How to become A Yoga Therapist

Every human being is the author of their health or disease. Yoga, which aims at a mind free from all disturbances, teaches one how to listen to one’s body. Yoga Therapists work with clients to help improve their relationship with their body and their environment.

• Spa Therapist
• Allied Therapist
• Alternative Therapist
• Behavior Therapist
• Behavior Technician
• Behavior Interventionist

What do Yoga Therapists do?

A Yoga Therapist would typically need to:

• Conduct consultation with new clients through a thorough inquiry into their medical history and their physical, mental, energetic, and spiritual needs
• Analyze the client’s breath, posture, and gait, as well as their practice of various Yoga poses
• Decide on a personalized program of therapy to help with issues or symptoms
• Work with clients on a one-to-one basis or in group classes, teaching a range of Yoga postures from simple moves to more complex ones along with breathing exercises, relaxation, and visualization techniques
• Give advice on how to maintain good health and a sense of inner peace and relaxation
• Follow a regular personal practice of Yoga

Yoga Therapists may practice in a gym, private office, wellness center, rehabilitation facility, studio, private office, clinic, hospital, and even military or retirement community. The session may also take place in a client's home or on Skype. Yoga teachers would be wise to dress in a way that looks professional, clean, neat, practical, and modest.

The work schedule is usually 32-34 hours per week but may vary depending on your place of employment. It would be more flexible if you were self-employed or a freelancer.

Yoga Therapists may work under the care of a healthcare professional or one-on-one with clients. You could conduct therapeutic workshops in specialties like arthritis, and educate people to become Yoga teachers and therapists themselves. You could teach Yoga while practicing as a self-employed Therapist.

Yoga Therapists are generally employed by:

• Gyms, Fitness Clubs & Spas
• Schools & Colleges
• Yoga Studios
• Community Centers
• Homes for Seniors
• Healthcare Facilities
• Rehabilitation Centers
• Armed Forces
• Corporations and Businesses

Professional associations and organizations are a crucial resource for those interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more looks excellent on your resume to bolster your credentials and qualifications as a Yoga Therapist.

• A schedule that entails driving all over the town/city leading to increased cost and frustration
• Needing to know how to be an effective marketer of your classes to grow your business
• Making your practice a priority
• Being creative around how and when you will do your Yoga
• Managing illness, injury, and scheduled days off judiciously because you do not get paid when you do not work
• Having jobs end or losing a job all of a sudden because of seasonal changes, low attendance, or changes the owner of the facility wishes to make
• Feelings of inadequacy over your knowledge, practice, techniques of Yoga philosophy
• Experiencing smaller classes, fewer private clients, and difficulty looking for independent jobs in summer
• Managing your time between therapy sessions and administrative tasks
• Feeling unsure whether you made the right career choice

Apprenticeships can be formal or informal, and some training programs offer them as part of their program. Yoga and Yoga Therapy are best learned from seasoned teachers whom you can observe and interact with. If they can watch you work with students and critique your work, so much the better. No matter how well prepared you are, a substantial part of learning to practice Yoga Therapy comes from doing it—from plain old trial and error—and from carefully scrutinizing your students' responses to your interventions.

A course in Yoga Therapy approved by certain institutes may require a Yoga teaching qualification, a minimum number of hours of teaching Yoga over one year, and regular practice of Yoga for a minimum of three years. A background in anatomy and physiology will be useful. Private training organizations run specialist courses. You could join accredited registers in the country you learn, reside, or work in.

Find an advanced 800-hour or longer Yoga Therapy program approved and accredited by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT). The program should combine academic rigor with the rich traditions and philosophy of Yoga. The classes should balance reading cutting-edge scientific research in the field by experiencing profound meditations and “asana” practices.

Some programs focus on psychology and spirituality; some are based on a specific lineage; others allow you to develop and choose your expertise. No particular program or style is better overall. It is all about finding the right fit for you.

Other ways to learn more about the field and program options are to join IAYT, read their publications, attend their annual professional conference, and meet Yoga Therapists from around the world. Yoga Therapists are well trained in many areas of health therapy, healing, and overall wellness. Competent Yoga Therapists build on a foundation in anatomy, basic physiology, and healthcare, which may be completed through distance learning. Other teachings may include the philosophy of Yoga, perspectives of Yoga, and the mind and Yoga practices.

IAYT Certification (C-IAYT) is currently open to graduates of IAYT-accredited Yoga Therapist training programs. Other approved local, regional or national institutes may also offer accredited certification programs to train Yoga teachers with certain minimum teaching experience.

Some Yoga studios and fitness facilities require certification in CPR and first-aid. Even if they do not, however, these are useful certifications to acquire. Your local Red Cross may offer inexpensive courses. You will need to pass enhanced background checks as you may be working with children and vulnerable adults.

Yoga Therapy is an exciting, burgeoning field, offering diverse options to sculpt your career. Consider becoming a physical or occupational therapist, with job growth higher than 30 percent through 2020, and specializing in integrating Yoga Therapy. Realizing the health benefits of Yoga, including better breathing and relaxation, many physical and other health therapists practicing rehabilitation therapy may offer Yoga clinics or therapy practice sessions as part of their treatment.

Another option is starting an independent Yoga Therapy practice as a private business, offering one-on-one sessions to private clients. You can also seek to integrate your business into the health and wellness industry in health clubs or spas for stress reduction through breathing and relaxation exercises. Yoga Therapy may also offer mental health benefits and gradually serve as a rehabilitative tool for people who want to return to more vigorous athletics.

As an independent Yoga Therapist, you might design sessions or group therapy targeting the needs of specific populations. For instance, trauma-sensitive Yoga offers clients a specialized program to address personal triggers, challenges, and physical limitations in those who have experienced personal trauma. Classes give more control to the participants and make sure they feel safe in the space and their bodies.

You may offer special workshops and events that focus on your specialties or areas of interest. You can also host or help out on Yoga retreats or Yoga Therapist training courses, or write about Yoga for magazines and online publications. Good books on Yoga can earn you between US $60,000 to US $100,000 per book.

If you are an experienced therapist in high demand, you can earn thousands by working with brands on advertising campaigns or attending high-profile events. You can use social media to supplement your income as a Yoga Therapist. Depending on your following, you can earn between US $500 to US $1000 per Instagram photo for a sponsored post.

There may be many more people seeking Yoga Therapy than there are qualified teachers to provide it. If you have worked for a decade as a nurse or have been to physical therapy school, you have a leg up..

Professional training aimed at nurses, massage therapists, or other health-care professionals may be acquired as additional qualifications. You may study small-business ownership, anatomy, and physiology through local community colleges. You may find it useful to form study groups with colleagues. Books on anatomy and physiology from libraries and bookstores and general health guides that cover the treatment and diagnosis of common diseases will come in handy. There is something to learn from every student. When you teach someone who has, say, asthma, if you spend a few minutes reading about the condition and its treatment, you're more likely to understand the physical and emotional signals your student sends out in class.

The Approved Professional Development (APD) program supports C-IAYT Continuing Education (CE). It helps Yoga Therapists to search for opportunities for additional training to maintain their core competencies and advance their professional growth. The APD Program provides an avenue to earn continuing education hours in recognized programs pre-approved to meet the requirements of C-IAYT renewal. IAYT members and member schools who list APD Courses on the IAYT website gain visibility and direct access to both the growing population of IAYT Certified Yoga Therapists as well as other IAYT members seeking Yoga Therapy professional development opportunities.

Some courses may include a separate study of Ayurveda, although this provides additional knowledge and is not required to become a Yoga Therapist.

Promising Outcomes of Yoga

More people are practicing Yoga, specifically for therapeutic reasons. Doctors and healthcare practitioners recommend Yoga to complement the usual medical care. Reviews and meta-analysis (the gold standard of research) show promising Yoga results for trauma, depression, cancer, and conditions like low back pain and arthritis.

Adapting Yoga to Client Needs

Yoga Therapy is usually done one-on-one or in small groups of people with similar conditions or life situations. Highly trained therapists adapt the practice to suit individuals. Such adaptations make Yoga Therapy safe, even for those with compromised health.

The Training You Need

The amount of training you need depends on your prior training and experience, the type of therapy you will practice, the type of students you're likely to work with, and the nature of the problems for which they consult you.

How Do Yoga Therapists Help Their Clients?

Yoga Therapists work with clients, empowering them to improve health and wellness by using Yoga practices and teachings. The goals of a Yoga Therapist include helping clients become more self-aware by engaging energy to reduce, remove, or manage the symptoms causing bodily discomfort, injury, or illness.

After Swami Vivekananda introduced Yoga into Western culture, the Beatles and, in particular, George Harrison contributed immensely to its popularity in the Western world.

Yoga is a beautiful instrument to strengthen the body and calm the mind. It has its way of short-circuiting the mental patterns that cause anxiety. Every day there is something new and different to achieve in the Yoga practice, and the best feeling is acing a pose you never thought you could do. All good Yogis know that Yoga is so much more than the poses; they also know that Yoga is like magic, but for the magic to work, you must practice! A good Yoga Therapist is in the best scenario of a win: win.

The more you learn and practice, the better you will be during the therapy session. The more immersed you are in the teaching, the more authentic and valuable will be your presence at the therapeutic center. Try to learn from every student.