Yoga Practice

In yoga therapy one of the things that supports clients healing is changing their state. In yoga therapy we look at the three gunas, or qualities: 1) rajas, which has the qualities of feeling anxious, agitated, elevated; 2) tamas, which has the qualities of feeling heavy, dark, negative, and 3) sattva, which has the qualities of feeling positivity, balance, joy, contentment, and harmony. We work with clients to increase sattvic qualities and decrease the rajasic and tamasic qualities in them to create more balance. In order to increase sattva, we can influence the client’s system in many ways.

One of the primary ways to change a client’s state in the direction of sattva is to develop a daily yoga practice. As a yoga therapist, I am specially trained to understand which elements to include in a client’s daily practice to help them decrease rajas and tamas and increase sattva. Some of these elements can include asana, or movement with breath, pranayama, or breath work, meditation, or placing your attention in a chosen direction, sound such as humming or chanting a specific word or series of words, and niyasa, or touch. Having a personal practice designed by a yoga therapist begins by taking time to get to know our clients during an intake session which usually lasts 60-90 minutes and can be done online. During an intake session the yoga therapist will ask clients questions about themselves and their lifestyle and will observe clients while they do some simple movements.

Clients should do their personal yoga practice every morning, ideally first thing after waking. Over time, clients begin to appreciate this opportunity every morning to check in with their state. How are they feeling today: agitated, anxious, lazy, worn down, or peaceful and ready to start their day with a positive mindset? A daily practice can help clients move from rajas and tamas toward sattva by providing more and more experiences of feeling a sense of peace, serenity, tranquility, and equanimity, where overtime, they have more and more experiences of that sattvic state of being and fewer and fewer times when they feel out of balance. Additionally, when clients do feel out of balance, they have tools that they have the lived experience of helping them change their state and get back into balance that they can draw upon when feeling anxious or stressed.

By: Dr. Jennifer Vasquez