Do You Need Yoga Therapy?

Although the innovator of yoga therapy is not exactly known, many credit it to yoga master T. Krishnamacharya. This is the same person responsible for producing a new breed of yogis who excelled in different fields of yoga.

And despite of the term yoga therapy being quite familiar for most people, no one has been actually able to distinctly define it. But in simple definition, it basically represents a health care system that aims to use natural means to improve human health. It also emphasizes a holistic approach to better health, which incorporates physical and mental health benefits. One reason why it is known to be really effective is that yoga is curative in nature, but it also weighs more heavily on restorative health procedures.

Yoga is considered a holistic tool that benefits you three-way: body, mind, and spirit. Therefore, yoga experts attempt to reach out inside an individual in an effort to gain a better understanding of his/her condition and find ways to alter the effects of any malfunctions detected inside the body. A good yoga therapist is the key concept here. They will be providing the guidance you need in this particular journey and unless you use the correct methods at the beginning, you cannot expect success in the end.

What To Expect

To put it in perspective, a yoga therapy combines a visit to your doctor with a stretching class. You can choose whether you want to hold private sessions with your yoga therapists or participate in small groups. For those with chronic health conditions, a private session might be more ideal so the yoga therapist can allot enough time and attention in understanding your condition and providing specific treatment approach using adaptive yoga poses.

There are several methods that a particular yoga therapist may use, varying largely according to the specific health condition being treated. It can be as simple as targeted stretching exercises to more complex deep tissue massage. In some cases, it might even require the use of yoga accessories such as belts, physioballs, foam noodles, a wall, Theraband, among other things. Then, your yoga therapist will provide you with a custom series of poses that you need to perform on a specified period of time or until improvement of condition has been noticed.

Yoga therapy is as versatile as the methods of yoga in itself. It is a wonderful tool to correct and restore functions in the body to produce relief from pains or retain normal functions.

It is a beneficial method to use even for chronic or serious ailments such as different forms of cancer, various cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, blood pressure ailments, muscular or joint pains, weak bones, bad posture, poor blood circulation, spinal problems, and other stress related conditions. With such a large scope of healing capacity, it's no wonder why yoga therapy is gaining attention in the medical field.

Diagnosing with Yoga

As with conventional diagnosis, the therapists begin by assessing your condition. They will take a record of your health history, wherein you might be asked to answer a series of questions. Then, the yoga therapist will analyze the symptoms being manifested and all other conditions that a patient is experiencing. The therapist will now move onto the physical examination of the patient to determine if any energetic imbalances might be causing the dysfunction on a patient's body before they could administer the right approach needed for treatment.

One major distinction with what is considered alternative medicinal approach is the concept of energy. Whenever any imbalances on these energies are detected, a yoga therapist can administer proper restorative measures before it develops into a full-blown disease and manifest its symptoms.

In yoga, these energy channels are represented by the six chakras in the body. These energy flows are therefore responsible for creating vibrations that allow basic bodily functions to take effect. But it takes more than just the physical plane as these energies also affect you mentally and spiritually.

Choosing a Yoga Therapist

The method of yoga therapy acknowledges the multi-dimensions of a human being. Hence, treating diseases is a complex measure that must not be taken lightly. It all begins with finding the most competent and knowledgeable yoga therapists that could deliver the right approach needed to make healing possible.

There are basic credentials that you should be looking at: knowledge, experience and training. The knowledge of a yoga therapist is the most basic foundation for an effective treatment, which covers proper diagnosis and choosing the most appropriate approach to use for the diagnosed condition. And since there is a fine line separating knowledge and practical application, you can an added assurance with an experienced yoga therapist who knows how to apply the theories of yoga to bring about actual healing. And lastly, you need a well trained yoga therapist who is equipped with the modern methods of yoga therapy. This is because yoga is a constantly evolving practice that help cater to the individual needs and preferences of anyone who opts to undergo this method.

Yoga therapy, and yoga as a whole, has been widely accepted in modern times as an effective alternative form of treatment. Anyone whose tried it cannot deny its wonderful healing capacity. Indeed, yoga has gone mainstream up to the point that health experts have come to acknowledge it or recommend it for most patients, for preventive health measures more than anything.

The reason for its continued growing popularity can be accredited duly for its therapeutic value. Plus, modification is allowed to suit each person's needs and health conditions, instead of following a presumably one-size-fits-all approach. As of today, no one knows yet how yoga therapy will be looked at in the future nor what its role is in the health industry. However, many believe that it will continue to grow in the health care system, especially as more people are in the hunt for cost-effective approach to treatment.