Yoga therapy is the professional application of the principles and practices of yoga to promote health and well-being within a therapeutic relationship that includes personalized assessment, goal setting, lifestyle management, and yoga practices for individuals or small groups. The yoga tradition views each human being as a multidimensional system that includes numerous aspects—including body, breath, and mind (intellect and emotions)—and their mutual interaction. Yoga therapy is founded on the basic principle that intelligent practice can positively influence the direction of change within these human dimensions, which are distinct from an individual’s unchanging nature or spirit. The goals of yoga therapy include eliminating, reducing, and/or managing symptoms that cause suffering; improving function; helping to prevent the occurrence or re-occurrence of underlying causes of illness; and moving toward improved health and well-being.

Yoga therapists draw from the principles of yoga and the full range of yogic practices and assessment skills, as well as familiarity with biomedical and psychological foundational knowledge. Yoga therapists work with the client to develop and implement a self-empowering therapeutic plan2 appropriate to the client’s needs and oriented around prevention and health promotion.

An IAYT-Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) has undertaken specialized training beyond that of a yoga teacher, in accordance with the IAYT’s educational competencies for the training of yoga therapists or has met IAYT’s requirements for certification under alternate pathways. IAYT-Certified Yoga Therapists adhere to the professional ethics, guidelines, and codes relating to the practice of yoga therapy as defined by the IAYT and commit to not making false or inaccurate claims about yoga’s therapeutic and healing capacities.