Is There a Difference Between Yoga and Yoga Therapy?

Yoga is an ancient practice of harmonising the body with the mind and breath using physical poses, breathing exercises and meditation. At its most practical level, Yoga is a process of learning about oneself. Ultimately, it can lead to self-discovery, self-mastery, and self-realisation. Sounds therapeutic, right? Yoga Therapy is a process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through the application of the teachings and practices of Yoga. That certainly sounds like Yoga.

So, isn’t that all Yoga therapeutic? If not, is there a difference between what we all know as Yoga and Yoga Therapy?

There are distinctions, and two organisations, the Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists, trying to define them for us.

The Yoga Alliance (YA) and the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) are two separate non-profit membership trade and professional organisations for Yoga teachers and Yoga Therapists, respectively. There, voluntary registries recognise teachers and schools who’ve received a certain standard of Yoga and Yoga Therapy teacher training.

Twenty years ago, the YA created standards for Yoga teachers that required each Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) to have a minimum of 200 hours of Teacher Training. Recently, after years of developing their own training standards for Yoga Therapists, the IAYT has begun certifying Yoga Therapists, requiring a minimum of 1,000 hours of training to become certified. So, there’s a big difference in the amount of training each organisation requires for certification.

Skill Sets or Where the Mat Meets the Floor

One area where the difference between Yoga and Yoga Therapy can be appreciated is in the actual class setting. Most Yoga teachers thoughtfully prepare multiple sequences for an entire class. Each student coming to class does the same poses and breathing practices all together, like one big happy Yoga family. Because each class has some variety in the level and experience of the students, Yoga teachers offer as many modifications as possible while keeping within the pace of the class. Often, Yoga teachers manage the music and lighting for the room and help direct bodies and props like a good traffic cop. It’s a real feat of coordination to create a seamless experience for the students.

The Yoga Therapist, however, gears the practice to the individual and guides them within the framework of what each student wants and needs. So rather than the Yoga student fitting themselves into the same poses and sequences as everyone else in the same class, a Yoga therapy student does a practice that is customised for them.