What Is Yoga Therapy?

Personalised yoga therapy to support your health, wellbeing and quality of life

Yoga therapy is a personalised approach that uses the tools and principles of yoga to support an individual's physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

Unlike a general yoga class, yoga therapy is tailored to you — your health, your experiences, your lifestyle, your goals and your current capacity.

As a C-IAYT (IAYT-Certified Yoga Therapist), I work with you to explore appropriate practices that may include movement, breathing, mindfulness, meditation, relaxation and lifestyle strategies.

The aim isn't to make you fit into a particular style of yoga.

The aim is to make yoga work for you.

A yoga class generally follows a sequence or format designed for a group of people.

Yoga therapy is different.

It is an individualised therapeutic process that starts with understanding the person in front of me.

Your first session gives us time to explore what has brought you to yoga therapy, what you would like support with and what is realistic and appropriate for you.

From there, we can develop practices that fit your needs and circumstances.

These may include:

• Gentle therapeutic movement

• Breath awareness and breathing practices

• Mindfulness

• Meditation

• Relaxation and restorative practices

• Nervous system regulation practices

• Body awareness

• Lifestyle and self-management strategies

• A personalised home practice where appropriate

Your practices can be adapted as your needs change.

Yoga therapy may be helpful as part of a broader approach to wellbeing and health for people experiencing:

Stress, Anxiety & Overwhelm

Learn practical tools to support relaxation, self-regulation, resilience and a greater sense of calm.

Persistent Pain

Explore gentle movement, breath and awareness practices that may complement your existing pain management and healthcare.

Perimenopause & Menopause

Support your changing body and wellbeing through movement, breath, rest, mindfulness and sustainable self-care practices.

Cancer Recovery

Explore gentle, individualised practices that may complement your medical and supportive care during recovery and beyond.

Chronic Health Conditions & Fatigue

Develop realistic practices that respect your energy, capacity and individual circumstances. Yoga therapy can provide practical tools for managing daily wellbeing while complementing your existing healthcare and support.

Sleep Difficulties

Explore breathing, mindfulness, relaxation and restorative practices that may help you create a calmer transition towards rest and develop supportive sleep routines.

Life Transitions & Major Change

Periods of change can affect your body, mind, emotions and sense of wellbeing. Yoga therapy can provide space to pause, reconnect with yourself and develop practical tools to navigate change with greater awareness and resilience.

Women's Health

Explore personalised practices that support your physical and emotional wellbeing through different stages of life, including hormonal changes, changing energy levels, stress and major life transitions.

Recovery & Rebuilding Capacity

Whether you are recovering from illness, treatment, injury, burnout or a particularly demanding period of life, yoga therapy can be adapted to meet you where you are and gradually support you in rebuilding confidence, connection and capacity.

Yoga therapy begins with you.

There is no expectation that you need to be flexible, strong, fit or experienced in yoga.

During your initial consultation, we take time to understand:

• What brings you to yoga therapy

• Your current health and wellbeing

• Your experiences and challenges

• What you would like support with

• Your goals and priorities

• Your lifestyle and daily circumstances

• What feels realistic and achievable for you

From there, we explore practices that are appropriate for your individual needs.

Your yoga therapy may look very different from someone else's.

You might spend part of a session moving gently, exploring your breath, practising meditation or learning ways to settle your nervous system. At other times, the focus may be on rest, awareness, relaxation or developing a simple practice you can use at home.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Yoga therapy is not a replacement for medical care, psychological care or other healthcare treatment.

Instead, it can be used as a complementary approach alongside your existing healthcare team.

Where appropriate, yoga therapy may provide practical tools that you can use between appointments and incorporate into everyday life.

I welcome working alongside healthcare and allied health professionals, including:

• General Practitioners

• Physiotherapists

• Chiropractors

• Remedial Massage Therapists

• Naturopaths

• Acupuncturists

• Exercise Physiologists

• Psychologists

• Occupational Therapists

• Allied Health Professionals

• Oncology and cancer support services

• Women's health professionals

• Other complementary health practitioners

If you are already working with a healthcare professional, I encourage you to continue following their advice and treatment plan.

No.

You don't need to know how to do yoga, touch your toes, sit cross-legged or have any particular level of fitness.

Yoga therapy can be adapted to your body, your mobility, your energy and your current circumstances.

Practices may be performed:

• On a yoga mat

• Sitting in a chair

• Standing

• Lying down

• Or through very small, gentle movements

• In Person or Online

The focus is on finding practices that are appropriate and useful for you.

Yoga therapy may be worth exploring if you:

• Want a more personalised approach than a group yoga class

• Are living with a health challenge or ongoing symptoms

• Are experiencing persistent pain, stress or fatigue

• Are navigating perimenopause or menopause

• Are recovering from cancer or another significant health event

• Want practical tools to support your wellbeing

• Feel overwhelmed and would like strategies to help you regulate and restore

• Are going through a significant life transition

• Want to develop a sustainable home practice

• Are looking for complementary support alongside your existing healthcare

You don't need to know exactly what you need before you make contact.

We can start with a conversation about what's happening for you and whether yoga therapy may be an appropriate option.

My role as a yoga therapist is not to tell you what your healing should look like.

It is to listen, understand your goals and circumstances, and work collaboratively with you to explore practices that may support your wellbeing.

You don't have to change who you are to practise yoga.

We start where you are.

We work with what you have.

And we build from there.