What is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga therapy is employed to address the root cause of an issue and relieve its symptoms. For this reason, Yoga Therapy is a one on one practice customized to you, your lifestyle, current health situation, geographic location, age, culture and more.
A set of tools and techniques, mindfully picked and tailored to you, in order to empower you to progress towards improved health and well-being.
A diagnostic is not a life sentence & does not define you. Access healing through deeper awareness of yourself.
Yoga Therapy encompasses traditional yoga practices (physical movements, mindful breathing, meditation, philosophy), Ayurvedic principles (lifestyle and diet), and modern medical and psychological knowledge. It is a holistic modality.
This article details the difference between Yoga and Yoga Therapy.
Who is it for?
One size does NOT fit all. You are Unique. That is why every technique offered is carefully selected to address your specific situation.
Let’s take the example of Parkinson’s disease:
- Student 1: Paul, 63 years old, retired with 2 children and 1 grandkid, living in Toronto, ON diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 4 years ago.
- Student 2: Anna, 37 years old, 3 younger children, living in a rural town near Thunder Bay, ON with early onset Parkinson’s disease for 2 years.
The Yoga Therapy support they will receive will be very different, even though they are both living with the same disease. This is because Yoga Therapy takes into consideration many factors and is based on the individual and not the disease.
Individuals who are dealing with either chronic, debilitating, progressive, degenerative diseases, pain and/or mental health conditions that prevent them to enjoy life as they used to will benefit from Yoga Therapy sessions. You will learn and implement techniques that allow you to (re)gain control over your health and some level of autonomy.
In some cases, we get rid of the condition and in others, we improve or maintain the current state.
At dedebee Yoga Therapy, I have special interest in :
Neurological disorders
such as Parkinson’s disease, migraines, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and their associated issues like:
- insomnia & sleep difficulty
- digestive issues,
- bowel & bladder dysfunctions
- fatigue,
- pain
- balance & gait
- spasticity & tremors
- trauma, depression and anxiety.
What to expect?
Over the course of our work together you will learn tools and techniques to:
- Safely maintain & improve your mobility,
- Reduce anxiety & brain fog,
- Manage throbbing pain & muscle aches,
- Learn to recognize prodromal symptoms,
- Enhance your sleep (length & quality),
- Learn to relax & work through past/present traumas,
- And overall become able to navigate through the symptoms as they come up.
All new clients’ relationships begin with the Starter Program (see Get Started section on the Yoga Therapy Programs page for more details) of 3 and a half hours of one on one sessions.
What is an introductory experience for you, is an opportunity for me to develop a sound understanding of the level of support you would need to reach your optimal health’s state.
At the end of the Starter Program, you will then be invited to book a mid to long term program of weekly, or bi-weekly sessions.
Yoga Therapy is not passive and you will receive a daily practice adapted to your needs and your lifestyle.
What does that look like?
It could be anything from:
- 5 minutes targeted breathwork while sitting at the edge of the bed in the morning,
- 15 minutes movement and breathing practice every time you take your medications,
- 10 minutes of movement and breathing practice in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening,
- 30 minutes of movement and breathing practice in the evening…
No individual is the same, no lifestyle is the same, no needs are the same. It is therefore impossible to determine what your personal practice would look like without going through an Initial Assessment.
What you can expect though, is that you will receive ongoing one-one-one support to ensure your consistent progress towards your wellness goals.
Remember, Yoga Therapy is a complementary system of health, not an alternative one. It supports and works in conjunction with your normal medical treatments, and I ask that you continue your personal health routine as suggested by your doctor or medical professional. For more information, read the FAQ & Policies.