapists, please visit our Contact Us page and send through an inquiry.