Principles And Themes In Yoga Therapy

Yoga has become increasingly popular in mainstream culture, with varied interpretations of how it should be taught and practiced, and increased awareness of its beneficial effects as a healing modality. As a result, yoga therapy has emerged as an effective alternative approach to health and wellness. Explaining the principles and underpinning ideas presented by the yoga therapy movement, James Foulkes identifies the methods leading to the most effective practice. Applying a principles-based approach, he explores the concept of delivering yoga therapeutically and discusses more complete ways of thinking about anatomy and the wholeness of the human being, using theories, illustrations, and case studies. Yoga therapy practitioners will learn to improve their work and more effectively support their clients.

The Principles and Practice of Yoga in Health Care is a professional-level textbook with contributions by multiple expert researchers and therapists in the field. This book brings together the science and the practice of yoga therapysupports the emergence of yoga therapy as a credible professioncomprehensively summarizes research findings and their practical implications for professionals who use yoga or refer patients for yoga practiceincludes chapter contributions by leading biomedical researchers of yogareviews the scientific evidence base for yoga for a wide variety of medical conditionsProvides brief contributions by expert yoga therapists describing practical implementation issues relevant to yoga for specific conditions.The editors include three eminent yoga therapy researchers and one renowned practitioner in the field. They have brought together an experienced team of researchers and yoga therapist contributors. Contents: Section 1: Introduction to Yoga and Yoga Therapy 1. Introduction to yoga in health care 2. History, philosophy and practice of yoga 3. History, philosophy and practice of yoga therapy 4. Research on the psychophysiology of yoga Section 2: Mental Health Conditions 5. Yoga therapy for depression 6. Yoga therapy for anxiety 7. Yoga therapy for other mental health conditions Section 3: Musculoskeletal and Neurological Conditions 8. Yoga therapy for back conditions 9. Yoga therapy for musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions 10. Yoga therapy for neurological and immune conditions Section 4: Endocrine Conditions 11. Yoga therapy for diabetes 12. Yoga therapy for metabolic syndrome and weight control Section 5: Cardiorespiratory Conditions 13. Yoga therapy for heart disease 14. Yoga therapy for hypertension 15. Yoga therapy for respiratory conditions Section 6: Cancer 16. Yoga therapy during cancer treatment 17. Yoga therapy for cancer survivors Section 7: Special Populations 18. Yoga therapy for pediatrics 19. Yoga therapy for geriatrics 20. Yoga therapy for obstetrics and gynaecology 21. Yoga as prevention and wellness Section 8: Practical and Future Considerations 22. Implementation of yoga therapy 23. Future directions in research and clinical care

Yoga therapy is commonly used for the management of arthritis, but often focusses exclusively on adaptation of the physical poses and on structural solutions. This book moves beyond the traditional routines to present yoga as a lifestyle designed to improve quality of life and overall well-being for individuals living with arthritis and rheumatic conditions. By incorporating the ancient practices of yoga as both physical and mental exercises involving a model of 5-koshas or sheaths (physical, energetic, mental/emotional, wisdom, and spiritual), the yoga therapy practice presented here will help reduce pain and shift the perspective of the individual living with arthritis. This therapy uses a whole-person approach that employs a broad range of tools to address the biopsychosocial effects of arthritis through the application of yoga practices and philosophy. Useful as a guide for people living with arthritis, this book is full of inspiration for self care along with instructions for yoga teachers and medical professionals to guide their clients using this whole-person perspective.

Digestive issues are widespread and prove difficult to address through mainstream medicine. Senior yoga teacher Charlotte Watts sheds light on the connection between the gut and the brain, explains the links between stress, trauma and digestive issues and demonstrates how yoga with its focus on stilling the mind can have profound effects on conditions such as IBS, IBD, acid reflux, colitis, diverticulitis and more. Breath awareness allows the breath to drop into the belly and diaphragm, essential for good digestive function and understanding the fascial connections within the viscera help shape movement that enables optimal function. Fully illustrated with clear diagrams and instructions, this volume provides yoga, movement and medical professionals with a solid understanding of the digestive system in relation to breath, mindfulness, posture, anatomy, movement, stress and trauma. It helps them to apply this knowledge to their practice and teaching approach.

Supporting yoga therapists to create a programme of care for those living with chronic pain, this guide brings pain science, creativity and yoga together for the first time. It includes the emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual in its definition of pain and acknowledges there that is no simple physical 'fix'. The book offers advice on creating an environment that restores hope and meaning to clients, and on building a successful business by creating a community of support. Matt Taylor's blend of creativity and yoga came from his own chronic spine pain as a physical therapist and his discovery of yoga therapy which led to his yoga-based rehabilitation clinic.

In this book, Lee Majewski and Ananda Bhavanani define yoga and yoga therapy as a whole person practice, demonstrating how it can help the individual to heal through their own mechanisms. The authors bring yogic concepts from theory into everyday life, exploring how yoga therapy can work with all levels of a human being at the same time (physical, energetic, emotional, intellectual and spiritual) and demonstrating that, when applied correctly, it can assist healing and facilitate an improved quality of life. The book covers deep yogic work and how it applies to cancer patients, as well as a range of other chronic conditions including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. For each of these conditions the authors explore how yoga therapy can go beyond alleviating symptoms and work to heal the whole person.