Yoga is inherently therapeutic as it functions on all levels of one’s being – physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual. This is why so many people are attracted to yoga, also why so many studies have been conducted as to the benefits of yoga and why so many health care professionals are now recommending yoga. The inherently therapeutic quality of yoga now backed by scientific research and acknowledgment from health care professionals is how the field of yoga therapy has grown in the United States. People are now looking to yoga not only for recreational purposes, but as a therapeutic tool for physical, mental, emotional, energetic and/or spiritual well-being.
With yoga therapy growing as a profession it is important to clarify what the difference is between yoga and yoga therapy. According to the International Association of Yoga Therapist, the accrediting body of yoga therapists, “Yoga therapy is the appropriate application of the yoga teachings and practices in a therapeutic context in order to support a consistent yoga practice that will increase self-awareness and engage the client’s energy in the direction of desired goals. The goals of yoga therapy include eliminating, reducing, or managing symptoms that cause suffering; improving function; helping to prevent the occurrence or reoccurrence of underlying causes of illness; and moving toward improved health and wellbeing. Yoga therapy also helps clients/students change their relationship to and identification with their condition.” What there is to be noted in this definition is the underlined words “in a therapeutic context”. This is the key distinction between yoga and yoga therapy. In other words an individual will come to a yoga teacher to learn yoga and an individual will come to a yoga therapist for help with a specific condition.
This key distinction, “in a therapeutic context”, is also why the training of a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) receives varies greatly from that of a certified yoga teacher (RYT). A certified yoga teacher (RYT) is required to have at least 200hrs of training in order to safely and effectively teach yoga and a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) is required to have at least 800hrs of training (in addition to the minimum 200hrs of yoga teacher training) in order to safely and effectively apply yoga in a therapeutic context.
Here is a table which compares the training requirements of a certified yoga teacher (RYT) and that of a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT). (This information was gathered from Yoga Alliance, the accrediting body for yoga teachers, and the International Association of Yoga Therapist, the accrediting body for yoga therapist.)
| Yoga Teacher, RYT | Yoga Therapist, C-IAYT |
Yoga Philosophy and Lifestyle: 30hrs Includes, but is not limited to: the study of yoga philosophies, yoga lifestyle, ethics for yoga teachers, and yoga as a service. | Yoga Foundations: 150hrs
Includes, but is not limited to: yoga teachings and philosophy, yoga and the mind, framework for health and disease. |
| Yoga Techniques, Practice, and Teaching: 125hrs Includes but not limited to: yoga techniques, principles of demonstration, observation, assisting and correcting, contraindications for specific conditions and circumstances, teaching styles, qualities of a teacher, the student learning process, group dynamics, how to address specific needs in a group setting, business aspect of teaching yoga | Yoga Therapy and Therapeutic Skills:
140hrs |
| Anatomy and Physiology: 20hrs Include, but are not limited to: human physical anatomy and physiology along with its application to yoga practice (benefits, contraindications, healthy movement patterns, etc.). | Biomedical and Psychological Foundations: 155hrs Includes, but is not limited to: anatomy and physiology, biomedical knowledge (medical terminology, common drugs and surgeries, pathologies), psychology and mental health, body and mind integration, human development and lifecycles; personality, family, social, cultural and religious factors related to health and wellbeing. |
| Practicum: 10hrs Includes, but is not limited to: practice teaching, receiving and giving feedback, observing others teaching, assisting students while someone else is teaching.
| Practicum: 205hrs
Includes, but is not limited to: providing yoga therapy; intake and client history, client assessment, observation and evaluation (physically, energetically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually); elicit goals, expectations, and aspirations of the client; assessment of clients conditions, limitations, and possibilities; determination of where yoga therapy can help and what needs to be referred out; identify and set priorities and short and long term goals; apply knowledge of strategies that address common disorders and pathologies; combine client intake, evaluation, observations, and assessment to develop an appropriate practice strategy; deliver appropriate holistic practices for specific needs and goals of individuals or groups; provide instruction, demonstration and education using multimodal strategies of education such as auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning tools; develop and maintain therapeutic relationships; document client sessions and maintain confidential client records; foster trust by establishing an appropriate therapeutic environment through privacy, confidentiality, and safety; practicing effective, client centered communication based upon a respect for, and sensitivity to, individual, familial, cultural, social, ethnic, and religious factors; provide follow up and re-planning; gather feedback, re-assess, and refine the practice; address new and changing conditions, goals, aspirations, and priorities of the client and to provide appropriate support; appropriate closure for the therapy sessions; mentorship; consultation with peers and other health care providers, observation of other yoga therapists |
| Professional Practice: 30hrs
Includes, but is not limited to ethical principles, legal, regulatory, and business issues, relationships with peers, mentors, clinicians, and organizations, personal and professional development and continuing education |
The definition of yoga therapy and the training requirements of a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) hopefully give you an understanding of the subtle and yet extensive difference between yoga and yoga therapy as well as a certified yoga teacher (RYT) and a yoga therapist (C-IAYT). If you’d like to experience a yoga therapy session please contact Sonia Weirich C-IAYT at [email protected] for a free consultation.