Conditions that can improve with a Structural Yoga Therapy practice include
- physical manifestations of stress
- scoliosis
- back pain
- sciatica
- sports injuries
- asthma
- MS
- neck pain
- high blood pressure
- rotator cuff injuries
- the negative affects of cancer therapies
Structural Yoga Therapy™ adapts yoga to the client’s unique needs. It respects the body’s innate capacity to recognize safe, healthy movement and healing. When health is optimal, there is a natural balance of muscle strength and range of motion. But illness, injury and structural anomalies can disrupt that harmony. Structural Yoga therapists design a unique yoga program to address the client’s pain and discomfort brought on by body misalignment or injury.
The Structural Yoga Therapist
Therapy identifies and eliminates problematic movements that limit range of motion detects muscle weaknesses that contribute to imbalances-educates the body to move as it was designed to move through classical yoga postures ensures the client understands and properly executes the postures by demonstrating the exercises and observing the client perform then provides handouts for home practice and encourages ongoing contact with the therapist periodically reassesses and adjusts the program to address changes encourages continued progress.
In addition to using yoga poses to strengthen and realign the body, Lina takes into account the client’s personality, lifestyle, attitude and stress level. As necessary, she incorporates other yoga techniques such as:
- Breathing and meditation relaxation methods
- Lifestyle adjustments based on ayurvedic therapies.
Recent medical studies confirm the value of therapeutic interventions known to yogis for thousands of years. By employing these techniques, Lina gently invites her clients to find the personal yogic path that will carry them to spiritual growth and transformation and health.
This method was created in 1976 by Mukunda Stiles, creator of Structural Yoga™, and author of the seminal book, Structural Yoga Therapy and other works on therapeutic yoga and philosophy, including the recently published Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy. Mukunda Stiles is currently on the Advisory Board of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and is the founder of the Yoga Therapy Center ( www.yogatherapycenter.org )
“The purpose of yoga therapy is to lead us to the Self. Once there, bliss is experienced”
Mukunda Stiles
Training of Structural Yoga Therapists
Structural Yoga Therapists undergo a rigorous, 700-hour training that involves extensive studies in anatomy, biomechanics, the application of therapeutic movement, and yogic psychology, as well as the application of the more subtle aspects of classical yoga and the related field of Ayurveda. To date over 40 graduates of the training have written papers adapting SYT approaches for specific conditions. These papers are submitted to the International Association of Yoga Therapy for publication in its professional journal (www.iayt.org).
