Therapeutic Yoga

Take Two Asanas and Call Me in the Morning . . .

Time and time again with student after student, yoga has shown its therapeutic efficacy in treating many human ailments and disabilities. An exceptionally wide range of problems including musculoskeletal imbalances and deformities, specific organ malfunctions and psychological disorders respond to yoga therapy. What is it about the practice of yoga that allows it to have such beneficial effects in so many areas of human suffering? The answer is as complex as the human organism itself. Yoga helps to create a physiologic and psychological environment in which self-regulated maintenance and healing mechanisms in all tissues can function most efficiently.¹

The underlying principle of therapeutic yoga is the dynamic relationship of circulation, posture and breathing.

Asanas or poses practiced regularly can be quite helpful in creating and maintaining a healthy immune system and improving musculoskeletal alignment. Each asana can be modified to challenge each individual at his or her own level. Restorative poses are extremely effective in creating the "relaxation response" and in counteracting the negative effects of stress. Restorative poses differ from free standing yoga poses, which are held in alignment by muscular action, in that the muscles remain quiet and the shape and alignment of the pose is determined by the use of props.

In these days of well-justified disillusionment with drugs and surgery as medical panaceas, yoga shines as a time-tested approach to personal health and maintenance and self-healing. Compassionate teachers with experience and knowledge in the medical applications of this ancient art will prove a valuable addition to North America´s health care systems and a blessing to their students.²

1. "Minimizing Pain, The Principles of Therapeutic Yoga" by Mary Pullig Schatz, M.D.

2. Ibid.