By Cheryl Albright
When people hear the words yoga therapy, they often picture stretching or deep breathing in a quiet room. What they don’t picture is the admin work, the collaboration emails, the insurance questions, or the client intake form that reads more like a medical history than a class sign-up.
As someone who is both an occupational therapist (OT) and an IAYT-certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), my days are anything but one-dimensional. Yes, I see clients. But I also run a small business, train other professionals, speak at conferences, and field referrals from doctors, mental health providers, and fellow therapists who are seeking integrative options for clients.
What yoga therapy really looks like
Yoga therapy is about creating individualized, practical plans that support healing through movement, breath, and nervous system regulation. In my practice I often work with people who are managing developmental disabilities, autoimmune conditions, chronic pain, trauma histories, or sensory overwhelm—people who’ve been through “the system” and still need support.
A session might involve movement, breathwork, guided relaxation, or even stillness. It might happen in person or online, over Zoom. It may look nothing like what most people think yoga is. And that’s the point—yoga therapy is tailored to the person in front of me.
I often collaborate with other providers. A psychologist might refer a teen struggling with emotional regulation. A physical therapist might flag a client who’s physically ready for more but held back by anxiety. A physician may want to avoid increasing medication and wonders whether yoga therapy could help with fatigue or sleep.
In these cases, I’m not replacing care—I’m complementing it. I bring in tools that support the whole person, especially when nervous system regulation, mind-body awareness, or chronic stress are getting in the way of progress.
The rest of the day
Outside of client work, a lot happens behind the scenes. I may be writing a course, mentoring a new yoga therapist, responding to parent emails, or sending updates to another healthcare provider. I may be submitting abstracts for a conference or writing pieces like this one to help other professionals understand what yoga therapy actually is.
I also spend time navigating referrals, planning community workshops, and making sure my systems are running smoothly. Being a solo provider means I wear all the hats—therapist, admin, educator, and advocate.
Why this work matters—and what I wish more providers knew
Yoga therapy creates a bridge between wellness and healthcare. This model allows for nuance, for pacing, for collaboration—and for client-led care. When other providers refer to me, they’re often hoping for one thing: help with regulation. Whether emotional, physical, sensory, or stress-based, dysregulation is the root issue in so many stalled treatment plans.
And this is where yoga therapy shines. It gives people tools they can use in real time: a breathing practice before school, a movement sequence to support digestion, a calming technique before sleep.
You don’t need to fully understand yoga philosophy to know when a client might benefit from this work. You just need to notice when someone is stuck. If someone is exhausted, flooded, or overwhelmed by their own body or emotions, yoga therapy might be a wonderful next step. It’s not about being flexible. It’s about feeling safe, supported, and capable again.
Yoga therapy may not be what people expect—but that’s exactly what makes it so valuable. When skillfully guided, the practices meet people where they are, honor their story, and offer tools that empower them to take part in their own healing. And that, in my experience, is where the real progress begins.
Cheryl Albright, OTR/L, C-IAYT, has extensive experience working with individuals with disabilities, including scleroderma. Her use of yoga in clinical practice began in 2009 when she discovered Yoga for All Abilities, and she has since incorporated the techniques into her private practice, Soul to Soul Yoga.
