By Kristine (Kaoverii) Weber

Change is hard. Everyone knows that it takes time, practice, energy, and commitment to change your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and habits. It also takes time to change a relationship, learn a new language or a musical instrument, or to paint or cook. It’s the same with learning yoga—it takes time. Yoga was originally intended as a practice that can facilitate change, to help us become more of ourselves, reach our potential, and contribute to the world in our own unique way.

But social media is full of what I sometimes call “first-aid yoga.” You’ve probably seen plenty of it, with videos and posts offering quick-fix solutions:

• “Check out this pursed lip breathing to calm your anxiety”
• “Navy Seals do square breath when they need to focus—You should, too!”
• “Here’s a yoga pose to boost your energy”
• “Hack your vagus nerve with this meditation technique”

The almighty algorithm loves these kinds of silver-bullet tips for making change happen fast. Posts like this attract a lot of eyeballs because we live in a stressed-out, fast-paced, quick-fix culture that craves easy, sensational, and novel advice. Even spirituality gets packaged as just-add-water instant enlightenment.

How change really happens

I call this kind of reductive approach “first-aid yoga” because it’s like putting a Band-Aid on a much bigger problem. Although short practices can be helpful in the moment, they’re not designed to provide sustainable solutions. Following a few 30-second yoga reels here and there is not the same thing as engaging in a regular practice that can make significant changes to your body, mind, and nervous system.

Neuroplasticity is the scientific term describing the brain and nervous system’s ability to change its structure and wiring. As we begin to make neuroplastic changes, our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and habits begin to change as well. However, these neuroplastic changes are not instant. They require time, effort, and dedication.

And, as I said above, deep down we already know this—we know that if we want to learn to play tennis or the guitar, we have to invest a significant amount of time and energy. We need to practice, regularly. And most people agree that a good teacher is essential if you want to make progress and gain mastery.

What’s possible with tailored support working with a yoga therapist

So, if you want to get better at yoga and develop a deeper practice, working with a skilled yoga therapist can help significantly. Yoga therapy is a personalized approach to using yoga practices to address specific health concerns, such as chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia. A skilled yoga therapist will help you adapt your yoga practice to your specific needs so you can make significant changes. You can think of it as the opposite of first-aid yoga, which tends to offer a one-size-fits-all approach. Because we are all different, a personalized practice is much more effective at supporting our unique needs.

Over time, yoga therapy can help to change your response to stressors, and how you deal with a cranky low back, or grief, depression, or anxiety. You could improve your digestion, your sleep, your mood—and feel more comfortable in your body. The practice also can help you get in touch with your higher self and deepen your sense of spirituality.

A yoga therapist doesn’t prescribe simple, cookie-cutter breathing or yoga postures. Rather, they help you identify imbalances in your movement patterns, breathing, and nervous system and offer you ways to make changes over time. They can also help you learn to unravel maladaptive thought patterns and habits.

In other words, yoga therapy is not about feeling better for a few moments; it’s about making sustained changes so that you feel better all the time.

But I get it. People want quick fixes, especially these days.

And in today’s world, slow change can be a tough sell—but, again, everyone knows, deep down, that real transformation takes time and effort. A butterfly is only beautiful because it struggled to get out of its chrysalis.

Change takes time and dedication. But it’s possible. Yoga therapy can even help you change how you   think about your ability to change!

With the help of a yoga therapist, you can develop a regular practice you love, one that is perfect for you, meets your needs, fits your schedule, and makes you feel great. It’s not first-aid yoga, but it is deep healing work.

Kristine Kaoverii Weber, MA, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, is a yoga therapist specializing in mental health, as well as a writer. She directs the Subtle Yoga Teacher Training for Behavioral Health Professionals at UNC Health Sciences.