Yoga Therapy
Knowledge is the greatest value, and health is the greatest wealth.
When we understand something well, we have more freedom in that area. For example, if we know a programming language very well, we have the freedom to program whatever we need, such as a website, a new application, or another program. The same is true of our body, which is, in a way, a program , and when we understand it well, we have much more freedom to manage it, move, and maintain our health. This does not mean that everyone should be a doctor in order to know how the body works. Doctors understand the human body very well, but none of us has an abstract “human body”; each of us has our own body and unique conditioning. The idea is that we need to know ourselves, take the knowledge about health that humanity has acquired, and apply and adapt it to ourselves. We can learn to manage our personal energy mechanism, our body and mind, and thereby improve our quality of life. This should not be a privilege; it should be taught in elementary school.
This is where yoga comes in as an ancient science of self-knowledge, without mystifying the word: a discipline of understanding oneself and methods we can apply to maintain the balance of our system. Yoga offers many excellent suggestions and practical instructions for maintaining health, easing health problems, reducing stress, and generally improving quality of life. As the old saying goes, “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” We may not need some of these methods, while others can make an enormous difference in our lives, which is why personal experience matters. As a discipline from another culture, yoga is viewed with a degree of skepticism in our society. Fortunately, respected Western scientists have recently been studying the measurable benefits of yoga, which sometimes appear to be more effective than medical methods.
Anyone who understands that a pill does not necessarily address the cause of a problem has chosen to work more deeply and address its roots.
The main quality required for practicing yoga is a personal willingness to invest effort and determination. In other words, the only obstacle is laziness. Our health is in our hands. Professionals such as doctors, counselors, and instructors can offer guidance on treatment and maintaining health, but ultimately each person must do the work and make the effort themselves.
Among the many things called yoga is a field known as “yoga therapy.” It is practiced by teachers who understand both ancient and scientific methods and know how to give yoga practice a therapeutic effect while keeping it free of religious connotations.
My teaching follows the same approach: I bring forward methods that specifically help address a problem. Through movement, breath, attention to a particular area, stretching, and a compassionate attitude, we can engage with the body consciously and purposefully, working with the muscles and tissues that keep us trapped in pain. In this way, we learn direct self-knowledge and become our own guide. On my YouTube playlist you will find many yoga classes whose exercises address a specific problem, question, or part of the body, such as classes for reducing lower-back pain, tension in the shoulders and neck, sciatica, and meditations for relaxation.
Therapeutic yoga is a broad field supported by a wealth of knowledge. Guided by the idea that we can educate ourselves and learn about ourselves in this way, my colleagues and I launched a series of yoga therapy workshops called Zdrav’ko Yoga. The project is intended for yoga enthusiasts and anyone who wants to learn more about their body and mind through the knowledge offered by yoga theory and practice. We explore in different ways the tools yoga provides for addressing common health problems and complementing conventional therapy. The workshops are led by experienced yoga teachers who emphasize yoga’s therapeutic dimension in their work. Find a topic that interests you in the Zdrav’ko Yoga series of therapeutic workshops and join us.
More information…
Let us learn to regulate and maintain our own health through yoga. Find a topic and create your own yoga therapy:
