Yoga Therapy Whole Person Healing

Yoga Therapy for Individuals • Yoga Therapy Training • Sharing Yoga's Wisdom

Tag: #yogatherapy

  • Sound – A Healing Vibration

    ‘Each person brings sound out of silence
    And coaxes the invisible to become visible.’

    ‘Anam Cara’, John O’Donahue

    According to the Samkhya Karika, which explains the evolution of our universe, sound is linked to the most subtle of all elements, space. All other elements, such as air, water, fire and earth exist in space and it is also the element in which we as humans exist.
    Hence, sound is an energetic vibration we are surrounded by every moment.
    Hearing is our first sense of perception when our bodies are still being shaped in our mother’s womb and it is the last sense we lose at the threshold to death. During our lifetime we naturally develop associations, heightened sensitivities and
    preferences to various sounds. The source as well as the frequency, or pitch and energy of the sound, greatly determine the effect sounds have on the nervous systems of our
    bodies. Sound quite literally shapes the way we experience our world.
    We perceive sound primarily through our ears, but as as sound vibrates in space it is also felt and recognized by the whole of our being. The vagus nerve which originates in the
    brain, attaches to the inner and outer eardrum, both of which resonate with the vibrations of sound they pick up. They convey these vibrations all along the vagus nerve and thus transmit them to each and every cell of our bodies.
    Ancient cultures from around the world knew about the soothing and therapeutic aspects of sound and harmonic frequencies. In the Indian tradition, it is the Rig Veda that points out the use of sound as a companion to the Ayurvedic system of health.
    Harmonic overtone singing as practised by the Tibetans, has been used in ceremony, ritual, and shamanic practice for centuries. Native American Shamans use voice in healing rituals, and singing to oneself when overcome by illness to facilitate healing.
    During the Covid pandemic the Royal Opera House conducted ‘voice’ webinars as part of recovery programs for those affected by the illness. Listening to lullabies was part of soothing their nervous system.
    Sound can be used to positively influence both our physical well-being as well as the state of our minds. Our voice is the most accessible of instruments, and inevitably reveals something about ourselves. When we sing with happiness our voice
    undoubtedly has a different quality to when we are poorly and low in spirits.
    Sounds have varying effects, they can be stimulating or calming but they invariably focus our minds and as such support our quest for the goal of yoga: a stable, clear mind.
    Through our voice, specific sounds, or meaningful words we can direct our minds to a chosen ‘intention’ and invite qualities into our being that we wish to cultivate.

    Gradually, over time and with many repetitions, these qualities and intentions become
    part of our being.
    Yoga, and more specifically yoga therapy, makes creative use of the qualities of sound, vibration and our personal instrument, our voices, to move each individual towards the state of body and mind they wish to cultivate. Using our voice entails working with our breath, the most precious source of energy and health we have, combining it with movement, ritual and meditation gives the therapist a rich source of tools and the practitioner a highly personalised experience of their inner and outer world.
    To have a glimpse of this experience you may like to sign up to our Saturday morning workshop, on 9th May, 9.30-1pm

    Find out about the Workshop on Sound and Chant

  • Ayurveda: Imbalance as the Root of Illness

    Maintaining a balanced lifestyle is an ongoing adventure — or perhaps more honestly, a challenge. You may remember the old Mars bar slogan: “A Mars a day helps you Work, Rest, and Play.” We know a daily chocolate bar isn’t actually the path to well-being, but the idea behind the slogan does reflect a deeper truth: when the essential rhythms of life — work, rest, and play — are nourished equally, we thrive.

    From an Ayurvedic lens, this balance is essential. Ayurveda teaches that health exists when we find balance in our constitutional type (the combination of the doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha that is our own), in good digestion and removal of waste products from the body-mind. When these are functioning harmoniously, sustained by a steady mind and joyful spirit then we feel and act in line with our highest purpose. When lifestyle factors cause us to drift out of balance over time, we experience depletion, stagnation, irritability, anxiety or any kind of illness. Restoring balance is the foundation of healing.

    Yoga therapy shares this view beautifully with this Ayurvedic: it recognises that health is dynamic, personal, and deeply influenced by how we live each day.

    Ayurveda: Imbalance as the Root of Illness

    According to Ayurveda, imbalance begins long before diagnosable symptoms appear. It starts subtly — in the food we eat, in digestion, sleep, energy, or mood — and only later moves into more tangible issues. Understanding imbalances requires awareness, at least from time to time, not occasional crisis management.

    This is why individual assessment is essential. Ayurveda encourages multiple forms of daily self-observation, such as:

    • Tracking sleep quality and dreaming
    • Observing digestion, appetite, and elimination
    • Noticing energy peaks and dips
    • Monitoring emotional tone or irritability
    • Reflecting on mental clarity, agitation or stagnation
    • Checking for physical signs like dryness, heaviness, heat, stiffness, or restlessness
    • Observing responses to food, movement, and environment

    These simple check-ins help identify imbalance early — when it’s most easily corrected — and guide personalised choices for restoring harmony.

    Food as Medicine

    In Ayurveda, food is not only fuel but a primary tool for re-balancing the body-mind.  Rather than one universal diet, Ayurveda encourages eating based on one’s individual constitution and to support the digestive processes allowing for optimum nourishment. Where there are any current imbalances, choosing foods carefully can restore health balance.

    Sleep: The Ultimate Restorative

    Ayurveda calls sleep “one of the three pillars of life”. The three pillars (traya upastambha) are sleep, diet and balanced lifestyle. Quality sleep rests the body, rebuilds tissues, clears the mind, and stabilises emotions. The aim is for consistent sleep routines, that support all aspects of health and wellbeing.

    Cultivating Clarity and Calm

    Ayurveda and yoga agree on the importance of the mind – steadying the mind when there is unsteadiness, reducing stress and promoting emotional stability. Honouring emotional well-being requires awareness, acknowledgement, and skilled responses. When the mind is calm and there is clarity, we can better integrate all levels of being;  feeling open and connected — to nature, to others, to our authentic self.

    Physical Health: The Foundation of Balance

    Physical health supports all other layers of well-being and persona and spiritual development. The body is often the first place where an individual will notice imbalance. It is also the most accessible place to initiate healing through a suitably designed yoga practice.

    Ayurveda recognises the fundamental principle that health is not a fixed state — it is in a state of dynamic balance and when imbalance arises, we can restore our own rhythm and rest through awareness and adjustment.
    Ayurveda reminds us that illness is a message: something has drifted out of harmony. With mindful living, assessment and personalised choices, especially in the early stages of imbalance, we can choose adjustments to gently guide ourselves back into balance.