YOGA THERAPY FAQ
Q: What is Yoga Therapy?
A: SOMA Yoga Therapy is a mind-body practice that focuses on clients’ physical, emotional and mental health. The practice uses movement (asana), mindfulness, meditation, relaxation and breathing exercises (pranayama) to help clients relax, relieve stress and manage underlying conditions or symptoms in addition to treatment by a healthcare provider. It is an integrative awareness practice that is customized to an individual’s needs and requirements. The yoga therapy process empowers clients to optimize their health and well-being with curiosity and practice.
What makes SOMA Yoga Therapy distinct from a regular, private yoga session is that it involves a detailed assessment (of posture, movement, energetics and breathing). This information is then used to come up with a protocol or yoga therapy practice that the client can then take with them to continue at home. The eventual goal of each client-therapist relationship is that the client will no longer need yoga therapy as they will have enough tools and support to continue their wellness path.
Typically, a yoga therapist is a qualified and experienced yoga teacher who has taken an additional yoga therapy diploma training programme (with a minimum of 800 hours of YT Training and 100 hours or more of supervised YT Clinic Sessions).
Q: How does Yoga Therapy work?
A: Yoga Therapy incorporates physical poses (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayamas) and meditation into one customized session. Research suggests this unique mix of practices can help lower blood pressure, reduce a high heart rate, decrease the production of the stress hormone cortisol and release feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin in the brain. You can use yoga practices to achieve a specific objective. For example, poses that involve forward bending are calming while back bends are invigorating as are specific breathwork practices.
The therapeutic benefit is experienced when a yoga therapist crafts a session designed to create balance through posture, breathing and meditation. Together, these three tools can trigger the body’s relaxation response — the antidote to your body’s stress response — and that’s where the real healing happens.
Furthermore, Yoga Therapy offers a customized home protocol to each client to further enhance their well-being through a lasting and meaningful change in their daily life.
Q: Who can do Yoga Therapy?
A: Everyone is a good candidate for yoga therapy, even if you are not experiencing a specific health condition. SOMA Yoga Therapy can help reduce stress, increase energy, provide preventative support and even improve sleep. It’s a holistic approach to health and healing. What separates yoga therapy from traditional yoga classes is an approach that is specifically tailored to the individual and their needs/goals.
Q: What specific conditions are helped by Yoga Therapy?
A: Some of the health benefits of yoga therapy include:
Ease cancer side effects.
Reducing physical discomfort and improving the management of pain.
Helping neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), fibromyalgia, epilepsy and stroke.
Easing joint pain from arthritis.
Reducing tension and stress and relieving headaches.
Helping with weight loss.
Boosting your mood and reducing depression.
improves sleep.
Reducing anxiety, tension and stress.
Easing symptoms of menopause.
Helping calm symptoms of trauma.
Q: What happens if I have to cancel a Yoga Therapy appointment?
At SOMA Yoga Therapy, we understand that life is ever-changing. Once you have booked an appointment, we have reserved time in our schedule exclusively for you. However, if you need to cancel your appointment please email us as soon as possible. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the time of the appointment or for no-shows, clients will be subject to a charge of half their session rate.
So, to avoid a cancellation fee, please email a cancellation notice at least 48 hours before your appointment. If SOMA Yoga Therapy cancels an appointment, a new appointment will be scheduled, subject to client availability, without any penalty to the client.
