The Rise of Yoga Therapy in Denver, Colorado: How This Holistic Treatment Modality Helps Us Heal
Yoga therapy is emerging as a popular and effective healing modality in Denver, Colorado, as it is throughout much of the United States.
Denver is a city that prides itself on health and wellness and which offers its community many excellent mental health services like psychotherapy, EMDR and addiction treatment, great local fitness classes, wellness centers and yoga studios and a wide range of stunning outdoor activities.
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, one on one yoga therapy treatment is rising to fill the gap that many Coloradans still feel after trying treatment modalities or activities that only address healing on one level of a person’s being.
Many such services attempt to address the symptoms of imbalance or disease on a physical or a mental level alone, or focus on treating a “sick” patient with quick fixes and without looking at the patient’s system as an interconnected whole.
Alternatively, the ancient tradition of yoga is rooted in the mind-body connection, and believes that any part of this interconnected system — comprised of body, mind, and spirit — can have an effect on the rest of that system.
To support holistic healing throughout this system, the yogic model of health addresses every aspect of our being rather than isolating parts of the body or the mind. Underlying this work is the belief that we are all inherently whole, connected to one another and capable of lasting health and healing.
Many holistic practitioners believe that the way and pace at which we live in our Western society can easily create imbalance in the system and disconnection from ourselves and others. These ways of living obscure the truth of our inherent wholeness and create the symptoms of illness or dis-ease that Western medicine seeks to isolate and treat.
By comparison, yoga therapy treatment seeks to address healing comprehensively on every level of a person’s being, through a supportive blend of practices that address the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of an individual. This work is done through a personalized intake and assessment process, individualized goal setting, and applied practices and treatment planning offered in a private, therapeutic setting which can be done in person or virtually.
The Certified Yoga Therapists (C-IAYTs) who offer this kind of therapeutic work start out as Registered Yoga Teachers who have been through a 200-hour (RYT200) or 500-hour (RYT500) teacher training program already, the way your studio-based yoga instructors have. They then go on to a yoga therapy training at an accredited yoga therapy school for 800-hours of specialized training, which takes place over the course of 3-6 more years of study.
These specialists accrue a resulting 1,000+ hours of training and client case study experience by the time they graduate, and earn the certification and credentials of a C-IAYT Yoga Therapist. At the time of this writing, the Denver, Colorado area is currently home to two such yoga therapy training schools: Inner Peace Yoga Therapy, and Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy.
The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) is the governing body which oversees these accredited training schools and all Certified Yoga Therapists. IAYT defines Yoga Therapy as “the professional application of the principles and practices of yoga to promote health and well-being within a therapeutic relationship that includes personalized assessment, goal setting, lifestyle management, and yoga practices for individuals or small groups.”
Yoga therapy training programs focus on the therapeutic application of Yoga and Ayurveda (“Science of Life”) techniques to support conditions such as:
neurological disorders
addiction
cancer
injury recovery
sleep disorders
chronic pain
nervous system disorders
anxiety
depression
grief
and more!
As a Denver-based private practice C-IAYT Yoga Therapist and graduate of the Inner Peace Yoga Therapy training, I work with clients in person in the Denver, Colorado and Colorado Front Range areas, and online via Zoom. My clients have a variety of backgrounds and goals, and many of them have never set foot in a yoga studio before they come to work with me.
With many of my clients, I specialize in grounding and awareness practices, breathwork, nervous system regulation and deep relaxation, all of which supported me in reconnecting with myself and my own sense of peace and well-being when I first started practicing yoga more than 12 years ago.
In sessions with me, I can help facilitate healing by evaluating your:
Current physical, emotional and energetic imbalances
Levels of awareness
Past experiences
Lifestyle and routines
Unconscious patterns and habits
Health and wellness goals
and offering practices that allow your body to access its natural healing abilities.
The yoga therapy treatment plans I create for my clients are crafted with their direct participation and feedback, in what is a collaborative process.
Treatment plans can include a combination of breathing techniques (pranayama), somatic movement, awareness practices, yoga poses and yoga postures (asana), guided meditations or unguided meditation techniques, nervous system regulation tools, Ayurvedic tools, sleep practices, affirmations and mantras, mudras (symbolic or ritual gestures of the hands), routine building, lifestyle changes and more.
The implementation of these treatment tools and practices can form a foundation for future growth and self-regulation for my clients that empowers them to continue their inner work and healing long after our sessions together have ended.
I also have experience teaching yoga to and working therapeutically with those in early addiction recovery, clients who are processing grief and loss, students with chronic or persistent pain, anxious and depressive clients, and people who are experiencing stress, burnout, and nervous system dysfunction.
I am proud of how yoga therapy treatment is able to support healing on so many levels of my client’s lives, and truly believe that I am only holding space and offering practices that will help them reconnect with the inherently whole, connected self that has always been within them.
Explore the rest of this article and my private practice site if you’d like to learn more about how yoga therapy work can support you, or to book a free introductory call with me. I would love to hold space for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Because the field of yoga therapy is newer in the Denver, Colorado area, part of my work involves education around what yoga and yoga therapy treatment truly has to offer. Below, I outline and address some of the most frequently asked questions I receive regarding yoga therapy work, as well as some of the traditional South Asian teachers and organizations who I have learned and continue to learn from. May these resources help shed some light on the life changing nature of yoga therapy treatment!
What is the difference between a yoga class, a private yoga session and a yoga therapy session?
While all yoga is therapeutic in nature, yoga therapy is different from a yoga class or a private yoga session in that it involves an intake process, personalized postural and breathing assessments, goal setting and the creation of a therapeutic treatment plan that we integrate into your life to support moving you toward your goals.
Clients seeking yoga therapy are often looking for relief from ailments or to create more balance and ease in their lives, as opposed to a physical routine or a workout (although this is never the full extent of what yoga offers). Oftentimes in yoga therapy work, follow up sessions are utilized after the personalized client treatment plan is implemented, so the client and yoga therapist can check in on how the treatment practices are working and can add in new pieces or practices as the client advances along their healing path.
The International Journal of Yoga Therapy has more information in their article here about the difference between a yoga class and a yoga therapy session, and between yoga teachers and yoga therapists.
What are the benefits of yoga therapy?
The benefits and effectiveness of yoga and yoga therapy treatment are extensive, and are being supported more and more by evidence-based research in both the East and the West, conducted by institutions like the American Addiction Centers, the Global Wellness Institute and Scientific American, among many others.
Scientific American attests that on a scientific level, “yogic practices have increasingly been shown to enlarge areas of the brain associated with dampening stress, directing attention, and actualizing our sense of self, as found by studies done by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.” (“How Yoga Changes the Brain”) These enlarged areas of the brain that yogic practices cultivate can support better decision making, a healthier sense of self, less emotional reactivity and more ease in daily life.
The addiction treatment center New Method Wellness outlines some additional evidenced-based benefits of yoga therapy, including:
Improved mood
Better stress tolerance
Increased mental concentration
Reduced fatigue
Emotional healing
Healthier lifestyle habits, such as diet and exercise
Restored connection with oneself
Self-empowerment (“Wellness Methods: Yoga Therapy”)
Additionally, this “2021 Yoga Therapy Initiative Trends” article by the Global Wellness Institute is a recent, comprehensive assessment of the emergence of yoga therapy as a holistic healing and wellness modality, the integration of yoga therapy into Western healthcare as a complement to modern medicine, the effects of yogic breathwork as a powerful healing modality, and the growth of yoga therapy as a field and a recognized profession.
They state that yoga therapy and its underlying treatment principles provide a “proven, tactical plan for optimizing health and is the key to understanding the mission of wellness for the modern human being.”
During the course of my work with yoga therapy clients, I have noticed some common outcomes that many of them experience as a result of their work with me and their dedicated practices. These outcomes include:
Increased awareness of the body, breathing, mental patterns and emotional responses
Decreased anxiety
Improved sleep
Decreased physical pain and tension
Deeper breathing, increased diaphragm activation during breathing and the ability to use the breath as a regulation tool
Stronger core, more flexibility and healthier joints
Better routines in place to support morning, evening and work transitions
Increased ability to identify, meet and move through triggers and emotions
Increased self-compassion and self-care.
What can I expect from a yoga therapy session?
Many yoga therapists have a consultation and intake process that takes place before your first in person or virtual session. These consultations and intakes inform the kind of session you will have, the assessments you will undergo, and any client/therapist discussion in your initial session. From there, the yoga therapist works with you in your session to review any postural, breathing or emotional imbalances, unconscious patterns, lifestyle, current routines and areas where yogic tools and practices can be implemented to support returning your system to balance. My sessions begin with intake review and move into those assessments, followed by the practical application of some yoga-based tools and practices I think will suit your needs, the outlining of some take-home practices for you based on your feedback around the practices we tried together, and a grounding or relaxation experiential to leave you feeling balanced and renewed.
The International Journal of Yoga Therapy further outlines that yoga therapists “look for ways to help their clients reduce or manage their symptoms, improve their function, and help them with their attitude in relation to their health conditions. After assessing clients, therapists establish appropriate goals, develop a practice intervention, and then teach clients to practice that intervention. In this sense, [yoga] therapists choose yoga techniques in relation to how they will specifically benefit individual clients.” (“Yoga Therapy: The Profession, The Distinction Between a Yoga Class and a Yoga Therapy Session”)
In my private yoga therapy work, I offer both online sessions and in person work in a variety of locations. In the Denver and Broomfield areas of Colorado, I offer weekly sessions and classes in the following spaces:
What are the principles of yoga therapy?
Yoga therapy treatment is rooted in the belief that you are already, and always have been, perfect and whole. The therapeutic practices that yoga therapists offer are meant to help their clients find healing as they move back into this truth and reconnect with themselves.
Yoga therapy treatment utilizes the Panchamaya Kosha model for treatment, which is an “ancient, multidimensional and whole-health model” which provides “a full spectrum of teachings and practices for the body, physiology, mind, behavior and spirituality.” (Global Wellness Institute “2021 Yoga Therapy Initiative Trends”) This model is derived from the Taittiriya Upanishad, a Vedic Sanskrit text which states that our true nature is hidden from our perception because of the five sheaths (koshas) which obscure it (Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy, Mukunda Stiles, New Age Books). The five sheaths are the physical body, the energy body, the mental/emotional body, the wisdom body, and the bliss body, and an imbalance in one of these bodies effects the other bodies in this interconnected system. More information about these layers of being and where an imbalance may be originating emerges from the intake and individualized assessments process of a private yoga therapy session.
This Panchamaya Kosha illustration from The Live Vision Academy shows how these bodies correlate to one another within each of us:
What if I’m not flexible or have never tried yoga before?
A certain level of flexibility, physical strength, or any previous experience with yoga is not needed for yoga therapy treatment to be successful, because the work between a yoga therapist and their client is personalized, meets the client where they are at, and is made up of accessible practices and holistic treatment plans that fit easily into the client’s current life.
How often should I do yoga? Is it okay to do yoga every day?
When most people in the United States think of doing yoga, they think of the physical (asana) practice that is often paired with breathwork and taught in yoga studios. In yoga therapy, these physical practices are only one small element of the treatment experience, and may or may not be included in your treatment plan depending on your needs and goals. It is very common for a yoga therapy treatment plan to include breathwork, awareness practices, lifestyle changes and routine building as much as physical practices, and for the practices in a treatment plan to be done daily or several times per week.
Can you do group yoga therapy or therapeutic group classes?
Group yoga therapy sessions and therapeutic classes can be very successful and very popular when the group has a shared experience or common background. Some examples of how yoga therapy can be offered in a group setting include:
Therapeutic Yoga for First Responders
Therapeutic Yoga for Healthcare Workers
Therapeutic Yoga for Veterans
Therapeutic Yoga for Sciatica
Therapeutic Yoga for Cancer
Therapeutic Yoga for Depression
Therapeutic Yoga for Long Covid
What does yoga therapy work cost?
Yoga therapy treatment pricing varies from practitioner to practitioner. Most yoga therapy practitioners offer sliding scale or scholarship options for those who need them, and while Certified Yoga Therapists cannot utilize insurance at this time in the United States, some HSA accounts may cover treatment if it is recommended by a physician, and Workman’s Comp has recently started authorizing yoga therapy treatment! Many companies are beginning to reimburse for yoga therapy as part of wellness stipends for their employees as well.
I believe yoga therapy treatment should be accessible and equitable. If you are currently financially constrained, please contact me to apply for one of my reduced Community Rate session spots, or to learn about discounted services for students, first responders, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
How long does yoga therapy treatment take?
Yoga therapy treatment time can vary from a one-time assessment or practice session to a package of sessions including treatment planning and follow up services which can span weeks or months. Many clients I work with come back for occasional follow up sessions following the completion of their original treatment plan package, to add in new therapeutic techniques as they encounter transitions or life changes. My goal for my clients is that the yoga therapy practices we choose for them become integrated into their lives and add supportive tools to their healing toolkits, so they are empowered by the healing process and do not need regular sessions with me once their plan becomes a part of their life.
The kind of work and the timeline for your personalized yoga therapy treatment is determined collaboratively between you and your yoga therapist.
Who is a good candidate for yoga therapy?
Anyone seeking to find balance and healing is a wonderful candidate for yoga therapy! As outlined here, yoga therapy treats a wide variety of conditions and experiences and is tailored to your specific needs, abilities, preferences and goals.
Some of the recent goals clients of mine have come to me to work on together include:
Find connection to the breathing more regularly and when experiencing tension or stress
Increase self-love
Improve nervous system function and sleep quality
Decrease anxiety
Create healthier routines and supportive habits
Release anger and meet trauma triggers with body-based tools
Increase strength and flexibility
Decrease pain and tension
Work on regulation techniques for body and mind
Get the feet, knees, hips and core working together to be able to ski and cycle without pain
Experience the journey back toward structure, balance and oneness.
What are some South Asian teachers and organizations I can learn more about regarding the roots of yoga and yoga therapy practices?
As a Western student and teacher of these ancient yogic practices, it is important to me to highlight and share the true roots of these practices within my client work, and via South Asian teachers from whose culture these practices were shared with the collective.
Some of these wonderful teachers and organizations I work with and learn from include:
Indu Aurora, Ayurveda and yoga therapist, educator and owner of Yog Sadhna
Anusha Wijeyakumar, motivational speaker, author, STEM educator, social justice advocate and owner of ShantiWithin
Dr. Shyam Ranganathan, researcher, author, scholar and teacher of philosophy and founder of the scholar-practitioner initiative Yoga Philosophy
Deepak Chopra, M.D., author, founder of the Chopra Foundation, professor and alternative medicine pioneer
Prasad Rangnekar, educator, yoga transformation facilitator, and owner of Yogaprasad Institute
Susanna Barkataki, yoga teacher trainer, speaker, author, and yoga culture advocate
Svastha Yoga & Ayurveda, training, practice and educational organization.
Yoga Gives Back, an organization committed to mobilizing yoga practitioners around the world to channel their gratitude for the healing yoga offers into empowering India’s women and children to create sustainable lives.
Thank you for investing your time into learning about this healing offering! Please feel free to contact me with any questions, feedback, to learn more or to schedule a free yoga therapy consultation.