It's Global Yoga Therapy Day!

Hello again, friends,

I’ve mentioned yoga therapy a lot — in classes, newsletters, and more than a few casual conversations — over the past few years. Since today is Global Yoga Therapy Day, it feels like an opportune time to kick off a short newsletter series by answering a fundamental question:

What is yoga therapy, anyway?

At its heart, yoga therapy is a holistic, personalized approach to well-being that draws from the rich and vast traditions of yoga — but it’s tailored specifically to you. Think of it as yoga with a precise and therapeutic lens: one-on-one, collaborative, and focused on your unique body, mind, and life experience.

Unlike a general group yoga class, yoga therapy meets you exactly where you are — whether you're navigating pain, injury recovery, fatigue, stress, hormonal shifts, anxiety, burnout, aging in a human body, terminal illness, and/or simply seeking a deeper sense of connection and support.

It’s not about pushing through. It’s about tuning in.
It’s about cultivating your inherent wisdom.
It’s remembering that life will have its ups and downs, but suffering is optional.
It’s unraveling the misconception that things need to be “perfect” in order for us to embrace joy.
It’s an opportunity to see how everything is connected – in your body, in your mind, and in your life.

Now, if you’re thinking, “Ok, I’m not totally sure what yoga therapy is…” – you’re not alone. It’s usually the very next thing people ask me after, “So, what do you do?” Even many of my current clients say they didn’t really know what to expect at first—they just knew they felt drawn to my teaching and wanted to explore beyond that.

Yoga therapy is a customized, co-creative process where I support clients in discovering what genuinely helps them feel more resilient, peaceful, balanced, and grounded. As I like to remind anyone who will listen:

You are the expert of your body and experience; I’m simply a guide, with an abundant toolbox of yoga practices to share.

Together, my client and I explore yogic tools like breath, movement, rest, meditation, affirmations, and lifestyle or habit inquiry to foster more ease, inner steadiness, and nervous system resilience.

People sometimes ask, “Is it like psychotherapy?”
A little. We have open, honest, reflective conversations — always held in strict confidence. But I’m not a psychotherapist, and yoga therapy isn’t a replacement for one.

Or they ask, “Is it like physical therapy?”
A little. The work may include movement practices, and I often help clients refine their existing PT exercises by adding mindful breath technique. But I’m not a physical therapist, and yoga therapy isn’t a replacement for one.

And, “Is it like going to a doctor?”
A little. Think about those 15 precious minutes you get with your primary care physician once a year — when you try to cram in everything about your health. In contrast, my initial yoga therapy sessions are two hours, and follow-ups are one hour — plenty of time to explore the nuances of your life and health, discover where our work together can be best focused, and possibly give you some quality referrals. But I’m not a doctor, and yoga therapy isn’t a replacement for one.

What I offer are the rich practices of yoga and Ayurveda, which are vast and can benefit every aspect of our vitality. And you have the chance to try them on to see what works for you.

It’s gentle, simple, in-depth work — and it can be life-changing.

In coming newsletters, I’ll be sharing more about what yoga therapy is (and isn’t), as well as how yoga therapy might support folks in different aspects of life — from physical health and emotional well-being to navigating life’s many transitions.

Thanks for being here. I’m so looking forward to sharing more.

With care and curiosity,
Nicole