Chronic Pain

By Luna Kunst Yoga therapy often meets people at transitional moments—times when the body is relearning itself. One client with whom I worked, a senior who had recently...

  This past weekend, the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) held its 16th Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research (SYTAR) in Costa Mesa,...

By Meredith Phipps “I got a job!” The excitement in the client’s voice was palpable even over Zoom. We had started yoga therapy sessions months before, when her life...

If you've ever wished you could do yoga but worried about being flexible enough, or being able to get on and off the floor, or having the right clothes, or...We have...

By Dani Wasson Many yoga teacher trainings excel at creating dedicated practitioners and offering powerful experiences of personal transformation. However, they are not...

By Stacey Loop Over more than 20 years as a yoga therapist, I have deepened my understanding of what this profession entails in co-creating healing spaces and practices...

By Monica Le Baron When setting wellness goals, the clients I work with often overestimate what they can accomplish in an hour and underestimate what they can achieve...

By Denver Clark As a former yoga therapy school director, faculty member, and mentor, I have had the opportunity not only to build a thriving private practice, but also...

By Lorena Saavedra Smith Every December, my body reminds me that although time is moving, some parts of me remain rooted in the place I left behind. I didn’t have the...

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,...

By Anneke Sips When I entered nursing school in 1998, I also stepped into psychiatry—and, almost simultaneously, into yoga. Those early years were a strange kind of...

By Monica Le Baron Ancient yogis understood what modern science is only now confirming: A regular gratitude practice can be a powerful “social glue,” helping to rewire...

Chronic pain is a common reason people seek care with IAYT-certified yoga therapists. Affecting nearly 21% of U.S. adults, this kind of long-term pain is not just...

By Katie Hay Becoming a yoga therapist On my back, legs resting up the wall, blankets draped over me…“Breathe,”  instructed my yoga teacher. Relief. I was grieving the...

By Cheryl Albright You’re sitting in your doctor’s office, having consulted with them for a chronic problem you’ve had for some time. Toward the end of the visit, they...

You may already know that yoga therapy is a safe way of working with the natural capacity of your body and mind to optimize well-being. But how can this one practice...

By Stephanie Singleton If you had told me 10 years ago that today I would be a wellness entrepreneur—and a yoga therapist!—I would have certainly laughed. I was an...

Although they have gone on to receive additional specific training, all yoga therapists are also yoga teachers. And when you go to a yoga therapy session, you might...

We've written about the U.S. Veterans Health Administration's approach to holistic, person-centered care on the yogatherapy.health blog previously. This model matters...

Yoga therapists offer practices in a range of styles. The way they work is often based on the yoga lineage they follow in their own personal practice, as well as the...

By Melissa Aguirre My work as a yoga therapist has taken many forms, shaped by my environment, the communities I serve, and the evolving needs of those who seek my...

By Kristine (Kaoverii) Weber Change is hard. Everyone knows that it takes time, practice, energy, and commitment to change your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and...

By Michelle A. Thielen One morning in 2009 while watching television, I heard a story about 5-year-old girls who “serviced” up to 20 men a day. I was horrified at this...

By Anandra George My mother would say that I have been practicing sound yoga therapy since I was a small child. She used to hear me humming to myself and would ask me...

  Every August 14, IAYT's Global Yoga Therapy Day (GYTD) brings together an international community to share about the practice and profession of yoga therapy as...

Dr. Catherine Justice is an integrative physical therapist, an IAYT-certified yoga therapist, and the program manager for the Division of Integrative Medicine at...

We've updated the yogatherapy.health Research page with new studies, which you can browse by area of concern. The list emphasizes good-quality reviews and randomized...

In June 2024, Melissa Shah (she/they), MPH, C-IAYT, was one of the accomplished speakers at IAYT's Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research (SYTAR), an annual gathering...

By Ainka J. Fulani I was initially drawn to movement for fun and to cope with my own sports injuries, then later to manage stress and heighten self-awareness. As I’ve...

Although all yoga is potentially therapeutic and healing, IAYT-certified yoga therapists specifically apply yoga tools to address an individual‘s physical, mental, and...

By Julia Romano A central tenet of yoga therapy as I share it is that awareness is healing in and of itself.  New mothers, who make up the majority of my client work,...

By Erin Ehlers For 14 years, I owned a small yoga studio and cultivated my yoga therapy business from my long-term presence in my community. I taught small-group yoga...

This post, part of our “how yoga therapists work” series, is about how a physical therapist (PT) and current yoga therapy student recognized yoga’s healing potential...

Yoga therapy is whole-person care, which is, in general, a different approach than Western medicine takes. As the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT)...

Today marks the solstice, a turning point in the amount of sunlight that reaches us. The solstice signifies a moment of change, which might be why we take stock of our...

By Ann Grace MacMullan In our yoga asana practice, we save one pose for the end of every session: savasana, or corpse pose. Lying still and resting, often on our backs,...

By Lois Ramondetta I’m a gynecological oncologist. Doctors in this specialty have long-lasting relationships with patients, and although many are cured, those who...

By Carrie Meyer Yoga therapy is mind-body medicine with a basic—if not always simple—understanding at its heart: True healing encompasses the mind, body, and spirit....

By Gabriella Barnstone During a class I was teaching on scoliosis, one of the students—a vital, stylish woman in her 80s—mentioned that her friend was constantly...

Two IAYT-certified yoga therapists, Carol Krucoff and Kimberly Carson, have just published a paper in the medical journal Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation detailing...

By Richelle Muscroft The foundational idea of mind-body therapies is that all parts of us—emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and physical—affect our health. The...

By Asya Haikin Chronic and persistent pain is one of the main reasons people seek out a yoga therapist. When I talk to prospective clients with chronic pain, they often...

By Caitlin Parsons My work as a yoga therapist started because I was seeking relief for my own chronic pain and injuries related to my career as a dental hygienist. I...

By Bren Ohta At the peak of a fulfilling career, my seemingly normal world fell into chaos initiated by a devastating cancer diagnosis and its aftermath. I turned to...

In this hour-long podcast, IAYT-Certified Yoga Therapist and IAYT Editorial Director Laurie Hyland Robertson discusses yoga as a system, a technology, and a roadmap for...

A foundational principle of yoga is that by becoming more self-aware we will heal, realize our essential wholeness, and live in ways that support that wholeness. Yoga...

Safety, in relation to health, is usually about physical safety: Will I get hurt doing these movements? Will this medication or supplement cause harm? The work of Drs....

Yoga philosophy understands healing and health somewhat differently than Western models do. A primary model for understanding the work of healing in yoga is the...

Yoga therapy is an emerging profession in the West, so perhaps the most common question yoga therapists receive is "What IS yoga therapy, anyway?" (yogatherapy.health...

By Monica Le Baron In 2018, I was honored to do a practicum in yoga therapy and integrated positional therapy at La Casa de las Abuelitas, a women’s shelter in El Paso,...

Have you made resolutions for the new year? In the United States 38% to 65% of people make them, yet 45% to 92% don’t stick to their resolve.  If you don’t make...

Western science and medicine professionals are increasingly researching yoga. Robust research not only helps yoga practices to be accepted in Western healthcare (and...

When you think of yoga, what comes to mind? Most people in Western cultures think of yoga as a kind of exercise practiced at gyms and yoga studios. Yoga therapy, on the...

Major Adhana McCarthy, PA-C, C-IAYT, has served 18 years in the U.S. Army, 11 of those years as a physician assistant. She is also an IAYT-certified yoga therapist and...

Research shows that yoga can help improve the pain and symptoms that accompany osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. But how does yoga work, and what techniques...

By Sarah Garden Yoga is uniquely positioned to help people suffering from chronic pain. As a yoga therapist whose primary role is treating chronic pain—in both clinical...

By Alicia Barmon Breathing is one of the fastest ways to mitigate stress in the autonomic nervous system. It gives us direct access to a system that is involuntary and...

Research shows that yoga can have a wide range of benefits for those living with and recovering from cancer. These include improvements in sleep, digestion, fatigue,...

Warmer weather often prompts a natural desire to get outside and move. For those in the northern hemisphere, spring has sprung—and that means coaxing the body into more...

Is yoga just a form of exercise? Is it a religion? What lies beyond the physical postures?  “The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, which means union, or to...

By Maureen Grosse When most people think of yoga, they think of physical flexibility: the foot behind your head or handstand postures you see in magazines. Those poses...

When a cascade of puzzling and debilitating health issues started interfering with her life, Robyn Tiger, MD, RYT-500, C-IAYT, started looking outside the box. She...

By Joann Lutz Our mood and thoughts are intricately connected to our physiological state, and shifting our physiology is one of the most powerful ways to positively...

Each year yoga research contributes to holistic, innovative ways of approaching health and well-being. Research conferences throughout the year showcase progress in the...

September is Pain Awareness Month, and we’re sharing a guided practice that can be done anytime, anywhere to encourage movement and even potentially bring relief from...

By Nathalie de Meyenburg As a yoga therapist, I have been with clients through good times, difficult and bewildering times, and yes, the process of dying. This...

By Shirley Telles Yoga contributes to stress reduction, life satisfaction, and overall well-being. It can also foster a sense of stability when we are faced with...

By Caroline Giles You may have heard about or attended a group yoga class, known to have a generalized effect on your body, breath, emotions, and mind. The class may...

By Maryam Ovissi Both ayurveda and yoga view that we as humans share universal building blocks: We are all made of the same elements. Yet our nature is expressed in...

Last month the International Association of Yoga Therapists hosted its annual Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research. Known as SYTAR, the 3-day event was held online...

Millions of people experience chronic pain worldwide, and yoga therapy can help. In this article, yoga therapist Marlysa Sullivan, DPT, PT, C-IAYT, discusses how yoga...

Research shows that yoga interventions yield a wide range of benefits for health and well-being. But what specific components of these interventions facilitate such...

Yoga therapist and International Institute of Yoga Therapy (IIYT) founder Veronica Zador knows the landscape of yoga therapy for well-being. In this article, Zador...

Yoga therapy can help relieve stiffness and pain for individuals with arthritis.  In this short guided practice video, Steffany Moonaz, PhD, C-IAYT, teaches yogic...

By Denyse LeFever, with Sherry Zak Morris A year into our collective COVID experience, bright spots may seem few and far between. As pandemic casualties mount, worry...

This 30-minute video from Jana Long, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, is thought-provoking education for Black History Month and beyond! Did you know that Eartha Kitt and John and...

By Beth Gibbs Working with the panchamaya kosha model, also referred to as the five layers of self-awareness, can be an effective way of beginning a healing journey. We...

Curious about how yoga can help in your everyday life? In this short video from a few years back, Abbii explains how yoga therapy helped her to leave the hospital and...

Here on the yogatherapy.health blog, we love to showcase the stories of clients who have experienced the effects of therapeutic yoga. Garth McLean, C-IAYT, is one such...

By Judi Bar  Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, when I considered offering yoga therapy sessions online rather than face to face, I felt sure something would be missing....

Did you know you can do yoga therapy from anywhere? All that's required is an intention to practice! No fancy clothes, no special equipment, and DEFINITELY no...

By Karina Menali Notice what you feel in your body when you contemplate “transition.” Perhaps a moment of pause, maybe a sense of bracing that shows up as held breath...

Roughly half of those who practice yoga say they do so for health reasons. And although yoga is not a cure-all for physical or mental problems, research is beginning to...

By Mary Duryea As a retired medical doctor, I often muse about how my patients could have been helped by having a yoga therapist contribute to their care....

By Annie Jones Offerings like “Yoga for Back Pain” and “Yoga for Stress Relief” are common, and seemingly increasing every day. But the truth is that no one set of...

Watch Steffany Moonaz, PhD, C-IAYT, explain how yoga therapy can support wellness regardless of physical condition—and even in the face of significant health...

yogatherapy.health recently talked with Gail Parker, PhD, C-IAYT, about ideas from her book Restorative Yoga for Ethnic and Race-Based Stress and Trauma. Restorative...

By Rachel Krentzman Affecting 4 out of 100 teenagers, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common form of scoliosis. Idiopathic means we don’t know exactly...

By Kelly A. Hurley  A  therapeutic yoga practice really only requires the intention to show up. No fancy equipment or special yoga clothing required! That said, your...

By Caroline McCarter As a yoga therapist, I’ve worked with many clients who suffer from an overbearing perfectionistic voice that makes them falsely believe they can’t...

Although devastating, the opioid crisis is only one symptom of the urgent need for a better approach to pain care. And while yoga therapy is not a cure-all for pain, it...

By Nazaahah Amin I have practiced yoga therapy in my hometown of Baltimore City for nearly 10 years. Within that time span the city has seen over 2,700 homicides, most...

Because therapeutic yoga is a practice you undertake for yourself, to improve your own health and well-being, it can be a powerful part of self-care during the age of...

By Antonio Sausys We are living in unprecedented times as a result of the coronavirus/COVID-19 and associated restrictions. Although we all know—on at least some...

By Maggie McCuiston As a self-employed person, I could easily work around the clock—especially if I don’t monitor myself!—and I have to specifically schedule time for...

By Ann Swanson During challenging times, stress takes a toll on the mind and the body. Stress can lead to compromised immunity, increased inflammation, poor sleep, and...

By Patience Kaltenbach A lack of mobility is often a barrier to receiving healthcare. Decreased mobility may be caused by aging, injury, or chronic conditions such as...

Pranayama, or yogic breathing exercise, is a tool for working with the energies of the body-mind-spirit. As described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and other historical...

By Ann Swanson So you think you might like to become a yoga therapist? Great! The world needs more professionals who have effective ways of addressing suffering,...

The yogatherapy.health blog is geared toward yoga therapy clients, the healthcare providers who recommend the practices to their patients, and those who might simply be...

Researchers believe that improved self-regulation is one of the reasons people experience a wide range of health and well-being benefits from yogic practices. Children...

Holistic medicine, alternative medicine, complementary health...What these fields encompass has shifted over time along with the terms used to describe them. Today, the...

Yoga therapy can be practiced individually—one client to one yoga therapist—or in small groups of people with a shared condition or similar life situation. Either way,...

Following are just a few of the great books recently authored by IAYT-certified yoga therapists and other yoga professionals to support the use of yogic practices for a...

Although many people today are first drawn to practice yoga or seek yoga therapy for physical reasons, they may be surprised by effects in seemingly unrelated areas of...

Clients often arrive at yoga therapy after they've tried seemingly everything to alleviate their pain and suffering. As yoga therapist Cheryl Gordon, C-IAYT, notes in...

Could yoga therapy really save money for hospitals and health systems? Research is beginning to indicate that the answer is "maybe so!" but a better question from the...

By Jennifer Brilliant Just a few sessions of yoga therapy can have an enormous impact on clients, sometimes initiating a path toward getting needed help. In the case of...

By Sherri Koehler This past winter, when I told Vickie* she could participate in therapeutic yoga classes, she was a little dubious at first. I met Vickie in the lobby...

By Jennie Lee Two things are certain: You were born, and you will die. Not so certain is whether or not, somewhere in between, you will determine who you are....

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine is incorporating complementary healthcare, including yoga therapy, into programs for both patients and medical students: “There...

By Michelle Andrie “I don’t want to die on the toilet,” said a new yoga therapy client, a vibrant 90-year-old we’ll call Karen. My mind flashed to Elvis...

As this article notes, "Yoga is one of the most sought after and used forms of complementary medicine." "[P]eople who seek the use of yoga to address back pain report...

By Tina Paul Globally, one in five people is impacted by chronic pain, and the number increases with age. That’s 1.5 billion of us—meaning you, me, and someone we love...

In case you need some encouragement to get started with yoga therapy, here are a few reminders of what the practices are all about. This article from the American...

By Ganesh Mohan A combined neurobiology and yoga perspective offers an innovative way of addressing chronic pain, which affects an estimated 50 million U.S. adults....

By Nya Patrinos I began experiencing chronic knee pain in the late 90s, but it wasn’t until after I had knee surgery in 2000 that my pain became unbearable. My...

One aspect of an illness usually takes center stage in our awareness, so it can be easy to forget that physical conditions have mental/emotional components and vice...

By Neil Pearson We don’t know why, but sometimes when pain persists—becomes chronic—helping people feel the sensations of their bodies and spending time each day doing...

By Anne Platt I teach yoga therapy, the therapeutic application of yoga developed specifically to help heal damaged bodies, minds, and spirits. My “students” at the Los...

Certified yoga therapist Steffany Moonaz, PhD, C-IAYT, discusses the distinctions between yoga therapy and accessible yoga, both of which can help a range of people...

Yoga therapy encourages listening deeply to the body—its complaints, requests, wisdom...Fine-tuning the ability to receive these messages, and to integrate their...

A friendly reminder: Yoga isn't a workout, and it's definitely not about achieving ever more "advanced" physical postures. If we remember the wide-ranging philosophical...

By Diane Finlayson The yoga philosophy that informs the way yoga therapists view the individual comes from a text called the Taittiriya Upanishad. Its second chapter...

By Annette Watson If you're not familiar with the Yoga Sutras, this Sanskrit text is believed to have been written more than 2,000 years ago by the sage Patanjali, who...

In a first for both professions, physical therapists and yoga therapists Neil Pearson, Diana Perez, and Shelly Prosko presented a session on integrating the two fields...

By Marsha T. Danzig Yoga philosophy views every student as whole and complete. A well-designed yoga practice is a specific invitation to re-remember our essential...

By Luciano Bernardi and Nicolò Francesco Bernardi Yoga helps us discover the golden thread that connects the apparently separate dimensions of our lives—exercise,...

By Judi Bar Before I answer why yoga therapy is at the Cleveland Clinic, I need to tell you why it’s in my own life: At the age of 45, I was diagnosed with a chronic...

BOOK REVIEW: Restore and Rebalance: Yoga for Deep Relaxation, by Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, PT Review by Molly McManus Once again, Judith Hanson Lasater has provided...

By J. J. Gormley Pranayama, or breathwork, may seem really strange to beginning yogis, but it’s such a powerful tool—one of the key practices in yoga therapy, in...

By Lori Rubenstein Fazzio Over the past 50 years, medicine has been shifting from a biomedical approach—one that focuses primarily on treatments to address physical...

VIDEO REVIEW: Creating Pelvic Floor Health, with Shelly Prosko Review by Tianna Meriage-Reiter I’ve experienced pelvic and back pain, along with continence and...

By Lynne Valdes You might be surprised to learn that the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) has been at the forefront of integrating complementary modalities into...

By Lee Majewski My friends often ask me, “What is yoga therapy?” Initially, I struggled to find the words to explain this emerging healthcare field. From years of...

By Jennifer Lenders Although patients new to intensive cardiac rehab (ICR) often arrive thinking of yoga as a stretching class for flexible people, they soon find that...

  BOOK REVIEW: Healing Our Backs with Yoga: An Essential Guide to Back Pain Relief, by Lillah A. Schwartz   Review by Steven Weiss In her comprehensive book,...

By Tina Paul Although a yoga class can be therapeutic, there are some differences between attending a general yoga class and receiving yoga therapy. To add to the...

By Ann Swanson When I tell people I am a yoga therapist, they inevitably ask, “Wait, what is yoga therapy?” They want to know how it differs from other yoga classes....