BENEFITS OF BECOMING A YOGA THERAPIST

“The success of Yoga does not lie in the ability to perform postures but in how it positively changes the way we live our life and our relationships.” -T.K.V. Desikachar

Completing a Yoga Teacher Training is a huge milestone. Being able to lead a group class is a great accomplishment for anyone transitioning from being a student to an instructor. As a Yoga Teacher, your experience of Yoga changes when you hold space and create an intentional practice for a group. However, there might come a time when you hit a wall in your experience, and the limitations of group classes become very clear. And this is when you begin to discover the benefits of becoming a Yoga Therapist.

What are the Limitations of Group Classes

In a group setting, you’re limited in how you give your time and attention. You plan out the flow and rhythm of the class and hope that it meets most people where they’re at. You may have time for postural adjustments or to make recommendations individually, but that falls short of what’s possible. It’s often difficult to shift the focus of a class in the middle when you see someone struggling. As you deepen your understanding of Yoga, you have a growing sense of how the practice impacts an individual. You begin to notice how one-on-one attention can help bring students to the next level.

Unfortunately, a group class setting is not always the best place to explore these realizations. In group classes, all of your students need the same amount of attention from you. The diverse needs of our students in group classes limit how much you can help students develop and grow. That frustration– that sense of knowing you could be providing so much more– is what catapults some teachers into taking on private students and teaching one-on-one sessions, becoming a Yoga Therapist.

How to Become a Yoga Therapist

Becoming an IAYT certified Yoga Therapist involves first completing a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training (or equivalent). Then, completing an IAYT accredited Yoga Therapy program of a least 800 hours. IAYT accredited Yoga Therapy programs include in-depth curriculum of Yoga theory, anatomy & physiology and 150 hours of supervised Yoga Therapy practicum.

How do Yoga Therapists Create a Holistic Experience for Students

• Yoga Therapists work individually with students allowing them to go deeper into the transformative power of Yoga. 
• Yoga Therapists offer students individual attention that will enable personalized and more fulfilling experiences. 
• Yoga Therapists work one-on-one and offer more tools, more variations and modifications, more intelligent sequencing, a wider knowledge of breathwork and their functions, and a deeper understanding of philosophy to support the student. 

As a Yoga Therapist, you are able to look at a person’s whole life and apply the principles of Yoga to help bring your client to a state of balance and well being. In the Yoga Well Institute’s Therapist Training Program, you’ll learn physiology, philosophy, and most importantly, how to create an individualized plan for your client that incorporates Yoga’s therapeutic practices. You’ll get real-world experience in one-on-one sessions so you have the experience and the confidence you need to help people heal.

Professional Development as a Yoga Therapist

Yoga Teachers often explore Yoga Therapist Training courses as they seek career advancement in Yoga. Providing one-on-one sessions as a Yoga Therapist will allow you to have your own private practice, rather than teaching at a studio. You will gain more flexibility in your schedule and earning potential. This increased freedom that comes with being a Yoga Therapist can help you expand professionally. Yoga Therapists Training can also help you expand in other professions.

Do you have another background that pairs well with Yoga Therapy? Perhaps counseling, nutrition, or nursing? You can learn the tools to integrate the perspective of Yoga Therapy into your work!

Personal Growth as a Yoga Therapist

Feeling stuck in your own practice and spiritual development is not uncommon for both students and teachers. Think back to why you decided to go through your first Yoga Teacher Training. For some people, it’s to become a certified Yoga Teacher. For others, it’s to gain the insight that comes with higher-level instruction. In the training, your experiences brought you to new physical and spiritual places. You felt how much Yoga can transform you. The next step in that transformation is in Yoga Therapist Training. Our unique support of mentorship will guide your personal growth in Yoga while supporting our intellectual learning.

Yoga Well Institute’s Yoga Therapist Training Program

At the Yoga Well Institute, we consider our Yoga Therapist Training Program to be our most significant program. We’ve collectively devoted 76 years of experience towards creating an integrative Yoga Therapist Training Program designed to thoroughly guide our students towards becoming confident and certified Yoga Therapists.

When you train as a Yoga Therapist with the Yoga Well Institute, you’ll go through the Yoga Therapy process yourself and work with a mentor/teacher. This allows you to continue to deepen your understanding of Yoga and your personal growth. You’ll make your way through an advanced Yoga Therapy curriculum that will shape how you see the human system. You’ll work with effective Yoga techniques and tools to bring wellness to your client’s body, mind, breath, emotions, and spirit. Throughout the program, you will receive guidance and support from a personal mentor and our incredible faculty and staff. Our Yoga Therapy Training Program teaches you to apply the tools and the teachings of Yoga to the clients that you want to help.