What Is Yoga Therapy?

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What Is Yoga Therapy?

“Yoga therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on the integration of mind and body to enhance mental health,” saysSabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a professor and clinical psychologist in New York City.

This form of therapy draws on yogic principles and practices, such as physical yoga postures,meditation,breathing techniques, and relaxation exercises, to improve mental and physical well-being.

“Unlike what people tend to imagine, yoga therapy does not look like a typical yoga class. Instead, yoga therapy is usually conducted on a one-on-one basis with a therapist,” says Romanoff.

Types of Yoga Therapy

While yoga therapy is typically performed on an individual basis, a subtype of yoga therapy includes agroupelement, where multiple people work together with a therapist in a small group and the power of the group is part of the healing process, says Romanoff.

Techniques

According to Romanoff, yoga therapy can involve several techniques, such as:

The treatment plan and techniques used in yoga therapy can vary based on your age, physical ability, and unique needs. Furthermore, all the exercises and postures employed in yoga therapy are designed to maximize the synchronicity of mind and body functioning.

Homework is an important element of yoga therapy so that the practices can be built into the person’s daily life instead of being stand-alone exercises at weekly therapy sessions.

More traditional forms of yoga therapy can also involve other techniques, such as chanting, prayer, textual study, ritual, imagery, and spiritual counseling.

What Yoga Therapy Can Help With

Yoga therapy can be helpful in the treatment of mental health conditions such as:

In addition, yoga therapy can be particularly effective for treating body-focused conditions, caused due tochronic pain, stress, or trauma that has been stored in the body and manifests through anxiety or depression-related symptoms, says Romanoff.

Benefits of Yoga Therapy

These are some of the benefits of yoga therapy:

13 Benefits of Yoga

Effectiveness

“Yoga therapy does not have as much empirical evidence of its efficacy due to limited randomized control trials relative to more established forms of therapy,” explains Romanoff. However, there is a growing body of research demonstrating that yoga therapy may offer benefits.

For instance, a 2021 study found that yoga can help treat conditions like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol dependence, and schizophrenia.A 2011 study found that yoga could be a complementary form of therapy for mental health illnesses, with fewer side effects than medication.

Things to Consider

“An important consideration is to find a therapist who has adequate training and credentials," advises Romanoff. “You would want to ensure that your therapist is a certified yoga therapist or has comparable training at a reputable training program.”

Romanoff recommends making certain that you are working with someone you trust and can form a strongtherapeutic alliancewith, and whose work you believe in.

How to Get Started

If you would like to explore yoga therapy, you can look for a certified yoga therapist near you, or ask friends, family, or your healthcare provider for a referral.

According to Romanoff, yoga therapy is typically used as an adjunct therapy in addition to other forms of therapy. So, if you are currently seeing a therapist, it may be worth consulting them about whether or not yoga therapy can be helpful to you and discussing how it would work in parallel with your current form of therapy.

It’s important to note that you can participate in yoga therapy regardless of your age, flexibility, or strength. Sessions can be simple or advanced, depending on your abilities and needs.

A Word From Verywell

Yoga therapy is atype of therapythat draws on yoga exercises, practices, and philosophies to improve mental and physical health. While the practice of yoga is commonly associated with stress relief, yoga therapy can be helpful in the treatment of several other mental health conditions as well. It may be recommended to you in combination with another type of therapy.

Get Help NowWe’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

Get Help Now

We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

15 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Stephens I.Medical Yoga Therapy. Children (Basel). 2017 Feb 10;4(2):12. doi: 10.3390/children4020012. PMID: 28208599; PMCID: PMC5332914.Hallgren M, Romberg K, Bakshi AS, Andréasson S.Yoga as an adjunct treatment for alcohol dependence: a pilot study. Complement Ther Med. 2014 Jun;22(3):441-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2014.03.003. Epub 2014 Mar 15. PMID: 24906582.Umadevi P, Ramachandra, Varambally S, Philip M, Gangadhar BN.Effect of yoga therapy on anxiety and depressive symptoms and quality-of-life among caregivers of in-patients with neurological disorders at a tertiary care center in India: A randomized controlled trial. Indian J Psychiatry. 2013 Jul;55(Suppl 3):S385-9. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.116304. PMID: 24049204; PMCID: PMC3768217.Gunaseelan L, Vanama MS, Abdi F, Qureshi A, Siddiqua A, Hamid MA.Yoga for the Management of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Cureus. 2021 Dec 16;13(12):e20466. doi: 10.7759/cureus.20466. PMID: 35070529; PMCID: PMC8760933.Radhakrishna S, Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR.Integrated approach to yoga therapy and autism spectrum disorders. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2010 Apr;1(2):120-4. doi: 10.4103/0975-9476.65089. PMID: 21836799; PMCID: PMC3151379.Jean M, Umair M, Muddaloor P, Farinango M, Ansary A, Dakka A, Nazir Z, Shamim H, Paidi G, Khan S.The Effects of Yoga on Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2022 Aug 4;14(8):e27688. doi: 10.7759/cureus.27688. PMID: 36072189; PMCID: PMC9440796.Borden A, Cook-Cottone C.Yoga and eating disorder prevention and treatment: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis. Eat Disord. 2020 Jul-Aug;28(4):400-437. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2020.1798172. PMID: 32964814.Turmel D, Carlier S, Bruyneel AV, Bruyneel M.Tailored individual Yoga practice improves sleep quality, fatigue, anxiety, and depression in chronic insomnia disorder. BMC Psychiatry. 2022 Apr 14;22(1):267. doi: 10.1186/s12888-022-03936-w. PMID: 35421962; PMCID: PMC9012014.Phobias: Yoga in the treatment of extreme anxiety. (n.d.). http://www.yogamag.net/archives/1990s/1996/9605/9605phob.htmlvan der Kolk BA, Stone L, West J, Rhodes A, Emerson D, Suvak M, Spinazzola J.Yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Psychiatry. 2014 Jun;75(6):e559-65. doi: 10.4088/JCP.13m08561. PMID: 25004196.Bangalore NG, Varambally S.Yoga therapy for Schizophrenia. Int J Yoga. 2012 Jul;5(2):85-91. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.98212. PMID: 22869990; PMCID: PMC3410202.Park CL, Finkelstein-Fox L, Sacco SJ, Braun TD, Lazar S.How does yoga reduce stress? A clinical trial testing psychological mechanisms. Stress Health. 2021 Feb;37(1):116-126. doi: 10.1002/smi.2977. Epub 2020 Aug 21. PMID: 32797683; PMCID: PMC10159010.Walia N, Matas J, Turner A, Gonzalez S, Zoorob R.Yoga for Substance Use: A Systematic Review. J Am Board Fam Med. 2021 Sep-Oct;34(5):964-973. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.05.210175. PMID: 34535521.Cabral P, Meyer HB, Ames D.Effectiveness of yoga therapy as a complementary treatment for major psychiatric disorders: a meta-analysis.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2011;13(4):PCC.10r01068. doi:10.4088/PCC.10r01068Brinsley J, Schuch F, Lederman O, et al.Effects of yoga on depressive symptoms in people with mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(17):992-1000. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2019-101242Additional ReadingInternational Association of Yoga Therapists.Contemporary definitions of yoga therapy.International Association of Yoga Therapists.Yoga therapy: definition, perspective, and principles.Simon NM, Hofmann SG, Rosenfield D, et al.Efficacy of yoga vs cognitive behavioral therapy vs stress education for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA Psychiatry. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2496Virginia University of Integrative Medicine.Yoga therapy: how to become a yoga therapist.

15 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Stephens I.Medical Yoga Therapy. Children (Basel). 2017 Feb 10;4(2):12. doi: 10.3390/children4020012. PMID: 28208599; PMCID: PMC5332914.Hallgren M, Romberg K, Bakshi AS, Andréasson S.Yoga as an adjunct treatment for alcohol dependence: a pilot study. Complement Ther Med. 2014 Jun;22(3):441-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2014.03.003. Epub 2014 Mar 15. PMID: 24906582.Umadevi P, Ramachandra, Varambally S, Philip M, Gangadhar BN.Effect of yoga therapy on anxiety and depressive symptoms and quality-of-life among caregivers of in-patients with neurological disorders at a tertiary care center in India: A randomized controlled trial. Indian J Psychiatry. 2013 Jul;55(Suppl 3):S385-9. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.116304. PMID: 24049204; PMCID: PMC3768217.Gunaseelan L, Vanama MS, Abdi F, Qureshi A, Siddiqua A, Hamid MA.Yoga for the Management of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Cureus. 2021 Dec 16;13(12):e20466. doi: 10.7759/cureus.20466. PMID: 35070529; PMCID: PMC8760933.Radhakrishna S, Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR.Integrated approach to yoga therapy and autism spectrum disorders. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2010 Apr;1(2):120-4. doi: 10.4103/0975-9476.65089. PMID: 21836799; PMCID: PMC3151379.Jean M, Umair M, Muddaloor P, Farinango M, Ansary A, Dakka A, Nazir Z, Shamim H, Paidi G, Khan S.The Effects of Yoga on Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2022 Aug 4;14(8):e27688. doi: 10.7759/cureus.27688. PMID: 36072189; PMCID: PMC9440796.Borden A, Cook-Cottone C.Yoga and eating disorder prevention and treatment: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis. Eat Disord. 2020 Jul-Aug;28(4):400-437. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2020.1798172. PMID: 32964814.Turmel D, Carlier S, Bruyneel AV, Bruyneel M.Tailored individual Yoga practice improves sleep quality, fatigue, anxiety, and depression in chronic insomnia disorder. BMC Psychiatry. 2022 Apr 14;22(1):267. doi: 10.1186/s12888-022-03936-w. PMID: 35421962; PMCID: PMC9012014.Phobias: Yoga in the treatment of extreme anxiety. (n.d.). http://www.yogamag.net/archives/1990s/1996/9605/9605phob.htmlvan der Kolk BA, Stone L, West J, Rhodes A, Emerson D, Suvak M, Spinazzola J.Yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Psychiatry. 2014 Jun;75(6):e559-65. doi: 10.4088/JCP.13m08561. PMID: 25004196.Bangalore NG, Varambally S.Yoga therapy for Schizophrenia. Int J Yoga. 2012 Jul;5(2):85-91. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.98212. PMID: 22869990; PMCID: PMC3410202.Park CL, Finkelstein-Fox L, Sacco SJ, Braun TD, Lazar S.How does yoga reduce stress? A clinical trial testing psychological mechanisms. Stress Health. 2021 Feb;37(1):116-126. doi: 10.1002/smi.2977. Epub 2020 Aug 21. PMID: 32797683; PMCID: PMC10159010.Walia N, Matas J, Turner A, Gonzalez S, Zoorob R.Yoga for Substance Use: A Systematic Review. J Am Board Fam Med. 2021 Sep-Oct;34(5):964-973. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.05.210175. PMID: 34535521.Cabral P, Meyer HB, Ames D.Effectiveness of yoga therapy as a complementary treatment for major psychiatric disorders: a meta-analysis.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2011;13(4):PCC.10r01068. doi:10.4088/PCC.10r01068Brinsley J, Schuch F, Lederman O, et al.Effects of yoga on depressive symptoms in people with mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(17):992-1000. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2019-101242Additional ReadingInternational Association of Yoga Therapists.Contemporary definitions of yoga therapy.International Association of Yoga Therapists.Yoga therapy: definition, perspective, and principles.Simon NM, Hofmann SG, Rosenfield D, et al.Efficacy of yoga vs cognitive behavioral therapy vs stress education for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA Psychiatry. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2496Virginia University of Integrative Medicine.Yoga therapy: how to become a yoga therapist.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Stephens I.Medical Yoga Therapy. Children (Basel). 2017 Feb 10;4(2):12. doi: 10.3390/children4020012. PMID: 28208599; PMCID: PMC5332914.Hallgren M, Romberg K, Bakshi AS, Andréasson S.Yoga as an adjunct treatment for alcohol dependence: a pilot study. Complement Ther Med. 2014 Jun;22(3):441-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2014.03.003. Epub 2014 Mar 15. PMID: 24906582.Umadevi P, Ramachandra, Varambally S, Philip M, Gangadhar BN.Effect of yoga therapy on anxiety and depressive symptoms and quality-of-life among caregivers of in-patients with neurological disorders at a tertiary care center in India: A randomized controlled trial. Indian J Psychiatry. 2013 Jul;55(Suppl 3):S385-9. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.116304. PMID: 24049204; PMCID: PMC3768217.Gunaseelan L, Vanama MS, Abdi F, Qureshi A, Siddiqua A, Hamid MA.Yoga for the Management of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Cureus. 2021 Dec 16;13(12):e20466. doi: 10.7759/cureus.20466. PMID: 35070529; PMCID: PMC8760933.Radhakrishna S, Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR.Integrated approach to yoga therapy and autism spectrum disorders. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2010 Apr;1(2):120-4. doi: 10.4103/0975-9476.65089. PMID: 21836799; PMCID: PMC3151379.Jean M, Umair M, Muddaloor P, Farinango M, Ansary A, Dakka A, Nazir Z, Shamim H, Paidi G, Khan S.The Effects of Yoga on Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2022 Aug 4;14(8):e27688. doi: 10.7759/cureus.27688. PMID: 36072189; PMCID: PMC9440796.Borden A, Cook-Cottone C.Yoga and eating disorder prevention and treatment: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis. Eat Disord. 2020 Jul-Aug;28(4):400-437. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2020.1798172. PMID: 32964814.Turmel D, Carlier S, Bruyneel AV, Bruyneel M.Tailored individual Yoga practice improves sleep quality, fatigue, anxiety, and depression in chronic insomnia disorder. BMC Psychiatry. 2022 Apr 14;22(1):267. doi: 10.1186/s12888-022-03936-w. PMID: 35421962; PMCID: PMC9012014.Phobias: Yoga in the treatment of extreme anxiety. (n.d.). http://www.yogamag.net/archives/1990s/1996/9605/9605phob.htmlvan der Kolk BA, Stone L, West J, Rhodes A, Emerson D, Suvak M, Spinazzola J.Yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Psychiatry. 2014 Jun;75(6):e559-65. doi: 10.4088/JCP.13m08561. PMID: 25004196.Bangalore NG, Varambally S.Yoga therapy for Schizophrenia. Int J Yoga. 2012 Jul;5(2):85-91. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.98212. PMID: 22869990; PMCID: PMC3410202.Park CL, Finkelstein-Fox L, Sacco SJ, Braun TD, Lazar S.How does yoga reduce stress? A clinical trial testing psychological mechanisms. Stress Health. 2021 Feb;37(1):116-126. doi: 10.1002/smi.2977. Epub 2020 Aug 21. PMID: 32797683; PMCID: PMC10159010.Walia N, Matas J, Turner A, Gonzalez S, Zoorob R.Yoga for Substance Use: A Systematic Review. J Am Board Fam Med. 2021 Sep-Oct;34(5):964-973. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.05.210175. PMID: 34535521.Cabral P, Meyer HB, Ames D.Effectiveness of yoga therapy as a complementary treatment for major psychiatric disorders: a meta-analysis.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2011;13(4):PCC.10r01068. doi:10.4088/PCC.10r01068Brinsley J, Schuch F, Lederman O, et al.Effects of yoga on depressive symptoms in people with mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(17):992-1000. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2019-101242

Stephens I.Medical Yoga Therapy. Children (Basel). 2017 Feb 10;4(2):12. doi: 10.3390/children4020012. PMID: 28208599; PMCID: PMC5332914.

Hallgren M, Romberg K, Bakshi AS, Andréasson S.Yoga as an adjunct treatment for alcohol dependence: a pilot study. Complement Ther Med. 2014 Jun;22(3):441-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2014.03.003. Epub 2014 Mar 15. PMID: 24906582.

Umadevi P, Ramachandra, Varambally S, Philip M, Gangadhar BN.Effect of yoga therapy on anxiety and depressive symptoms and quality-of-life among caregivers of in-patients with neurological disorders at a tertiary care center in India: A randomized controlled trial. Indian J Psychiatry. 2013 Jul;55(Suppl 3):S385-9. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.116304. PMID: 24049204; PMCID: PMC3768217.

Gunaseelan L, Vanama MS, Abdi F, Qureshi A, Siddiqua A, Hamid MA.Yoga for the Management of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Cureus. 2021 Dec 16;13(12):e20466. doi: 10.7759/cureus.20466. PMID: 35070529; PMCID: PMC8760933.

Radhakrishna S, Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR.Integrated approach to yoga therapy and autism spectrum disorders. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2010 Apr;1(2):120-4. doi: 10.4103/0975-9476.65089. PMID: 21836799; PMCID: PMC3151379.

Jean M, Umair M, Muddaloor P, Farinango M, Ansary A, Dakka A, Nazir Z, Shamim H, Paidi G, Khan S.The Effects of Yoga on Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2022 Aug 4;14(8):e27688. doi: 10.7759/cureus.27688. PMID: 36072189; PMCID: PMC9440796.

Borden A, Cook-Cottone C.Yoga and eating disorder prevention and treatment: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis. Eat Disord. 2020 Jul-Aug;28(4):400-437. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2020.1798172. PMID: 32964814.

Turmel D, Carlier S, Bruyneel AV, Bruyneel M.Tailored individual Yoga practice improves sleep quality, fatigue, anxiety, and depression in chronic insomnia disorder. BMC Psychiatry. 2022 Apr 14;22(1):267. doi: 10.1186/s12888-022-03936-w. PMID: 35421962; PMCID: PMC9012014.

Phobias: Yoga in the treatment of extreme anxiety. (n.d.). http://www.yogamag.net/archives/1990s/1996/9605/9605phob.html

van der Kolk BA, Stone L, West J, Rhodes A, Emerson D, Suvak M, Spinazzola J.Yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Psychiatry. 2014 Jun;75(6):e559-65. doi: 10.4088/JCP.13m08561. PMID: 25004196.

Bangalore NG, Varambally S.Yoga therapy for Schizophrenia. Int J Yoga. 2012 Jul;5(2):85-91. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.98212. PMID: 22869990; PMCID: PMC3410202.

Park CL, Finkelstein-Fox L, Sacco SJ, Braun TD, Lazar S.How does yoga reduce stress? A clinical trial testing psychological mechanisms. Stress Health. 2021 Feb;37(1):116-126. doi: 10.1002/smi.2977. Epub 2020 Aug 21. PMID: 32797683; PMCID: PMC10159010.

Walia N, Matas J, Turner A, Gonzalez S, Zoorob R.Yoga for Substance Use: A Systematic Review. J Am Board Fam Med. 2021 Sep-Oct;34(5):964-973. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.05.210175. PMID: 34535521.

Cabral P, Meyer HB, Ames D.Effectiveness of yoga therapy as a complementary treatment for major psychiatric disorders: a meta-analysis.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2011;13(4):PCC.10r01068. doi:10.4088/PCC.10r01068

Brinsley J, Schuch F, Lederman O, et al.Effects of yoga on depressive symptoms in people with mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(17):992-1000. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2019-101242

International Association of Yoga Therapists.Contemporary definitions of yoga therapy.International Association of Yoga Therapists.Yoga therapy: definition, perspective, and principles.Simon NM, Hofmann SG, Rosenfield D, et al.Efficacy of yoga vs cognitive behavioral therapy vs stress education for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA Psychiatry. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2496Virginia University of Integrative Medicine.Yoga therapy: how to become a yoga therapist.

International Association of Yoga Therapists.Contemporary definitions of yoga therapy.

International Association of Yoga Therapists.Yoga therapy: definition, perspective, and principles.

Simon NM, Hofmann SG, Rosenfield D, et al.Efficacy of yoga vs cognitive behavioral therapy vs stress education for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA Psychiatry. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2496

Virginia University of Integrative Medicine.Yoga therapy: how to become a yoga therapist.

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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