Understanding Yoga Therapy

Understanding Yoga Therapy offers a comprehensive and accessible perspective on yoga therapy as a complementary, integrative route to promoting whole-person well-being. Readers will come away from the book understanding how the philosophy, texts, and teachings of yoga benefit a wide range of health conditions. The book is split into three helpful sections: Part I discusses foundational texts and their interpretations; Part II outlines the biopsychosocial-spiritual and neurophysiological model of integrative health pertinent to yoga therapy; and Part III focuses on practical applications separate from the more familiar diagnosis-driven models. Experiential activities and case studies throughout the text illuminate how yogic practices can be incorporated for optimal health. Bridging the ancient and modern, philosophical and scientific, Understanding Yoga Therapy offers a clear explanatory framework for yoga therapists, physicians, allied and complementary healthcare providers, and their patients and students.

Marlysa Sullivan is a physiotherapist, yoga therapist, and professor. Her research focuses on defining the framework and explanatory model for yoga therapy based on philosophical and neurophysiological perspectives. Laurie C. Hyland Robertson is an editor and writer who specializes in yogic science and its intersections with healthcare. She is also a practicing yoga therapist.

Part I. 1. The Path of Yoga 2. Dharma, Ethics, and Right Action 3. Foundations for Discernment: Understanding Prakriti, Purusha, and the Gunas 4. Yoga Psychology: Body-Mind-Environment Relationships 5. The Subtle Body: Exploring Tantra and Prana Part II. 6. Explanatory Model for Yoga Therapy to Promote Health and Well-Being 7. Neurophysiological Perspectives 8. From Conceptual to Practical Application: Biomedical and Yogic Perspectives on Yoga Therapy Part III. 9. Setting the Stage for Well-Being: Practices for Cultivating Sattva Guna and Regulating the Body-Mind 10. Cultivating Healthy Sensitivity: Interoceptive Skills and Discriminative Wisdom 11. Yogic Practices to Support Resilience and Transformation