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(C-IAYT) Cerfited Yoga Therapists are specifically trained to work within healthcare settings. Education includes a foundational understanding of health and yoga therapy through a biopsychosocial and spiritual lens, along with knowledge of common disease states, symptoms, medications, and contraindications. We are trained to understand diagnoses provided by healthcare professionals, to work alongside other treatment approaches, to interpret relevant health information, and to navigate therapeutic relationships responsibly and ethically. This level of preparation is distinct from general yoga teacher training and is intended to support individuals with complex health needs.

A Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) is trained to:

• Understand health and healing through a biopsychosocial and spiritual lens, using that perspective to create individualized therapeutic recommendations.

• Recognize common disease states, symptoms, medication effects, and contraindications, so practices can be adapted appropriately.
• Integrate information provided through diagnoses from licensed healthcare professionals.

• Understand various treatment approaches and procedures, or know how to locate credible information from other healthcare modalities when needed.

• Interpret and understand health reports from a variety of sources.

• Navigate the interpersonal dynamics that can arise within therapeutic relationships, while seeking consultation or support when appropriate.

This is one reason yoga therapy is different from general yoga instruction. While both are valuable, yoga therapy involves specialized training in applying yoga practices therapeutically for individuals navigating specific health concerns, life transitions, or complex needs.

I’m grateful to be part of a profession that continues to uphold meaningful standards of care while honoring the wisdom of yoga as a path of healing and wholeness.

Not all yoga is the same.

Working with a yoga therapist goes beyond supporting the physical body it’s about improving overall well-being.

Together, we explore practical ways to create sustainable lifestyle changes that support both mental and physical health. Here’s an example of how we collaborate to develop personalized strategies for daily life. (Shown here: a habit stacking worksheet we used during a session.)

Yoga therapy isn’t a typical group class.
It’s a personalized, goal-focused process that integrates breath, movement, mindfulness, and lifestyle support tailored to the individual very different from a “one-size-fits-all” class experience.

I don’t know about you, but I have definitely stayed on some trains far longer than I should have.

And the truth is… if you’d asked me at the time whether I was making the right choice by staying, I would have had to admit that deep down, I already knew I should have stepped off.

Sometimes we stay because we can’t be absolutely sure getting off is the right decisions. We want to give it more time, more opportunities, more solutions. We stay for hope, for longing, because we feel stuck, because we can’t see a way off. We can even stay because we’ve invested so much and leaving feels like failure and defeat. The list goes on and on….

The “wrong train” is rarely dramatic at first. It’s subtle. Rationalised. Explained away. We tell ourselves to give it time. To try harder. To be patient. To endure.

But the longer we stay somewhere misaligned, the more it costs us in energy, in confidence, in peace, well being. We pay for it in the health of our mind, body and spirit.

So here’s the truth:
Getting off early is never failure.
Changing direction is not weakness.
Choosing yourself is not selfish.

It is wisdom.

You are allowed to step off.
You are allowed to reroute.
You are allowed to say, “This isn’t for me.”
You are allowed to change your mind.

Your life is precious.
Your energy is sacred.
And you are the only one holding the ticket.

So if you get on the wrong train, be sure to get off at the first stop. It’s hugely inconvenient but it’s easier in the long run.

With love,
Fiona
www.earthmonk.guru

Silently ask, checking with yourself.

I love when science catches up with what so many of us see every day.

I just read a Psychology Today article on the benefits of yoga therapy, and it beautifully explains why this work can be so impactful—especially for people dealing with stress, chronic illness, pain, anxiety, or depression.

Yoga therapy isn’t about fancy poses or keeping up with a class. It’s personalized, intentional, and focused on you—your nervous system, your breath, your life. It meets people where they are and offers practical tools they can actually use off the mat.

What stood out most in the article is how yoga therapy supports real change:
✨ calming the stress response
✨ improving mood and resilience
✨ helping people reconnect to their bodies with safety and compassion

This is why I’m so passionate about this work. When we slow down, listen to the body, and work with the breath and movement in a supportive way, healing becomes more accessible—and more humane.

If you’ve ever felt like traditional exercise or even traditional talk therapy wasn’t quite the right fit, yoga therapy may be a gentle and powerful bridge.

Here’s the article if you’re curious to learn more:
👉

The Benefits of Yoga Therapy Yoga therapy is the application of yoga principles to promote health and well-being within a therapeutic relationship.

Ahimsa often translated as non-harm, is more than avoiding violence. It’s a daily practice of how we speak, move, listen, and care for ourselves and others.

In my work, ahimsa shows up as meeting people where they are, honoring nervous systems, and choosing progress over force. Healing doesn’t come from pushing harder it comes from listening more deeply.

What would change if we practiced ahimsa not just toward others, but toward ourselves at work, at home, and in movement?