About Yoga Therapy
Welcome to Dipa Yoga Therapy (pronounced deeper), where the ancient wisdom of yoga meets with modern day science to support your journey towards healing, well-being and inner peace.
What is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga has long been recognised as a system of health that can relieve the stress and strains of daily life. In yoga therapy this is applied therapeutically helping an individual to develop the necessary tools to combat stress and tension, whilst developing a deeper understanding of contributing factors that may have led to a specific health condition.
Yoga therapy works with you and for you as an individual with specific health needs. Its approach is person centred and holistic, aiming to empower you to become your own best medicine and provide a sense of (re) connecting to self. Whether it is a physical, psychological or an emotional health condition, yoga therapy can be tailored just for you to meet your specific health needs.
Gary Kraftsow from the American Viniyoga Institute says,
“Yoga therapy, derived from the Yoga tradition of Patanjali and the Ayurvedic system of
health care refers to the adaptation and application of Yoga techniques and practices to help individuals facing health challenges at any level manage their condition, reduce symptoms,
restore balance, increase vitality, and improve attitude.”
Why Dipa Yoga Therapy?
Dipa literally means “light” or “lamp” and I took inspiration for the name from a book I read about a true story of a woman called ‘Dipa Ma,’ or ‘Light Mother,’ a truly compassionate meditation teacher and spiritual guide. It is my hope that yoga therapy will encourage a ‘deeper’ and more compassionate understanding of yourself, whilst helping to shine the light of awareness that can lead you towards well-being whatever that may mean to you.
“Awareness is like the Sun. When it shines on things,
they are transformed”
Thich Nhat Hanh
How Yoga Therapy Can Help
Improved Flexibility and Strength: Build physical strength and flexibility, help reduce stiffness and relieve muscle tension through yoga postures
Enhanced Breathing: Improve energy levels and help calm the mind through yoga breathing
Learn techniques to promote relaxation and relieve tension
Cultivating the understanding of the relationship between the breath and the nervous system that develops inner calm
Supporting better sleep patterns as research suggests yoga therapy improves sleep quality
Supporting energy levels to increase vitality
Supporting emotional wellbeing and lifestyle changes
Facilitating personal growth and reflection by cultivating self-awareness and self-study
Helping to improve overall quality of life
The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council say,
Yoga therapy may help with many issues and can be appropriate for a wide range of ages and lifestyles as well as those looking for a healthier way of life. All that is needed from the participant is the desire to help her or himself and the willingness to practise regularly. Through practising a yoga therapy programme the participant may, for example, become more aware of posture and breathing. She/he may also find regular practice can help to promote relaxation, aid sleep and relieve tension; it may help to contribute to an increased sense of wellbeing and a positive mood.
Yoga therapy is taught by yoga teachers with additional training and experience in the therapeutic adaptation and application of yoga. People may be taught one-to-one or in a therapy group setting.
The Cancer Research UK website includes details of why people with cancer use yoga therapy alongside their medical treatment. This does not mean yoga therapy is a treatment for cancer.