About the Book
Providing essential support to schools and universities that offer yoga therapy training programs, this comprehensive, edited textbook develops robust curricula, enabling them to prepare yoga therapists to integrate into healthcare settings safely and effectively.
The book includes a large and international list of contributors from diverse lineages and backgrounds such as Matthew Taylor, Gail Parker and Steffany Moonaz, and is the first resource on yoga therapy that aligns with the educationl competencies of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT). It covers yoga foundations (philosophical background, ayurveda, tantra), biomedical and psychological foundations, yoga therapy tools and therapeutic skills, yogic and biopsychosocial-spiritual assessments, and professional practices.
As the field of yoga therapy continues to root and grow, this book is essential for both new yoga therapy practitioners, and for schools developing training programs.
Table of Contents:
Foreword. Acknowledgements. About the Editors. Contributors. Preface. 1. Introduction: An Inclusive Style that Encourages Critical Thinking. Section 1: Yoga Foundations: Traditions and Tools of Yoga, Ayurveda, and Tantra. Introduction (Stephanie Lopez, LISW-S, C-IAYT). 2. Textual Sources for Yoga Therapy (Christopher Key Chapple, PhD). 3. Foundations of Yoga as Therapy: Assessment and Healing Approach (Amy Wheeler, PhD, C-IAYT). 4. Ayurveda for the Yoga Therapist (Sarajean Rudman, MS, MA, E-RYT 500). 5. Spanda: The Fundamental Impulse of the Shaiva Tantra Tradition (Leigh Blashki, C-IAYT, and Gina Macauley). Section 2: Biomedical and Psychological Foundations. Introduction (Camille Freeman, DCN, LDN). 6. Research Literacy: A Critical Skill for Yoga Therapists (Crystal L. Park, PhD). 7. Physiological Systems Foundations (Robyn Tiger, MD, C-IAYT). Respiratory Physiology (Sundaravadivel Balasubramanian), PhD, C-IAYT. The Overlap Between Paradigms: Yoga Therapy and Pharmaceuticals (Marybeth Missenda, RPh, CNS). Clinical Application of Yoga Therapy in the Cancer Care Continuum (Leigh Leibel, MSc, C-IAYT). Clinical Application of Yoga Therapy in Cardiac Rehabilitation (Courtney D. Butler-Robinson, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, RCYT, RPYT). Cardiorespiratory Medications (Marybeth Missenda, RPh, CNS). Clinical Application of Yoga Therapy in Diabetes Care (Judi Bar, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500). Diabetes Medications (Marybeth Missenda, RPh, CNS). 8. Assessing Musculoskeletal Balance in Yoga Therapy (Rachel Krentzman, PT, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, and Marlysa Sullivan, PT, C-IAYT). 9. Human Development and Sensory Integration: Pediatric Yoga Therapy (Yana Kofman, DPT, C-IAYT). 10. Neurological Foundations: An Integrative Approach (Kelli Bethel, DPT, PT, C-IAYT). 11. Foundations of Mental Health (Dorcia J. Tucker, PsyD, MS, C-IAYT). 12. Mental Disorders and the Yoga Approach (Michael J. de Manincor, PhD). Pharmacotherapy Considerations for Yoga Therapists (Mamta Parikh, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP). Section 3a: Therapeutic Skills. Introduction. 13. Relationships in Yoga Therapy: Developing Collaboration Within a Healing Presence (Tracey Lynne Meyers, PsyD, C-IAYT). 14. Cultivating Resilience and Safety in Yoga Therapy Practice (Nya Patrinos, C-IAYT). 15. Respecting the Presence of Shakti: Cyclical Wisdom and Menstruality Consciousness in Yoga Therapy for Women's Health (Uma Dinsmore-Tuli, PhD, C-IAYT). 16. Understanding the Role of Interoception (Karen Soltes, LCSW, C-IAYT). 17. Interfaith Conversations: Bridging Cultural Gaps in Yoga Therapy (Robert H. Stucky, MDiv). Yoga Therapy at the End of Life (Jennie Lee, C-IAYT). Section 3b: Yoga Therapy Tools. Introduction (Steffany Moonaz, PhD, C-IAYT). 18. Accessible Asana (Jivana Heyman, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500). Yoga Therapy with Amputees (Marsha T. Danzig, MEd, C-IAYT, RYT-500). 19. Pranayama (Sundara Balasubramanian, PhD, C-IAYT). 20.Ayurvedic Asana and Pranayama Interventions (Sarajean Rudman, MS, MA, E-RYT 500). 21. Mudra and Bandha (Marsha T. Danzig, MEd, C-IAYT, RYT-500). Working with Granthi and Bandha (Diane Finlayson, MA, C-IAYT, and Laurie Hyland Robertson, MS, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500). 22. Yoga Nidra Healing (Uma Dinsmore-Tuli, PhD, C-IAYT). 23. The Use of Meditation in Yoga Therapy (Keishin Kimura (Madoka Chase Onizuka trans.)). 24. Yama and Niyama Therapeutic Lifestyle Practices (Gina Macauley and Leigh Blashki, C-IAYT). Section 4: Professional Practices. Introduction (Laurie Hyland Robertson, MS, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, and Diane Finlayson, MA, C-IAYT). 25. Ethics in Yoga Therapy Practice (Gail Parker, PhD, C-IAYT). 26. The Business of Yoga Therapy (Marsha D. Banks-Harold, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, Theresa Conroy, C-IAYT, Molly McManus, C-IAYT, Melinda Atkins, MEd, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, and Laurie Hyland Robertson, MS, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500). 27. Systems Health: Yoga Therapy Beyond the Studio
Introduction (Laurie Hyland Robertson, MS, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, and Diane Finlayson, MA, C-IAYT). Disaster Recovery and PTSD in the Field (Keishin Kimura). Unserved Senior Populations (Jana Long, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500). Incorporating Yoga into Healthcare Provider Education (Laura Schmalzl, PhD, RYT-500). Serving Incarcerated Individuals (Lakshmi Barsel, PhD). Urban Adolescents (Tawanna Kane, RYT-500). Researching Yoga (Crystal L. Park, PhD). Wide Reach Through a Nonprofit (Jivana Heyman, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500). Yoga in National Health Systems (Göran Boll). Survivors of Severe Abuse (Erin Byron, MA, RP, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500). Yoga Therapy in Australia (Leigh Blashki, C-IAYT). Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia (Takakazu Oka, MD, PhD). Women's Well-Being (Uma Dinsmore-Tuli, PhD, C-IAYT). Terminal Illness (Lucia Plata, C-IAYT). 28. Career Development: Yoga Therapy Delivery Settings. Introduction (Laurie Hyland Robertson, MS, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, and Diane Finlayson, MA, C-IAYT). Broad Care in an Allopathic Clinic System (Judi Bar, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500). Hospital and Private Medical Practice Settings (Tina Paul, MS, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500). Neurological and Cancer Care in an Academic Medical Center (Kelli Bethel, DPT, PT, C-IAYT). Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Shelley K. Goldman, MS, BSN, RN, LICDC-CS, CCM, MAC, C-IAYT). Cardiac Rehab and Cancer Recovery (Courtney D. Butler-Robinson, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, RCYT, RPYT). Substance-Use Recovery (Durga Leela, C-IAYT, AP (NAMA), AYT (NAMA)). Solo Practice as a Physical Therapist, Yoga Therapist, and Educator (Shelly Prosko, PT, C-IAYT). Military Healthcare (Lynne Valdes, MS, C-IAYT). Yoga in Military Health Systems (Dorcia J. Tucker, PsyD, MS, C-IAYT). Entrepreneurship Through Service (Pamela Stokes Eggleston, MBA, MS, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500). A Virtual Nomad (Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD, C-IAYT).
About the Author :
Diane Finlayson, MA, C-IAYT, eRYT-500, is the Department Chair in Yoga Therapy at Maryland University of Integrative Health. This is the most highly regarded yoga therapy program (and the biggest) in the US. Diane is also the first Chair in Yoga Therapy.
Laurie C. Hyland Robertson, MS (Yoga Therapy), C-IAYT, eRYT-500, is the Editor in Chief of IAYT's professional practices magazine, Yoga Therapy Today. Laurie also serves as the Managing Editor of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, co-owns an inegrative health practice (Whole Chiropractic Healthcare) and owns a mind-body studio (Whole Yoga and Pilates).
Review :
A yoga therapist's guide through the IAYT competencies? What's not to like? The editors have brought together insights from some of the finest minds in our field, creating a solid go-to textbook for all yoga therapists. The chapters are organized in a concise and clear way, making for easy reference. Yoga Therapy Foundations, Tools, and Practice provides a path towards deepening our understanding of the profession while begging us to ask some important questions of ourselves.
If I were to recommend one book to an aspiring Yoga Therapist or a seasoned Yoga Therapist this would be the one. It presents a rich compilation of Yoga Foundations, Therapeutic Skills, Professional Practices, and a comprehensive approach to research literacy. I particularly loved how the applications of yoga therapy were demonstrated through case studies which brought the text to life. Well done!
An amazing resource for any Yoga Therapist. Such deep source material and experienced contributors. A great textbook to have!
