Yoga therapy is the clinical, one-on-one application of yoga to treat a specific health condition, whether physical, mental or emotional. Unlike a group yoga class, which follows a set sequence for everyone in the room, yoga therapy is built entirely around your medical history, symptoms and goals, the same way a physical therapist or counselor would design an individualized treatment plan.
A Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) has completed at least 800 hours of advanced training beyond a standard 200-hour yoga teacher certification, including in-depth study of anatomy, physiology and safe modification for medical conditions. That certification, through the International Association of Yoga Therapists, is what separates a yoga therapist from a yoga instructor.
Every session at Shanti Yoga Therapy starts with your specific concerns and builds a plan using breathwork, therapeutic movement, meditation and nervous system-based tools grounded in Polyvagal Theory. Sessions are private and delivered virtually, so you can do this work from wherever you feel safe.
Curious how this applies to a specific condition? Visit our Yoga Therapy for Stress, Pain and Emotional Balance page for evidence-based information on stress, chronic pain, anxiety, depression and addiction recovery.
A yoga class teaches a general sequence to a room of people at once. Yoga therapy is private, one-on-one, and built specifically around your health history and goals—closer to working with a physical therapist or counselor than attending a fitness class.
No. Most clients have little or no yoga background. Sessions are adapted to your current ability, whether that means practicing seated, lying down, or moving through gentle postures.
Most U.S. health insurance plans don’t cover yoga therapy directly, though it’s often eligible for reimbursement through an HSA or FSA with a letter of medical necessity. Check your plan’s complementary or integrative care benefits.
This varies by person and condition. Some clients see meaningful change in a handful of sessions; others managing chronic pain, chronic illness or complex trauma benefit from ongoing weekly or biweekly work.
Sessions are held over secure video conferencing (Zoom or Google Meet) and typically run 50 minutes: a check-in, guided practice tailored to that day’s needs, and take-home tools for between sessions.
A yoga instructor typically completes a 200-hour certification for teaching group classes. A Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) completes 800+ hours of advanced training in anatomy, pathology and individualized clinical application, working one-on-one on specific health conditions.
Yes. These conditions often involve a nervous system stuck in a chronic stress state, which worsens fatigue, pain and inflammation. Yoga therapy is gentle enough to meet a compromised body where it is, while working to calm the underlying stress response.
Yes, that’s precisely what it’s designed for. A Certified Yoga Therapist is trained to safely modify practices around your specific diagnosis, medications and physical limitations, and works alongside your existing medical or mental health care rather than replacing it.