Yoga Therapy: What Is It?

Yoga therapy works with clients one-on-one helping them to improve their health as well as wellness by using various aspects of yoga breathing techniques, yoga poses and philosophy.

Yoga philosophies are not tied into any religious dogma, so many people are receptive to it because of this.  Yoga and its philosophies focus entirely on the individual being the source of their own power.

Yoga therapist design  classes or programs for people with specific problems. For example people who have issues with trauma; a program would be designed to help address and deal with things that trigger or amplify their trauma.

Where yoga has immediate benefits physiologically; working with a yoga therapist one on one can benefit a patient with specific problems much more effectively than if they were simply doing a yoga class with a group of people with various levels of abilities physically and mentally.

Surroundings

Yoga therapy is practiced in many different settings: yoga studios, alternative healthcare practices, gyms, homes and hospitals.

Education

The are different credentials in becoming a yoga therapy. Some private colleges offer some certifications, like Ayurveda – which is one of the main foundations of yoga therapy.

The International Association of Yoga Therapist is the most recognized and sought-after certification when becoming a Yoga Therapist. The certification requires not only hundreds of hours of specific training in yoga therapy; it also requires hundreds of hours of contact with a client, under the supervision of a registered yoga therapist.

Having said that there is no one set criteria – education-wise and training – in becoming a yoga therapist.

Salary

Yoga therapist can make up to $100,000 CAD, but overall the average salary is about $50,000 CAD.

Career Options

Yoga in North America grows approximately 30 to 40 per cent annually, and  yoga therapy is growing at around the same rate!  The outlook for yoga therapist career-wise will always increase as the mainstream medical system in Canada look for ways to save money for the health care system by getting patients to do things – like yoga therapy – which help patients deal more with their own physical and mental conditions, than being completely reliant on the health care system.