Yoga Therapy  is Yoga!

Although there are many Yoga Therapy studios springing up, it really is just Yoga, but perhaps with a greater emphasis on some obvious problem areas.

I find it annoying that society often takes an age old practice and re-packages it so that it finds greater mass appeal. However, having said that, some yoga therapy studios do provide a therapeutic service and do focus on some problem areas.

Now in this instance, I believe that everyone who practices yoga gives their mind and body  a 'natural' form of therapy. The yoga postures and yoga positions stretch, strengthen and massage your body. Therapy and relaxation indeed

Each movement puts pressure on different muscles and ligaments, helping to free them from pent up tension and in a way massaging them into suppleness.  I call each movement a form of yoga massage and this goes hand in hand with the 'therapy' aspects of yoga.

Now I hope  you can relate ... just think what you feel when you go into the warrior pose.

Briefly, and without going into the details of the pose; you position your feet well apart keeping yourself centered, you bend your front leg into a lunge, your front knee should be directly above your ankle and in line with your toes, you then raise your arms level with your shoulders, keeping them straight, palms down, look forward over the lunged leg and hold that pose for a few breaths.

Now, be aware of what you feel ... you should feel a gentle tension through your arms and shoulders. You should also feel a gentle pressure in the bent leg and your belly should be contracted to support the back, strengthening your stomach and back muscles. When you breathe, you should feel a heat rising through the body.

Now that you have experienced this ... you're probably asking, how is this yoga therapy?

Well, just that one move strengthens your legs, hips and lower back, stretches your hip flexors (on the back straight leg), strengthens the quadricep muscles (on the front leg, supporting the knee joint), stimulates and tones your kidneys and liver and encourages mental strength, endurance and confidence in you. Now, what would a whole class do for you?

So you can see, there are many therapeutic benefits to practicing yoga - other  than just serving to enlighten and help “still the mind”.

Yoga therapy has being used increasingly in the West, you can see yoga classes opening everywhere across the U.S. Often you see it billed as "Therapeutic Yoga" or you see teachers described as yoga therapists! In a way just a high-falutin' name for what yoga actually does.

The physical and mental challenges that yoga provides have been seen to yield increasingly greater health benefits for people, than many other forms of exercise.

Yoga is a complete package in that sense in that it works the muscles and mind as well as promoting stretching, relaxation and meditation. So you can see a complete therapy.

Another reason why yoga therapy appears to be so popular and beneficial is because it works on many levels. It can be viewed simply as a system of physical exercise, or as a profound philosophy.  There are great variances in yoga teachers by virtue of the fact that each yoga teacher places varying amounts of emphasis on different parts of the yoga practice as a whole.

People with disabilities can also benefit from yoga therapy too. It has been found especially helpful in certain specific ailments, notably asthma and multiple sclerosis.

People can derive more benefits from yoga if they practice for a short time each day, in addition to their yoga class, which will usually be weekly. There are many books and tapes which help with home practice, but it is very important to remember that they are only meant to act as a back-up to regular lessons with an instructor.

Many people who find work stressful can benefit greatly from yoga therapy. To still the restlessness of the mind or pent up anxiety, simple breathing exercises can be used without having to leave one’s desk.

Breathing is an integral aspect of yoga, and it generates heat, relaxes the body and helps to block out distractions. Deep breathing expands the stomach during inhalation, which lowers the diaphragm and creates a vacuum that can help draw more air into the lungs. Repeating breathing exercises 15 to 20 times helps the body in preparation for yoga exercises.

Yoga breathing techniques have been used by professional athletes to improve performance. By breathing deeply through the nose, oxygen is drawn into the lower lungs. The lower lungs contain more blood and have greater oxygen-exchange capacity. Therefore, oxygen, the essential for muscle function, can be delivered in higher concentration to fuel the muscles through yoga therapy.


Further Articles of Interest:

• Yoga for Weightloss and Health - Aren't these the words you wish to hear? Regular Yoga Practice will help towards weight loss!
• Yoga - A Natural Lower Back Pain Treatment - So many people say .... well you just have to learn to put up with pain!Or pain, especially back pain is just part of getting older ..... or back pain is just a part of the job!! Well how wrong is that?
• Yoga As A Continual Practice Can Keep Chest Pain At Bay AND Even Control Coronary Heart Disease  - Did you know that  heart disease is among the primary causes of death in the United States especially for Senior Citizens or people overly stressed and inactive. Did you further know that you can attempt to control this state by controlling your diet and exercising.

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