Counselling Principles and Practices for Yoga Therapists

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The prime purpose of this book is to introduce certain counselling principles, practices and skills which are sourced from the basic tenets of Yogic sciences. Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali's Yogasutra and other texts provide invaluable insights for counselling people in distress. Yoga therapy is replete with many tools and approaches to provide mind-body oriented solutions. Asana-s, Pranayama, Dhyanam, visualization, dietary regimen and many other practices provide the necessary fillip in optimizing the therapy outcomes. The therapist, who is necessarily a Yoga practitioner, does not merely impart the techniques of practice. but also assumes the role of a mentor, coach and guide. and is an effective ‘catalyst’ in the therapy process. Yoga therapy adopts a process-oriented approach which has an impact on body-mind transformation. An important dimension of this therapeutic process is the counselling that a care-seeker receives from the therapist.

Dr. Latha Satish. a psychologist and longtime student of Sr TKV Destkachar. integrates her decades of experience in counselling and Yoga therapy. in this one of its kind book that throws an Indic perspective on commonly accepted mainstream approaches to counselling. Dr. Latha Satish a former Managing Trustee of KYM. is at present, head of the KYM Research Council. and continues to offer her valuable services to the KYM as a senior mentor and consultant.

There is no death of literature on Yoga psychology, comparison of eastern and western approaches to understand the mind or presentations on Yoga and psychotherapy. Scholars have highlighted significant similarities and differences in theoretical views about the mind and have unanimously accepted the role of Yoga as a mind-body technique to address psychophysiological health as well as a modality of self development and transformation. Practical books on Yoga and application of the tools of Yoga, be it Asana, Pranayama, or Dhyanam are already available and different traditions and schools have taken efforts to share this knowledge. Currently, Yoga teachers and Yoga therapists are recognized in the public domain as professionals addressing health promotion.

The movement for systematizing and regulating Yoga education, therapy, research and clinical practices, as well as setting Standards has started. These standards follow regulatory practices which are similar to the clinical set up. However, Yoga therapy is an off-shoot of Yoga philosophy and practice, and only in recent years has empirical research been taken up to establish the scientific basis of Yoga interventions. The word, "Yoga" encompasses many techniques, processes and styles of practices. itis not possible to have a single identifiable component to establish as a standard intervention.

it is this unique feature of Yoga Therapy which harnesses many strategies to help a person, that makes it a multi-dimensional, holistic approach to care, which can be integrated as a lifestyle practice and a self empowering process in addressing health issues. The Yoga therapist has a unique role in influencing the health and wellbeing of a person, addressing issues at multiple dimensions. Personally, a practicing therapist is a teacher, coach and mentor and thus, goes beyond the boundary of a clinical role.

This project was initiated to share the therapeutic teaching experiences that have been part of my interactions with and observation of my Yoga teacher, Sri TKV Desikachar. The knowledge that | have in western psychology: prompted me to look for a way to integrate psychology and Yoga to optimize the therapy relationship in Yoga. An effort is made to incorporate some basic approaches and principles of a healing relationship that are essential in one-on-one Yoga therapy.

**Contents and Sample Pages**