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Structural Yoga Therapy Privates asst. cobra

The first session focuses on systematic anatomical evaluation of a person’s musculature. The therapist tests each muscle group for range of motion, muscle strength and pain. Targeted yoga exercise recommendations are chosen for what will be most effectively. The second and additional sessions are refining the targeted program and teaching more advanced ways of doing each exercise so the greatest possible benefits occur. First Session – $90 for 90 minutes or more including script of program. Additional session $60-70 for 60-75 minutes. Three session deal – $165  for all 3.

What is Yoga Therapy?

(Article in 8 parts )

Yoga Therapy is a holistic system of addressing health concerns by looking at the many levels of a person. Each prescribed course for restoration of balance is different. Based on classical yoga philosophy by Patanjali and the medical system called ayurveda, yoga therapy may prescribe treatments such as yoga postures and breathing, bodywork, diet, prayer, life style changes, exercise, etc.

In this article:

  • Three Types of Private Therapeutic Sessions with Makaan, plus prices
  • Structural Yoga Therapy Private Session
  • Restoration of Balance
  • Yoga’s view of disease
  • Holistic approach
  • Deep Yoga Therapy
  • Yoga for Specific Goals
  • Four diagnostic tools of yoga therapy
  • Treatments of yoga therapy

 

Sample yoga program (below)

designed by Makaan after a Structural yoga anatomical assessment session.
“This program was designed for a healthy 70 year old man with postural problems due to having a desk job.”

1. Cobbler’s pose: Sit with soles together on floor. Straighten back. Belly forward, chest up. Breathe.
2. Toes to & fro: Stick Pose (Dandasana): Seated on floor, legs almost flat forward, support straight back with hands behind. INHALE feet toward head, toes spread, EXHALE point feet away, curling toes. Knees come up on inhale and back raise.JFS#1
3. Sole rotate: stick pose. INHALE soles face out, EXHALE soles face together. JFS# 2
4. Cat Cow: JFS#6 Hands and knees or hands on chair# INHALE head up spine down. EXHALE back up abdomen in, head curls down, rotate lower back with hip (lower back up, tail down).. 12 reps 2-3 times a day. (Really will help waking up back state. #at random times.)
5. Hip Side Swing: JFS#8 Hand and knees: INHALE center pose, knees together. EXHALE hips to side, feet opposite, let extended feet roll over—as they will. Arms almost vertical—maybe hands a little forward. Do continuous & slow motion.
6. Arm Warm Up in Hero pose, Flat pillow under shins not toes, stiff pillow under butt. Hands on upper thigh. INHALE arms straight up with palms facing in, palms inward. EXHALE rotating straight arms at shoulder down through 260 to stretch behind back. JFS# 15
7. Internal and External arms: Hero pose, sitting with pillows, start with hands on upper thigh. INHALE arms upwards as goal posts, palms forward. EXHALE arms rotate down 200 to palms facing backward. Keep upper arms almost horizontal and straight out. Pause to loosen any cramping shoulder muscles. JFS#14 Elbows 2” lower than shoulders. At the bottom, just let the forearms hang.
8. Neck tilts: Hero Pose with eyes closed, sitting on pillows. INHALE head up and back. EXHALE tilt head forward and down. JFS#19
9. Camel Pose: On knees, do backbend and try to touch toes. Lift chest with inhale, squeeze knees, tuck tail under.
10. Yogic Bicycle: On back with knees up and bent, Straighten one leg, same side elbow against opposite bent leg knee.Try to touch knee with opposite elbow. Between directions, put head down on floor. 2 sets of 4 on each side. EXHALE during crunch. Strengthens abs. (will do more) Inhale return head to floor.
11. Energy releasing Pose 1 Apanasana—fetal pose on back holding knees, 1 minutes. Relax deeply on long exhale. Head on floor. Can interlace fingers. At end, raise lower legs and roll up.
12. Mountain Pose: Tadasana Standing, hips back to put weight on heels while raising chest. Work posture to stand tall with inhale and relax into arms, knees and outer feet. Imagine small pillow between knees—move back with inhale?. 10-12 breaths. On EXHALE, relax the external push, but keep standing tall. (3.5” yoga block is good).
13. Side of hip pose (wall modified). Parsvotanasana Hands against wall, one leg 6” from wall—the other stretched back. Lean forward and straighten legs. Do front/back stretch and change feet. Stretches hamstring and back of leg. 6-8 breaths.

14. Held to knee pose (stretch): One leg extended on floor, bring other foot to extended inner thigh. Belly up, straight back. Reach head across toward extended knee. Pull on strap. Use bolster under knee to help push and strengthen quadricept.8-10 breaths.
15. Inclined Plane:
16. Energy releasing Pose 2 Apanasana—fetal pose on back holding knees, 2-3 minutes. Relax deeply on long exhale
17. Corpse Pose Shavasana lie on back with hands and legs un-crossed. Relax with music or not. 2-7 minutes

Structural Yoga Therapy focuses on systematic anatomical evaluation of a person’s musculature. The therapist tests each muscle group for range of motion, muscle strength and pain. Each degree of motion is recorded and added to the whole person picture and to see progress later on. Targeted asana and pranayama recommendations are chosen after careful considerations of what will most effectively bring balance structurally and otherwise.

The Yogic Approach to Restoration of Balance

To be in balance means that all the elements of one’s life function harmoniously. These include: mental attitude, food, hygiene, the body and breath, social interaction, the behavior of the senses, one’s state of mind, and so on. To become fully balanced, one must typically address many of these areas.

View of Disease in Yoga Therapy

Disease is, in fact, the indicator or symptom of a disintegrated system. Yoga therapy is often used as an alternative or adjunct to other kinds of health care. But in the context of one’s overall self-improvement, its more significant use is as a method of removing obstacles to clear perception, the first step in personal reintegration.

In any illness or problem, the therapist usually finds social, structural, functional, and psychological aspects, which relate to the cause and cure of the identified symptom. For example, a scoliosis-usually identified as merely a structural problem-will often have associated functional problems, and a myriad of psychological effects as well. In every case, it is absolutely essential to examine as many levels of a person’s history as possible, and to include these in the treatment. In this way, each treatment is uniquely fitted to the patient.

Holistic approach

The underlying premise of this system is to treat the whole person, and not just the disease. Therefore, each prescribed course is different. Not only do the areas of treatment differ, but also the manners in which they are used vary according to the individual. These programs consider physical exercises, dietary habits, work schedule, family matters, and so on.

A Yoga therapist aims at restoring this balance by understanding the individual, the environment in which the individual is operating, and the interplay between the two, looking for the factors that account for the imbalance.

Above 5 paragraphs from (page 192-6)
Yoga For Body, Breath, and Mind © 2002
By A.G. Mohan
By arrangement – Shambala Publications ltd.
Boston, MA

Deep Yoga Therapy

The yogic view of anatomy indicates that we are multidimensional beings. This translates to the perspective that what we feel may not always be in our physical body. Pain felt in the chest could be other than muscular, cardiovascular, neurological, or respiratory. It could be the pain of losing a dear friend. This emotionally based pain can lead to a shortening of muscle fibers and a resultant feeling of tension and stress. When we translate all feelings into physically caused reactions, we look to a medical specialist for the answer. When we translate feelings as something based in emotional psychology, we are more prone to consider a psychotherapist or psychoanalyst for help.

The yogic perspective is to consider all pain as having its source in a lack of understanding of ourselves. When we know the body well, we can find the tools to be free of physical pain. In the same way, when we know our emotional nature thoroughly, we can direct our attention to the state of just being present to immediate feelings. This can have a tendency to remove the pains of the past.

Yoga for Specific Goals

The following specific goals can be addressed by a yogi with the help of a skilled yoga therapist:

Managing stress, improving posture, relief of pain, enhancing body awareness, increasing strength, increasing joint freedom and mobility, cardiovascular fitness, digestive health, immune strengthening, meditation practice, developing a spiritual practice, classical yoga practice, secrets of yoga.

Above 3 paragraphs from (page 315 & 261)
Structural Yoga Therapy © 2000
By Mukunda Stiles
By arrangement
www.yogatherapycenter.com

Four diagnostic tools of yoga therapy

The therapist recognizes that a specific symptom may reflect different causes in different people, and therefore requires a wide spectrum of treatments, each dependent upon the individual case. To do this accurately involves obtaining as much pertinent information about the individual and his/her life as possible.

There are four basic tools used by a yoga therapist. First is visual observation of a person’s appearance, mannerisms, interaction, and behavior. Second is inquiry, which is questioning the client about main complaint, state of health, and goal in yoga. Questioning is an art in which the client is made to feel at ease. Third is the physical examination, which includes body reading, palpation and anatomical testing of muscles. Fourth is pulse reading which is taken by feeling the person’s wrist usually. This can often reveal a client’s stamina, emotional temperament as well as ayurvedic tendencies.

Treatments of yoga therapy

Treatments of Yoga therapy include asana (yoga postures), pranayamas (breathing exercises), hands on body work, diet, reflection, prayer, personal disciplines and lifestyle changes such as vacations, pilgrimage or job changes. The common yogic means of addressing imbalance in one’s life is through using the above disciplines as treatments.

Above 3 paragraphs from (page 196)
Yoga For Body, Breath, and Mind © 2002
By A.G. Mohan
By arrangement – Shambala Publications ltd.
Boston, MA