Last reviewed on 11 September 2026.
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This guide explains how yoga therapy differs from yoga teaching, which to study first, and what a yoga therapy course should honestly teach. NNWA runs both, so its view is not neutral.
What is the difference between a yoga teacher and a yoga therapist?
A yoga teacher leads classes for groups, usually of generally healthy people, adapting poses where needed but working to a shared sequence. A yoga therapist works with individuals or small groups with specific health concerns, assessing each person and building a practice around their condition, their limitations and their goals. The teacher's skill is leading a class safely. The therapist's skill is assessing a person and designing a practice for them.
| Yoga teacher | Yoga therapist | |
|---|---|---|
| Works with | groups, usually of generally healthy people | individuals or small groups with specific health concerns |
| Core skill | leading a class safely to a shared sequence | assessing a person and designing a practice for them |
| A session looks like | a class, with adaptations where needed | a long conversation, an assessment, then a short personal practice |
| Comes when | as the first qualification | after teacher training and a stretch of teaching |
Which should you take first?
Teacher training, for almost everyone. Yoga therapy builds on a solid foundation of asana, pranayama, anatomy and teaching skill, and most therapy training assumes you already have it. Teaching general classes for a period also gives you experience of how real bodies respond to yoga, which is essential before working therapeutically. NNWA's 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training costs 24,999 rupees, and our comparison of 200 and 400 hour training explains the levels.
What does yoga therapy training teach?
The foundations of yoga therapy, how to assess a client therapeutically, how to adapt yoga for common health concerns such as back pain, stress, sleep and lifestyle conditions, breath and relaxation techniques used therapeutically, how to modify practice for different limitations, and the ethics and scope of the role. NNWA's Yoga Therapy course covers these areas over three months at an advanced level, costing 29,999 rupees reduced from 39,999, with EMI from 5,000 rupees a month.
Is yoga therapy a medical treatment?
No, and a good course is clear about this. Yoga therapy is a complementary practice that can support people alongside their medical care, not a replacement for it. It does not diagnose, and yoga therapists should not advise clients to stop medicines or delay medical treatment. Research has found benefits of yoga for some conditions, such as chronic low back pain and some aspects of anxiety and quality of life, but the evidence varies by condition and much of it is modest. Honest yoga therapists present what they offer as support, not cure.
Why must yoga therapists work with doctors?
Because the clients who seek yoga therapy often have conditions that need medical management, and some yoga practices are unsafe in certain conditions. Inversions can be risky with high blood pressure or glaucoma. Some twists and forward bends need care after spinal surgery. Vigorous breathing practices may not suit people with heart conditions or pregnancy. A yoga therapist should ask about diagnoses and medicines, work within the doctor's advice, and refer when symptoms change or worsen.
How is yoga therapy recognised internationally and in India?
Internationally, the International Association of Yoga Therapists accredits yoga therapy training programmes and certifies therapists, with requirements built around substantial training hours beyond basic teacher training. In India, yoga therapy is taught through a range of routes, from university degrees in yoga therapy offered by some institutions to shorter professional courses. Degree programmes in naturopathy and yogic sciences also include yoga therapy. What matters for you is whether a course's depth matches the work you intend to do.
Who should take a yoga therapy course?
Experienced yoga teachers who want to work with students' specific health concerns, physiotherapists and other health professionals who want to add yoga to their practice, and people working in wellness settings such as retreats and rehabilitation centres. It is not a first course for someone new to yoga. If your aim is to lead general classes, a teacher training is enough, and a therapy course would be more than you need.
What does a yoga therapy session look like?
Usually one-to-one, starting with a detailed conversation about the person's health, symptoms, medicines, daily life and goals, followed by an assessment of how they move and breathe. The therapist then designs a short personal practice, often much simpler than a class, that the person can do at home. Follow-up sessions review progress and adjust the practice. The emphasis is on what the person can realistically do every day, not on advanced poses.
How a session runs
Almost none of this looks like a class. The aim is a practice the person can actually do at home, most days.
Talk first, at length
Health, symptoms, medicines, daily life and what they want from it. Much of what matters comes out here rather than on the mat.
Watch how they move and breathe
An assessment, not a test. It sets the limits the practice has to respect.
Design something short
Often far simpler than a class, built for the time and space they really have between work and family.
Review and adjust
Follow-up sessions check what happened, and anything worsening goes back to the doctor rather than into the next sequence.
How does yoga therapy differ from physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is a regulated health profession with degree-level training, focused on assessing and treating movement problems and injuries, often in clinical settings. Yoga therapy draws on yoga's methods, including breath, relaxation and mindful movement, to support wellbeing and specific concerns. The two can complement each other well, and some physiotherapists add yoga to their practice. A yoga therapist should not present themselves as a physiotherapist or treat injuries that need physiotherapy.
Can yoga therapy help with stress and mental health?
It can support people with stress, and there is some evidence for benefits in anxiety and mood, particularly from breathing and relaxation practices. It is not a treatment for mental illness, and people with depression, anxiety disorders or trauma need qualified mental health professionals. A yoga therapist can work alongside them. Our guide to mindfulness coach certification covers a related skill set and its limits.
What about prenatal yoga?
Prenatal yoga is its own specialism, with specific safety considerations for pregnancy and the postnatal period. It overlaps with yoga therapy in its individual attention but has its own training. Our guide to prenatal yoga teacher training explains what to look for.
What should you ask before paying for a yoga therapy course?
What prior training does it require? How many hours of therapeutic practice and case work are included, and who supervises them? Which conditions does it cover, and does it teach contraindications for each? Does it teach working with doctors and referral? Who teaches it, and do they practise as yoga therapists? A course that promises to make you a therapist in a few weeks without teacher training first is not preparing you for the responsibility involved.
How do yoga therapists find work in India?
Through private one-to-one sessions, wellness centres, retreats, hospitals and rehabilitation centres with integrative programmes, corporate wellness, and online sessions. Building relationships with local doctors and physiotherapists is often the most reliable source of clients, because they refer patients who would benefit. A clear statement of what you offer and what you refer on makes those relationships easier to build.
Does nutrition knowledge help a yoga therapist?
Considerably, since many of the conditions clients bring, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, weight concerns and digestive problems, respond to diet as well as to movement and breath. A yoga therapist with sound nutrition knowledge can offer more complete support, within the limits of their training. The case for adding food knowledge to yoga practice is set out in yoga and nutrition courses.
The honest summary
Yoga teacher training prepares you to lead general classes safely; yoga therapy training prepares you to work with individuals and their health concerns. Take teacher training first, teach for a while, and add therapy training when you are ready to take on that responsibility. Choose a therapy course that is honest about evidence and firm about working with doctors.