Why Understanding The Difference Between Yoga and Yoga Therapy May Be Important

Last week I talked about the differences between yoga and yoga therapy.  This week I would like to discuss the reason, I believe, knowing the difference is important.

I hear more and more stories about what can happen when someone advised to try "yoga" ends up in the wrong class.  They heard somewhere that yoga is good for back pain, carpal tunnel, MS, depression, etc., so they go take a class.  On the less worry some end, the class was too hard and they decide they hate yoga, never to return. I am reminded of a lady that works at my son's school. She went to a class labeled "all levels" and it kicked her butt, big time. (Often in "all levels" classes - especially large ones - the class is catered to the more able students and newbies get lost in the mix and their needs not met.) She told me that she will never do yoga again.  This is very sad to me, as there are many styles, teachers and approaches and she would very likely find something she did like. Unfortunately it happens all the time.

On the more troubling end, someone with an above mentioned condition may have heard, even from their doctor, chiropractor or other health practitioner, that yoga would be good for them. If the person recommending that yoga doesn't know anything about it and suggests it in a general way, their patient could end up in the wrong class and leave feeling worse than before they went. Some examples would be someone with MS wandering into a class taught in a warm room, someone with carpal tunnel taking a class of mostly down dogs and plank poses (hard on the wrists), or a person suffering from depression hanging out in a yin style class. All of these classes are wonderful and offer amazing benefits to the right students at the right time, but they can discourage, worsen or even injure the wrong student at the wrong time.

Although the understanding of the different kinds of yoga may not be all there yet, the wonderful thing is that more and more people, including health care professionals, are understanding the positive healing benefits of yoga and yoga is being incorporated into more hospitals, organizations such as the MS Society, and even corporate wellness programs.

What to do? If you or a loved one has a medical condition, please seek out a teacher/class that is working with that condition or at least has knowledge of it.  If a group therapeutic class isn't available in your area, there may be a yoga therapist or someone who teaches privately that can work with you.

If you are a beginner, please start at the beginning, in a class that will teach you the ropes, keep you safe and help you to make yoga a continuing part of your life.

Research is the key.  Call studios, Google information and ask around.  Once you zero in on a teacher, ask about their training.  A yoga teacher should have at least 200 hours of  training and a yoga therapist should have at least 500 hours.  In both cases, they should have experience teaching what it is you are looking for.

Take heart! The right teacher and class for you is out there. :)

Yoga vs Yoga Therapy - How Do They Differ? Part 1

As yoga therapy is an emerging science, and since yoga itself is therapeutic, trying to figure out the difference can be confusing. My intention here is to clarify so you can decide which one may be right for you or a loved one.

In this 2 part post, Part One will discuss these differences and Part Two will discuss why the difference my be important.

Yoga is generally practiced in a group class format, and depending on where you take a class, could have anywhere from a couple of people to upwards of 40 or more students in that class.  The focus is usually on the physical postures, with some emphasis on breath.  Occasionally a class may begin or end with a seated meditation.  The therapeutic value of these classes is immeasurable - people slow down, and depending on the style, focus on their movement, breath, alignment or some combination therein.  They breathe, stretch, strengthen and feel better in their bodies, which has the added benefit of ease of mind and sense of peace.


Yoga Therapy is generally performed one-on-one or in small therapeutic group classes.  The focus of the session is to help the individual(s) with a specific physical issue or disease. The class(es) are specifically tailored to needs of the student and vary widely in the techniques used.  For example, someone with low back pain would be given very different tools than someone with Multiple Sclerosis. Although techniques used vary on a case-by-case basis, all sessions have an emphasis on body and breath awareness and relaxation and meditative techniques to bring the student in touch with their innate healing abilities and to promote stress reduction and relaxation.    

I have included a link to Dr. Timothy McCall's article on conditions benefited by yoga therapy:

http://drmccall.com/yoga/54condwithrefs.pdf

Coming Up: 

Part Two, Why Understanding The Difference Between Yoga and Yoga Therapy May Be Important