Yoga Therapy
Yoga Is More Than Poses
When many people hear the word yoga, they picture stretching, flexibility, complicated poses, or a group class. But yoga is much broader than that. Yoga includes movement, breath, meditation, awareness, relaxation, concentration, self-study, lifestyle practices, and other tools that can support the whole person.
Yoga Therapy takes those tools and applies them in an individualized way to help you work toward a specific health, wellness, or functional goal. You do not need to be flexible. You don't need yoga experience.
And you definitely do not need to be able to stand on your head.
What Is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga Therapy is a personalized approach that uses appropriate yoga practices to support your individual needs.
Instead of starting with a predetermined sequence or class format, we start with you.
What are you experiencing? What would you like to improve? What is getting in the way? What feels realistic in your body and in your life?
From there, we choose practices that make sense for you.
Depending on your needs, your Yoga Therapy plan may include:
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Gentle or more active movement
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Strength and mobility work
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Breathing practices
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Relaxation techniques
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Meditation or guided awareness practices
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Balance and functional movement
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Practices for improving body awareness
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Lifestyle and habit support
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Selected Ayurvedic principles when appropriate
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Simple practices you can use at home
Yoga Therapy is not about doing every yogic practice available. It is about finding the right tools for the person in front of me.
How Is Yoga Therapy Different From a Yoga Class?
A group yoga class begins with a practice designed for the group. Options and modifications may be offered, but everyone is generally working within the same class structure.
Yoga Therapy begins with the individual. Instead of asking: “How can we modify this yoga pose for you?” we can ask: “What are we actually trying to help you do, and which practices would be useful?”
Sometimes that includes traditional yoga postures. Sometimes it includes breathing, meditation, relaxation, strength, balance, mobility, or functional movement. Sometimes the most useful practice may look very little like what most people picture when they hear the word yoga. That is one of the things I love about Yoga Therapy. The practice serves the person, not the other way around.
Who Is Yoga Therapy For?
Yoga Therapy can help people who want a more individualized approach than a group class can provide.
You may be considering Yoga Therapy if you are:
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Managing ongoing aches, stiffness, or physical limitations
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Returning to movement after an injury or period of inactivity
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Working to improve balance, mobility, strength, or everyday function
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Navigating stress, overwhelm, or a major life transition
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Looking for practices that may support better rest or relaxation
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Adjusting to changes that come with aging
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Living with a health concern and looking for supportive practices to complement your existing care
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Looking for something deeper than the physical side of yoga
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Wanting practical tools you can use in everyday life
You do not need to have a diagnosis or a major health problem to work with a Yoga Therapist. Sometimes people simply want a more individualized way to feel stronger, move with greater ease, reduce unnecessary tension, develop sustainable practices, or reconnect with themselves.
What Happens in a Yoga Therapy Session?
Your first session gives us time to talk.
We will discuss what brings you in, your goals, your current activity level, relevant health history, previous injuries or physical concerns, your experience with yoga or exercise, and what you would realistically like to work on. We may also explore sleep, stress, daily routines, energy, movement habits, and other factors relevant to your goals.
From there, we begin building a practice. A session might include movement. It might include breathing or relaxation. It might include strength, balance, mobility, meditation, or a short at-home practice. Most often, it is some combination based on what you need.
Your practice can also change over time. As your needs, abilities, confidence, or circumstances change, we adapt the plan with you.
You Will Not Be Handed a Perfect Routine and Sent Home
One of the most important parts of Yoga Therapy is finding something you can actually use. A beautiful 60-minute practice is not very helpful if you realistically have 10 minutes. A complicated routine won't help if you never remember it.
And a practice that feels uncomfortable, intimidating, or completely disconnected from your life probably will not become much of a practice at all.
So we work together to create something that is realistic. Sometimes that may mean a full practice. Sometimes it may mean five minutes of breathing before bed. A short mobility sequence in the morning. A relaxation practice. A few movements you can do during the day. Or one small change practiced consistently. The goal is not perfection. The goal is something useful.
My Approach to Yoga Therapy
My approach is grounded in the traditional understanding that yoga works with the whole person, while also recognizing that we live in real, modern bodies. My background includes Yoga Therapy, yoga teaching, personal training, corrective and orthopedic exercise, adaptive fitness, health coaching, functional training, and Ayurveda. That lets me look at your goals from several perspectives, rather than forcing every concern into one method.
If mobility needs attention, we can explore strength, mobility, balance, or function. If something needs to be adapted, we adapt it. If the most useful tool that day is breathing, meditation, relaxation, or simply learning how to move with greater awareness, we can work there too. I am especially interested in helping people build strength, mobility, confidence, and function in ways that support real life and healthy aging.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need yoga experience?
No. Yoga Therapy can be a wonderful starting point for someone who has never practiced yoga before. In fact, individual sessions can be especially helpful if you are unsure whether a group class is right for you.
Do I need to be flexible?
Absolutely not. Flexibility is not a prerequisite for yoga. We work with the body you have today.
Will I have to get on the floor?
Not necessarily. Practices can be done standing, seated in a chair, lying down, or using a combination of positions. If getting to and from the floor is difficult or inappropriate for you, we work around it.
Is Yoga Therapy the same as physical therapy?
No. Yoga Therapy and physical therapy are different professions with different scopes of practice. Yoga Therapy may include movement, mobility, strength, breath, relaxation, meditation, and other yogic practices, but it does not replace evaluation or treatment by a licensed physical therapist or other healthcare professional when needed.
Is Yoga Therapy only for injuries or medical conditions
No. Some people come because they are working with a particular physical or health concern. Others come because they want help with stress, sleep, mobility, healthy aging, strength, or building a sustainable personal practice. You do not have to wait until something is “wrong” to begin.
How many sessions will I need?
That depends on your goals. Some people may benefit from only a few sessions to establish a personalized practice. Others prefer ongoing support as their needs and goals evolve. We can discuss what makes sense for you without requiring a long-term commitment.
Not Sure Whether Yoga Therapy Is the Right Place to Start?
You do not need to figure that out before contacting me. Many people fall somewhere between Yoga Therapy, Personal Training, and Ayurvedic Health Coaching, and sometimes an integrated approach makes the most sense. We can talk about what you hope to accomplish and determine the best place to begin.
Begin Where You Are
You do not have to become stronger first. You do not have to become more flexible first. You do not have to learn yoga first. You simply begin with where you are today. Yoga Therapy at Satya Yoga is individualized, practical, adaptable, and designed to help you bring the broader tools of yoga into your actual life.
Ready to Get Started?
Schedule your Yoga Therapy consultation or session and we will begin with a conversation about what you need, what you are working toward, and how yoga may be able to support you.
1 hr
90 US dollars
Not sure which individualized service is right for you?
Contact Christine
