YOGA TEACHERS! YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A YOGA THERAPIST OR PHYSICAL THERAPIST TO HELP YOUR STUDENTS!
BECOME A CERTIFIED YOGA CORRECTIVE EXERCISE SPECIALIST.
Why become
a specialist in Yoga as corrective exercise?
When it
comes to corrective exercise training vs 200 and even 300 hour yoga teacher
training, all yoga teachers have varying levels of training in anatomy and bio
kinesiology, but not all yoga teachers are qualified to do corrective exercise
training through the use of yoga postures and techniques.
In your
general yoga teacher training, you might have learned how to do some postural
or corrective exercise assessments and sequences using yoga postures. This,
however, is only a limited exposure to the capacities of a yoga asana practice
to help improve mobility and decrease pain.
(Ward, Stebbings, Cherkin,
& Baxter, 2014)
FitYogaTherapy’s Yoga Corrective Exercise
Specialist training goes over movement
assessments to be able to assess mobility and stability capacities for a yoga
asana practice through the Yoga Asana Practice Screen (YAPS). This screening allows the yoga teacher to
efficiently and quickly (in a 15-minute screening) identify challenges the student might face
when asked to move into certain yoga postures.
This might be a limitation in joint mobility or a lack of stability
leading to perceived tightness in a muscular area. Once the teacher is aware of these
limitations, they are more easily able to offer adaptations to allow the
student to participate in the yoga practice safely. Through more in depth assessments which may
be performed in a private yoga session, the yoga teacher informed on corrective
exercise can then begin to identify which yoga techniques may be more
beneficial and effective in allowing the practitioner to improve mobility and
stability in a progressive manner, resulting in less musculoskeletal limitation
and more ease of movement.
You will
learn the concepts of MoSility (Mobility combined with Stability ) as well as
how to impact flexibility in an evidenced based way using the RollEaseana Yoga
Flexibility Method. This ease of movement is the benefit of a yoga
practice which many people are seeking when they seek out yoga. (Monson, Chismark, Cooper, & Krenik-Matejcek, 2017) (McCaffrey & Park, 2012) (Lorenc, et al., 2018)
If you don’t believe so, go ahead and ask your
students.
At this
moment in time, the yoga teacher has a great opportunity, and frankly a
responsibility, to serve the
practitioner who is suffering from musculoskeletal dysfunction.
The
World Health Organization states the following:
(Organization, 2019)
· Musculoskeletal conditions are the leading contributor to
disability worldwide, with low back pain being the single leading cause of
disability globally.
·
Musculoskeletal conditions significantly limit mobility and
dexterity, leading to early retirement from work, reduced accumulated wealth
and reduced ability to participate in social roles.
·
Musculoskeletal conditions are commonly linked with
depression and increase the risk of developing other chronic health conditions.
·
A recent report from the United
States of America suggests that one in two adult Americans live with a
musculoskeletal condition – the same number as those with cardiovascular or
chronic respiratory diseases combined!!!
In addition, the
World Health Organization has recommended guidelines for Integrated Care for
Older People (ICOPE) . This program specifically identifies as one
of the components that we incorporate programs to improve musculoskeletal function,
mobility and vitality in the aging population.
This includes multi modal
exercise with progressive strength resistance training, balance, flexibility
and aerobic training. As we all know,
yoga as exercise addresses low level strength training, and certainly balance
and flexibility components.
Our challenge as yoga teachers, is to be able to make yoga accessible to this older population, many of whom have limitations and challenges in their musculoskeletal system. Being able to identify, adapt for and improve these conditions will be one of the roles of the Yoga Corrective Exercise Specialist.
Therefore,
corrective exercise training has become in demand. Personal trainers and the fitness industry have
already embraced this need by providing continuing education and certification
in corrective exercise. Unfortunately,
the yoga community has not yet taken up this task. While there has been a movement towards the
practice of yoga therapy as a specific discipline of health care, the training
of yoga teachers to fill the gap between the 200 hour/500 hour yoga teacher and
the yoga therapist has not yet been addressed.
It is evident that there is a need to provide more accessible movement
education and guidance for those with musculoskeletal pain and the aging
population, and yoga has been identified as an effective and viable option for
those with such challenges. (Monson, Chismark, Cooper, &
Krenik-Matejcek, 2017) (McCaffrey & Park, 2012) (Lorenc, et al., 2018) Many physicians will refer their patients to go to a
yoga class to help them move more easefully.
Unfortunately, many yoga teachers do not have the training to help these
students, especially to help them in a group yoga class.
As someone with more training in corrective
exercise using yoga asana as a modality, the yoga instructor can give the
student some options in their practice to customize the movement to fit their
needs and help them learn to move more easefully. These yoga practitioners are not currently
suffering from a specific injury or diagnosis that would be require the skills
of a health care practitioner or yoga therapist, however they do deserve to
access a yoga practice provided by an
instructor that is qualified to help them practice within the
limitations of their challenges as well as provide guidance to improve their
ease of movement. This niche is exactly
why as a yoga teacher who seeks to provide a more informed practice, should seek continuing
education in yoga as corrective exercise.
In addition, by completing a certification in Yoga Corrective Exercise,
this instructor can now be confident in
their interactions with prospective students and physicians who are seeking
just these services.
So, the question remains: should you seek a corrective exercise certification specializing in yoga as the modality of choice?
Ask yourself
the same questions one would ask a personal trainer:
1)
Have you ever taught
yoga to an older individual, and
overweight individual or an out of shape individual? (Read, n.d.)
2)
Have you ever had a yoga student come up to you and ask how
to adapt or modify their yoga practice due to pain or difficulty with certain
movements?
As Read
indicates to his personal trainer audience, if you answered yes to the above
questions, knowing corrective exercise will be one of the best ways to help
your clients to wellness and functional mobility, and keep them coming to
attend yoga practice. This in turn may
lead them to experience the other well documented benefits of yoga such as
decreased stress, decreased anxiety, decreased inflammation, improved heart
health, improved quality of life, ability to fight depression, reduction of
chronic pain, improved sleep quality, and improved breathing. (Rachel Link, 2017) These wonderful benefits may never be realized if the
yoga practitioner leaves the practice due to the inability of the yoga teacher
to identify and assist with musculoskeletal challenges in a corrective
manner.
So, the next question arises, is it worth the investment?
Currently
as a yoga teacher, you are limited in what you can earn as revenue. In most cases, you are only able to earn
revenue from teaching group yoga classes.
Unfortunately, due to the saturation of the yoga teacher market, this
compensation can be quite limited. Now,
some can become Instagram Influencers and lead workshops worldwide based on
their asana practice, but as we all know, this is a small fragment of the yoga
teacher population.
What can you do to set yourself apart?
How can you confidently
market yourself to the consumer as an expert in movement utilizing the yoga
practice?
With a Yoga Exercise
Specialist Certification, you can stand apart from the general yoga teacher
population as a specialist in your field, without spending thousands of dollars
on an unnecessary degree as a physical therapist or yoga therapist. That is not to say these are not valid and
valuable professions, after all, I have a degree in physical therapy and bio
kinesiology and a certification in yoga therapy from the International
Association of Yoga Therapists. But
honestly, in my practice as a yoga teacher, I have found that a good foundation
in the practices of yoga specifically with advanced study in yoga asana and
movement serves the yoga teacher well.
Certainly, for your own evolution and growth as a yoga practitioner, one
should continue their study into the more in-depth practices and philosophies
of yoga. A greater understanding of
these practices on an experiential level will only serve you to become a better
overall yoga teacher.
But without
reservation, I can state that this in depth study is NOT a requirement for you
to be of service to your clients seeking physical benefits of yoga AND will
allow them to continue their personal practice so they also have the
opportunity to move deeper into their personal practice. Once you are able to increase your income by
offering specialty small group practices emphasizing helping practitioners with specific
biomechanical challenges, and the ability to confidently offer one on one
private yoga training to assist your students to advance their asana practice;
then you will be able to afford the $6000.00 average cost of an in depth 300
hour yoga teacher training. In fact, you
could even be motivated to further study yoga and become a yoga therapist to
the tune of 3 years of study and an average cost of $10,000. Or, if so, inclined further your study to
become a licensed physical therapist, at an average cost of $75,000 in tuition
alone.
So, in answer to the question at the beginning of the paragraph…it depends.
What is your ultimate passion and goal as a provider of yoga as a modality? Where are your talents and to what degree would
you like to pursue this profession? That
is a question only you can answer. My purpose
here is to inform you of all your options and allow you to make a clear and
informed decision.
If you are interested
in finding out more about Yoga Corrective Exercise Specialist Certification,
please feel free to contact me via email at fityogatherapy@gmail.com. I saw a great need for this type of education
and decided to compile my many years of yoga teacher training, physical therapy and yoga therapy expertise to give
yoga teachers a more accessible and viable access to serving our population through
the practices of yoga asana. I would
love to help you on your journey. My new program will launch in early 2020. Check out the preliminary module curriculum on my website at FitYogaTherapy.com Be the first in the yoga industry to receive this unique certification. Then YOU can help your clients sooner rather than later.
Lorenc, A., Feder, G., MacPherson, H., Little, P.,
Mercer, S. W., & Sharp, D. (2018). Scoping review of systematic reviews of
complementary medicine for musculoskeletal and mental health conditions. BMJ
Open, 8(10). Retrieved 12 7, 2019, from
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/10/e020222
McCaffrey, R., & Park, J. (2012). The Benefits of
Yoga for Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Journal
of Yoga & Physical Therapy, 2(5), 1-12. Retrieved 12 7, 2019, from
https://longdom.org/open-access/the-benefits-of-yoga-for-musculoskeletal-disorders-a-systematic-review-of-the-literature-2157-7595.1000122.pdf
Monson, A. L., Chismark, A. M., Cooper, B. R., &
Krenik-Matejcek, T. M. (2017). Effects of Yoga on Musculoskeletal Pain. American
Dental Hygienists Association, 91(2), 15-22. Retrieved 12 7, 2019, from
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29118252
Organization, W. H. (2019, 11 26). Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/musculoskeletal-conditions
Rachel Link, M. (2017, August 7). Healthlink.
Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-benefits-of-yoga
Read, T. (n.d.). Personal Trainer Pioneer .
Retrieved from
https://www.ptpioneer.com/corrective-exercise-specialist-certifications/
Ward, L., Stebbings, S., Cherkin, D. C., & Baxter,
G. D. (2014). Components and reporting of yoga interventions for musculoskeletal
conditions: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Complementary
Therapies in Medicine, 22(5), 909-919. Retrieved 12 7, 2019, from
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25440383
Find out more about Chrys and her practices at her website fityogatherapy.com
Her Instagram chryskubfityogatherapy
Facebook Fityogatherapy
and Twitter chryskubfityoga
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