What is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga Therapy is quite different from the average yoga class you might take in your community! Typically, they are one-on-one sessions that focus on treating the person holistically. This means that when someone is struggling with physical and/or psychological dysfunctions, the yoga therapist looks at all aspects of the client’s lifestyle and chooses from a myriad of yoga tools to aid in alleviating pain and improving the client’s quality of life. Yoga Therapists are trained to use the classical teachings of yoga for clients that have challenges that range from chronic injuries to emotional distress. The goal of Yoga Therapy is to address the concern and provide tools that the client can use and adapt into their current lifestyle. These tools are based on ancient texts, such as Pantajali’s Yoga Sutras and the Eight Limbs of Yoga. Through support and repetition, conditions will improve, as well as their overall well-being.
What type of education does a Yoga Therapist have?
Yoga Therapists are highly trained and certified by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT). They have committed to over 1000 hours of training and programs usually take 3-4 years to complete. Ashley McKeachie graduated from Loyola Marymount University’s Yoga Therapy program in 2014, and received her Masters in Yoga Studies from the same university in 2017. She continues to study in the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram tradition, and with her mentor Amy Wheeler, who is the past president of the IAYT.
What can I expect to receive in a session?
The first session will be an assessment of the client’s concerns, an important dialogue that will help the yoga therapist understand the client’s lifestyle. Usually, the yoga therapist will provide a short personalized yoga sequence that might contain movement and breathing practices to start the journey towards healing. Subsequent sessions might involve adding other tools of yoga like daily Ayurvedic routines, chanting, visualization and meditation. The client is expected to commit to a daily yoga practice in order to see improvement in all areas of their life.
How much is a session?
$144 for the first session. Every session thereafter is $108 and will be 55 minutes each. Sessions can be held on Zoom or in person. Please contact Ashley McKeachie for more information at ashley@ashleymckeachieyoga.com.