Yoga-Based Strategies for Intervention: How to Match Practices with Goals

In yoga therapy, the mind-body connection plays a crucial role in addressing emotional challenges and promoting physical well-being. For clients who are dealing with trauma, anxiety, or emotional blockages, chair-based yoga asanas can be a gentle way to promote healing.

In this blog, we'll explore 11 common emotional and physical challenges that clients face as well as the specific chair-based yoga postures designed to address them.

#1 - Feeling Frozen, Rigid, or Holding On (Hoarding, Constipation)

Many people experience physical and emotional stagnation, feeling unable to let go of past experiences or physical tension.

Goal: Letting Go

Chair-Based Asana: Forward Fold

The forward fold can help release tension and promote relaxation. This is a symbolical and physical release of the things the client is holding onto. In a chair-based version, this posture gently stretches the back, promoting circulation and calm.

#2 - Anxiety, Tension, Panic

These emotions can make it difficult to focus or feel grounded. Yoga therapy can help reduce the body’s stress response.

Goal: Decreasing Hyperarousal

Chair-Based Asana: Neck Stretches, Ratio Breathing, Belly Breath

Neck stretches relieve tension from the neck and shoulders, common areas where anxiety is held. Ratio breathing and belly breathing activate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to calm the body.

#3 - Defensiveness or Avoidance of Intimacy

Those who struggle with intimacy may feel the need to protect themselves, often leading to defensiveness.

Goal: Opening Boundaries

Chair-Based Asana: Sun Breath

Sun breath involves raising the arms overhead while inhaling, opening up the chest and inviting vulnerability. This posture encourages openness to connection while grounding the body.

#4 - Dissociation

Dissociation occurs when an individual feels disconnected from their body or surroundings, often in response to trauma. Although yoga therapists do not diagnose, we can help our clients manage mental states.

Goal: Grounding

Chair-Based Asana: Mountain Pose, Noticing Feet on the Floor

By practicing a seated version of Mountain Pose and focusing on the feet’s connection to the ground, clients can re-establish a sense of presence and awareness in their bodies.

#5 - Feeling Off-Balance or Conflicted

When emotions are in turmoil, the body often mirrors this imbalance. Restoring a sense of physical balance can help bring emotional clarity.

Goal: Centering

Chair-Based Asana: Seated Twists, Seated Triangle, Seated Eagle, Balanced Movements

These postures engage the core and focus on balance, which fosters both physical stability and emotional equilibrium.

#6 - Emotional Overwhelm and Vulnerability

Feeling emotionally overwhelmed or unprotected can make daily functioning difficult. Creating a sense of containment is essential.

Goal: Containment

Chair-Based Asana: Child’s Pose (Modified as Needed)

A modified Child's Pose performed in a chair helps the client retreat into themselves, promoting feelings of safety and protection.

#7 - Stuck, Unable to Make Decisions or Defend Self

Feeling stuck can manifest as an inability to take action, leading to frustration and helplessness.

Goal: Unfreezing and Reorganizing Active Defenses

Chair-Based Asana: Movement-Based Postures

Incorporating movement-based postures helps clients release pent-up energy, reorganize their defenses, and encourage decision-making and action.

#8 - Somatic Dissociation or Emotional Numbing

When the body feels disconnected, it becomes difficult to access or process emotions. A yoga practice can help folks ground in their senses with practice.

Goal: Bringing Awareness to the Body

Chair-Based Asana: Mindfulness Practice, Brushing Hygiene Practice

By introducing mindfulness and brushing practices, clients can slowly start reconnecting with their bodies, heightening awareness of sensations and emotions.

#9 - Reenactments or Revictimization

Survivors of trauma may unknowingly reenact past experiences, leading to cycles of revictimization. *As always, a yoga therapist should work in tandem with a client’s healthcare providers.

Goal: Creating Boundaries

Chair-Based Asana: Sensing Body, Creating Physical Boundaries

Incorporating practices that involve sensing and honoring the body’s space can help clients create healthier emotional and physical boundaries.

#10 - Feeling Helpless or Disempowered

Feelings of helplessness can create a disconnect from the core, leading to physical and emotional stagnation.

Goal: Empowerment (Feeling Core Power)

Chair-Based Asana: Lengthening Spine, Leg Lifts, Standing Postures

Engaging the core with spine-lengthening movements and leg lifts promotes feelings of strength and empowerment. These movements encourage the body to reconnect with its natural sense of power.

#11 - Emotional Numbness, Shutdown, Lethargy (Low Energy)

Low energy and emotional numbness often signal a state of hypoarousal, where the body shuts down in response to overwhelming stimuli.

Goal: Decreasing Hypoarousal

Chair-Based Asana: Activating Postures (Standing), Breathwork

Incorporating activating postures, such as standing and breathwork, stimulates energy flow and brings the body back into balance.

Conclusion

Yoga therapy, especially through chair-based practices, offers a powerful way to address emotional challenges while supporting physical well-being. These gentle, accessible asanas allow clients to work through complex emotions at their own pace, offering them the opportunity to reconnect with their bodies and empower their healing journey.

By integrating these practices into your yoga therapy sessions, you can offer a holistic approach to mental, emotional, and physical health, fostering resilience and inner strength.

Are you a yoga teacher or healthcare practitioner looking to incorporate yoga and mindfulness into your practice? Are you interested in learning more about Yoga in Healthcare? Please check out our annual Yoga in Healthcare Training - as well as our comprehensive yoga therapy certification at Prema Yoga Institute.

Please be advised that the content of this blog is not to be used as a substitution for the opinions and services of your licensed healthcare professional.

What does Pride mean to me?

As a little boy growing up, my family would always encourage me to be my most authentic self as long as I wasn’t being hurtful to others. Looking back on my upbringing, I see it meant that I was able to be friendly, curious, unafraid, loving, expressive, creative, open and adventurous.  It meant that I was able to self define, it meant that I was able to show the world who I was.

Later on, outside of my home and my family, other people and forces tried to define me. To this moment outside forces are still trying to define me. However, because my foundation was so strong, I know fundamentally that the most important defining voice in my life will always be my own.  

Pride means being able to show who you are, without fear, to be able to stand in the light of your truth (Satya), and to know that being your most authentic self, without hurting others, is one of the greatest gifts you can share with the world. Working in the world of therapeutic yoga, I would like to inspire pride in my clients and colleagues because this kind of pride, this freedom, honesty, and self-love practice, can only make you stronger, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  Practice Pride! Happy Pride!

Dorian Shorts
E-RYT 500
YACEP
Yoga Therapist Candidate 
DorianShorts.com

Understanding Resistance to Change in Yoga Therapy: The RULE of Motivational Interviewing

Change can be a complex journey, especially when it comes to our physical and mental well-being. In yoga therapy, practitioners often encounter various forms of resistance that can slow down or completely block progress. Whether it’s emotional, mental, or physical, these resistances are natural but must be addressed to ensure a successful therapeutic outcome.

In this blog, we’ll talk about the common types of resistance to change and how yoga therapy can integrate the principles of motivational interviewing to help clients overcome these challenges.

What Prevents People from Change?

Resistance to change is often rooted in fear, uncertainty, and deeply ingrained habits. Whether someone is dealing with chronic pain, stress, or mental health concerns, the discomfort of change can outweigh the perceived benefits of healing.

As a result, they may unconsciously—or consciously—resist the therapeutic process.

In yoga therapy, this resistance is often seen as a form of self-protection, where the client shields themselves from potential discomfort or vulnerability.

Types of Resistance in Yoga Therapy

Here are some specific types of resistance to change that practitioners commonly encounter:

Arguing

Arguing is a form of resistance where clients may resist the accuracy or expertise of the yoga therapist. They might challenge the validity of the practices, questioning whether the techniques can truly address their issues.

This type of resistance reflects the client’s inner conflict and may stem from past experiences where their expectations for healing were not met.

Interrupting

Interrupting occurs when clients frequently break into the conversation, often in a defensive or combative manner. This resistance signals discomfort with the therapeutic process, and the client may feel threatened by the suggestions being made.

In yoga therapy, this can manifest when the practitioner is trying to guide the client into deeper practices of mindfulness or body awareness, and the client becomes defensive.

Denying

Denying is when clients refuse to acknowledge their challenges, whether they be physical, emotional, or mental. This can include an unwillingness to take responsibility for their health or reject the need for any lifestyle changes.

In yoga therapy, denial might look like a client refusing to modify their diet or adopt mindfulness practices, even though these steps could aid their healing.

Ignoring

Ignoring occurs when the client completely disregards the information provided by the therapist. In this case, the client is not paying attention or is intentionally avoiding the therapeutic suggestions being made.

This type of resistance can be especially difficult to navigate in yoga therapy, as it signals a deep unwillingness to engage with the healing process.

How Motivational Interviewing Can Help in Yoga Therapy

Motivational interviewing is a technique developed by Miller and Rollnick (2013) to help healthcare practitioners work with clients who are resistant to change. By incorporating this therapeutic style into yoga therapy, practitioners can help clients explore their resistance and make gradual, positive changes.

The RULE of motivational interviewing is particularly useful in overcoming resistance:

R = Resist telling them what to do: Rather than directing clients toward a specific path, yoga therapists should allow clients to explore their own motivations for change. This creates a space for self-discovery, which is a crucial part of the healing journey.

U = Understand their motivation: Every client has unique reasons for their resistance. A yoga therapist can take time to explore these motivations and barriers, helping clients feel heard and understood.

L = Listen with empathy: Listening deeply and empathetically allows the client to feel supported, which can soften resistance over time.

E = Empower them: Setting small, achievable goals with the client and celebrating their successes can empower them to continue progressing.

Conclusion

Yoga therapy resistance is a common hurdle in the healing process, but it can be overcome with the right tools and approaches. By understanding the types of resistance and integrating motivational interviewing techniques, yoga therapists can create a compassionate and supportive environment where clients feel empowered to embrace change at their own pace.

Are you a yoga teacher or healthcare practitioner looking to incorporate yoga and mindfulness into your practice? Are you interested in learning more about Yoga in Healthcare? Please check out our annual Yoga in Healthcare Training - as well as our comprehensive yoga therapy certification at Prema Yoga Institute.

Please be advised that the content of this blog is not to be used as a substitution for the opinions and services of your licensed healthcare professional.