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Brandt Passalacqua

Lower Cross Syndrome Yoga: Exercises, Causes, and Treatment

December 13, 2023
A woman practicing Head to Knee Pose as part of her Lower Cross Syndrome yoga

A woman practicing Head to Knee Pose as part of her Lower Cross Syndrome yoga

People aren’t made to sit all day, but nowadays, many of us do. This can lead to Upper Cross Syndrome, discussed in a previous blog post, which impacts your upper body and can cause pain in your neck, shoulders, chest, and upper back. It can also result in Lower Cross Syndrome, which affects your lower body and usually causes lower back pain. Fortunately, with the right Lower Cross Syndrome yoga techniques, most people are able to overcome this issue.

I’m Brandt Passalacqua, the Co-Founder and Lead Teacher of Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy. My mission is to make therapeutic yoga techniques more accessible to others. Whether you have this syndrome yourself or simply want to help clients who have it, keep reading to learn more about this condition, its causes and symptoms, and how to use yoga for Lower Cross Syndrome.

If you’re ready to go further, those who are suffering from Lower Cross Syndrome are welcome to seek one-on-one help online from myself or another yoga therapist I’ve trained. Those who want to learn to help others heal with yoga are encouraged to look into our yoga therapy training programs.

Table of Contents:

What Is Lower Cross Syndrome?

Lower Cross Syndrome (LCS) is a health condition characterized by an imbalance of muscle strength around the pelvic region. Some muscles are too tight while others are too weak. This particular pattern of lower body muscular imbalances can affect your posture and movement, which often results in pain or discomfort. Lower Cross Syndrome can range from a minor inconvenience to something that negatively impacts your daily life.

What Is Lower Crossed Syndrome?

As you may have guessed, Lower Cross Syndrome is also sometimes referred to as Lower Crossed Syndrome. Both are correct.

What Causes Lower Cross Syndrome?

In a technical sense, Lower Cross Syndrome is caused by the steady weakening and underuse of certain muscle groups and overworking or shortening of others. Common causes of these muscle imbalances include:

  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Prolonged sitting
  • Poor posture
  • Long hours at a desk or computer
  • Improper weightlifting
  • Obesity
  • Aging
  • Pregnancy

Sitting for long periods of time tends to be a common denominator. When we sit for prolonged periods of time, it signals our brain to adapt. Our hip flexors get short and tight, as do our lower back muscles. At the same time, our abdominal muscles get weak, as do our glutes.

A diagram explaining what causes Lower Cross Syndrome, which is a combination of tight muscles across from weak ones

As you can see from the diagram above, the muscles across from the tight, shortened muscles become weak (that’s why it’s called lower cross syndrome).

Over time, this becomes a real issue. The lower back is over arched, which can cause back pain and disk issues. The chronically shortened hip flexors can put our hip joints into a position that eventually can degrade the integrity of the hip joints.

Which Muscles Are Overactive in Lower Crossed Syndrome?

As mentioned above, Lower Cross Syndrome is characterized by certain muscles being overactive. This overactivity results in muscle shortening and tightness. Notably, these muscles often include:

  • Hip flexors (iliopsoas, rectus femoris, and tensor fascia latae)
  • Hip adductor muscles (inner thigh and groin)
  • Thoracolumbar extensors (erector spinae, multifidus, quadratus lumborum, and latissimus dorsi)

These muscles often become overactive as a result of compensation for other weaker muscles in the body. The tightness of these muscles can lead to an exaggerated lumbar curve and anterior pelvic tilt.

What Muscles Are Weak in Lower Cross Syndrome?

While Lower Cross Syndrome is accountable for certain muscles being overactive, it’s equally responsible for contributing to the underactivity, lengthening, and weakness of others. Some of these weakened muscles include:

  • Trunk muscles (rectus abdominis, obliquus internus abdominis, obliquus externus abdominis, and transversus abdominis)
  • Abdominal core muscles (transverse abdominis and internal oblique)
  • Gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus)

In Lower Cross Syndrome, insufficient activation and underuse cause this group of muscles to lack strength, aggravating dysfunctional posture patterns.

Lower Cross Syndrome Symptoms

The main symptom of Lower Cross Syndrome is back pain. However, some individuals may notice other Lower Cross Syndrome symptoms, such as:

  • Discomfort or stiffness in the hips and the lower back
  • Tight hamstrings and back muscles
  • Weakness and fatigue, particularly in the gluteal and abdominal regions
  • Difficulty in standing up straight or standing for extended periods
  • Changes in gait, such as a small shuffle-like or waddling walk
  • Postural changes that feature an exaggerated lumbar curve and an anterior pelvic tilt (which can look like a protruding abdomen or buttocks)

The presence of these symptoms does not necessarily confirm a diagnosis of Lower Cross Syndrome. You (or your client) should always be evaluated by a medical professional for an appropriate assessment and treatment plan before starting any Lower Cross Syndrome yoga practices.

How to Fix Lower Crossed Syndrome

In an ideal world, we would just stop sitting all the time! But in the real world, it can be necessary to be able to sit for long periods of time.

Fortunately, Lower Cross Syndrome can be improved and, in many cases, resolved with a combination of stretches and lifestyle changes:

  1. Sit less. Many of us need to sit at a desk to work, but you can try taking more breaks, using a standing desk, and spending more time on your feet after work.
  2. Improve your posture. Learn how to align your body properly and get in the habit of using good posture when you stand, sit, and exercise. (To see how yoga can help with this, jump ahead!)
  3. Get more ergonomic. Pay attention to your desk or work station. Consider adjustable desks, supportive chairs, and other ergonomic equipment.
  4. Practice targeted exercises and stretches. Strengthen weak muscles and lengthen tight, shortened ones to combat Lower Cross Syndrome. (To see an example, jump ahead to the yoga poses for Lower Cross Syndrome I’ve outlined in a sequence.)
  5. Get active. Incorporate low-impact exercises like yoga into your routine. These activities can help in enhancing body stability, balance, and flexibility, while also helping you lose weight and be less sedentary.
  6. Maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and healthy habits can help shed excess pounds, reducing pressure on the lumbar spine.

Understand that each individual’s recovery process will differ. If you’re wondering how to fix Lower Cross Syndrome, keep in mind that what works best for one person may not work for you (or your client). One of the benefits of yoga for Lower Cross Syndrome is that it can be personalized.

Benefits of Yoga for Lower Cross Syndrome

Yoga was born out of a meditation tradition. Guess what you do when you meditate all day? You guessed it: sit! This means that the yoga tradition has very reliable and longstanding techniques to prevent sitting from becoming a problem.

Consider these benefits of yoga for Lower Cross Syndrome:

  1. Take a personalized, holistic approach. Yoga encompasses a wide range of techniques beyond just yoga poses (asanas), also including pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation, and more. It also addresses more than just physical health, improving mental, emotional, and spiritual health as well. This tends to make it a more holistic approach than Western medicine, and it can be tailored to the person at hand, especially when working with a yoga therapist.
  2. Strengthen weak muscles. There are many yoga poses that target your abs and glutes, helping to strengthen them and counteract Lower Cross Syndrome.
  3. Stretch tight muscles. Similarly, there are plenty of yoga poses for Lower Cross Syndrome that stretch and lengthen tight muscles in your hips and lower back. This can increase your flexibility, which helps to support good posture. Pranayama, or breathing exercises, can also help change your nervous system response, allowing tight muscles to stretch easier.
  4. Improve posture. Regularly practicing yoga techniques, such as asanas, pranayama, and meditation, can increase your awareness of your body’s position, motion, and equilibrium. Many yoga poses also teach you proper alignment for your body. Together, this enables you to improve your posture as you recognize poor alignment and know how to fix it. Longer, slower movements in yoga can also help to hydrate and reshape your fascial structure so it’s easier to maintain good posture.
  5. Support habit change. Yoga can help you to form new patterns and regulate, both of which support habit change. For those with LCS, this can help with sticking to an exercise routine, maintaining better posture, and committing to healthy eating habits.
  6. Increase activity. A sedentary lifestyle can easily lead to Lower Cross Syndrome. Not only does yoga allow you to target the muscle groups affected by LCS, but also it gets you active and moving, which can help combat Lower Cross Syndrome in general.
  7. Lose weight. Obesity can contribute to Lower Cross Syndrome, putting extra pressure on your lumbar spine. Yoga can help with weight loss in a variety of ways, such as supporting habit change, improving mindfulness, increasing mobility, and reducing stress.
  8. Reduce stress and anxiety. Many yoga poses promote relaxation and stress relief, which can further help alleviate muscle tension, a notable symptom of LCS.

8 Yoga Poses for Lower Cross Syndrome in Sequence

lower cross syndrome 1 (1)

Everyone is different, with their own medical history, health conditions, lifestyle, and goals. That’s why it’s so important to work with a yoga therapist who can develop a personalized and therapeutic approach for you to use yoga for Lower Cross Syndrome.

In general, however, Lower Cross Syndrome yoga techniques will involve strengthening your weak muscles (glutes and abdominals) and stretching your tight muscles (hip flexors and lower back erectors). I’ve shared an example of 8 yoga poses for Lower Cross Syndrome in sequence, which can be practiced in between sitting sessions. Also, feel free to break this sequence up during the day if that’s the only way to fit it in.

1. Squats (Malasana)

A woman practicing Malasana, or squats, as part of her yoga for Lower Cross Syndrome

A great Lower Cross Syndrome yoga pose to start with is Malasana, also known as the Squat Pose. This posture, when performed right, can help strengthen the gluteal muscles and stretch the groin and hip flexors.

  • Stand tall with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Angle your toes outward.
  • As you exhale, lower your body into a squat, going as low as it feels comfortable. Aim to get your hips at knee level or lower.
  • Hold your arms straight out in front of you or clasp them together in front of your heart. Keep your chest lifted and your spine long. Engage your core muscles.
  • As you inhale, raise your body into a standing position.
  • Repeat 6 to 10 times.

2. Plank Pose on Forearms

This variation on Plank Pose is a full-body exercise that engages multiple muscle groups at once. Particularly, it is instrumental in strengthening the deep core muscles (transverse abdominis), the exterior abs (rectus abdominis), and the internal obliques, all of which are often weak in people with Lower Cross Syndrome. This pose can help improve strength, endurance, and postural stability, all of which are critical for managing and treating LCS.

  • Lie down on your stomach with your arms under your shoulders and your palms flat on the mat beneath you.
  • Lift your body up so you’re resting on your forearms, keeping your shoulders directly above your elbows.
  • Keep your back straight and engage your core muscles, lifting your navel towards your spine.
  • Hold until you feel fatigued, then drop down to rest on your belly.

3. Half Locust Pose with Bending Knees

A man demonstrating Half Locust Pose with Bending Knees as one of his yoga poses for lower cross syndrome

Locust Pose is a prone, back-bending pose that’s excellent for strengthening the back of the body. In particular, it targets the muscles that maintain upright posture—namely, the erector spinae and the multifidus. The pose also stretches the hip flexors, which can be overly tight in those with Lower Cross Syndrome. By lifting and bending one leg at a time in the Half Locust Pose, you target the muscles in your lower back, glutes, and thighs.

  • Lie flat on your stomach with your legs extended back and your arms at your sides.
  • As you inhale, lift your right leg up behind you, holding it straight.
  • As you exhale, bend your right knee at a right angle, with your foot toward the ceiling.
  • As you inhale again, extend your right leg again so it’s straight.
  • As you exhale again, release your right leg, letting it rest again on the mat.
  • Repeat 3 to 6 times on each side, alternating right and left.

4. Child’s Pose

Child’s Pose is a restful pose that offers a gentle stretch to the hips, thighs, and ankles while releasing tension in the lower back and neck. It’s an effective pose for alleviating tightness and discomfort stemming from Lower Cross Syndrome.

  • Kneel down on your mat with your big toes pointed inward, touching each other.
  • Separate your knees about as wide as your hips, or as close as you comfortably can.
  • As you exhale, drop your torso between your thighs and extend your arms in front of you, palms down on the mat.
  • Bring your forehead to the mat and gently pull your hips down towards your heels.
  • Hold for 6 breaths.

5. Runner’s Lunge

A man showing how to fix lower crossed syndrome with yoga poses such as Runner's Lunge

After resting in Child’s Pose, you can use Runner’s Lunge in your yoga for Lower Cross Syndrome sequence to stretch the hip flexors, particularly the psoas, which tends to be tight in those with Lower Cross Syndrome. The pose also helps in strengthening the gluteus muscles, enhancing lower body stability.

  • Kneel down on your hands and knees.
  • Step one foot forward between your hands. This foot should be directly under your knee, creating a 90-degree angle.
  • Slide the back leg so it’s extended behind you.
  • Keep your fingertips on the mat, or you can put your hand on the thigh of the forward leg. Feel the stretch in your quads.
  • Hold for 6 to 10 breaths, then repeat on the other side.

6. Head-to-Knee Pose

A seated forward bend, Head-to-Knee Pose is another great yoga pose for Lower Cross Syndrome. It enables a deep stretch in the hips, hamstrings, and lower back, where tension often accumulates. By focusing on one side of the body at a time, it helps isolate these muscles for a better stretch.

  • Sit on your mat with your legs extended straight out in front of you.
  • Bend one knee to the side, and place the sole of your foot against the inner thigh of the stretched leg.
  • As you inhale, raise your arms above your head, lengthening the spine.
  • As you exhale, bend forward from your waist over the straight leg, reaching with your hands to hold your foot, ankle, or leg.
  • Hold for 6 to 10 breaths, then repeat on the other side.

7. Rolling Bridge Pose

A person demonstrates one example of lower cross syndrome yoga by practicing Rolling Bridge Pose

Bridge Pose is a powerful Lower Cross Syndrome yoga pose because it strengthens the back of the body while also stretching the hip flexors and chest. With this rolling variation, you can incorporate more movement and corresponding breath than if you held a stationary Bridge Pose.

  • Lie flat on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the mat, hip-distance apart.
  • Place your arms flat on the mat along your torso with your palms down.
  • As you inhale, press your feet into the mat and raise your hips, rolling your spine off the floor. Be sure to keep your knees directly above your ankles.
  • Hold your thighs parallel to the mat if you can, engaging your glutes and leg muscles.
  • As you exhale, lower your hips back down onto the mat, keeping your knees bent.
  • Repeat 6 to 10 times.

8. Savasana

Savasana, also known as Corpse Pose, is a common way to close a yoga sequence. It encourages your body to rest and absorb the benefits of the Lower Cross Syndrome yoga poses that came before it. For those with LCS, this can be a great way to reduce muscle tension and increase bodily awareness. Although it may look straightforward and passive, Savasana is an intentional pose that fosters mindfulness, relaxation, and a stronger mind-body connection.

  • Lie supine on your back, with your arms comfortably by your sides and your legs comfortably extended.
  • You may want to close your eyes.
  • Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, allow your body to relax completely into the yoga mat. Notice how each part of your body feels, releasing any tension you notice along the way.
  • Hold this pose for 1–3 minutes.

How Long Does It Take to Fix Lower Cross Syndrome?

The amount of time it takes to effectively treat and potentially fix Lower Cross Syndrome depends on a variety of factors, including

  • The severity of the condition
  • How well you follow your treatment regimen
  • How consistently you work on your posture
  • Whether lifestyle changes need to be made and are followed
  • Your overall health

In my experience, many people can make a lot of progress within 8 weeks of practicing yoga for Lower Cross Syndrome.

It’s important to be patient and persistent. Lower Cross Syndrome is commonly caused by poor habits accumulated over years, and correcting these patterns takes time. The goal should not be to rush through the process but to achieve a sustainable improvement in posture and other supportive habits.

How to Sleep with Lower Cross Syndrome

If you experience discomfort trying to sleep with Lower Cross Syndrome, consider sleeping flat on your back if that’s a suitable option for you. This can allow your hip flexors to not be as shortened while you’re sleeping. But this is not necessary in order to treat or overcome LCS.

Get Started with Lower Cross Syndrome Yoga Therapy

Are you interested in Lower Cross Syndrome yoga therapy? I have personally helped numerous clients work through this condition, and I also teach my yoga therapy students how to address common issues like this one. Sign up to work online with myself or a yoga therapist I’ve trained if you have LCS, or check out our yoga therapy training if you want to work with LCS clients yourself.

Yoga Nidra for Trauma and PTSD

August 23, 2023
Woman doing Yoga Nidra for trauma
Woman doing Yoga Nidra for trauma

Individuals who have experienced traumatic events may face a unique set of challenges in their healing. More and more people are turning to yoga therapy for trauma and PTSD relief. In my decades of experience as a yoga therapist, I’ve seen a number of clients find peace and healing by using yoga nidra for trauma and PTSD.

Keep reading to learn more about what yoga nidra is and its benefits, limitations, and safety for trauma survivors. I’ll also share key information that yoga therapists should know if they want to help others heal with yoga nidra and how to get started. If you’re someone who has experienced trauma and you’re interested in using yoga therapy to heal, you can read about our private, online yoga therapy sessions here.

Table of Contents

What Is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga nidra, sometimes called “yogic sleep,” uses yoga techniques to put you into a restful state that is somewhere between being awake and being asleep. It is usually performed while you are laying down, with a professional helping to guide you into the proper state. This can involve a yoga nidra body scan, in which you become aware of each part of your body one by one and relax them.

Although it is similar to meditation in certain regards, it is a different practice. Meditation, by contrast, is usually performed while you are fully awake and focused. Yoga nidra typically requires less skill and training than a meditative mindfulness practice.

What Are the Benefits of Yoga Nidra for Trauma and PTSD?

One of the reasons that I often recommend yoga nidra for PTSD and trauma is because there are so many potential benefits of yoga nidra, including:

  • Reregulating brain waves. After someone experiences a traumatic event, it can actually dysregulate their brain waves. Yoga nidra can help to change your brain wave states.

  • Helping clients feel calm. Not only can yoga nidra help to reregulate brain waves, but it also promotes certain types of brain wave states that can help people feel calmer.

  • Allowing clients to stay present. People who suffer from trauma or PTSD, especially in the form of flashbacks or persistent negative thoughts, may struggle to stay present in certain circumstances. Yoga nidra can make it easier to remain present.

  • Seeing things from a broader perspective. By changing your brain waves with yoga nidra, you can make the brain more plastic, which makes it easier to see a situation from multiple perspectives. Yoga nidra can also help you to get back in touch with all aspects of yourself and find harmony.

  • Reducing reactivity to certain thoughts and feelings. Even if a trauma survivor continues to have certain thoughts or feelings, practicing yoga nidra can help them to become less reactive to those thoughts and feelings over time.

  • Lower barrier to entry. Because yoga nidra can require less skill and training than a meditation mindfulness practice, many people are able to start experiencing the benefits of it in just a few sessions.

  • Empowerment in healing. Clients who learn how to use yoga techniques themselves are empowered to wield the tools of their own healing. They can practice these techniques at home without needing an expert or specialty equipment with them. This makes using yoga nidra for healing trauma survivors especially beneficial.

Research has shown that iRest, a practice based in yoga nidra, can effectively treat conditions such as trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and sleep issues. It has even been endorsed by the U.S. Army Surgeon General and recognized by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Its roots go back to ancient times, and we are studying yoga nidra in more and more clinical settings today:

  • A 2022 paper published in Sleep Vigil documents over 20 clinical studies of yoga nidra and outlines the benefits of yoga nidra, including lowering blood pressure, improving heart functioning, reducing mild stress, depression, and anxiety, and more.
  • A 2020 study published in Current Psychology suggests that 30 days of yoga nidra meditation can improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and increase well-being.
  • A 2018 study published in the International Journal of Yoga indicates that yoga nidra is effective in reducing stress and anxiety.
  • A 2017 article published in Sleep Science and Practice concludes that yoga nidra can be used effectively to complement other treatments for chronic insomnia.

When it comes to yoga nidra, PTSD and trauma survivors can rest assured that it is often an effective, practical, and safe technique to use. However, it’s not right for everyone, which is why it’s important to work with a knowledgeable yoga therapist to determine the best path forward for each person.

What Are the Limitations of Using Yoga Nidra for Trauma and PTSD?

Although there are many benefits of yoga nidra for PTSD and trauma, there are some limitations to keep in mind as well:

  • It’s not right for everyone. Some people may benefit from more body-based practices than they do from yoga nidra. For others, the mental challenges of staying in yoga nidra for a longer period of time can be an issue, just as can be an issue with using Yin Yoga for trauma. Those who have schizophrenia or other mental health conditions that can cause delusions may not be good candidates for yoga nidra.

  • There are many different kinds. The fact that there are many different kinds of yoga nidra can be both a benefit and a limitation. If someone tries yoga nidra and doesn’t have a great experience with it, they may assume that yoga nidra won’t work for them. In fact, you may still be able to find a style of yoga nidra that works for you.

  • It requires a safe space. Especially for those who have experienced trauma or PTSD, it is critical to feel that you’re in a safe space in order to practice yoga nidra effectively. Read more about how to determine when yoga nidra is safe for trauma survivors below.

Is Yoga Nidra Safe for Trauma Survivors?

Under the right circumstances, yoga nidra is safe for trauma survivors and can be exceptionally beneficial. However, yoga nidra isn’t right for everyone. When it comes to yoga nidra healing trauma, you will see the most benefits if you feel that you are in a safe space when you practice it.

There are a number of different factors that can contribute to creating a safe space, which will vary from person to person:

  • The physical space. Being in a physical space that feels safe is important when using yoga nidra for trauma. This could mean anything from avoiding rooms that are too small to leaving the doors open.

  • Body positioning. Some people who have experienced trauma will feel comfortable laying on the floor, while others may not. Likewise, some people will like being led in a group class and others won’t.

  • Maintaining full autonomy. It is important that trauma survivors have complete control over their bodies and decisions at all times when practicing yoga nidra for trauma. This means everything from being able to decline the yoga instructor’s or yoga therapist’s guidance to stopping the practice completely at any moment. A trauma-informed yoga instructor or yoga therapist can facilitate the client’s autonomy by using invitational language rather than commands.

Can Yoga Nidra Be Dangerous?

In many cases, yoga nidra is perfectly safe. However, yoga nidra can be dangerous under certain circumstances:

  • If you are susceptible to delusions or hallucinations, yoga nidra may not be suitable for you. This can occur in some people who have PTSD, schizophrenia, or other mental health conditions, as well as among those who take certain medications.
  • If holding a position for long periods is triggering, yoga nidra may not be a good fit for you. There may be mental challenges associated with holding a position like this for long periods of time. Those who have experienced trauma may find it difficult to feel safe or like they have agency over their bodies in these scenarios.
  • If you feel unsafe for any reason, whether it has to do with your environment or the practice itself, it may not be safe for you to use yoga nidra to heal.

If you fall into one of the scenarios outlined above or you’re still wondering if yoga nidra can be dangerous for you, consult with a professional first.

Where Can Survivors Find Trauma-Informed Yoga Therapists?

If you’re a trauma survivor, it’s important to work with a trauma-informed yoga therapist to safely apply yoga nidra for PTSD or trauma. Without proper oversight, you risk doing yourself harm instead of using yoga nidra for healing trauma.

For years, my mission has been to make practical, quality, ethical yoga therapy more accessible. In support of this mission, I’m pleased to be able to offer one-on-one yoga therapy sessions via Zoom with myself and a select group of certified yoga therapists from Breathing Deeply’s program.

If you’re interested, read about our private sessions and fill out an intake form today. Someone from our team will be in touch shortly to discuss how we can help.

What Do Yoga Instructors and Yoga Therapists Need to Know?

If you’re a yoga instructor or yoga therapist who wants to use yoga nidra to help others heal from trauma or PTSD, there is a lot you need to learn first. I’ve also known mental health professionals who want to use yoga techniques like this. As someone with an extensive background in this field, I strongly encourage you to seek out a training program like ours to teach you what you need to know. But these are a few helpful tips to keep in mind throughout your journey:

  • Find specialized training. First and foremost, you should be trained by someone like myself who has knowledge and experience using yoga nidra for PTSD or trauma in therapeutic settings.

  • Use invitational language. Don’t give your clients commands when guiding them. Use invitational language that makes it easy for them to decline if they want, and make it clear that they are in control of their own bodies and decisions.

  • Don’t touch clients. Along with using invitational language, stick to verbal guidance rather than any physical guidance or hands-on adjustments.

  • Create a safe space. Talk to your clients about their needs and preferences in order to create a safe space, whether it’s leaving all of the doors open or how you keep your lighting.

  • Identify comforting memories. Help your clients to find an image, person, place, or moment in time that makes them feel comfortable, calm, and safe. Allow them to use those memories whenever they may feel uncomfortable or have difficult emotions arise, giving them an out if they need it.

For more information, watch my video below discussing some of the benefits of yoga nidra as an intervention as opposed to meditation or pranayama.

Someone asked me about trauma and different practices for trauma which is obviously a big subject but this is not acute trauma but the results of traumatic events, PTSD, and trauma-based issues. Anyway, they were asking about Yoga Nidra vs other kinds of contemplative practices, asking me whether Yoga Nidra would be a good intervention because there have been so many studies on PTSD with the iRest things, and we’re actually talking about that at the retreat so it’s on my mind. But the basic thing is that with trauma, many things can happen but you get dysregulated and so your responses, you know, your nervous system response is different, fight or flight is different, and I thought I would just give a two-minute explanation of the Yoga Nidra rationale.

So, Yoga Nidra can go either way depending on how you apply it. If you can keep the person safe, iRest has a pretty nice protocol for, they have something called the inner resource, but basically finding your safe space, a safe set of images being in an environment also that feels safe to you or as safe as it can.

The rationale with the Yoga Nidra practices from a scientific point of view, is that it changes brain wave states and so you can imagine someone with trauma has become dysregulated and they’re not going through the brain without –  I could talk about brain waves for the next half-hour, which I could – but the brain wave states get shifted and so Yoga Nidra reregulates them and furthermore sort of promotes certain types of brain wave states that have people be more calm but more importantly allow them to think more broadly so often these brain wave states are associated with creative endeavors.

But when it comes to trauma it sort of similar in that, or applicable I should say, in that you would need those brain waves states in order to think outside your current situation which is responding to the trauma, another way to look at it is it allows you to be more in the present but I think maybe a better way to think of it for us, would be to have somebody who is constantly getting input from memory the trigger memory and then what you would want is for their brain to be more malleable so Yoga Nidra would do that. It’s not really different than meditation for that, both of them, you could argue that they’re the same.

I think what’s interesting about the Yoga Nidra protocols, which are all guided, often lying down, and you use the body’s natural ability to go to sleep but you’re sort of sleeping while awake so when you’re sleeping you get all these beneficial brain wave states but when you’re awake, you get them but you can sort of guide your experience and so instead of just sleeping and dreaming, etc, you can promote these brain wave states that would make you more likely to see things from a broader perspective, be less triggered by things around you and therefore change your response to the traumatic event.

So Yoga Nidra, to answer the question, is this good vs mindfulness mediation? I don’t know that I want to go on the record and say that one is better than the other because there are plenty of reasons by meditation is a good idea, plenty of reasons why Yoga Nidra is a good idea, plenty of reasons why pranayama is a good idea, but Yoga Nidra is particularly good at getting people who don’t have a high skill level into these states so that’s why it’s a particularly good intervention.

You’ll hear me on the Q&A’s and talking about cases, recommending Yoga Nidra over and over again and that is because you would need to be personally less skilled to go into deeper states whereas with meditation you would need a lot more training.

Most people find that it might take them 12 weeks or 16 weeks to get their meditation mindfulness practice together where their brain’s really changing whereas with Yoga Nidra in just a few sessions you can gain a lot of skill so that’s the advantage.

On the other side, there isn’t really an advantage because I think once you do have the skills, I’m not sure one’s better than the other, they’re different in their nature. That’s another point I guess we could talk about all the different ways they’re different but if you have someone off the street, “I have these responses that I don’t like to past trauma”, “someone said you could help me”, “I’m super agitated all the time”, Yoga Nidra would be a go-to because you could say to yourself, ok one session or maybe two sessions or maybe three sessions I can get this person to experience these states and that’s the, for lack of a better word, that’s the sell of the whole thing because you need to have an experience in order to want to do it again.

People can only go on faith for so long so Yoga Nidra gives you that quickly. And now there’s some great research verifying all this, so that’s good, but even that research is still in its infancy so just to answer that question, Yoga Nidra is particularly good for trauma, the only caveat is that it has to be done correctly it has to be done with somebody in a very safe space, so they need to have some sort of out or technique when difficult emotions and feelings arise, you can’t just tell them to ride it out, because if they’ve experienced strong trauma then there would be very difficult for them so that would be the skill.

Get Started with Yoga Nidra Training for Yoga Therapists and Instructors

Ready to start your journey? Want to help heal others with yoga nidra for trauma and PTSD?

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Yoga Therapy for Trauma and PTSD

August 10, 2023

 

A woman in Warrior 2 Pose using yoga therapy for trauma.

The majority of us will experience trauma at one point or another in our lives. On average, 60% of men and 50% of women report experiencing trauma at least once, and around 6% of people have experienced PTSD at least once. Increasingly, people are seeing the benefits of yoga therapy for trauma and PTSD treatment.

Trauma informed yoga therapy is all about addressing individual trauma needs with a concentration on mind-body techniques. With decades of experience working with thousands of clients and hundreds of students, I’ve seen firsthand how therapeutic yoga is for trauma recovery. I’m also proud to be able to offer trauma informed yoga therapy sessions online in a one-on-one format with myself and trusted, certified graduates of my yoga therapy program to help those looking for yoga therapy near them.

In this guide, I’ll answer common questions that those suffering from trauma or PTSD may have about yoga for trauma and PTSD, as well as share insights for fellow yoga therapists on how to help students heal and prosper in a non-judgemental setting.

Table of Contents

What Types of Trauma Can Yoga Therapy Treat?

According to the American Psychological Association, trauma is defined as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster.” Statistically, men experience trauma more often from physical assault, combat, disaster, accidents, or witnessing others’ deaths or injuries. By contrast, women experience trauma more often from sexual assault or child sexual abuse.

Trauma presents itself in a variety of ways, including both physical and emotional types of trauma responses:

  • Physical Responses: Survivors of a distressing event may experience increased heart rate, bodily pains, fatigue, poor concentration, loss of appetite, and sudden panic attacks. Keep in mind that physical reactions may come and go without any warning.

  • Emotional and Mental Responses: Emotional responses are often the most common symptoms in survivors. Depression, anxiety, cognitive difficulties, guilt, shame, and denial are all psychological responses to distressing experiences.

Without proper intervention and emotional support, trauma can rob survivors of their happiness and their ability to confront their inner struggles. Fortunately, with the help of a knowledgeable yoga therapist, you can learn to use yoga therapy for trauma, healing your mind and body from physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual symptoms.

Benefits of Yoga for Trauma and PTSD

To work with trauma, you generally need a multidimensional approach. Many conventional approaches are only part of the therapy needed to support those who have experienced large traumatic events and need help in processing trauma.

While talk therapy lets us understand our story in a cognitive way, yoga trauma therapy can help reshape our response to triggers on all levels of our being. Both parts are important. Working with all aspects of oneself is essential to healing.

Dr. Bessel van der Kolk has done studies on trauma that make the benefits of yoga for trauma fairly clear. In one study which used gentle yoga for PTSD in classes to help heal women, participants had a 30% reduction of symptoms. More striking to me is that several of the participants no longer qualified as having PTSD after just 10 weeks of yoga.

Benefits of yoga for trauma can include:

  • Fewer PTSD symptoms or trauma responses

  • Reduced stress, anxiety, and depression

  • Better mood and sleep quality

  • Stronger emotional regulation

  • Better concentration and attention

  • More bodily and mental awareness

  • And more

What Is the Best Yoga for Trauma?

In general, it’s hard to prescribe one best type of yoga for trauma or any other health condition, since yoga therapy is meant to be personalized for each individual’s needs. But in my experience as a yoga therapist, I’ve found that the best yoga for trauma or PTSD involves using both body-based and mind-based approaches to promote holistic healing.

Watch my video below to learn more about these approaches:

In particular, it may be helpful to consider these practices when searching for the best type of yoga for trauma or PTSD:

  • Yoga nidra for body scanning and awareness, as well as regulating brain waves
  • Restorative yoga for reducing stress, relaxing the body and mind, and preparing for pranayama (breathing practices)
  • Yin yoga for guided meditation, deep breathing, and reducing stress (though be sure to account for the limitations of Yin Yoga for trauma survivors)
  • Somatic yoga for bodily awareness and mindfulness

Just as there really isn’t a best yoga for PTSD or trauma, it’s important to keep in mind that there isn’t any specific set of yoga poses for trauma that can be prescribed for everyone. Not only that, but yoga teachers and therapists should take care to use invitational language rather than directives. This helps to ensure that someone who has experienced trauma always maintains their agency, making the right choices for themselves about what to do and what not to do.

For these and many more reasons, it’s important to get specific yoga trauma therapy training in order to safely work with these clients.

Body-Based Yoga Therapy for Trauma

Details about the 5 koshas (Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vijnanamaya, and Anandamaya) as effective tools for trauma yoga therapy.

In my yoga therapy practice, I have found the five kosha model to be extremely effective with those suffering with trauma based issues. The samskaras, or patterns, left in the body, breath, mind, and heart need to be worked with in order to shift an overactive response to triggers.

What this means, in my experience, is that all trauma survivors need some sort of body-based approach in order to shift these samskaras. This can be asana or other body awareness approaches like body scanning in yoga nidra.

Mind-Based Yoga Therapy for Trauma

Trauma survivors often need practices to move the patterns of the unconscious mind to the conscious so that they can be reduced. This typically involves meditation practices that reorganize the energy of the unconscious mind.

These practices don’t need to address the traumatic event itself, but rather give the person an opportunity to connect with themselves on the unconscious level and allow patterns to shift. As yoga therapists, we often use meditation practices that allow one to move deeply into meditation without focusing on conscious thoughts or storylines.

I recommend adding some pranayamas (breathing practices) to stabilize and tone the parasympathetic system, including some form of ritualized surrender to allow the safety that comes with consenting surrender. When these practices flow together, symptoms are reduced and the strength of the samskara is lessened.

Yoga Poses for Trauma

In truth, there are no specific yoga poses for trauma, just as there is no one best yoga for trauma or PTSD. Helping someone who has survived trauma to heal through yoga therapy for trauma involves maintaining their agency and right to choose throughout the process by inviting them to use a yoga pose or practice or not. It all depends on what they choose to do or not do.

With that being said, in my experience, many trauma survivors can find relief and peace by shifting the patterns in their mind, body, breathing, and heart. This can be achieved with yoga poses, body awareness practices, meditation, breathing techniques, or a combination of these.

To help learn these poses, practices, and techniques, many of those who have suffered trauma will seek the help of a skilled yoga instructor or yoga therapist. An ethical approach to trauma yoga therapy should invite survivors to take an action or not, rather than directing them on what to do without the option to decline.

Much of what a yoga teacher or yoga therapist might invite a trauma survivor to do will depend on unique circumstances. Often, standing poses can be empowering options for these clients. If you’re curious about some of the yoga poses that a trauma survivor might be invited to participate in, I’ve included a few below.

Mountain Pose

Someone standing in Mountain Pose as a way to get started with yoga poses for trauma.

Mountain Pose is a simple place to invite survivors to potentially get started with yoga poses for trauma. It can help you to work on improving your posture and bodily awareness from a place of tranquility.

  • If it feels right to you, you can stand on your yoga mat with your legs and feet together so your big toes are side by side, with your heels slightly apart. If you’re just getting started, you may want to spread your feet a few inches apart if needed instead if it feels right for you.
  • If it feels right to you, lift your toes and spread them apart, then rest them back on the mat.
  • You might find it helpful to find your balance by swaying slightly from side to side and back and forth until you achieve a centered balance if it feels right for you at this time.
  • If it feels right to you, you can straighten your posture by lifting your chest, pushing back your shoulders, lengthening your torso, and straightening your back.
  • If it feels right to you, drop your arms down and hold them slightly away from your sides with your palms facing forward.
  • If it feels right for you at this time, you can face forward and keep your head centered on your body above your shoulders, torso, and hips.
  • I recommend holding for 2–3 minutes or 5–10 deep breaths, but you are invited to stay in this pose for however long feels right for you.

Warrior 1 Pose

Someone practicing Warrior 1 Pose. This victorious stance can help boost self-confidence, one of the benefits of yoga for trauma.

Warrior 1 Pose is a full-body pose that’s great for increasing your bodily awareness, alignment, flexibility, strength, and focus. It’s also a victorious stance that can give you an opportunity to boost self-confidence with yoga for trauma survivors.

  • If it feels right to you, start from Downward-Facing Dog Pose or, if that feels too vulnerable, another option is to start from standing up.
  • If it feels right to you, you can bring your right foot forward and point it toward the upper-right corner of your yoga mat.
  • Next, you can bend your right knee to form a right angle if it feels right at this time. I recommend that your right knee be placed directly above your ankle.
  • If it feels right to you, put your left leg behind you with your knee straight. You can turn your left foot so that your toes are pointing more toward the left and your heel more toward the righ if it feels right at this time.
  • If it feels right, you can try to move your left leg and foot directly behind you so they are closely in line with your right leg and foot. If you’re just getting started, you can take a wider stance as needed if that feels right to you.
  • If it feels right to you at this time,  inhale slowly and lift both arms straight up. You can hold your palms facing inward toward the rest of your body or however feels right to you.
  • I recommend holding for 2–3 minutes or 5–10 deep breaths, but you are invited to stay in this pose for however long feels right for you.

Warrior 2 Pose

Someone standing in Warrior 2 Pose as one of their yoga poses for trauma.

Warrior 2 Pose helps to strengthen your shoulders, core, hips, quads, and ankles, as well as stretch your legs and hips. It can increase your endurance, focus, and bodily awareness. As a pose of strength and empowerment, it can also help you feel grounded and boost your self-esteem. This can make it a good option when using yoga therapy for trauma.

  • First, if it feels right to you, stand on your mat, facing the long side of the mat.
  • If it feels right to you at this time, you can lift your arms on the left and right of your body. If it feels right, you can hold them straight out from your shoulders, parallel to the ground.
  • If it feels right to you, move your feet apart into a wider stance. You can keep your feet parallel to one another, with your ankles positioned below your wrists, if it feels right to you at this time.
  • Next, if it feels right to you, twist your right foot and knee to face forward, toward the front of the mat.
  • Then, if it feels right to you, twist your left foot so your toes are pointing to the left and slightly forward.
  • If it feels right at this time, you can bend your right knee to form a right angle. I recommend placing your right knee directly above your ankle if that feels right to you.
  • If it feels right to you, turn your head to face forward along the length of your right arm.
  • If it feels right at this time, you can keep your body straight from the hips upward, with your hips, shoulders, and head all aligned vertically.
  • I recommend holding for 2–3 minutes or 5–10 deep breaths, but you are invited to stay in this pose for however long feels right for you.

Eagle Pose

Someone demonstrating Eagle Pose, one of the more advanced yoga poses you might find in therapeutic yoga for trauma recovery.

Eagle Pose offers a little more of a challenge for advanced clients who use yoga for PTSD or trauma. This full-body pose can help build muscle strength, flexibility, stamina, and focus. Given its complexity, it’s also great for practicing alignment between your body and mind.

  • If it feels right to you, stand on your yoga mat with your feet a little apart.
  • If it feels right for you at this time, hold your arms up in front of your face. If it feels right, you can cross your left arm over the right arm, so your left elbow hooks under your right upper arm.
  • If it feels right to you, keep your forearms crossed and upright in front of your face, with your elbows at shoulder height.
  • Next, if it feels right to you, press your palms together and hold your hands vertically.
  • If it feels right at this time, you can keep your left hand around forehead height and slide your right hand up to the top of your head.
  • If it feels right to you, bend your knees slightly while keeping your hands and arms in this position.
  • If it feels right at this time, you can raise your right leg and cross your right thigh over your left thigh.
  • Next, if it feels right for you, curl your right foot and hook it behind your left calf. If it feels right at any time, please feel welcome to stop if your knees feel strained.
  • I recommend holding for 1–2 minutes or 5 deep breaths, but you are invited to stay in this pose for however long feels right for you.
  • If it feels right for you at this time, you can switch sides and repeat.

Staff Pose

Someone practicing Staff Pose, a great option for a seated yoga pose for trauma survivors to engage in if they choose.

Staff Pose is a great option for a seated yoga pose for trauma survivors to engage in if they choose. It promotes good posture, stretches your upper body, and strengthens your back muscles. As a simpler, more restful pose, it offers an opportunity to relax, focus, and practice mindfulness.

  • To start, if it feels right for you at this time, sit on your yoga mat with your legs straight out in front of you.
  • If it feels right to you, bring your big toes side by side, leaving a slight gap between your heels.
  • If it feels right at this time, you can bring your arms to your sides and hold them straight down, resting your hands on the floor.
  • If it feels right to you, pull your toes back toward the rest of your body, flexing in your ankles.
  • At this time, if it feels right for you, press down with your legs against the mat.
  • Next, if it feels right to you, straighten your posture by lifting your chest, pushing back your shoulders, lengthening your torso, and straightening your back.
  • If it feels right at this time, you can face forward and keep your head centered on your body above your shoulders and torso.
  • I recommend holding for 2–3 minutes or 5–10 deep breaths, but you are invited to stay in this pose for however long feels right for you.

Savasana

Someone lying down in Savasana, an excellent option for ending a session of yoga therapy for trauma.

Savasana can be an excellent option for ending a session of yoga therapy for trauma. It can help you release tension in your body, improve your bodily awareness, and practice mindfulness. Survivors can be invited to use this pose to relax, de-stress, and even prepare to enter guided meditation.

  • If it feels right for you at this time, you can lie down on your back on your yoga mat.
  • Please feel free to use a cushion or rolled up towel to support your head, neck, or back if it feels right for you.
  • If it feels right to you, extend your arms and legs. You can leave your palms open and facing up if it feels right for you. You are welcome to relax your arms and legs as they lay flat on the mat, spread out slightly from the rest of your body, if it feels right for you at this time.
  • If it feels right to you, keep your head facing up toward the ceiling and centered with the rest of your body.
  • At this time, if it feels right for you, I recommend closing your eyes. However, when using Savasana in yoga therapy for trauma, clients may choose to keep their eyes open—especially while building trust with their yoga therapist.
  • If it feels right to you, focus on breathing evenly and deeply.
  • Starting at the top of your body, if it feels right for you, focus on a single body part at a time. If it feels right to you at this time, you can build your awareness of the body part, where it’s touching the mat, and how it’s feeling. As you exhale, you can release any tension from that body part if it feels right to you and imagine it relaxing, spreading out, and sinking down into the mat.
  • If it feels right for you at this time, go through each part of the body this way as you feel comfortable, from head to toe.

Find Trauma Yoga Therapy Near You

Looking to find yoga therapy near you? Want to address your trauma or PTSD with yoga? Consider these two routes to finding trauma yoga therapy near you:

  1. Use the International Association of Yoga Therapists’ database to find certified yoga therapists near you. This is a great option if you know you want to practice yoga for PTSD or trauma near you and in person.
  2. Work with a yoga therapist online. Depending on where you live, it may be hard to find yoga therapy near you, especially with a focus on trauma informed yoga. You may simply feel more comfortable receiving trauma informed yoga therapy at home in a familiar environment away from others. If this is the case, I would be honored if you would consider working with me or one of my knowledgeable graduates in our private sessions of online yoga therapy for trauma.

When looking at yoga therapists, I recommend checking to see if they mention that they are trauma informed or have received yoga trauma therapy training. You might set up an introductory call or meeting with them as well to talk about their practice and see if it feels like a good fit for you.

What Is the Role of a Yoga Therapist in Healing Trauma?

The role of a trauma informed yoga therapist is to establish a setting where trauma survivors feel supported, encouraged, and provided with an opportunity to heal. Here are some expectations for yoga therapists:

  • Create a safe space: Start by acknowledging your clients and providing positive affirmations that make them feel valued and supported. Use warm remarks and express gratitude. This will alleviate uncertainties and ensure your students see you as a trusted professional.
  • Bring sensitivity: Remain mindful of any phrases or actions that may trigger your participants. These actions include asking participants to conduct a certain physical pose or using phrases like “position” or references to the groin area. Be prepared to adapt yoga poses for trauma clients’ needs.
  • Build a community: Everything is much easier when others around you understand your struggles. Establish a setting where participants can connect and rely on each other through difficult times.
  • Remain patient: Since there is no magical formula that can “cure” participants of their struggles, be patient. There is only so much you can do as a yoga therapist to help your students, so remain persistent in the face of challenges.

Working with a yoga therapist is often very helpful because the client’s story can be held in a safe environment. This allows the client to work with these practices with the knowledge that they are not alone when difficult emotions or states arise.

It also provides them with—maybe for the first time—the ability to build experience working with difficult states and continue to work to lessen their effect on the system. I have seen this numerous times with big shifts happening in session.

For more information about a yoga therapist’s role in helping clients process trauma, check out my video below.

How We’re Teaching Yoga for Trauma

At Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy, we train yoga teachers and yoga therapists to apply the principles and practices of yoga in a variety of situations, including those where a client has experienced trauma. Consider the do’s and don’ts below, and if you’re ready to start your training as a yoga teacher or therapist, apply now to get started in one of our programs with yoga trauma therapy training.

6 Do’s and Don’ts for Yoga Teachers or Therapists Treating Trauma

Every setting will be different, especially when it concerns trauma. Here are do’s and don’ts to consider when working with vulnerable clients.

Do:

  • Ask students what they want: Every student has a preference. Do they prefer sessions with the lights on or dimmed? How about the type of music played? The key is to create sessions that are safe and welcoming for survivors.

  • Treat poses as invitations: When sharing different sequences and yoga poses for trauma, ensure that your language uses invitations, not commands. Make it clear that your clients remain in control of their bodily movements and decisions.

  • Invite others to practice non-judgmental behavior: Every person has a unique experience with trauma. Your trauma informed yoga class or yoga therapy should be free of shame or self-deprecating behavior. Your clients should feel valued and supported without fear of judgment.

  • Stabilize and build confidence: When big shifts happen in session and a client may experience difficult emotions or states, it’s important to follow up with practices that stabilize and build confidence in their ability to recognize—and then lessen—reactions at the edge of their comfort zone. Over time, as with all practices, the individual shifts and becomes empowered to change themselves.

Don’t:

  • Don’t use physical contact or hands-on adjustments: Refrain from touching clients who have experienced trauma. Instead, opt for verbal invitations when giving recommendations. Any form of touching may trigger students who’ve experienced physical or sexual assault.

  • Don’t try to be a mental health therapist: Students who exhibit signs of severe emotional distress require help from licensed mental health professionals. Know your practice and refer your clients to counseling services if needed (unless, of course, you are a mental health professional who has also trained as a yoga therapist).

For more tips on teaching yoga for trauma or using yoga therapy for trauma, check out my video below about working with people who have suffered trauma and the differences between group classes and private sessions.

Get Yoga Trauma Therapy Training

Yoga therapy is positioned to be a perfect choice for those processing trauma and looking to reduce trauma. There are already yoga therapists around the world using these techniques to alleviate this kind of pain, as well as trauma-sensitive yoga classes available in many areas that can put people on the road to a more easeful experience of living.

At Breathing Deeply, we’re pleased to be able to offer private yoga therapy sessions online with myself and certified graduates from our yoga therapy program. Learn more and get in touch with us today if you’re looking to find yoga for PTSD near you or yoga for trauma near you.

Interested in becoming a yoga therapist? Ready to be a change-maker in this emerging field? We offer programs for each level of yoga expertise, whether you are just starting out with a 200-hour yoga teacher training or you’re ready for an advanced program ending in the highest level of yoga therapy certification, C-IAYT. We provide yoga trauma therapy training as well as training to help with a wide range of other physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual conditions in our comprehensive program.

Apply now and start your journey on a new and exciting career path in therapeutic yoga for trauma recovery.

Yoga for Upper Cross Syndrome: 7 Poses for Fixing the Slouch in Your Neck

May 24, 2023
A woman stretching out while using yoga for Upper Cross Syndrome

A woman stretching out while using yoga for Upper Cross Syndrome

Do you experience neck pain, difficulty turning your head, or headaches? Upper Cross Syndrome, or Upper Crossed Syndrome, is a common neck problem that can manifest with a variety of symptoms. Whether you may be experiencing this issue yourself or you’re a yoga teacher or yoga therapist looking to help clients who face this problem, there are a variety of ways to use yoga for Upper Cross Syndrome with great results.

I’m Brandt Passalacqua, the Founder, Director, and Lead Teacher of Breathing Deeply, a yoga therapy training program. I’ve worked directly with numerous clients suffering from Upper Cross Syndrome and its counterpart, Lower Cross Syndrome, and trained many other yoga therapists on how to address these conditions.

Keep reading to learn more about what this syndrome is, its causes and symptoms, and how to correct it with an example sequence of 7 Upper Cross Syndrome yoga poses and breathing techniques. You can also contact us about working with myself or another yoga therapist I’ve trained to address your neck problems online, or apply to one of our programs if you’re interested in becoming a yoga therapist yourself.

Table of Contents:

What Is Upper Cross Syndrome (or Upper Crossed Syndrome)?

A diagram showing the muscles in the neck, shoulders, chest, and upper body that are affected, which you can use yoga for Upper Cross Syndrome to correct

Upper Cross Syndrome (UCS), sometimes also referred to as Upper Crossed Syndrome, is a musculoskeletal disorder that is caused by muscle imbalances in the upper body. This condition is characterized by extreme muscle tightness, reduced range of motion, neck and shoulder pain, and headaches.

What Causes Upper Cross Syndrome?

Poor posture, especially from sitting for long periods of time, is the leading cause of Upper Cross Syndrome. But it can also be caused by overuse of muscles in your shoulders, neck, or upper back. If these muscles are imbalanced—whether they are too tight, weak, or overworked—it can result in Upper Cross Syndrome.

Recently, I’ve worked with a number of clients who came to me with complaints about their necks:

  • One client came in for his arthritis. He said that he has always had pain in his neck around C7 (at the base of the neck).
  • Another client has had constant pain in his neck near the occiput (at the base of the skull).
  • I also had a client who was having trouble turning her head without pain.

Even though each person had a different story and complaint, they shared one thing in common: their posture was quite similar. Their heads were pushed forward and their shoulders were rounded, indicating Upper Cross Syndrome.

When you spend long periods of time in a hunched forward posture, your chest muscles can become shortened while your mid-back and shoulder muscles become weakened. This leads to a muscular imbalance in the upper body, where the mid-back and shoulder muscles lack the strength to counteract the muscle tightness and shortness in the neck and front of the body.

This muscular imbalance forms an “X” shape when viewed in profile, hence the name of the syndrome. It crosses from the tight upper trapezius and levator scapulae in the shoulder to tight pectorals in the upper chest, and from the weak cervical flexor muscles in the neck to the weak rhomboid and lower trapezius muscles in the upper back. The first cross is overly tight, and the second is too weak to counteract the first’s tightness.

How Many People Are Affected by Upper Cross Syndrome?

Upper Cross Syndrome affects a large number of people in a range of ages and professions. It is particularly common among:

  • Office workers who spend significant time sitting at a computer
  • Assembly line workers who must look down and perform repetitive tasks
  • Truck drivers, cab or rideshare drivers, or those who commute long distances
  • Athletes, especially swimmers and weightlifters
  • Students who spend significant time sitting at a desk or computer
  • The elderly, especially those who have posture or mobility issues

Repetitive movements and everyday activities that require focusing on something that is in front of the body but below the head can contribute to Upper Cross Syndrome. The condition can affect anyone who remains in a bad posture position for long periods of time.

Several studies have been done showing how Upper Cross Syndrome affects different populations:

Can Upper Cross Syndrome Affect Breathing?

In addition to causing neck pain and headaches, Upper Cross Syndrome can affect breathing by altering the position of the rib cage and diaphragm. The tightness in the chest muscles pulls the shoulders forward and downward, which can cause the rib cage to become compressed. This can lead to a decrease in the amount of air that can be inhaled and exhaled, resulting in shallow breathing.

Additionally, the weakened mid-back muscles can cause the muscles in the neck and upper chest to work harder to lift the rib cage during inhalation, which can cause increased tension and fatigue in these muscles. This can further exacerbate the breathing difficulties associated with Upper Cross Syndrome. One of the benefits of yoga is that it can easily incorporate Upper Cross Syndrome breathing exercises.

Can Upper Cross Syndrome Be Corrected?

Fortunately, Upper Cross Syndrome can be corrected! When the three clients of mine I mentioned earlier corrected their postures, their symptoms diminished or vanished.

Most interesting to me is the client with arthritis. He had seen a medical doctor and a physical therapist and was convinced that he was doomed because of his diagnosis. It only took 2 minutes for me to correct his posture and get him completely out of pain!

Of course, it can take a little more time to strengthen the muscles that have been weakened to the point where your posture can be corrected for the long term. Keep reading to learn how to use yoga for Upper Cross Syndrome correction.

What Is the Best Way to Fix Upper Cross Syndrome?

Upper Cross Syndrome can be corrected with a combination of strengthening, stretching, and lifestyle changes.

  • Strengthening exercises can correct the muscle weakness that has occurred, helping to encourage proper alignment and posture.
  • Stretching exercises can alleviate tension in the tight muscles, reducing the imbalance between the tight and weak muscles.
  • Lifestyle changes, such as breaking up or reducing repetitive movements and maintaining good posture, are also critical for addressing the root cause of the condition.

Consistency and regularity in performing these exercises are important, as well as fixing any poor posture. Yoga can be a highly effective way to fix this issue, addressing not only the strengthening and stretching exercises with effective yoga poses for Upper Cross Syndrome, but also incorporating breathing techniques and improving mental health to support these efforts.

Does Yoga Help Upper Cross Syndrome?

As mentioned above, there are plenty of highly effective ways to use yoga for Upper Cross Syndrome. Yoga can help to stretch tight muscles and strengthen weak or underactive muscles, which can alleviate tension and remedy imbalances in your posture. The most important point is to focus on strengthening muscles that keep proper alignment without forcing the body into alignment it isn’t ready for.

Yoga also possesses a few unique benefits to help with Upper Cross Syndrome:

  • It can incorporate breathing techniques to help promote backbends, stimulate parasympathetic nervous system response, and relieve tension in order to combat Upper Cross Syndrome.
  • It can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, helping to improve follow-through and habit change associated with lifestyle efforts against UCS.

7 Upper Cross Syndrome Yoga Poses in Sequence

My general approach to putting Upper Cross Syndrome yoga poses in a sequence looks something like this: moving and breathing, then strengthening, then stretching. Below is a very simple sequence of yoga for Upper Cross Syndrome using this method, keeping in mind that there are a dozen other sequences to achieve the same goal.

An example sketching out Upper Cross Syndrome yoga poses in a sequence

As you can see, several rounds of moving and breathing with Cat-Cow Pose (Bitilasana), Child’s Pose (Balasana), and Warrior 1 Pose (Virabhadrasana I) prepare the joints for the static Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana), which focuses on strengthening. I recommend doing Cobra Pose while tucking the chin in order to strengthen the cervical flexors and the muscles between the scapula (shoulder blades), while also releasing the suboccipitals.

We then spend 16 breaths stretching the pecs with Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana) so that they get the message to lengthen. This is followed by rest and relaxation in Corpse Pose (Savasana). And that’s it. Keep it simple, clear, and concise.

When we are using yoga poses for Upper Cross Syndrome or to help with other physical problems, my opinion is not to get fancy. It is better to be economical and clear. As yoga therapists, we work with our clients to empower them to fix their health issues.

I’ve seen this type of approach help hundreds of people suffering with neck issues. Yoga asana is really helpful and elegant if we let it be. If you are trying to help others or yourself, go for the most obvious remedy—no matter how simple it might seem—and work from that place.

1. Cat-Cow Pose (Bitilasana)

Someone performing Cat Pose and Cow Pose in a sequence of Upper Cross Syndrome yoga poses

  • Start on your hands and knees, with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
  • As you inhale, arch your back and lift your tailbone and head towards the ceiling, creating a curve in your spine (Cow Pose).
  • As you exhale, round your spine towards the ceiling, tucking your chin into your chest (Cat Pose).
  • Repeat 6 times.

Cat-Cow Pose helps stretch and strengthen the neck, shoulders, and spine, improving posture and reducing tension. This makes it a great Upper Cross Syndrome yoga pose to start with. Those with physical limitations can use props like blankets or blocks for support.

2. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Someone performing Child's Pose as one of their yoga poses for Upper Cross Syndrome

  • Start by kneeling upright and bringing your big toes together.
  • Raise both arms above your head and inhale.
  • Fold forward at your hips as you exhale, bringing your pelvis back toward your heels, extending your arms forward on the floor in front of you, and lowering your forehead toward the floor.
  • Turn your head to one side and place it against the floor.
  • Repeat 6 times, alternating which side you turn your head.

Child’s Pose helps to relieve tension in the neck, shoulders, back, and hips. You can use a pillow or blanket if needed to provide cushioning for your knees or head.

3. Warrior 1 Pose (Virabhadrasana I)

Someone performing Warrior 1 Pose in a sequence of Upper Cross Syndrome yoga poses

  • Start by standing up and stepping forward with your right foot, 3 or 4 feet apart from your left foot.
  • Bend your right knee to a 90-degree angle, so your right knee is directly above your right ankle and your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
  • Turn your left foot out slightly, keeping your left leg straight.
  • Inhale while raising both arms straight above your head toward the ceiling, tucking your chin toward your chest, and pulling your shoulder blades together.
  • Exhale and release from the pose, moving back to a typical standing position.
  • Repeat 6 times, alternating which foot you move forward.

Warrior 1 Pose helps to stretch the chest, shoulders, back, and neck. This makes it an excellent option for Upper Cross Syndrome yoga poses, since these areas are often tight in those with UCS. It also strengthens the legs, glutes, and hips, improving overall stability and balance.

In this version, we tuck the chin and pull the scapula (shoulder blades) together to address the posture imbalances of UCS. When you’re extending yourself toward the ceiling with this pose, you’re training your body to hold an upright posture, correcting the issues found in Upper Cross Syndrome.

To modify the pose, you can reduce the angle of the forward knee or widen your stance to make it easier to balance.

4. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Someone performing Cobra Pose as one of their yoga poses for Upper Cross Syndrome

  • Start by lying on your stomach.
  • Place your palms flat on the floor outside your shoulders.
  • As you inhale, push on your palms to raise your head and chest, facing forward while tucking your chin.
  • As you exhale, bend your elbows and drop your head and chest back onto the floor, drawing your shoulder blades together.
  • Repeat 6 times.
  • Pushing on your palms, raise your head and chest again, inhaling and then holding for 6 breaths.

Cobra Pose is an excellent choice when using yoga for Upper Cross Syndrome. It helps to alleviate the symptoms of UCS by strengthening the muscles between the scapula (shoulder blades) and releasing the suboccipitals, which can help to reduce neck and shoulder pain. If you have limited mobility, you can modify the pose by keeping your elbows bent.

5. Child’s Pose (Balasana) Again

Someone performing Child's Pose as one of their yoga poses for Upper Cross Syndrome

  • Start by kneeling upright and bringing your big toes together.
  • Raise both arms above your head and inhale.
  • Fold forward at your hips as you exhale, bringing your pelvis back toward your heels, extending your arms forward on the floor in front of you, and lowering your forehead to the floor.
  • Hold for 6 breaths.

Child’s Pose is a restorative yoga pose that not only stretches your neck, shoulders, and back, but also helps you to de-stress. Returning to Child’s Pose here provides a restorative break in the sequence, allowing for a moment of relaxation and reflection before moving onto the next Upper Cross Syndrome yoga pose.

6. Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

Someone performing a Supine Spinal Twist in a sequence of Upper Cross Syndrome yoga poses

  • Start by lying on your back with your arms extended out to the sides.
  • Draw both knees up toward your chest.
  • Bring your knees across one side of your body at the hip, keeping both shoulders on the floor still.
  • If needed, you can use the hand on the same side of the body as your knees to hold them, but do not pull on your knees to force the position.
  • Hold for 16 breaths, then repeat on the other side.

Supine Spinal Twist can help release tension in the neck, shoulders, and back, while also improving spinal mobility. You can modify the pose if needed by placing a cushion or block under your knees.

7. Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Someone performing Corpse Pose as one of their yoga poses for Upper Cross Syndrome

  • Start by lying on your back with your head in a neutral position.
  • Spread your arms and legs slightly in a starfish position.
  • Release any tension in your limbs and let them rest comfortably on the floor.
  • Hold for 3 minutes.

Corpse Pose is a restorative, restful pose, making it a great place to conclude a sequence of yoga for Upper Cross Syndrome. This pose helps to increase your awareness of your body and its posture while also relaxing it.

For those suffering from Upper Cross Syndrome, Corpse Pose can help to unhunch your shoulders, open your chest and neck, and release tension through the front of your body. If needed, you can use a cushion to support your head and neck.

Upper Cross Syndrome Breathing Exercises

There are a number of Upper Cross Syndrome breathing exercises you can incorporate into your yoga sequence or perform on their own.

  • Inhaling during backbends, such as Cat-Cow Pose, Warrior 1 Pose, and Cobra Pose, can help expand the ribs. This helps promote backbending, which is a movement that counters the slouching of Upper Cross Syndrome.
  • Deep, purposeful breathing can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. Regular breathwork can help to train your nervous system response, turning off your fight-or-flight response and encouraging your rest-and-digest response. When practiced in conjunction with a yoga sequence that helps correct your posture, conscious breathing can send signals to the brain that what you’re trying to do differently (keep your body upright rather than hunching over) is a good thing. This makes it easier to change your habits and improve your posture long term.
  • Standalone breathing exercises can also help relieve tension generally by regulating your nervous system responses. This can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, making it easier to follow through with new habits and lifestyle changes such as proper posture.

For those who experience shallow breathing or difficulty breathing due to Upper Cross Syndrome, breathing exercises can also help combat these symptoms.

Get Started with Yoga for Upper Cross Syndrome at Breathing Deeply

Yoga therapy, or the practice of applying yoga techniques to specific health conditions, offers people another path to good health, healing, and well-being, especially when Western medicine has failed them. For over a decade, I’ve made it my mission to make yoga therapy more accessible, both through my own private yoga therapy practice where I’ve helped thousands of clients, and through my yoga therapy programs where I’ve trained hundreds of yoga therapists.

I’ve seen firsthand how incredibly effective it can be to use yoga for Upper Cross Syndrome and other sources of neck pain. Whether you’re looking for relief for yourself or for your yoga students or clients, I’d like to help.

To become a client, contact us today about working with me or one of the yoga therapists I’ve trained. We offer private, online yoga therapy sessions via Zoom.

To become a yoga therapist yourself, learn about our yoga therapy training programs and apply today. New classes will be starting soon!

How Long Does It Take to Become a Yoga Therapist?

March 16, 2023
Someone studying ancient yogic texts while in the grass outside, showing how long it takes to become a yoga therapist
Someone studying ancient yogic texts while in the grass outside, showing how long it takes to become a yoga therapist

If you’re considering a career in yoga therapy, one of your first questions might be, “How long does it take to become a yoga therapist?” The answer will depend on your goals and past experience, but many of our students become a yoga therapist in just 1 year.

The practice of yoga therapy is very broad in its scope, and it is important for any yoga therapist to have solid training so they can be prepared to help their clients as efficiently and professionally as possible. Keep reading for more detailed information about how long it takes to become a yoga therapist based on your circumstances, what our yoga therapy training offers, and answers to other frequently asked questions.

Table of Contents:

How Long Does It Take to Become a Yoga Therapist?

How long it takes to become a yoga therapist will depend on the training you choose, its flexibility, and how quickly you are able to complete it. There may also be state laws where you choose to practice that dictate when you can call yourself a yoga therapist.

Generally, you can become a yoga therapist in about 1 year. If you choose to do more advanced training and become certified through the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), which is the highest level of yoga therapy certification, it will probably take you at least 2 years in total.

Next, I’ll outline in more detail what it’s like and how long it takes to become a yoga therapist through Breathing Deeply’s programs.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Yoga Therapist with Breathing Deeply?

Our Fastest Route

Brandt, the founder and director of Breathing Deeply, helps a student position another person on a yoga mat while training to become a yoga therapist

The fastest route to becoming a yoga therapist with Breathing Deeply is to complete our Foundations Program. This program is designed to be completed in 1 year.

However, because the coursework is available online 24/7 and can be completed at your own pace, a highly motivated student could complete the program in 8 months or even less. Or, if a student needs more time to juggle other responsibilities with their training, they could work at their own pace and take over 1 year to finish.

Our students must meet the following 4 requirements for Breathing Deeply yoga therapy certification:

  1. Complete all 50 online lectures and coursework
  2. Attend 3 weekend retreats remotely or in person
  3. Write 2 papers outlining case studies
  4. Pass 1 oral and written exam

Before getting started, there are a few prerequisites to this program:

  • Students must be at least 18 years old.
  • Students must have a high school diploma or equivalent certificate.
  • Students must have completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training or equivalent.

You can learn more about the Foundations Program here. If you’re starting from scratch without a 200-hour yoga teacher training, keep reading to learn how you can combine our 200-hour training with the Foundations Program below.

Starting from Scratch

yoga class

If you’re completely new to yoga, you’ll need to complete yoga teacher training before you can progress to yoga therapy training. At Breathing Deeply, we offer a 200-hour yoga teacher training that can be combined with our Foundations Program at a discounted rate.

Students can complete our 200-hour yoga teacher training in 6 months. As mentioned above, our Foundations Program is designed to be completed in 1 year, but you could work faster to finish it in 8 months or even less.

Most of our students take 1.5 years total to become a yoga therapist in the combined program, but you could become a yoga therapist in 14 months or less. If you need more time to complete your training while juggling work or other commitments, our flexible pacing allows you to take the time that you need.

Our 200-hour yoga teacher training includes:

  1. 1 6-week personal practice course
  2. 1 asana and breath module
  3. 5 home study modules with coursework
  4. 6 live online monthly seminars with the lead teacher

While most yoga teacher training focuses solely on preparing you to teach group classes, ours is made specifically for students who want to go on to become yoga therapists. The 6-week personal practice course in our program introduces you to the core principles of yoga therapy and what you’ll need to know for your own practice.

You can learn more about our yoga teacher training here.

Advanced Training and Certification

Brandt leading a group of students in meditation as part of their training to become yoga therapists

Those who wish to deepen their knowledge, learn more about specific health conditions, and become IAYT certified should complete our Advanced Yoga Therapy Program. Students can take our Foundations and Advanced Programs concurrently, allowing them to become a certified yoga therapist in as little as 2 years, though most students complete the process in 2.5 years.

Our Advanced Program is comprised of 3 parts:

  1. The Foundations Program
  2. 8 week-long retreat modules remotely or in person
  3. A practicum (practice hours) to complete in your community

After completing our training, you will be eligible to become IAYT certified. You will need to join IAYT, pass the IAYT Certification Exam, and pass their Ethics and Scope of Practice Quizzes.

Our students also have the benefit of lifetime access to continued mentorship in our community of your Breathing Deeply colleagues and teachers. As you work with clients and build your yoga therapy practice, you will still have a space to ask questions, learn, and receive guidance from experienced yoga therapists.

You can learn more about the Advanced Program here.

What Is the Difference Between a Yoga Instructor and a Yoga Therapist?

Depending on your familiarity and experience with yoga, you might still be a little confused about what the difference is between a yoga instructor and a yoga therapist. You aren’t alone!

A yoga teacher can teach yoga to others. Most often, yoga teachers will provide yoga classes to groups of students. Many of these yoga classes focus on practicing asanas (poses) in a particular style of yoga, such as hot yoga, Yin Yoga, or Vinyasa Yoga.

A yoga therapist can apply yoga techniques to specific physical and mental health conditions. This is why yoga therapists must complete more training than yoga teachers. Yoga therapists tend to work one-on-one with clients, using asanas (poses), pranayama (breath), meditation, or other techniques to provide healing and relief.

To learn more, read about the difference between a yoga teacher and yoga therapist here.

Is It Worth It to Become a Yoga Therapist?

A Breathing Deeply student practices healing through asanas as part of her training to become a yoga therapist.

Deciding whether or not it’s worth it to become a yoga therapist will depend on your goals, aspirations, and timeline.

It will likely be worth it to become a yoga therapist if:

  • You want to help clients with specific physical or mental health conditions
  • You want to apply asanas, pranayama, meditation, and other techniques as needed
  • You want to work one-on-one with clients, rather than in groups
  • You want to work in a private practice, hospital, addiction center, mental health facility, chiropractor’s office, wellness center, or school district
  • You want to be able to do more than just teach yoga
  • You are interested in a deeper study of yoga

It may not be worth it to become a yoga therapist if:

  • You want to mainly teach yoga poses
  • You want to teach a particular style of yoga, such as hot yoga
  • You want to work with multiple clients at once in group settings
  • You want to work at a yoga studio
  • You want to start your career in yoga faster

Completing your 200-hour yoga teacher training is the first step to becoming either a yoga teacher or a yoga therapist. Those who are anxious to start working with yoga can always begin teaching while training to be a yoga therapist.

Is There a Demand for Yoga Therapists?

In my experience, the demand for yoga therapists only continues to grow! More and more people are asking about yoga therapy as a treatment option, more public institutions and centers are hiring yoga therapists, and more studies are being conducted on the effectiveness of yoga to treat physical and mental health conditions.

The most common career path for a yoga therapist is to run a private practice part time while also working as a yoga therapist in one or more other part-time positions. I’ve seen yoga therapy jobs at:

  • Hospitals
  • Addiction centers
  • Mental health facilities
  • Chiropractors’ offices
  • Wellness centers
  • School districts

For more information, read about yoga therapist jobs here.

How Much Does a Yoga Therapist Earn in the U.S.?

The national average yoga therapist salary is $70,000, according to data from ZipRecruiter. But how much you’ll actually earn as a yoga therapist in the U.S. depends on a number of different factors, including:

  • Your location
  • Your experience
  • Your skills or specializations
  • Whether you work in private practice or a public institution
  • How many hours you work

For more data and information, read about yoga therapist salaries here.

Start Your Yoga Journey with Experienced Yoga Therapists

I’m Brandt Passalacqua, the Founder, Director, and Lead Teacher at Breathing Deeply. I’ve taught hundreds of students and helped thousands of clients, and our training programs are built upon my 20 years of clinical experience. They are designed to get students the most efficient and effective information, tools, and techniques for the most profound results with their future clients.

These practices take time to integrate and embody, and we encourage all of our prospective students to have a steady and grounded personal practice that their work with yoga therapy can grow out of. Many students choose to join our Meditation Program to support their personal yoga practice and teaching.

I hope that you will join us and become a yoga therapist to serve and support your community. You can apply to one of our programs today.

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Yoga Therapy for Muscular Dystrophy: Benefits, How to, and More

March 16, 2023
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A yoga therapist helps a man stretch on the floor, using yoga therapy for muscular dystrophy clients.

A yoga therapist helps a man stretch on the floor, using yoga therapy for muscular dystrophy clients.

Yoga therapy can be an effective way to heal or find relief from mental and physical health issues, including muscular dystrophy. While muscular dystrophy can cause physical weakness, mobility issues, and respiratory problems, yoga therapy can help improve strength and endurance, breathing and cardiovascular function, body awareness and posture, stress management and self-awareness, and more.

There is no cure for muscular dystrophy, but there are treatments that can help improve quality of life. I’ve worked firsthand with clients who have muscular dystrophy and report improvement from our yoga therapy.

Whether you have muscular dystrophy yourself and you’re looking for relief, or you’re a yoga teacher or yoga therapist who has a client with muscular dystrophy who you’d like to help, I’ll share my knowledge and experience regarding the benefits and techniques of yoga for muscular dystrophy below, as well as how to get in touch for professional yoga therapy sessions or training.

Table of Contents:

Is Yoga Safe for People with Muscular Dystrophy?

A physical therapist who is also certified in yoga therapy helps a patient stretch, demonstrating the benefits of both yoga and physical therapy.

Yoga is often safe for people with muscular dystrophy, but it’s important to talk to a doctor first and take any precautions necessary. There are over 30 different types of muscular dystrophy, which can range in severity, progression, and the muscles that are affected. These differences will impact what treatments are relevant and safe for each individual.

I recommend that people with muscular dystrophy seek out an experienced yoga therapist who can help them adapt different poses to accommodate their level of mobility and avoid any harm when using yoga for muscular dystrophy. Chair yoga can be a great way to practice yoga for someone who has balance issues or uses a walker or a wheelchair for mobility, for example. A yoga therapist can also introduce other techniques, such as Prana Nidra and breath work, to assist with more than just movement.

What Exercise Is Best for Muscular Dystrophy?

Exercising can help improve overall muscle tone and fitness levels for some people who have muscular dystrophy, while others cannot exercise safely. It’s important to consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine. As muscular dystrophy can affect people differently, any exercise regimen should be personalized to your unique circumstances.

For those who can safely exercise, aerobic exercises, strength exercises, and stretches may be beneficial, as recommended by the Muscular Dystrophy Association:

  1. Aerobic Exercises: Low-impact exercises such as walking, running, cycling, or swimming can help increase endurance and conditioning.
  2. Strength Exercises: Weight lifting with light weights and light resistance exercises, such as with resistance bands, can help increase muscle mass and strength.
  3. Stretches: Gentle stretching can help reduce stiffness and maintain or increase flexibility.

There are yoga asanas for muscular dystrophy patients to address each of these areas, while also gaining other benefits such as improving balance, reducing stress and anxiety, supporting proper breathing, and more.

What Are the Benefits of Using Yoga for Muscular Dystrophy?

1. Yoga Can Help with Muscle Weakness and Stiffness

Yoga can help combat the muscle weakness and stiffness often caused by muscular dystrophy. Slowing muscle loss is one of the greatest benefits of using yoga for muscular dystrophy. Yoga can help to strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and reduce stiffness and pain. It also often has fewer side effects than medications.

2. Yoga Can Improve Mobility and Balance

A systematic review published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy found that there is moderate evidence to indicate that yoga can improve balance and reduce the risk of falling for older adults and adults with neuromuscular impairment. Yoga can also improve mobility and posture control. As mentioned above, yoga can often be adapted to an individual’s level of mobility with seated asanas and chair yoga poses for muscular dystrophy patients.

3. Yoga Can Reduce Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

Yoga promotes relaxation by stimulating the parasympathetic system, which helps to increase blood flow and lower your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and cortisol levels. In addition to these physical effects, yoga can improve your mood, confidence, self-esteem, and well-being, all of which help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

4. Yoga Can Support Cardiac and Respiratory Functions

A mental health professional trained in yoga therapy helps a client with physical movements and poses

Muscular dystrophy can cause heart and breathing problems as the muscles that support these functions weaken. A recent study shows that physiotherapy and yoga are beneficial in maintaining heart rate variability for children who have Duchene muscular dystrophy, a type of muscular dystrophy that nearly always results in some amount of cardiomyopathy by adulthood.

Another study, though the participants were healthy, inactive, middle-aged people, showed that yoga can improve respiratory function. Asanas (yoga poses) improved respiratory function, and adding in pranayamas (breathing exercises) improved the strength of inspiratory muscles, which are responsible for inhalation. It may also be possible to use yoga for muscular dystrophy patients who want to improve respiratory function.

5. Yoga Can Enhance Posture and Awareness

On the physical side of things, yoga can improve posture in a number of ways, including stretching and strengthening:

  • Core muscles, which support movement in your torso and help stabilize your spine and pelvis
  • Hip flexors, knees, and ankles, which support alignment throughout your legs
  • Trunk muscles, which keep your posture erect by extending your vertebral column

Through the incorporation of breathing techniques and mindfulness, yoga can also help to increase awareness and strengthen the body-mind connection, allowing for better control and stabilization of the body.

6. Yoga Can Be Integrated Into Other Treatment Regimens

Yoga can easily be integrated into other treatment regimens to create a more holistic treatment of muscular dystrophy.

  • Physical function: Yoga therapy can work alongside physical therapy or occupational therapy to strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and promote good posture and balance.
  • Pain management: Yoga has been shown effective at reducing pain and stress, making it a valuable addition to pain management strategies. It can be used in conjunction with physical therapy or medication, and it can support rehabilitation after surgery.
  • Mental health: Yoga can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while also improving mood and sense of well-being, allowing it to work effectively alongside psychotherapy or medication.
  • Overall health and quality of life: Yoga therapy can support overall health and quality of life for those in palliative care by improving mood, lowering stress, enhancing sleep quality, and more. This can be used in conjunction with physical therapy, occupational therapy, medication, psychotherapy, and other strategies.

Yoga therapists are often used to working with physical therapists, occupational therapists, doctors, surgeons, mental health professionals, and other health professionals to provide holistic care for their clients. Especially when Western medicine offers limited help or relief, yoga therapy can be an effective option to complement other treatments for muscular dystrophy.

Chair Yoga Poses for Muscular Dystrophy

A woman in Warrior Pose demonstrating how to use chair yoga poses for muscular dystrophy.

Chair yoga can be a great way to practice yoga asanas if you have muscular dystrophy and require a walker or wheelchair for mobility. As its name implies, chair yoga refers to yoga poses that can be adapted so they are performed while sitting on a chair. This helps to make yoga poses accessible to those who cannot stand, have difficulty standing, experience balancing issues, or have difficulty moving between standing, seated, and supine poses.

Yoga therapy should be tailored to each individual, which is why I recommend working one-on-one with a yoga therapist to determine the best yoga techniques to suit your individual needs. If you’re curious about using chair yoga for muscular dystrophy, these are a few poses that could be adapted for use in a chair, though they may or may not be a good fit for you:

  • Cat Pose
  • Cow Pose
  • Forward Bend
  • Upward Salute
  • Eagle Pose
  • Extended Side Angle Pose
  • Warrior 1 Pose
  • Warrior 2 Pose

The biggest benefit of using chair yoga poses for muscular dystrophy is to prevent muscle loss and preserve some balance. The biggest concern is making sure that you figure out how to exercise safely.

Depending on your mobility, you may also be able to incorporate some yoga poses performed lying down, sitting, or kneeling on a yoga mat without having to worry about falling from a standing position. If you’re fairly mobile, you may also be able to practice yoga poses for muscular dystrophy yourself, giving you more agency over your treatment.

Prana Nidra Yoga Technique for Muscular Dystrophy

​​A woman using Prana Nidra as a yoga technique for muscular dystrophy

Prana Nidra is a kind of Yoga Nidra. As with Yoga Nidra, Prana Nidra allows you to enter a restful and relaxed state, sleep-like yet still fully aware. What makes Prana Nidra different is its focus on your energy and bodily systems, such as breathing, digestion, blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature.

People with muscular dystrophy may find it helpful to use Prana Nidra to get more prana flowing, which may help them feel better or provide some relief. A yoga therapist who is experienced with Prana Nidra can help guide clients through the process.

In general, you would likely lie down and perform visualizations and breathing techniques throughout your limbs to stimulate prana flow. You might imagine yourself breathing through one of your hands, then crossing your chest, moving through the other hand, and eventually going through the entire body this way.

The main advantage of Prana Nidra as a yoga technique for muscular dystrophy is that it puts your mind in contact with different body awarenesses. It can help to keep your brain in touch with your body and not ignore any parts of the body.

Breath Work for Muscular Dystrophy

Breath work, or pranayama, is a form of breathing in a yoga framework. It involves using specific breathing patterns and techniques to control the breath and the flow of energy throughout the body. Both inhalation and exhalation can be controlled in a rhythmic manner.

Inhales and retentions may be especially beneficial for people with muscular dystrophy. This type of breath work can help people to feel better, have more energy, experience less pain, and increase breathing capacity. It can produce a Brahmana effect, promoting more energy through higher prana flow in the body.

Can You Reverse Muscular Dystrophy?

Unfortunately, you cannot reverse muscular dystrophy. As of this time, there is no cure for any type of muscular dystrophy. However, there are treatments available that can help to manage this condition and prolong a person’s muscle strength, mobility, and well-being. There are new treatment options being tested as well.

Can You Rebuild Muscle with Muscular Dystrophy?

Eventually, muscular dystrophy will cause weakening in the muscles. However, it is possible to improve muscle tone with exercise in the meantime. It is important to talk to your doctor about the specific movements you’d like to practice in order to make sure that you exercise or use yoga for muscular dystrophy safely.

There are also medications for muscular dystrophy that have been shown to increase muscle strength, prolong muscle function, and delay muscle weakening for months or even years. Researchers are also looking into gene therapy, stem cell treatments, and other strategies to potentially protect and rebuild muscle for those with muscular dystrophy.

Contact Us for Yoga Therapy Sessions or Training

Yoga therapy can be a powerful tool for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing. I believe in making yoga therapy more accessible to those who need it, and I think it is especially rewarding to work with people who are facing challenging conditions.

If you have muscular dystrophy: I would be honored if you would consider our one-on-one yoga therapy sessions. These sessions are offered privately with myself or one of our handpicked, certified graduates. We conduct these sessions over Zoom, which means you do not need to travel for your appointment, but you do need enough mobility or in-person assistance to receive yoga therapy online. Learn more and get in touch with us today to see if we can help.

If you are interested in yoga therapy training: We proudly offer yoga therapy training for any stage in your journey, whether you’re already a yoga teacher or you’re just getting started. Even after you become a yoga therapist, you’ll have lifetime access to our community which includes myself, others who have trained you, and your peers to help tackle any challenges you may face and stay on top of the latest developments in our field. Learn more and apply today for one of our programs.

What’s the Difference Between a Yoga Teacher vs. Yoga Therapist?

February 10, 2023
A yoga teacher leading students in a group, demonstrating a major difference between yoga teacher and yoga therapist practices.

A yoga teacher leading students in a group, demonstrating a major difference between yoga teacher and yoga therapist practices.

If you’re new to yoga, the difference between a yoga teacher vs. yoga therapist isn’t always clear at first. In short, a yoga teacher or instructor can lead students in practicing yoga in a yoga class, while a yoga therapist works one-on-one with a client applying yoga techniques to specific health conditions.

Still confused? Looking for more information? As a certified yoga teacher and yoga therapist myself, I know all about these two professions and the common misunderstandings about how they differ. Whether you’re interested in becoming a client or finding a career of your own in yoga, keep reading to learn more about yoga teachers vs. yoga therapists.

Table of Contents:

What Does a Yoga Teacher Do?

Simply put, a yoga teacher is tasked with teaching yoga. These yoga classes are often taught to groups of students within a certain style or system. Examples include:

  • Acro Yoga
  • Aerial Yoga
  • Anusara Yoga
  • Ashtanga Yoga
  • Bikram Yoga
  • Hatha Yoga
  • Hot Yoga
  • Iyengar Yoga
  • Jivamukti Yoga
  • Kundalini Yoga
  • Prenatal Yoga
  • Power Yoga
  • Restorative Yoga
  • Sivananda Yoga
  • SUP Yoga
  • Vinyasa Yoga
  • Yin Yoga

Each one has its own way of training yogis to teach. In the Western context, yoga teachers are often trained to teach yoga classes that are primarily a physical practice. These sessions often have labels like “vinyasa,” “hatha,” “restorative,” or “yin.”

A well-trained and skilled yoga teacher can lead groups in a class setting, helping students learn whatever style or system they are sharing. Read our blog post about the most popular types of yoga to learn more about these common styles.

Yoga classes also have a therapeutic effect for many students. In addition, a very experienced and skilled yoga teacher can educate students in all aspects of yoga, helping them progress on a physical as well as a spiritual level.

But even if you find a yoga class therapeutic or have a very enlightened yoga teacher, that still doesn’t make it yoga therapy. Next, we’ll cover yoga therapists and start diving into the differences between a yoga teacher and yoga therapist.

What Does a Yoga Therapist Do?

A yoga therapist is tasked with applying yoga techniques to specific health conditions. This is performed one-on-one with individual clients, rather than in a group setting. A yoga therapist can help with both physical and mental health issues, such as:

A yoga therapist, therefore, must be trained in both the techniques (asana, pranayama, chanting, philosophy or point of view, and meditation) and the therapeutic applications of these techniques.

A yoga therapist—like anyone in the health field—must have knowledge of the conditions they are working with. Yoga therapists are trained to look at health conditions through a yoga therapy lens, as well as assess from a Western medicine perspective.

One way of differentiating a yoga teacher vs. yoga therapist is that unlike a yoga teacher who may work in a particular style or system, yoga therapists work with specific health conditions. They apply yoga techniques, rather than a particular style. Yoga therapists approach health issues with a yogic and Ayurvedic model as well as Western science.

Can Anyone Call Themselves a Yoga Therapist?

So aside from the different work that yoga therapists do, what makes them a yoga therapist? Can anyone call themselves a yoga therapist?

Fortunately, the answer is no! In order to be considered a yoga therapist, you must receive yoga therapy training and become a certified yoga therapist.

These requirements help to maintain standards and safety among yoga therapists. For more information about yoga therapy training, jump ahead to The Difference Between Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist Training section.

When to See a Yoga Teacher vs. Yoga Therapist

With these differences in mind, you may be wondering when to see a yoga therapist vs. a yoga teacher.

A chart outlining when to see a yoga teacher vs yoga therapist.

You may want to look for a yoga teacher if:

  • You want to learn to practice yoga, especially asanas (yoga poses)
  • You want to exercise, get fit, or lose weight with yoga
  • You want to practice yoga in a group
  • You want to learn a particular style of yoga, such as hot yoga (which includes Power Yoga and Bikram Yoga, among others) or Yin Yoga

You may want to look for a yoga therapist if:

The Difference Between Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist Training

Both yoga teachers and yoga therapists must undergo training in order to become certified. This typically involves completing a training program with a certain minimum number of hours.

After that, students can apply for certification if they meet all other requirements. For higher levels of certification, this may involve meeting a certain amount of time spent teaching yoga. Yoga teachers most often seek certification through Yoga Alliance and yoga therapists most often seek certification through the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).

Yoga teachers and yoga therapists are usually lifelong learners. In fact, yoga therapists are required to complete a certain number of continuing education credits in order to remain certified.

Aside from the differences in what they learn, the biggest difference between yoga teacher and yoga therapist training is that the entry point for yoga therapists is much higher. Keep reading for more information about yoga teacher vs. yoga therapist training below.

Yoga Teacher Training

Those who want to become yoga teachers must at least complete a 200-hour teacher training. If they successfully complete the requirements of the training, then they are considered a certified yoga teacher (CYT).

The content of this training can vary from program to program, but it often includes learning about the core principles of yoga (both asanas and pranayamas, or yoga poses and breathing techniques) and how to apply them to a yoga practice. Students may also study yoga texts, history, anatomy, ethics, and even the business side of working as a yoga teacher.

For yoga teachers who want to deepen their knowledge or specialize in a certain area, there are other teacher training programs they can complete, such as:

  • 300-hour teacher training
  • 500-hour teacher training
  • 85-hour prenatal yoga teacher training
  • 95-hour children’s yoga teacher training

Want to get started with your yoga teacher training? Apply to our 200-hour yoga teacher training today!

What Is the Highest Level of Yoga Instructor?

As mentioned in the previous section, there are several different options for yoga instructors to go beyond the basic 200-hour yoga teacher training. The highest level of yoga instructor recognized by Yoga Alliance is E-RYT® 500 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 500-hour).

To register as an E-RYT 500, a yoga teacher must:

  • Complete a 500-hour yoga teacher training with a Registered Yoga School (RYS®) 500 or complete a 200-hour yoga teacher training with an RYS 200 and a 300-hour yoga teacher training with an RYS 300
  • Spend 2,000 hours or more teaching yoga after their RYS 200 or 500 training, with at least 500 of those hours spent teaching after their RYS 300 or 500
  • Teach yoga for 4 years or more after their RYS 200 or 500 training

Yoga teachers can also achieve specialty designations through Yoga Alliance. They must be an RYT® 200 yoga teacher in order to be eligible, meaning that they have completed their 200-hour teacher training with a school that is registered with Yoga Alliance. There are two possible specialty designations:

  1. Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (RCYT®), which requires an additional 95-hour yoga teacher training with a Registered Children’s Yoga School (RCYS) and 30 hours or more teaching children’s yoga following their RCYS training
  2. Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT®), which requires an additional 85-hour yoga teacher training with a Registered Prenatal Yoga School (RPYS) and 30 hours or more teaching prenatal yoga following their RPYS training

Many yoga instructors who want to advance their career with more training and job opportunities also seek yoga therapy training and certification, discussed in the next section.

Yoga Therapy Training

The IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists) has set the standard for yoga therapy training with a minimum training time of 800 hours. This is in addition to the prerequisite of a 200-hour YTT (yoga teacher training). Also, yoga therapy schools are tasked with graduating competent yoga therapists with a proven ability to work with medical conditions in a safe, effective way.

Since yoga therapists are always also trained as yoga teachers, it is easy to see why the public can get confused about who is a yoga teacher vs. yoga therapist. Yoga therapists often play both roles—teaching interested students yoga and working individually with clients that have health challenges.

Most essential is that those with physical or mental health issues looking to yoga for help consult with a yoga therapist as opposed to a yoga teacher. A yoga therapist will be trained in a variety of yoga techniques (including asanas, pranayamas, chanting, philosophy, and meditation) as well as how to apply those techniques therapeutically to specific health conditions.

At Breathing Deeply, we’re proud to support students on every step of this journey. Our 200-hour teacher training is designed with yoga therapists in mind so they can make the most of this education and seamlessly transition into their yoga therapy training. Whether students obtain their 200-hour YTT with us or another institution, we provide yoga therapy training that prepares them for their certification and career.

What Is the Highest Level of Yoga Therapist?

Becoming a certified yoga therapist through the IAYT (C-IAYT) is the highest level of yoga therapy certification. In order to get certified through the IAYT, you must:

  • Complete your 200-hour yoga teacher training and complete your 800-hour yoga therapy training through an IAYT-accredited program
  • Become an IAYT member
  • Pass your IAYT Certification Exam and the Ethics and Scope of Practice Quizzes

To stay certified, yoga therapists must obtain at least 24 continuing education credits every 3 years.

With Breathing Deeply, students can obtain their 200-hour YTT if needed and complete their 800-hour yoga therapy training, giving them the support and education necessary to achieve certification.

Is Becoming a Yoga Therapist Worth It?

Although it requires more training to become a yoga therapist than to become a yoga teacher, it is well worth it. We even get students who have already becoming practicing mental health professionals who seek yoga therapy training to better serve their clients. The benefits include:

  • Working individually with clients to support their health and healing
  • Addressing a wide variety of physical conditions, such as back pain, shoulder injury, arthritis, pelvic floor dysfunction, and plantar fasciitis, or specializing in a select few
  • Addressing a wide variety of mental conditions, such as anxiety disorders, depression, trauma and PTSD, and addiction, or specializing in a select few
  • Working in conjunction with Western medicine and other healing practices to support holistic health
  • Expanding your clientele
  • Increasing your earning potential

For clients who want to use yoga to heal, individualized sessions with a yoga therapist will have much better outcomes and minimize the chance of an untrained yoga teacher inflicting harm due to lack of knowledge and education. One major difference between yoga teachers and yoga therapists is that yoga teachers are not educated about pathology and are not necessarily trained in any trauma-informed practices.

Anyone who wants to help clients this way will find that it is very much worth becoming a yoga therapist.

Apply to Become a Yoga Therapist or Yoga Teacher

At Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy, we pride ourselves on providing high-quality yoga therapy education with continuing support for yoga therapists. We also offer 200-hour yoga teacher training that is uniquely positioned to help students on the path to becoming yoga therapists.

We are confident that our students and, in turn, graduates are educated in a way that promotes positive client outcomes and integrity in this rapidly growing field.

Ready to begin your training and become a yoga teacher or yoga therapist? Apply to one of our programs today. A new class will be starting soon!

Yoga Therapy and Physical Therapy – What’s the Difference?

January 23, 2023
A physical therapist who is also certified in yoga therapy helps a patient stretch, demonstrating the benefits of both yoga and physical therapy.

 

A physical therapist who is also certified in yoga therapy helps a patient stretch, demonstrating the benefits of both yoga and physical therapy.

This is a great question to ask, both for people who are considering yoga therapy and physical therapy as treatment options as well as those who are considering them as potential career paths. While my expertise is in yoga therapy, I have immense respect for both fields and believe that they each have a lot to offer.

Keep reading to get an understanding of yoga therapy vs. physical therapy, how yoga therapists and physical therapists are trained, and when to seek out a physical therapist, a yoga therapist, or both.

Table of Contents

Yoga Therapy vs. Physical Therapy

Yoga therapy and physical therapy share a common goal: helping to heal physical conditions. One of the major differences between them to keep in mind is that physical therapists focus only on the body, while yoga therapists take a more holistic approach.

In many cases, a patient will go to a physical therapist first and if those techniques are not enough to resolve the issue, then they’ll enlist the help of a yoga therapist. In certain situations where the benefit of a yoga therapist is clear from the start, however, it can be a good idea to work with physical therapy and yoga therapy simultaneously.

There’s also occupational therapy, which involves helping people adapt everyday activities to their abilities so they can live more independently.

With this overview in mind, I’ll dive deeper into the similarities and differences of yoga therapy and physical therapy below, taking into account the use cases and training required for each.

Is Yoga Better Than Physical Therapy?

Let’s get this out of the way first. I don’t think that yoga therapy is always better than physical therapy, or that physical therapy is always better than yoga therapy. Rather than asking if yoga is better than physical therapy, a better question to ask is if yoga therapy or physical therapy is a better option for you.

If you’re a client, the answer will depend on what you’re trying to heal, how your body has responded so far, and if there are other factors at play, such as a history of trauma or a mental health condition. If you’re a job seeker, the answer will depend on your goals, interests, work style, and educational attainment.

How Is Yoga Therapy Similar to Physical Therapy?

Yoga therapy is actually similar to physical therapy in several ways:

  • Goals: Both yoga therapy and physical therapy aim to heal people from physical problems and pains.

  • Training: Although their training differs in many ways, both yoga therapists and physical therapists learn about human anatomy and muscular issues.

  • Process: In most cases, yoga therapists and physical therapists alike will perform an intake assessment, come up with a treatment plan, and walk clients through different stretches and exercises to perform.

How Is Yoga Therapy Different from Physical Therapy?

Although they have their similarities, there are many more ways in which yoga therapy is different from physical therapy.

Training

Physical therapists complete a significant amount of training, including their doctorate degree. They learn how to help patients with all areas of human muscular or structural dysfunction. Physical therapists also have much more extensive training in pathology, giving them more knowledge about health conditions and diagnoses.

Yoga therapists do not need a graduate degree to practice. Instead, they should become IAYT certified, the highest level of yoga therapy certification. The requirements include at least 800 hours of yoga therapy training in an accredited program as well as passing a certification exam.

Yoga therapists learn how to apply yoga techniques to physical and mental health conditions. These techniques include asanas (yoga poses), pranayamas (breathing techniques), meditation, and even chanting. Yoga therapists study anatomy, yogic philosophy, therapeutic application of techniques, and much more to prepare them for working with a wide variety of clients and health conditions.

Scope

A physical therapist using a yoga pose with a client, demonstrating the benefits of combining physical therapy and yoga therapy.

Physical therapists only work with the body. Common issues that physical therapists treat include hip pain, shoulder dysfunction, and back pain. PTs are especially valuable in helping patients recover from injuries or rehab from surgeries. It makes the most sense to see a physical therapist if you’re facing an acute issue.

By contrast, yoga therapists work on a more holistic whole-person model that includes both body and mind. They can treat physical issues as well as mental conditions. When considering yoga therapy vs. physical therapy, it makes more sense to see a yoga therapist if an acute injury has become chronic or if physical therapy isn’t producing the desired results.

Yoga therapy can also be more beneficial if there are other factors involved. For example, a yoga therapist can use techniques to reduce someone’s anxiety level before starting certain treatments or work with survivors in a trauma-informed approach.

Process

With their training in pathology, physical therapists can perform diagnostic tests to determine the root cause of a physical problem, while yoga therapists are not trained to make diagnoses. Many physical therapists also have physical manipulation skills, which allow them to perform techniques to help muscles relax. Physical therapists often have a significant amount of tools at their disposal, such as hot and cold therapy devices and stim machines.

However, physical therapists are often limited by insurance considerations in terms of how they work and the time they can spend with patients. In many cases, patients will actually see a physical therapy assistant because PTAs require less education and training. The physical therapist oversees their work.

Unlike physical therapists, yoga therapists also have training to assess breathing patterns and how they might affect a client’s pain and healing outcomes. Breath can be a guide for pain, affecting the client’s body and potentially even allowing them to shift their perception of pain. Yoga therapists not only work with movement and breath patterns, but also different mental states, specific breathing techniques, and meditation. Breathing and meditation can be used by yoga therapists to better prepare clients for certain types of treatments, giving them a better chance at a positive outcome.

Yoga therapy is not often covered by insurance, which can actually give yoga therapists more flexibility in how they work. Yoga therapists are able to work directly with clients, learn more about their experiences, and spend more time assessing their exercises over time and making any necessary adjustments to help promote healing.

Combining Yoga and Physical Therapy

If someone’s issue is purely muscular, then it may not make sense to combine yoga and physical therapy from the start. A physical therapist would be the first stop in their healing process to see if they can resolve the problem. If not, a yoga therapist can provide more individualized instruction that incorporates additional techniques, such as how to move and breathe to reduce suffering. A yoga therapist can often be helpful in finding the best way to integrate movement therapy into a client’s life and bring them to the end of their healing journey.

However, there are many other times when it works best to use physical therapy and yoga therapy in tandem. If someone has a history of trauma or a mental health condition and they are also facing a physical issue, then combining yoga and physical therapy from the beginning could work best.

Yoga and Physical Therapy Benefits

The benefits of engaging both yoga and physical therapy include:

  • Gaining multiple perspectives on a case

  • Addressing both physical and mental conditions

  • Creating a holistic approach that incorporates many techniques

  • Accessing more resources to healing

  • Preparing better before treatments that may be triggering

For instance, you may need a physical therapist to help you recover from whiplash after a car accident. But 22% of road traffic accident survivors develop PTSD. While a physical therapist can help work on your muscles, a yoga therapist can help you to move safely and in ways that aren’t triggering.

How to Find a Yoga Therapist

If you’re looking to get started with a yoga therapist, I can proudly recommend the graduates of Breathing Deeply’s yoga therapy program. In fact, a select few of these graduates and myself are offering one-on-one yoga therapy sessions over Zoom.

If you’re interested in finding out whether yoga therapy is a good fit for you, read more about our private sessions and fill out our form. Someone from our team will follow up with you and let you know how we can help.

Yoga Certification for Physical Therapists

If you’re considering a career in yoga vs. physical therapy, you may be wondering if there are opportunities to do both lines of work. I’ve seen plenty of PTs and PTAs who also become yoga therapists and vice versa.

For those who are interested in both, I think it’s highly beneficial to seek yoga therapy certification as a physical therapist or PTA. Yoga therapy is a great complement to physical therapy, and using the two together can make you a highly competitive job candidate.

If you’re interested in being able to investigate different ways to get results for your clients, having a background in both physical therapy and yoga therapy gives you significantly more options. This combination is also attractive to those seeking a more holistic model of healing others.

For more examples of how a yoga therapist might work with a client who has already been to physical therapy, watch my video below.

How to Start with Yoga Therapy Training

Thinking about becoming a yoga therapist? I’m proud to be able to offer my students training at any stage of their education.

At Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy, we’re committed to providing practical, flexible training programs that help make ethical yoga therapy more accessible to others. Unlike other yoga schools, our 200-hour yoga teacher training program takes a yoga therapist approach to better align with a career in yoga therapy. It can be easily combined with our Foundations Program and Advanced Program as needed, culminating in C-IAYT certification in as little as two years.

Often, the multidimensional nature of yoga therapy is the missing link that moves clients from “sort of better” to completely healed. Contact us today to learn more about getting started in this exciting field and helping others.

The Basics of Breath Anatomy for Yoga Therapists

February 2, 2022
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Welcome to episode 24 of The Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and Meditation podcast.

In today’s episode, Brandt shares with us the basics of the anatomy of the breath for yoga practitioners, teachers and therapists.

There is so much information out there about the breath and the importance of breathing properly as well as how to influence the physical and pranic body with the breath which has been known and taught by yogis for centuries.

In this episode, you will learn the basic concepts that we definitely need to know to be able to breathe effectively in a natural way and also during asana practice.

Brandt discusses the physical anatomy of the body when we are breathing as well as how the natural breath differs from how we manipulate the breath consciously when practicing yoga. Learn how to most effectively use the inhale and the exhale when practicing yoga as well as the most common problems we see with people’s breath such as reverse breathing and chest breathing.

We hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know in the comments or send us a message on Instagram or Facebook any key takeaways or questions about the breath and yoga therapy.

This episode is an excerpt from the course content from our Yoga Therapy Foundations program.

Are you ready to study to become a yoga therapist and learn highly effective yogic tools for the breath to help people heal and suffer less? Our next class starts on the 15th of February. For more information and to apply, click here: https://bit.ly/3lxc0KK

This episode covers:

  • The breath in the yoga sutras
  • What goes on in the body when we breathe?
  • What is free breathing vs pranayama?
  • How to use the breath for asana
  • Common problems with breathing

Breathing Deeply is a Yoga Therapy and Meditation School, founded by lead teacher Brand Passalacqua in 2014. We hold online and in-person Yoga Therapy Foundations and IAYT accredited Advanced Programs and retreats along with Meditation Programs, including online meditation teacher training and certification and holistic weight loss with Being At Peace with Food.

Breathing Deeply is made up of an active and thriving community of yogis, caregivers, therapists, teachers, medical professionals, parents & children with the same intention—to serve others, lessen suffering, and co-create a new paradigm in wellness.

How practicing meditation can help you know yourself and live a more aligned life

January 31, 2022
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Welcome to episode 23 of The Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and Meditation podcast.

In today’s episode, Breathing Deeply Meditation Program Coordinator, Sara Bowman sits down with Brandt for an interview about meditation and how meditation can help us understand our life path and ourselves better and make decisions that are in line with who we really are.

“One of the great gifts of meditating is being more sensitive to ourselves and more intuitive in terms of knowing what’s important to us and being open and clear enough to follow that advice from ourselves.”

Brandt covers questions around how long we should meditate for to start seeing effects, why it’s not a one-fits-all approach as well as how meditation can increase our intuitive abilities when it comes to listening to our own guidance and how this can support us in making big life decisions and creating better habits.

We hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know in the comments or send us a message on Instagram or Facebook any key takeaways or questions about becoming a meditator.

If you’d like to meditate with us, you can! 

Sign up for a free 30-day trial of our meditation program here: https://bit.ly/3Ar6xJy

Meditate with us for free on Insight Timer here: https://insighttimer.com/brandtpassalacqua

Om Shanthi

This episode covers the following questions:

  • Is it worth starting a meditation practice even if I don’t have much time to meditate?
  • How long do I have to meditate to feel the effects of meditation? Will I see any changes right away?
  • How can meditation help me understand what my life path is and make big decisions?
  • How does sitting still or using a meditation technique lead to us knowing ourselves better?
  • Will mediation support me in changing habits that are no longer benefiting me?

Breathing Deeply is a Yoga Therapy and Meditation School, founded by lead teacher Brand Passalacqua in 2014. We hold online and in-person Yoga Therapy Foundations and IAYT accredited Advanced Programs and retreats along with Meditation Programs, including online meditation teacher training and certification and holistic weight loss with Being At Peace with Food.

Breathing Deeply is made up of an active and thriving community of yogis, caregivers, therapists, teachers, medical professionals, parents & children with the same intention—to serve others, lessen suffering, and co-create a new paradigm in wellness.

Yoga Therapist vs. Yoga Teacher: Training, Salary & More

January 31, 2022
yoga class

As you seek to turn your passion for yoga into your profession, you may have questions about becoming a yoga teacher, such as, “What’s the difference between a yoga therapist vs. a yoga instructor?” and “What training is required for each position?”. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll break down the difference between a yoga therapist vs. a yoga teacher and what requirements you’ll need to complete for both in this article. 

What Is a Yoga Teacher?

Let’s start with a yoga teacher. As a yoga teacher, you’ll be tasked with teaching yoga which is often taught within a certain system. Ashtanga, Bikram, Sivananda, as examples, all have their ways of training yogis to teach. In the western context, yoga teachers are often trained to teach yoga classes that are primarily a physical practice. These sessions have labels like “vinyasa” “Hatha” “restorative” “yin”, etc.

A well-trained and skilled yoga teacher can lead groups in a class setting, helping students learn whatever style or system they are sharing. Yoga classes have a therapeutic effect for many. In addition, a very experienced and skilled yoga teacher can educate students in all aspects of yoga, helping them progress on a spiritual level. This is mentioned because even an enlightened teacher is technically a yoga teacher as opposed to a yoga therapist.

On average, a yoga teacher will make $30/hour. Many yoga teachers can also set their own schedules, giving plenty of flexibility to those in this role. 

What Is a Yoga Therapist? 

As a yoga therapist, on the other hand, you’ll be tasked with applying yoga techniques to specific health conditions. A yoga therapist, therefore, must be trained in both the techniques (asana, pranayama, chanting, philosophy or point of view, and meditation) and the therapeutic applications of these techniques.

A yoga therapist — like anyone in the health field — must have knowledge of the conditions they are working with, including anatomy and physiology. Yoga therapists are trained to look at health conditions through a yoga therapy lens, as well as assess from a western medicine perspective. From there, they use yoga therapy as a way to improve the well-being of their clients. 

In the U.S., yoga therapists make an average of $136/hour. Similarly, you’ll have flexibility to work as you would like, helping clients heal and maintain high-quality health. 

Yoga Therapist Vs. Yoga Teacher Training

Now that we’ve defined these roles, we’ll discuss the required training for a yoga therapist vs. a yoga teacher.

Although yoga teachers and yoga therapists are usually lifelong learners, the training entry point for yoga therapists is much higher. The IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists) has set standards that have a minimum training time of 800 hours. This is in addition to the prerequisite of a 200-hour YTT (yoga teacher training). Also, yoga therapy schools are tasked with graduating competent yoga therapists with a proven ability to work with medical conditions in a safe, effective way.

Since yoga therapists are always yoga teachers it is easy to see why the public can get easily confused. Yoga therapists often play both roles — teaching interested students yoga and working individually with clients that have health challenges. Most essential is that those with physical or mental health issues looking to yoga for help consult with a yoga therapist as opposed to a yoga teacher.

Individualized education from a yoga therapist will have much better outcomes and minimize the chance of an untrained yoga teacher inflicting harm due to a lack of knowledge and education.

Become a Yoga Therapist at Breathing Deeply

At Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy, we pride ourselves on providing high-quality yoga therapy education with continuing support for yoga therapists. We are confident that our students and in turn, graduates are educated in a way that promotes positive client outcomes and integrity in this rapidly growing field.

Ready to begin your yoga therapy training and become a Yoga Therapist?

Apply today. A new class will be starting soon!

The Four Principles of Being at Peace with Food

January 31, 2022

Welcome to episode 22 of The Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and Meditation podcast.

In today’s episode, Being at Peace with Food course instructor, Joe Simek, shares with us the four foundational principles needed to find peace with food and reach our health and weight goals.

The four principles are letting go, awareness, effort, and sustainability.

Joe then sits down with Anna Passalacqua, Breathing Deeply director & yoga therapist to dive even deeper into these four foundational principles and how to work with them and with clients. Anna has offered yoga therapy since 2006 with an emphasis on weight, body image & eating disorders.

This episode has been taken from our Being at Peace with Food program and offers a snapshot of what you will learn inside the program. Being at Peace with food is a specialized yoga therapy program for holistic weight loss, rooted in yoga.

If you are a yoga teacher or therapist, mental health professional, integrative medicine practitioner, or work with clients in health and wellness, this training is for you!

Being At Peace With Food is a 30-hour self-paced online training that is designed to take approximately 6 months to complete.

Our next course starts on the 17th Feb 2022!

For more information & to apply click here: https://bit.ly/3AwonLr

This episode covers:

  • Letting Go
  • Awareness
  • Effort
  • Sustainability
  • The four principles with Breathing Deeply co-founder, Anna Passalacqua
  • Do we work with the four principles in a linear fashion?
  • Do you need to become a yoga teacher at the end of this program?
  • How do we get our clients to hone in on what the right amount of effort is?

Finding sustainability through incremental changes

Breathing Deeply is a Yoga Therapy and Meditation School, founded by lead teacher Brand Passalacqua in 2014. We hold online and in-person Yoga Therapy Foundations and IAYT accredited Advanced Programs and retreats along with Meditation Programs, including online meditation teacher training and certification and holistic weight loss with Being At Peace with Food.

Breathing Deeply is made up of an active and thriving community of yogis, caregivers, therapists, teachers, medical professionals, parents & children with the same intention—to serve others, lessen suffering, and co-create a new paradigm in wellness.

2021: A Year-end Message From Brandt

January 31, 2022
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Friends in Yoga,

As we reflect on 2021, there are so many lenses we could look through. The pandemic lens, the social justice lens, the lens of our global and personal community, personal needs and responsibilities, etc.

I’m sure you, like myself, have wrestled with all of your different roles and perspectives over the past year. These different lenses can sometimes support and sometimes conflict with each other. This is part of what makes us human. Our ability to have so many thoughts and perspectives at the same time. To be in harmony and conflict with ourselves and still be an integrated whole. This is yoga in a nutshell. Teachings on how to expand awareness and integrate all the parts of ourselves so that we may know ourselves more fully.

To do this well, we must follow our dharma. Dharma is our own unique personal path that leads us to the knowledge of ourselves that we seek.

“It is better to strive in one’s own dharma than to succeed in the dharma of another. Nothing is ever lost in following one’s own dharma. But competition in another’s dharma breeds fear and insecurity.”
-Bhagavad Gita

If you are reading this you have made some very specific choices this year in regard to your dharma. You have chosen to pursue or continue to pursue a yoga therapy education amid all the other inputs and filters. Maybe you are looking at changing how you dedicate your time, helping others find health and contentment.

I’ve had the privilege this year of watching students in their practicum do just that. Using their newly acquired skills to work with mental health conditions, trauma, grief, pain—all with great success. In the Foundations Program, students and graduates are also working in the field, living their dharma by developing programs for public school districts, helping patients and families in hospitals, helping children with scoliosis, sharing yoga with veterans suffering from PTSD, and the list goes on and on…

When we try to figure out what our dharma is there is an element that helps guide us. It is our conscience. Not what we believe to be important or right but rather what feels most important for us to contribute at this time.

As aspiring and working yoga therapists, we understand the importance of knowing oneself. Healing can happen when we have the tools to fully experience ourselves and move toward integration, health, and contentment. We have chosen to share these tools with others. To study, practice, and know the teachings in a way that can help more people move away from suffering.

This is what I see. Hundreds of us all over the world living our dharma to the best of our ability. In service of those who wish to know themselves better and find the healing that is their birthright. Individually and together we make an enormous difference in people’s lives. As a school, we have influenced thousands of positive outcomes this year. And this only gains momentum as each one of us does our part to share the wisdom of yoga therapy.

So on the eve of a New Year, I raise my cup of chai and say “Jai Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapists!” May living your dharma bring peace and health to those whose lives you touch. And may all beings be free and happy.

Blessings to you all,
Brandt

Employment as a yoga therapist, what is a session like & conditions we treat

January 31, 2022

Welcome to episode 21 of The Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and Meditation podcast.

In today’s episode, Brandt sits down to answer some of the most common questions we receive about being a practicing yoga therapist. We receive these kinds of questions all the time from our students.

This episode covers the type of employment that yoga therapists can expect to have in the current market, what types of people come to Breathing Deeply to learn yoga therapy throughout their stages in life, how a typical session will look as well as the types of conditions that we can treat and how that differs to different health practitioner’s modalities.

We hope you enjoyed this episode! Let us know in the comments or send us a message on Instagram or Facebook any key takeaways or questions about becoming a yoga therapist that you have.

Om Shanthi

This episode covers:

  • What type of employment can a Breathing Deeply graduate expect to have?
  • Who is a typical Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy student through the stages of life?
  • What does a typical yoga therapy session look like?
  • What conditions can Breathing Deeply yoga therapists treat?

Breathing Deeply is a Yoga Therapy and Meditation School, founded by lead teacher Brand Passalacqua in 2014. We hold online and in-person Yoga Therapy Foundations and IAYT accredited Advanced Programs and retreats along with Meditation Programs, including online meditation teacher training and certification and holistic weight loss with Being At Peace with Food.

Breathing Deeply is made up of an active and thriving community of yogis, caregivers, therapists, teachers, medical professionals, parents & children with the same intention—to serve others, lessen suffering, and co-create a new paradigm in wellness.

How Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapists Assess & Develop Practices For Mental Health

January 31, 2022

Welcome to episode 20 of The Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and Meditation podcast.

In today’s episode, Joe Simek, Breathing Deeply assistant teacher, sits down with Breathing Deeply founder Brandt Passalacqua to talk about yoga therapy and mental health.

At Breathing Deeply, we teach our students how to create individualized practices that empower their clients to take their health into their own hands!

Listen in as Brandt shares with us how the yoga therapy approach to mental health is different from mainstream western medicine. Find out what the process is for assessing someone’s mental health as a yoga therapist and developing specific yoga practices that work the best for an individual.

Each person lands at their mental state depending on their own personal journey and their specific imbalances. Therefore, two people who are both suffering from anxiety may be given completely different practices from a yoga therapist.

Brandt discusses the multiple assessment models taught at Breathing Deeply. These are used to come up with an individualized practice that unfolds in relationship with each client. He then walks us through his process for assessing & developing a yoga practice for a client with anxiety.

Breathing Deeply’s goal is to bring balance back to the entire system of all of our clients to lessen their suffering. 

Om Shanthi

This episode covers:

  • The difference between yoga therapy’s approach to mental health & the traditional standard of care given in western medicine
  • What does the assessment of someone’s mental health look like in yoga therapy?
  • The difference between going to a yoga class for mental health benefits and seeing a yoga therapist
  • The most important distinction between Breathing Deeply and other yoga therapy schools
  • Seeing our yoga therapy clients as people, not conditions
  • The models we use to teach our students to individualize yoga therapy practices for their clients
  • The process for a new yoga therapy client who comes in with anxiety

Breathing Deeply is a Yoga Therapy and Meditation School, founded by lead teacher Brand Passalacqua in 2014. We hold online and in-person Yoga Therapy Foundations and IAYT accredited Advanced Programs and retreats along with Meditation Programs, including online meditation teacher training and certification and holistic weight loss with Being At Peace with Food.

Breathing Deeply is made up of an active and thriving community of yogis, caregivers, therapists, teachers, medical professionals, parents & children with the same intention—to serve others, lessen suffering, and co-create a new paradigm in wellness.

An Introduction To Being At Peace With Food

January 31, 2022

In the video above, you’ll meet the Being At Peace With Food team and learn more about this specialized yoga therapy training for weight loss.

Listen in as Breathing Deeply co-directors and yoga therapists, Brandt and Anna Passalacqua talk about their experience working in this space, from their own weight loss journey to working privately with clients with weight loss needs and eating disorders, to creating yoga programs to train others to do this work.

You’ll also meet Joe Simek, yoga therapist and one of the instructors from the training, who will talk about the philosophy and principles behind Being At Peace With Food, as well as the details about the training.

The group also discusses how this program focuses on mental health and how this training is a great option for mental health professionals looking to integrate a yoga therapy model for weight and body image into their skill set.

More details about the training along with an application to join can be found HERE.

How to be trauma sensitive & receive consent as a yoga therapist

January 31, 2022

Welcome to episode 19 of The Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and meditation podcast.

This episode has been taken from a live Q&A session with lead teacher, Brandt, and his yoga therapy students.

In this Yoga Therapy Q&A session, Brandt focuses on the topic of being trauma sensitive with all clients as a yoga therapist, even if you don’t know all of their trauma history. Brandt offers advice on how to gauge whether someone may have some trauma, how to approach people by always giving options. Brandt also covers consent in the context of yoga therapy as well as how to allow clients & students the space to give honest feedback.

Other topics covered include optimal transition times when you’re seeing multiple clients in a day, tips for meeting with clients over zoom instead of in person, the importance of strengthening muscles and why the Breathing Deeply curriculum focuses on strengthening over Iyengar style alignment!

This Q&A is full of incredible information & advice especially if you are interested in approaching people in a trauma sensitive way, whether you are a yoga teacher, yoga therapist or a practitioner of any other type of modality working with the body.

We hope you enjoyed this video! Let us know in the comments or send us a message on Instagram or Facebook any key takeaways that you have!

Om Shanthi

Timestamps:

  • 00:35 – How much time should I leave to transition between yoga therapy clients?
  • 03:51 – What are the best methods to approach clients in a trauma sensitive way when you aren’t sure if they have any trauma? 
  • 11:00 – What is consent in yoga therapy? 
  • 15:03 – Giving people permission to give feedback on things that make them uncomfortable
  • 16:33 – How can I do muscle testing with a client over zoom?
  • 18:28 – What is the benefit of strengthening muscles over focusing on alignment?

Breathing Deeply is a Yoga Therapy and Meditation School, founded by lead teacher Brand Passalacqua in 2014. We hold online and in-person Yoga Therapy Foundations and IAYT accredited Advanced Programs and retreats along with Meditation Programs, including online meditation teacher training and certification and holistic weight loss with Being At Peace with Food.

Breathing Deeply is made up of an active and thriving community of yogis, caregivers, therapists, teachers, medical professionals, parents & children with the same intention—to serve others, lessen suffering, and co-create a new paradigm in wellness.

Brandt’s Personal Journey & The Creation of Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy

January 31, 2022

Welcome to episode 18 of The Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and meditation podcast.

In today’s episode, our co-founder and lead teacher, Brandt Passalacqua shares his personal health journey through a life-threatening autoimmune disease and how the healing power of yoga helped to make a full recovery that defied the odds!

Brandt then shares with us how this led him to embark on a journey to becoming a yoga teacher, yoga therapist and to eventually the creation of Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy.

Brandt’s aim when creating Breathing Deeply was to create an accessible place with an online element and an abundance of live teaching guidance to learn yoga therapy. The intention is that through our trainings and programs people can benefit from the therapeutic tools of yoga therapy to reduce their suffering and the suffering of others.

Do you want to become a yoga therapist? We’d love to hear from you!

To learn more about our range of yoga therapy and yoga teacher training programs and to apply for our next cohort, click here: https://bit.ly/3ykU3CS

This episode covers:

  • Brandt’s story
  • How Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy came to be
  • Yoga therapy & relieving suffering
  • What it’s like to be a Breathing Deeply yoga therapist 
  • Training to become a yoga therapist with Breathing Deeply

Breathing Deeply is a Yoga Therapy and Meditation School, founded by lead teacher Brand Passalacqua in 2014. We hold online and in-person Yoga Therapy Foundations and IAYT accredited Advanced Programs and retreats along with Meditation Programs, including online meditation teacher training and certification and holistic weight loss with Being At Peace with Food.

Breathing Deeply is made up of an active and thriving community of yogis, caregivers, therapists, teachers, medical professionals, parents & children with the same intention—to serve others, lessen suffering, and co-create a new paradigm in wellness.

Being at Peace with Food: A Specialized Yoga Therapy Program for Weight Loss

January 31, 2022

Welcome to episode 17 of The Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and meditation podcast.

In today’s episode, Joe Simek, Breathing Deeply Teaching Assistant, sits down for a conversation with Breathing Deeply’s co-founder and lead teacher, Brandt Passalacqua, about our specialized yoga therapy program for weight loss, Being At Peace With Food. 

Brandt shares with us his own weight loss journey and how he came to do this work which has led to the Being At Peace With Food Program.

Being at Peace with Food offers a holistic approach to weight loss rooted in yoga with the intention of helping people achieve a healthier, happier and fulfilled life. 

This program is not only for yoga teachers and therapists but mental health professionals or anyone involved in the health and wellness industry, including health coaches and Ayurvedic specialists.

There’s so much work in this area because there are so many people suffering and who need help with their weight and with eating disorders. It is so empowering for people to feel like they have some control over food and their weight. 

If you’re looking to share this kind of information with people, you want to have gone through a process where you really understand how to help people ease their suffering in this way. 

Being At Peace With Food is an excellent choice to achieve that.

By the end of the course, you will earn your Being At Peace With Food Certification and receive 30 APD credits towards C-IAYT (if applicable).⁠

⁠Our next class for Being at Peace with Food starts on December 2, 2021!⁠

⁠For more information & to apply, click here: https://bit.ly/3AwonLr⁠

⁠Om Shanthi⁠

This episode covers:

  • Brandt’s personal weight loss & health journey
  • The unique yoga therapy approach to weight loss & eating disorders
  • Which types of professionals might benefit from adding this program
  • How successful this model has been in Brandt’s experience working with clients
  • The power of following a defined pathway for individuals seeking weight loss
  • How this program can give you a unique niche to market yourself with
  • Why it is so important for us to do this work to help more people

Breathing Deeply is a Yoga Therapy and Meditation School, founded by lead teacher Brand Passalacqua in 2014. We hold online and in-person Yoga Therapy Foundations and IAYT accredited Advanced Programs and retreats along with Meditation Programs, including online meditation teacher training and certification and holistic weight loss with Being At Peace with Food.

Breathing Deeply is made up of an active and thriving community of yogis, caregivers, therapists, teachers, medical professionals, parents & children with the same intention—to serve others, lessen suffering, and co-create a new paradigm in wellness.

How meditation can help reduce anxiety

January 31, 2022

Welcome to episode 16 of The Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and meditation podcast.

For this episode, our Meditation Community Coordinator, Sara Bowman, sat down with our founder & lead meditation teacher, Brandt Passalacqua to talk about meditation, anxiety and much more. 

A regular meditation practice can lead to an expanded state of consciousness, through the retraining of the mind. This allows us to perceive and react to reality in a totally different way, through a wider lens.

In this discussion, Brandt tells us why meditation is a useful tool to help us reduce feelings of stress and anxiety in our everyday life by changing the way we react to experiences that happen to us.

Brandt also covers how much we should meditate and how long it tends to take for people to see the benefits of their meditation practice.

We’d love to know how you found this episode! Share your experiences as a teacher with us in the comments or over on our Instagram or Facebook page (linked below)!

Our meditation program offers a direct pathway to help you implement a regular meditation practice to find more tranquillity and expanded states awareness in your everyday life with the guidance of Brandt as your teacher. To learn more and to start your free 30-day trial, click here: https://bit.ly/3yllE71

Om Shanthi

Questions covered:

  • Would it be useful to meditate if you are experiencing the effects of anxiety? 
  • Does that mean you are becoming less anxious or you feel different about your anxiety? 
  • How long does it take to retrain the mind?
  • How often and how long do I need to meditate to see the benefits?
  • Do I have to meditate for a long time to feel the benefits?

Breathing Deeply is a Yoga Therapy and Meditation School, founded by lead teacher Brand Passalacqua in 2014. We hold online and in-person Yoga Therapy Foundations and IAYT accredited Advanced Programs and retreats along with Meditation Programs, including online meditation teacher training and certification and holistic weight loss with Being At Peace with Food.

Breathing Deeply is made up of an active and thriving community of yogis, caregivers, therapists, teachers, medical professionals, parents & children with the same intention—to serve others, lessen suffering, and co-create a new paradigm in wellness.

Covid recovery, pranayama for anxiety, what are marma points & yoga therapy sequencing

January 31, 2022

Welcome to episode 15 of The Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and meditation podcast.

This episode has been taken from a live Q&A session with Brandt and his yoga therapy students.

In this Q&A Brandt covers a range of topics including practices for someone recovering from COVID, the difference between the energies in the left and right nostrils in alternate nostril breathing and breathing exercises that people can do at work when dealing with stress.

This Q&A also includes a discussion on marma points from Ayurveda and how they relate to acupressure points found in Chinese medicine as well as the length  & complexity of yoga therapy sequences vs regular yoga class sequences and Brandt’s take on working towards a ‘peak pose’ during a yoga class.

We’d love to know how you found this episode! Share your experiences as a teacher with us in the comments or over on our Instagram or Facebook page (linked below)!

Om Shanthi

Questions Covered:

  • What practices can I give someone recovering from covid?
  • How does alternate nostril breathing affect the left & right energetic channels?
  • Which pranayama exercises are good for dealing with stress at work? 
  • What is the difference between marma points and acupressure points? 
  • How long should my yoga therapy sequences be? 
  • What is the issue with classes focused on a peak pose?

Breathing Deeply is a Yoga Therapy and Meditation School, founded by lead teacher Brand Passalacqua in 2014. We hold online and in-person Yoga Therapy Foundations and IAYT accredited Advanced Programs and retreats along with Meditation Programs, including online meditation teacher training and certification and holistic weight loss with Being At Peace with Food.

Breathing Deeply is made up of an active and thriving community of yogis, caregivers, therapists, teachers, medical professionals, parents & children with the same intention—to serve others, lessen suffering, and co-create a new paradigm in wellness.

Yoga Therapy for Digestive Health

October 12, 2021
bd blog copy

The health of our digestive systems is intimately linked with our overall physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Unfortunately, many people are dealing with chronic digestive issues. Fortunately, yoga therapy has many tools to help and can play a significant role in improving digestion and overall digestive health by supporting personalized approaches to stress reduction and lifestyle changes, with all the practices that yoga has to offer. 

Reducing Stress to Prevent Digestive Disorders

Let’s consider stress first. The mind-body connection is very significant here and our bodies respond to stress in various ways. One of the most well-known is what is commonly called the “fight or flight response”. When we perceive any stressor, our bodies react as if it’s a physical threat even if it’s actually a work or parenting problem. That means energy and blood are moved away from the digestive system and into major muscle groups. If this happens often enough over time without recovery and release, one result is distress in the digestive system. For example, stress can be a significant contributing factor to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.

A yoga therapy approach always considers the individual and their personal stress responses. A yoga therapist can work with you to find practices that help to reset and retrain your mind and nervous system over time to have a new baseline of calm. It’s not that stressors ever disappear, but that when there is a new foundation of tranquility to return to, your system will have a chance to settle back into its relaxed state of “rest and digest” more often. Many clients also find that their perception of stressors changes with the practices over time. Yoga therapy can support a broader perspective for those desiring to make that change in their lives. 

How Does Yoga Therapy Do This?

One approach that Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapists incorporate comes from theory in Ayurvedic medicine. The doshic system is one way that yoga therapists might choose to guide the individualization of practices to help a client change their stress levels and responses. 

The three doshas – vata, pitta, and kapha – are found in ratios unique to every person. One aspect or approach of Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy is to find practices from the many available – asana, pranayama, meditation, and spiritual connection – that support the balance and well-being of that client. A therapist will identify the most prominent imbalance, taking into consideration the client’s physical, mental and emotional patterns, and adjust an appropriate yoga practice to try to work directly with that imbalance.

As an example, let’s imagine a client that is vata imbalanced – too much of the air element present leading to irregularity in bowel movements and overall digestive process, and gut health. This might look like digestion that is erratic and dry with extra air. Appetite may be variable and symptoms might include constipation, bloating, gas, or cramping. This person might be prone to anxiety or sleep troubles. Thoughts may be somewhat erratic or scattered, the person may feel restless or ungrounded often. One of the beauties of yoga therapy is that these are viewed as related problems. Why is that good? Because when practices beneficial for that person are found, all of those aspects of imbalance can be improved. While yoga asanas (yoga poses) can offer direct benefits to people who are suffering from digestive health issues by stimulating their digestive fire, balancing the metabolism, and promoting gut motility, meditation and deep breathing practices (pranayama) can help with decreasing stress-related symptoms.

Pitta and kapha imbalances have their own identifiers and a client may be showing a combination of doshic imbalances. Breathing Deeply yoga therapists are trained to view each person and system as unique. There are no prescriptive practices. Sometimes there is a combination of doshic imbalance happening or one leading to another – for example, a client may present as vata imbalanced, (which would be addressed first) but once that imbalance has settled there may be an underlying pitta imbalance that is addressed with different practices and is truly the root issue. A safe and communicative relationship between the therapist and client is a core principle of Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy. 

Lifestyle Changes to Aid Digestion

Finally, let’s consider lifestyle changes. BD therapists are trained in basic nutritional guidelines as another tool to offer their clients. They might ask about basic nutritional guidelines, the timing of eating, and hydration, and “method” of eating” i.e. being more present or mindful eating. Therapy sessions could include identifying lifestyle shifts that would be beneficial and co-creating a plan to incorporate them. A benefit of any yoga therapy work is the shift in awareness and presence that occurs. A long term benefit of practicing yoga techniques is often increased plasticity of neural pathways – this is part of the science of how habits are able to be changed. Clients often report an increased ability to be present both in their choices and the act of eating. When one knows oneself, less distraction is needed, and more presence in everyday life is available.

If you are interested in being put in touch with a Breathing Deeply Yoga therapist or becoming one yourself by joining our programs or wish to find more information on the Being at Peace with Food program, please visit our website at www.BreathingDeeply.com.

Yoga Therapy and Depression

July 19, 2021

Depression is one of the most common mental health issues that we face. An estimated 17.3 million people will have some episode of depression in their life. It can manifest in a vast variety of ways and can have other issues associated with it like problems with food, sleep, digestion, muscle pain, headaches, and immune and stress response.  It is characterized by feelings of heaviness, lethargy, negative thinking, feeling stuck, hopeless, or immobilized. Yoga therapy is excellent for mild to moderate depression. There are countless studies on the efficacy of yoga therapy for depression, but how does it really work?

How Does Yoga Therapy Help Depression?

In a nutshell, from the perspective of yoga therapy, depression is the lack of connection to joy. In our model we look at the entire individual, as depression is not just a mental event. Every aspect of a client is taken into consideration and addressed. We look for what qualities are out of balance, and what dimensions of the person this imbalance manifests in such as the physical, energetic, mental/emotional, intellectual, and spiritual (or the ability to connect to bliss) layers. 

In its most simple view, our work is to get moving and have fun. But that is only where we begin. Practice is lighthearted and focuses on using the large muscle groups of the body in asana. We warm the body with movements like swinging the arms and body, very similar to how children move. Warrior yoga poses build strength and confidence. Sun salutations get us moving and breathing, balancing the nervous system and sending our brain the message that we are okay. Breathing exercises are focused on moving prana (energy). Often with depression, breathing is very shallow and focused in the chest. By deepening the breath with such practices as Breath of Fire or Kapalabhati (forceful exhalations out the nose with a passive inhale), we increase the movement of energy (prana) in the body and feelings of wellbeing soon follow. These two yoga practices, asana and pranayama, alone might begin to decrease symptoms and alleviate feelings of heaviness, lethargy, and hopelessness by directly affecting the brain and nervous system at the level of neurotransmitters, neural pathways, and by moving us from freeze and fold to safe and sound. But we do not stop there.

A Complementary Therapy and Alternative Treatment for Depression

Yoga therapy works to get at the root of issues, not just reducing depressive symptoms. It’s important to see a yoga therapist who attended an accredited yoga therapy program so they’re qualified to work with you. Mindfulness meditation, mantra, and chanting are deeply effective for changing our negative mental habits, broadening our perspective of ourselves and our place in the world, and developing self-love and compassion. The practice of metta (loving-kindness)is an example of how to cultivate compassion and self-love. Metta meditation teaches us how to have love and compassion for ourselves, the ones we are close to, and even those we have challenges with. By repeating with as much love and feeling as you can, “May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be safe. May I love and be loved.” We can develop a greater internal experience of joy. This is not the joy that comes from outside experiences like from food, shopping, relationships or work, but a joy that one finds within themselves that is without dependence on anything.This kind of work helps us to experience internal contentment even when faced with outside challenges or discomfort. It makes us better able to handle our suffering and see it as temporary.

Yoga therapy views any physical or mental health issue not as a permanent, defining aspect of the individual, but rather a passing experience external to this joy. By learning to bring all aspects of ourselves into more balance we see we are not only our bodies, we are not only our minds. This quickly begins to alleviate our suffering and ease depression symptoms.

Why Do Our Emotions Make Us Feel Crazy Sometimes?

March 29, 2021
Meditation

How is it possible to experience such massive swings of emotion?  This is how Brandt Passalacqua explains why the mind can move from one polarity to another in a moment and how an advanced meditation practice can put that into perspective.

The third level of the Breathing Deeply meditation practice – Samadhi and Surrender – can reveal a lot about your thinking and about who you are. 

As you do these practices you will notice a lot of things you may or may not have known about yourself. In particular, how your perspective can fluctuate from almost polar opposites rather quickly.

In my own experience, I’ve observed that my mind can fluctuate between deep empathy and compassion to not caring at all – and it is pretty striking. My natural way of thinking doesn’t seem to have a lot of middle ground. I have to cultivate it.

Sometimes my thinking will tell me to abandon humanity and never look back. Other times my thinking will cause me to feel deeply connected to humanity. I’ve observed that my mind seems to be very comfortable existing in the spaces of polarity.

A big benefit of my own meditation practice has been to not only observe those patterns but also experiment using the observations.

Through the meditative practice I’m able to really dive deep into compassion – where the compassion is in my system… 

And then also dive deep into where it isn’t – where it doesn’t naturally inform me. 

It is neither a matter of trying to get away from something nor is it going toward something. Instead, it’s a path of discovery. 

We can immerse ourselves into the concept of Maya/not Maya system. [Maya – Sanskrit: “magic” or “illusion”] and ask ourselves: “Who am I? Am I a member of the global community? Or not at all?” 

Some people like the monkish approach of “this is illusion”.

Focussing on a greater truth and a refusal to play a game where we pretend that all of this (everyday life) is super important.  

This can be both appealing and offensive, but it’s a way to work with yourself and you learn a lot that way.

We can ask ourselves: 

  • What if all this wasn’t real? 
  • What if all the things I’m scared and worried and fretting about didn’t actually matter, including my own demise? 
  • What would that mean? 

And then, on the other side:  

  • What if it’s all super important?  
  • What if my part of the collective is the most important thing? 

These are kinds of things that can come up in the third part of our meditative process when you have the structure and support to work with them correctly. It helps your brain not get stuck.

Try our Meditation Course online and get 30 day free trial to begin the experience for yourself of meditation within a container of structure and support. If you want to become a mentor to help others, check out our meditation teacher training which is offered online too.

Read also how yoga therapy helps with difficult emotions.

Our Relationship With Stress And How Meditation Can Help

March 3, 2021
Stress

Stress

Stress. A word that has woven its way into our daily conversations, emails – work and personal, and most of all, our thoughts more than ever before. 

So many of the activities, errands, chores, interactions we once carried out without a second thought or even took pleasure in, now feel so laden with anxiety and apprehension. Many require forethought, preplanning, or simply can’t happen at all. 

A growing number of people are turning to meditation to help with this uneasiness and overwhelm, with varying expectations. 

It’s important to note that meditation won’t magically make your stressors disappear. However it can help “level” your emotions and bring a more balanced sense of calm to your body and your mind.

The first thing to realize is that it’s normal to feel stressed in stressful situations. Acknowledge the feelings. The difficulty in finding balance is when these disquieting emotions become all we feel, all we think about and our primary topic of conversation.  

Once we have accepted that our reaction is normal for the situation, we need to ask ourselves,  ‘Can I experience the other areas of my awareness simultaneously?’  

Ideally, we are able to freely access multiple levels of awareness. It’s normal for our awareness to undergo expansion and contraction. But if our attention is too honed into the part of our awareness that’s experiencing the stress we contract to the point of becoming blind to everything else that is happening around us.  

Through a regular meditation practice you will discover that your contractions are not going to be as contracted. You’re still going to feel all the feelings but your vision will be wider — you can experience a more universal consciousness.

One can approach a meditation practice to first learn to calm the mind then become aware of our states so that we can be open and expansive. When we cultivate that awareness to see and feel all that we are experiencing, the stress becomes less significant, less consuming and easier to manage.  

Learn meditations to calm the mind, expand and enhance your awareness and more in The Breathing Deeply Meditation Course. Led by an approachable compassionate teacher, discover 30+ meditations in easily accessible formats. 

Try our 30 day free trial to experience it for yourself.

2020 Year-End Message From Brandt

December 21, 2020
2020 Year End Message For Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy Students
2020 Year End Message For Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy Students

This year has been quite a ride. And it seems this ride isn’t over. A once-a-century pandemic coupled with political and social upheaval leaves many with complicated situations, stress, worry, and grief. As a yoga community, we find ourselves challenged like any other. Strains on time, money, and bandwidth affect our ability to practice. These strains lead us to question like anyone would, the meaning of our commitments and intentions. They may have us looking at making changes to adjust to the normal we find ourselves in.

In a way, this is always true. We struggle with ourselves throughout “good” and “bad” times. We find our minds in opposition to our best-laid plans. We pivot and change but still, we often are drawn towards changing our direction hoping that we will find what we are looking for. And then we begin again and again seeking our final destination that never comes.

I mention this now because there is much wisdom in the yoga traditions. No matter what flavor of practice we look at there is a common theme. Sit and stay still, just be and let ourselves experience the wonder of presence. Understand that we can be effective agents of change and enlightenment, but to do this we first need to understand ourselves and our capabilities.

As humans, we have been given the ability to experience the wonder and power of joining our perception with true reality. This is the practice of self-inquiry. Understanding ourselves by allowing ourselves to see the origin of our thoughts and desires. This practice is available to everyone and can be done anywhere. If we are willing to become fully present, whether it is in asana, meditation, or walking the dog, we have the ability to gain the understanding necessary to weather any storm.

This is the practice we participate in and teach to others. It heals us and guides us because it removes the struggle that drains our energy and confuses our minds and bodies. The clarity of practice allows us to know what to do because we are less attached to the outcome and more concerned with our inward orientation. This is the message of the Gita, the Tao, and countless other teachings. We simply need to trust and be present. When we do, we find the direction and clarity we so deeply desire.

Of course, this doesn’t dispel all of our day-to-day worries. The practice of presence infuses our experience with the knowledge of the whole. It gives us a backdrop of understanding and trust that supports us to be our best selves. Useful, compassionate, and clear yogis who work towards the enlightenment of ourselves and society by fulfilling our personal missions while helping others to do the same.

The insight from our self-inquiry practice is the place where all decision making must be rooted. The teachings tell us that grounded in this knowledge we can proceed to take action that is in line with all of nature. In this way we are swimming downstream, contributing to the flow of nature instead of opposing it and causing trouble for ourselves and others.

So this year let us reaffirm our commitment to this practice we all so dearly love. Why else would we be here? During these challenging times let us not forget that we are yogis, committed to expanded awareness for ourselves, our families, our clients, and our communities. Faith and surrender to the process of just-being always win the day.

It’s ok to be happy, open, and joyous. It’s ok to be sad, grieving, and frustrated. What is most important is that we are present for all of it.

By committing to our practice we are committing to fully experiencing the world we live in. When we do this we contribute to the collective enlightenment of everyone.

May this New Year bring you the peace and love that is your birthright,

Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanti

Brandt Passalaqua
Director and Lead Teacher, Breathing Deeply

3 Reasons to Take A Yoga Teacher Training Taught By Yoga Therapists

August 6, 2020
Begin Your Yoga Teacher Training Led By Yoga Therapists​

Congratulations on deciding to become a Yoga Therapist. Sharing the teachings of yoga to ease suffering is a wonderful way to serve others. However, before you can enroll to become a certified Yoga Therapist, you need to complete a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training. 

These types of training are easy to find, but which one is right for you? If becoming a Yoga Therapist is your goal, then completing a 200 hour yoga teacher training created and led by Yoga Therapists is the way to go. Here are three reasons why:

  1. You don’t have to play catch up. Although there have been attempts to standardize 200 hour training programs, the truth is that they vary widely. It’s not uncommon for a training to focus heavily on physical postures, strictly adhere to a lineage, or be more devotional or spiritually based. None of these are wrong, but as a Yoga Therapist, you need a wide range of knowledge. For example, if you have not been exposed to practical anatomy concepts, fundamental yoga techniques like bandhas and mantra, or have spent any time with yoga texts, there will be gaps in your education. As a result, you will not be able to take in the nuanced instruction that makes yoga therapy certification training so valuable.
  2. You’ll learn from very experienced teachers. In a perfect world, yoga teacher training programs would be taught by teachers with at least 500 hours of training. In reality, there’s nothing stopping a 200 Hour teacher from hosting a 200 hour yoga teacher training program. Yoga Therapists have over 500 hours of training, with C-IAYT Yoga Therapists having over 800 hours of training. In addition, Yoga Therapists have hours worth of real-world client experience, too, and you’ll be able to learn directly from them.
  3. Group classes can be therapeutic, too. As a Yoga Therapist, most of your work will be one-on-one with your clients. However, teaching group classes is something most Yoga Therapists do, whether it’s working in schools or hospitals or teaching niche classes for specific conditions. Learning how to approach and design group classes through a therapeutic lens is an important skill set for any Yoga Therapist, and in our opinion, anyone teaching general classes.

When deciding which yoga teacher training to enroll in, the choices are endless and can be overwhelming. It can be difficult to know how to vet the training and the teachers and it can be tempting to choose a quick and/or cheap training. However, in the end, cutting corners only short changes your education. 

 So if your intention is to help others suffering regardless of age, gender, condition, health history, physical and mental ability, then taking a 200-hour yoga certification created and led by Yoga Therapists is an important piece of your yoga education. Making sure you start your training by learning from seasoned Yoga Therapists over an extended period of time simply makes the most sense, and it will guarantee you get the knowledge and mentoring you need to become a successful Yoga Therapist.

Are you ready to start your journey towards becoming a Yoga Therapist? Learn more about our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program today!

Begin Your Yoga Teacher Training Led By Yoga Therapists​

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