Gary Kraftsow

Yoga Therapy: Ancient Insights for Modern Healing

Categorie(s): Health and Wellness,

When: Monday, May 17, 2021

Time: 6:45 to 7:45 am PST

Although yoga therapy is a new and emerging profession in the modern world, its roots reach back thousands of years into Vedic teachings and science. From the depth of their own inner journey, the Ancients brought forth profound insights into the nature of the human condition, as well as extensive teachings and powerful practices about understanding and transforming suffering at every level. Yoga therapy has a vital role to play in redressing the modern Western health care crisis. That role, in part, is helping to shift the paradigm from one based on illness and practitioner-oriented care to a paradigm based on wellness and self-care.

The orientation of yoga therapy is to treat the whole person, seeking to change attitudes and actions that inhibit the natural healing process, and cultivate attitudes and actions that support it. The starting point in this approach is understanding and refining the inner spheres— thoughts, feelings, and behavior — from which place we can improve our relationship with the other spheres and hence the overall quality of our lives.

Gary will talk about the two essential elements in this process: viyoga and samyoga. Viyoga literally means “separation.” In the context of yoga therapy, viyoga refers to the process of separating ourselves from whatever is undesirable in our lives. As an eliminative process, it involves purification of both mind and body. It also involves letting go of unhealthy attachments, giving up self-destructive behavior, and breaking detrimental relationships. This is accomplished by working within the inner spheres, utilizing specific methods to mitigate distortions of mood, thought, and behavior; balancing sympathetic/parasympathetic function; and reducing or eliminating musculoskeletal or neuromuscular stress that may be contributing to ANS dysfunction.

Samyoga literally means “linking together.” In the context of yoga therapy, samyoga refers to the process of connecting to whatever is positive and productive in our lives. It involves the development of mental qualities such as kindness, courage, patience, and compassion. It also involves establishing appropriate priorities, practicing virtues, and cultivating positive relationships.

Gary will discuss the tremendous opportunity the yoga community has to bring forward these teachings in a credible and legitimate way.

Speaker Bio: For over 30 years, Gary Kraftsow has been a pioneer in the transmission of yoga for health, healing, and personal transformation. He began his study of yoga in India with T.K.V. Desikachar in 1974. Read full bio »