Yoga has long been practised with therapeutic intentions as way of transforming both body and mind. It is, however, only now that Yoga Therapy is emerging as a discipline in its own right. In January 2010 it was added to the CNHC directory, the regulatory body for Complementary and Natural Healthcare in England.
There is still not one consensual definition of this discipline. For me, Yoga Therapy is the healing journey that brings balance to the body, mind and spirit. It is a self-care approach to wellness. It adapts yoga techniques and tools to the needs of individuals with specific or persistent health problems taking into account physical, energetic, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. Its personalised approach makes it most effective when practised on a one-to-one basis.
Someone will therefore come to Yoga Therapy for issues that cannot usually be addressed in a group class. It is also different from a private yoga class in the sense that it allows more space for reflection and a home practice is recommended.
The initial consultation will include a medical history check and a discussion of the health problems and expectations from the treatment. The body, posture, simple movements and the breath may be observed. I will then assess how Yoga Therapy may help and agree on a plan of care. A personal yoga practice will be designed specifically tailored to your needs. This may include physical work, breathing exercises, relaxation, working with sound, reflection, meditation and/or lifestyle changes. This practice will evolve as you progress. A minimum of five subsequent sessions are likely to be needed to confirm safe and appropriate practice. Personal commitment to the programme is key to achieving the desired health goals.
Yoga Therapy is not a substitute for Western medicine. It can however be a successful complement to a plan of care. In his book, Yoga as Medicine, Dr Timothy McCall lists 101 health conditions which have been proven by scientific studies to benefit from yoga:
- Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuse
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Scerolosis
- Anxiety
- Asthma
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Autism
- Back Pain
- Balance Problems
- Breast Cancer
- Burns
- Cancer (General)
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Cognitive Impairment
- Computer Vision Syndrome
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Drug Withdrawal
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
- Eating Disorders
- Endometriosis
- Epilepsy
- Fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- Fractures
- Gait (Walking) Problems
- Gestational Diabetes
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome
- Heart Disease
- Hemophilia
- Hemorrhoids
- High Blood Pressure
- HIV/AIDS
- Hypothyroidism
- Infertility
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Inguinal Hernia
- Insomnia
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Kidney Failure
- Lung Cancer
- Lymphoma
- Mental Developmental Impairment
- Menopausal (and Perimenopausal) Symptoms
- Menstrual Disorders
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Migraine and Tension Headaches
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Neck Pain
- Neurocardiogenic Syncope (Fainting)
- Neuroses (e.g. Phobias)
- Obesity/Overweight
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Organ Transplant
- Osteoarthritis (Degenerative Arthritis)
- Osteoporosis
- Ovarian Cancer
- Pain (Chronic)
- Panic Disorder
- Parkinson's Disease
- Performance Anxiety
- Periodontitis
- Pleural Effusion (Fluid in Lung Lining)
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Post Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
- Post-Heart Attack Rehabilitation
- Post Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD)
- Post-Joint Replacement
- Post-Operative Recovery
- Post-Polio Syndrome
- Post-Operative Recovery
- Post-Stroke Rehabilitation
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Pregnancy (both normal and complicated)
- Prenatal/Postpartum Depression
- Pressure Ulcers
- Prostate Cancer
- Psoriasis
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Rhinitis (Inflammation of the Nose)
- Schizophrenia
- Scoliosis (Lateral Curvature of the Spine)
- Sexual Dysfunction
- Sexual Trauma
- Sinusitis
- Skeletal Muscle Pain Syndrome
- Smoking Cessation
- Somatoform
- Stress
- Stroke
- Thoracic Hyperkyphosis
- Total Knee Arthroplasty
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Tuberculosis
- Urinary Incontinence
©2016 Timothy McCall, MD. With permission granted to copy and distribute
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