A New Chapter: Becoming an IAYT-Certified Yoga Therapist

There are some milestones in life that feel worth pausing to acknowledge.

For me, becoming an IAYT-Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) is one of them.

I’m also now a Registered Yoga Australia Yoga Therapist and Yoga Teacher, marking an important new chapter in my professional journey with yoga.

After several years of study, practice, learning and reflection, I’m excited to share a little more about what this means — and, perhaps more importantly, what yoga therapy actually is.

What is Yoga Therapy?

Yoga therapy is a personalised application of yoga to support health, wellbeing and meaningful participation in life.

While yoga classes are often taught to groups, yoga therapy takes a more individualised approach.

It begins with the person.

A yoga therapist works collaboratively with an individual to understand their experiences, circumstances, needs and goals, and then considers which yoga practices may be appropriate to support them.

These practices may include:

• Movement and therapeutic yoga practices

• Breathing practices

• Mindfulness and meditation

• Relaxation and restorative practices

• Awareness practices

• Lifestyle and self-management practices

The aim isn't simply to perform particular postures or become more flexible.

Yoga therapy considers the whole person and how different aspects of our experience — including our body, breath, mind, emotions, habits and lifestyle — interact with one another.

Yoga therapy is not simply a yoga class

One of the things I have come to appreciate most through my yoga therapy training is the distinction between teaching yoga and applying yoga therapeutically.

A general yoga class can be a wonderful opportunity to move, breathe, rest and connect with ourselves and others. I already adapt my regular classes to the people attending and their individual needs.

Yoga therapy takes this individualisation further.

It is a more targeted approach, working with an individual or small group around specific health, wellbeing or functional goals. This may include supporting someone living with a chronic health condition, persistent pain or fatigue, navigating cancer recovery, menopause or a major life transition, or working towards goals such as improving sleep, managing stress or developing greater self-regulation and capacity.

Yoga therapy begins with understanding the individual — their experiences, circumstances, needs and goals — and using this information to develop an appropriate, personalised practice.

The practices may include movement, breathing techniques, mindfulness, meditation, relaxation and other yoga-based tools. They are selected, adapted and progressed according to the person's needs, capacity and goals.

This is where an evidence-informed approach is important. Yoga therapy draws on the principles and practices of yoga alongside relevant knowledge from biomedical and psychological foundations, professional scope of practice and the growing body of research around yoga and health.

The goal isn't simply to give someone a sequence of yoga postures.

It is to explore how yoga practices may be used purposefully to support a person's specific goals and overall wellbeing, alongside their existing healthcare and other appropriate supports where relevant.

There is no single yoga practice that is right for everyone.

The practice is shaped around the person, rather than asking the person to fit into the practice.

A collaborative process

Yoga therapy is not about the therapist having all the answers.

It is a collaborative process.

The person receiving yoga therapy brings their own experience, knowledge and understanding of their body and life. The yoga therapist brings specialised training and knowledge of yoga and its therapeutic application.

Together, they explore practices that are appropriate for the person's goals and circumstances.

This emphasis on collaboration and individualisation is one of the aspects of yoga therapy that resonates most strongly with me.

Why did I become a yoga therapist?

My interest in yoga therapy grew gradually.

Over the years, I became increasingly interested in the ways yoga could support people beyond the traditional yoga studio environment.

I wanted to understand more about how yoga could be adapted for people living with different health experiences, changing capacity, stress, pain, fatigue, major life transitions and other challenges.

I also wanted to deepen my understanding of how to work responsibly with people whose needs may be very different from those of a typical yoga class participant.

That led me to further study in yoga therapy.

The training deepened my knowledge across areas including therapeutic application of yoga, the therapeutic relationship, assessment and goal setting, biomedical and psychological foundations, individualised practice, professional ethics and scope of practice.

It has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding.

Why the C-IAYT qualification matters

C-IAYT stands for IAYT-Certified Yoga Therapist.

The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) is an international professional organisation dedicated to advancing yoga therapy as a recognised health profession.

IAYT certification recognises yoga therapists who have completed substantial specialised education and training in yoga therapy and meet the organisation's certification requirements.

For me, the qualification represents more than another credential.

It represents a commitment to continuing to develop my knowledge and skills, to practising responsibly, and to approaching yoga therapy with professionalism, care and respect for the individual.

Registered with Yoga Australia

I am also registered with Yoga Australia as a Yoga Therapist and Yoga Teacher.

Yoga Australia describes yoga therapy as the personalised application of yoga to support health, wellbeing and meaningful participation in life.

Its yoga therapy framework also recognises the specialised training involved in becoming a yoga therapist, including areas such as supervised practicum, biomedical foundations and therapeutic relationship skills.

Being part of this professional community is an important part of my ongoing development as a yoga therapist.

A more targeted approach to yoga

One of the things that has become clearer to me through my yoga therapy training is the difference between teaching yoga and applying yoga therapeutically.

I already tailor my regular yoga classes to the people in front of me. Yoga has always been something that can be adapted for different bodies, abilities and experience levels.

Yoga therapy takes that individualisation a step further.

It is a more targeted and personalised approach, generally working with an individual or small group around specific health, wellbeing or functional goals.

This might include supporting someone living with a chronic health condition, persistent pain or fatigue; navigating cancer recovery, menopause or a major life transition; or working towards goals such as improving sleep, managing stress, developing greater self-regulation or rebuilding confidence and capacity.

The starting point is the individual — their experiences, current circumstances, goals, needs and capacity.

From there, appropriate yoga practices can be selected and adapted. These may include movement, breath practices, mindfulness, meditation, relaxation and other yoga-based tools.

The process is evidence-informed and goal-oriented, with practices developed to be appropriate, achievable and meaningful for the person.

This is particularly important when someone is living with ongoing health challenges. The aim isn't simply to give them a sequence of yoga postures. It is to consider what they are experiencing, what they would like to change or manage, and how yoga may be used as one part of a broader approach to supporting their health and wellbeing.

For me, this is what makes yoga therapy such an exciting next chapter.

The aim isn't to make you fit into yoga.
The aim is to make yoga work for you.

What does this mean for my work?

For now, I'm taking a little time to let this new chapter settle.

I have ideas about where I would like to take my yoga therapy work, but I haven't finalised exactly what that will look like yet.

I don't want to rush that process.

Instead, I'm interested in allowing the next stage of my work to develop thoughtfully and in a way that reflects my training, experience and the kind of support I would genuinely like to offer.

So, for now...

Watch this space.

There will be more to share as I look towards 2027.

— Angela Black, C-IAYT
IAYT-Certified Yoga Therapist
Registered Yoga Australia Yoga Therapist & Yoga Teacher
Perth, Western Australia