Yoga Therapy vs. Yoga Class

Individual or small group settings

Focus on client and source of suffering

Promote self-empowerment and reduce dependence on the therapist's guidance

Co-active engagement, reflection, and discovery/learning toward salutogenesis

Defined scope of practice/clinical mastery developed through ongoing learning

Adaptations based on clients needs

Therapeutic relationship often built

Individuals or general audiences

Focus leading a series of poses, breath work & meditation for a general group

Often passive and dependent on the teachers instruction

Often passive and aimed at fixing a problem

Broad and loosely defined, often with limited depth

Adaptations based a few clients in the room, if teacher has time

Therapeutic sometimes built, quick turnover from class to class