Yoga Therapy Foundations Tools And Practice

Providing essential support to schools and universities that offer yoga therapy training programs, this comprehensive, edited textbook develops robust curricula, enabling them to prepare yoga therapists to integrate into healthcare settings safely and effectively. The book includes a large and international list of contributors from diverse lineages and backgrounds such as Matthew Taylor, Gail Parker and Steffany Moonaz, and is the first resource on yoga therapy that aligns with the educationl competencies of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT). It covers yoga foundations (philosophical background, ayurveda, tantra), biomedical and psychological foundations, yoga therapy tools and therapeutic skills, yogic and biopsychosocial-spiritual assessments, and professional practices. As the field of yoga therapy continues to root and grow, this book is essential for both new yoga therapy practitioners, and for schools developing training programs.

From the best-selling author of Teaching Yoga, Yoga Sequencing, and Yoga Adjustments comes this essential resource for learning how to adapt yoga practices to best accommodate and heal a wide array of common injuries and ailments. Surveying historical writings on yoga, ayurveda, and scientific medical approaches to health and healing, Mark Stephens distills this received wisdom of ancient and modern practices for more insightful and practical application in today’s world. He applies these insights to healing musculoskeletal injuries; promoting a healthy reproductive system; and addressing mental, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. With each health condition, Stephens applies yoga to the most recent evidence-based practices for healing, offering an integral place for yoga in integrative health practices. Yoga Therapy is a practical manual with a systematic approach of considering the nature of each health condition and the specific asanas, pranayamas, and meditations most helpful in healing it. Rather than adopting a narrow medical model of healing as the reduction or elimination of symptoms, Stephens invites yoga theapists, teachers and students to relate to health as a continuous, dynamic process of self-care in which the qualities of personal experience and social connectivity matter. He illustrates that how we live our lives—including our emotional states, nutrition, sleep, relationships, and sense of purpose—is reflected in our sense of balance (or imbalance) and well-being (or disease). Comprehensive, accessible, and informed by Mark Stephens’ decades of deep study, practice, and teaching, this will become an indispensable reference.

This highly illustrated guide teaches yoga therapists and mental health professionals how to integrate Yin Yoga into practice and treatment plans as part of a holistic approach to healing and treating a variety of mental health challenges and brain injuries. Yin yoga is an accessible form of yoga consisting of mainly floor based low force stretching, perfect for all patients regardless of physical limitations. The use of Yin yoga when combined with breath work and meditation can decrease anxiety, improve overall mood, and create a sense of well-being. With explanations on the principles of practice, such as asanas, meditation, breathwork and how to integrate different psychological methods to decrease emotional suffering and increase self-care along with examples of how to apply these principles for a range of mental health conditions; this guide is essential reading for all practitioners interested in an integrated approach to healing.

Understanding Yoga Therapy offers a comprehensive and accessible perspective on yoga therapy as a complementary, integrative route to promoting whole-person well-being. Readers will come away from the book understanding how the philosophy, texts, and teachings of yoga benefit a wide range of health conditions. The book is split into three helpful sections: Part I discusses foundational texts and their interpretations; Part II outlines the biopsychosocial-spiritual and neurophysiological model of integrative health pertinent to yoga therapy; and Part III focuses on practical applications separate from the more familiar diagnosis-driven models. Experiential activities and case studies throughout the text illuminate how yogic practices can be incorporated for optimal health. Bridging the ancient and modern, philosophical and scientific, Understanding Yoga Therapy offers a clear explanatory framework for yoga therapists, physicians, allied and complementary healthcare providers, and their patients and students.

Complete recovery from most mental health issues is possible—and safety is the first step! Mental health issues exist throughout our brains and bodies. Most people think it takes years of expensive therapy to make any progress. Recent research shows how efficient it can be, with the right guide, to resolve anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. In Safety in the Body, Erin Byron, a registered psychotherapist and yoga therapist trainer, gives readers the power to direct their body, mind, emotions, and beliefs away from continual traumatisation. Erin explains that finding a whole-body sense of safety while experiencing post-traumatic stress, anxiety, or depression brings us closer to a present, authentic, healthy life. Consciously practising safety with the help of breath and mindfulness exercises reprograms the brain and nervous system to regulate, which balances our body and mind. With time, patience, and commitment, this carries us towards a life free from trauma, anxiety, depression, and high sensitivity. A handbook for people moving beyond mental health issues and those working with them, Safety in the Body is full of strategies and activities. This book is based on yoga, expressive arts, empirical evidence, and neurophysiology. It helps build the neural, spiritual, and psychological pathways of integration, empowerment, and safety.

Yoga Therapy: Theory and Practice is a vital guidebook for any clinician or scholar looking to integrate yoga into the medical and mental health fields. Chapters are written by expert yoga therapy practitioners and offer theoretical, historical, and practice-based instruction on cutting-edge topics such as application of yoga therapy to anger management and the intersection of yoga therapy and epigenetics; many chapters also include Q&A "self-inquiries." Readers will find that Yoga Therapy is the perfect guide for practitioners looking for new techniques as well as those hoping to begin from scratch with yoga therapy.

The first comprehensive guide for new and experienced yoga teachers—featuring an exhaustive overview of yoga philosophy and history, yoga poses and styles, plus breathing practices and meditations. The author of Yoga Sequencing and Yoga Adjustments offers an “authoritative and engaging” guide that “will help instructors fine-tune their classroom skills and empower their personal practice” (Yoga+Joyful Living Magazine). Drawing on a wide spectrum of perspectives, and featuring more than 150 photographs and illustrations, Teaching Yoga covers the fundamental topics of yoga philosophy and history, including a historical presentation of classical yoga literature: the Vedas; Upanishads; Bhagavad Gita; Yoga Sutras of Patanjali; and the main historical sources on tantra and early hatha yoga. Each of the 11 major styles of contemporary yoga is described, with a brief history of its development and the distinguishing elements of its teachings. Exploring traditional and modern aspects of anatomy and physiology, the book provides extensive support and tools for teaching 108 yoga poses (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation. Teaching Yoga also offers practical advice for classroom setup, planning and sequencing classes, as well as the process involved in becoming a teacher and sustaining oneself in the profession. Addressing 100% of the teacher training curriculum standards set by Yoga Alliance—the world’s leading registry and accreditation source for yoga teachers and schools—Teaching Yoga is also ideal for use as a core textbook in yoga teacher training programs. It includes over 200 bibliographic sources, a comprehensive index, and a useful appendix that lists associations, institutes, organizations, and professional resources for yoga teachers.