Founded in 1989, IAYT has consistently championed yoga as a healing art and science. Membership is open to yoga practitioners, yoga teachers, yoga therapists, health care practitioners who use yoga in their practice, and yoga researchers. IAYT supports research and education in yoga and serves as a professional organization for yoga teachers and yoga therapists worldwide. Our mission is to establish yoga as a recognized and respected therapy.
What is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga Therapy, or what Timothy McCall, MD calls Yoga As Medicine, is the selective use of various yoga tools — such as poses, breathing techniques, relaxation exercises and meditation, as well as dietary and lifestyle advice — to help people with virtually any health condition, physical or psychological. Because people’s health and fitness vary, we often modify poses or use props to make the practices safe and effective. Yoga therapy engages each client individually, evaluating body, mind, spirit, and then crafts a personalized yoga program. It can be used by itself or as an adjunct to any conventional or alternative medical treatment.