Most of us understand yoga as something that happens in a studio: a class, a sequence, perhaps a style you've tried and either loved or found confusing. Yoga therapy is a different animal. It takes the broad toolkit of yoga practice and applies it in a one-to-one therapeutic context, working with a person's individual situation, body, and health history to create something specifically tailored to them.
The distinction is worth holding onto. In a yoga class, a teacher offers a sequence and each student adapts as they can. In yoga therapy, the therapist works backwards from the person, designing an approach around what that individual needs rather than what a class requires. Sessions might involve movement, breathwork, guided relaxation, body awareness practices, and sometimes simple philosophical frameworks for making sense of what someone is going through.
What might yoga therapy help with?
Yoga therapists work with a wide range of concerns. Physical issues are common, including chronic pain, back and joint problems, recovery from injury or illness, and fatigue. Many people also seek yoga therapy for its effects on the nervous system and mind: anxiety, stress, sleep difficulties, burnout, trauma, and depression. For some, it is a complement to medical treatment; for others, it is about maintaining or deepening a sense of wellbeing.
It is worth noting that yoga therapy is not a substitute for medical care, and a qualified yoga therapist will always be clear about the boundaries of their work and when referral or medical input is appropriate.
"Yoga therapy meets you where you are, not where a posture expects you to be. For people who have felt excluded from yoga classes, that can make all the difference."
Yoga therapy and the nervous system
One area where yoga therapy has developed particular depth is in working with the autonomic nervous system. Chronic stress, anxiety, and trauma often leave people in a prolonged state of physiological activation that affects sleep, mood, digestion, and their sense of safety in their own body. Many yoga therapy techniques are specifically designed to support the shift towards a more regulated state, drawing on what is now understood about the relationship between breath, posture, and the nervous system.
For people who have found that talking therapies alone haven't fully addressed the physical dimension of anxiety or trauma, a body-based approach like yoga therapy can sometimes offer something additional and complementary.
What to look for in a yoga therapist
In the UK, the British Council for Yoga Therapy (BCYT) provides accreditation for yoga therapists who have completed advanced training beyond a standard yoga teacher qualification. Look for a therapist who is accredited by the BCYT or an equivalent body, and who has experience relevant to your situation.
If you'd like to explore yoga therapy, Welvow's directory includes yoga therapists and teachers working with a range of concerns, from physical recovery to stress, anxiety, and nervous system support. Many offer an initial conversation to help you understand whether their approach is a good fit.
Find your practitioner →Yoga therapy works best when it is genuinely responsive to the person in front of the therapist. At its heart, it is about developing a more friendly, curious, and sustainable relationship with your own body.