What is Yoga Therapy?
Darlene Listro | JUN 12
If you've heard me mention yoga therapy lately and thought, "Okay... but what actually is that?" you're not alone.
I love this question because it gives me a chance to share a little more about what has been shaping my work recently and why I am so passionate about this emerging field. The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) defines yoga therapy as:
"The professional application of the principles and practices of yoga to promote health and well-being within a therapeutic relationship that includes personalized assessment, goal setting, lifestyle management, and yoga practices for individuals or small groups."
While that definition is accurate, what does it really mean in practice? Many holistic practitioners believe that the pace and demands of modern life can create imbalance within our bodies, minds, and lives. Over time, stress, life transitions, illness, injury, and emotional challenges can leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves and from the sense of wholeness that exists within us.
Yoga therapy offers a personalized and holistic approach to well-being. Rooted in the ancient traditions of yoga that originated in India, it recognizes that each person is unique and that healing is rarely a one-size-fits-all process. Rather than focusing on a diagnosis alone, yoga therapy considers the whole person: body, mind, emotions, lifestyle, relationships, and environment. It is a collaborative process that invites you to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with your own inner resources for healing, resilience, and balance.
This is one of the most common questions people ask. Unlike a traditional yoga class, which follows a general sequence designed for a group, yoga therapy focuses on the specific needs, goals, and experiences of the individual. Yoga therapy is not about performing poses perfectly, touching your toes, or becoming more flexible. In fact, flexibility is not a requirement at all.
One of the biggest misconceptions about yoga therapy is that you need to be experienced with yoga before getting started.
You don't.
Yoga therapy meets you where you are. Whether practices are done in a chair, standing, on a yoga mat, or even from a bed, they are adapted to support your unique needs, abilities, and goals. The emphasis is not on achieving a particular pose. Instead, the focus is on helping you develop greater awareness, self-understanding, and practical tools that support your health and well-being.
Many people are surprised to learn that yoga therapists complete extensive education beyond traditional yoga teacher training. While requirements vary by program, professional yoga therapy training typically includes hundreds of additional hours of study in areas such as anatomy, therapeutic applications of yoga, health conditions, assessment, and working with clients in a one-on-one therapeutic relationship.
As a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-500), I have completed my Level 1 Foundations in Yoga Therapy through Inner Peace Yoga Therapy, an accredited 800-hour professional training program. This seven-month intensive deepened my understanding of how yoga can support people across many different life experiences and health concerns.
My training has included:
Functional Yoga Therapy
Yoga Across the Cancer Care Continuum
Yoga of Recovery
The Subtle Body
Yoga for Stress and Resilience
Pain Care Aware (PCA) certification training
Yoga for Grief
Each area has added another layer to my understanding of how yoga can support people—not only physically, but emotionally, mentally, and through the regulation of the nervous system. I am currently continuing into Level 2 of the program, which includes advanced mentorship and specialized study in women's health, healthy aging, neurological conditions, and other therapeutic applications.
As a yoga therapist in training, I work with clients through a personalized process designed to support their individual goals. Each person begins with a comprehensive 90-minute intake assessment. During this session, we explore your health history, lifestyle, current challenges, strengths, and goals. Together, we identify what matters most to you and develop a plan that feels realistic, supportive, and meaningful.
From there, sessions are typically 60 minutes in length and are often scheduled over a period of time, meeting anywhere from weekly to bi-monthly. This allows time to implement practices, reflect on what is working, make adjustments, and receive ongoing support. Sessions begin with conversation, assessment, and goal setting. Together, we explore what is happening in your life and what support might be most helpful. Then, practices are selected specifically for your needs.
These may include:
Gentle movement and yoga postures
Breathing practices
Relaxation techniques
Meditation and mindfulness practices
Lifestyle recommendations
Stress management tools
Practices to improve sleep, energy, and resilience
It is not about doing everything. It is about discovering what best supports you. Rather than trying to fix or force change, yoga therapy creates space to notice, adapt, and reconnect with the body's natural capacity for healing, resilience, and regulation.
People seek yoga therapy for many different reasons. Some are navigating stress, anxiety, burnout, or difficulty sleeping. Others are managing chronic pain, recovering from illness or injury, adjusting to a major life transition, or seeking support for healthy aging. Many people who find yoga therapy valuable are highly capable individuals. They are the people who hold things together. They show up for their families, careers, communities, and responsibilities. But beneath that strength, there may be a different experience. Perhaps there is a busy mind that doesn't easily quiet. A body that feels tired, tense, or disconnected. A feeling that something needs attention, even if you can't quite put your finger on it. Or perhaps there is a quiet inner voice asking for more care, more connection, and more ease. Yoga therapy offers a supportive space to pause, listen, and explore what might help you feel more grounded, steady, and at home within yourself.
As I continue my yoga therapy mentorship journey, my first area of specialization is women's health, with a particular focus on supporting women through perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. This area of study has been both fascinating and meaningful to me personally. For many women, midlife can bring significant physical, emotional, and lifestyle changes. Sleep disturbances, increased stress, mood fluctuations, weight changes, brain fog, fatigue, and shifting identities are all common experiences. Yet many women feel unprepared for these changes and unsure where to turn for support.
While yoga therapy cannot eliminate menopause, it may offer valuable tools to help women navigate this transition with greater awareness, resilience, and self-compassion. Together, we may explore practices that support:
Stress reduction
Better sleep
Nervous system regulation
Emotional well-being
Energy management
Body awareness
Self-care and lifestyle habits
Greater connection to yourself during a season of change
At Just Breathe Yoga and Wellness in Cromwell, Connecticut, I offer personalized yoga therapy services designed to support individuals seeking a holistic approach to health and well-being. My approach combines evidence-informed yoga practices with compassionate guidance and individualized care. Whether you are navigating stress, life transitions, menopause, chronic pain, sleep challenges, or simply feeling disconnected from yourself, yoga therapy offers an opportunity to explore meaningful practices that support your overall well-being.
No. Yoga therapy is appropriate for both beginners and experienced yoga practitioners. Practices are adapted to meet you where you are.
Absolutely not. Yoga therapy adapts to your body not the other way around.
Yes. Yoga therapy continues to be an emerging field, supported by a growing body of research examining the effects of yoga practices on stress, sleep, pain management, emotional well-being, and quality of life.
Yoga therapists complete specialized professional training beyond traditional yoga teacher education. After completing an accredited training program, graduates may choose to pursue professional certification through the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), which requires meeting professional educational and competency standards as well as ethical guidelines.
Every person is unique. Many clients begin with a 3 or 5 session package, depending on their individual goals and needs.
One of the greatest gifts yoga has given me is the reminder that healing isn't about becoming someone new. It's about gently uncovering the wisdom, resilience, and wholeness that have been within us all along. That doesn't mean life suddenly becomes easy. We all experience seasons of stress, uncertainty, loss, and change. But we don't have to navigate those seasons alone. Yoga therapy offers a space to pause... to breathe... to listen... and to reconnect with the parts of yourself that may have been overshadowed by the demands of everyday life.
Whether you're navigating menopause, recovering from illness, managing chronic stress, or simply longing to feel more like yourself again, know that there is no expectation to arrive with everything figured out. You simply begin where you are. There is no perfect time to begin, only a willingness to take the first step.
If that speaks to you, I would be honored to walk alongside you.
You are welcome here.
Darlene Listro | JUN 12
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