Therapy Yoga is not some magic wand that can simply be waved to overcome mental and physical problems. It is a process that works to overcome some of the blockages that have become inbuilt in our lifestyles and our way of thinking. The therapeutic process works to identify and navigate those blockages and helps the mind and the body re-learn, reorient and become healthier. In other words, yoga therapy helps the body and mind heal themselves. And since this healing comes from within and not from outside, this is a lasting form of healing that will not result in a relapse.
We all have the power of self-healing
Many of our physical ailments have their roots in mental trauma, emotional upheavals or an unhealthy lifestyle. The aim of yoga therapy is to try and get to those root causes of our ailments and diseases, and to identify why we feel the way that we do. The body has tremendous power to heal itself. This has been demonstrated by various studies, where people have experienced improvement in their symptoms, in cases even become disease free with the help of nothing but placebo. Simply because the body believes that it can heal, it will heal – that is the power of self-healing. The aim of therapy yoga is to tap into that power and activate it.
Meditation and mindfulness
One of the important constituents of therapy yoga is meditation. At a superficial level this helps calm the mind and aids in relaxation. It helps center us and improves focus and attention. What meditation also does is, it helps make us more mindful. We become more conscious of every breath and learn how to breathe deeply and more effectively. We pay attention to our posture and sit up straighter, walk more erect. We are more compassionate and intuitive with others because we pay more heed to what we say and how it will affect the opposite person. We take pleasure from the food we eat – not just from the flavors but visual and tactile pleasure as well. This in turn helps us make wiser food choices and prevents overeating. Over the long term, meditation and mindfulness help us look inward within ourselves.
Yoga therapy also includes targeted aasans and breathing techniques. As one practices yoga and meditation, one learns to control their thoughts and the चंचल मन which I have spoken of before. It facilitates clear thinking and the honest confrontation of our innermost feelings and apprehensions. This also helps us acknowledge our limitations and flaws. One becomes more mindful of everything one does, how and when one does it. It helps identify the processes and habits which have resulted in self-harm over time.
Therapy Yoga and self-healing
A yoga therapist will take into account an individual’s personality, weaknesses and strengths, their habits, fitness levels, diet and even things such as a person’s posture and body language. Based on this, a personalized therapy protocol is devised. The frequency of sessions and duration of therapy is determined to begin with – this may be altered based on the progress one makes. The aim of yoga therapy is to reconnect to the inner self to activate the power each of us has within ourselves.