Sometimes, when people think of yoga, they think of incredibly flexible young women on the cover of a magazine, or of the trendy westernized “hot yoga” and “power yoga” classes. Yoga has been westernized to the level of sport, and is often made to be another way to “work out” and “get fit”.

While this approach has its benefits, it sadly misses a great deal of what the ancient system of yoga’s original intention was. When practiced in a traditional or therapeutic setting, the benefits of yoga can offer systemic, holistic wellness, including not only the benefits of muscle flexibility and strength, but even more strikingly, benefits to multiple systems of the body and human experience (Kaoverii Weber, 2013). These include the nervous system, the circulatory system, metabolic and organ function, as well as psychological and spiritual wellness. Studies in the last several years using functional MRI scans have shown that yoga actually changes neurotransmitter levels and brain activity. It has been further shown to increases self-awareness, reduce anger, increase self-esteem and improve relationships.

I have begun a yoga teacher training in Subtle Yoga, a therapeutic yoga method that is accessible for everyone and holistic in nature, fostering improvement in mental as well as physical health. Subtle Yoga is based on the ancient yogic system of the 8-limbed path: external ethics, self-directed ethics, yoga postures, yogic breathing, inner awareness, concentration, contemplation, and oneness. As you can see, there is a great deal more to yoga in this approach than simply performing yoga poses. This approach can be built into one-on-one counseling, as well as being accessible through yoga classes. For more information about Subtle Yoga, visit their website @ http://subtleyoga.com.

Kaoverii Weber, K. (2013). Subtle Yoga: Shift Perspective. http://subtleyoga.com