There has long been a controversy within yoga spaces.  What makes us qualified to do what we do?  What makes us able to guide people through movement practices, breathing techniques, meditation sessions, and talk about the underlying living principles of yoga when much of what we do could qualify as “therapeutic” in modality.

Well many years ago an organization called the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) sought to discuss this.  They credentialed skilled yoga teachers and created a new profession called yoga therapy.  We not have 1,000s of certified yoga therapists worldwide and our “emerging profession” seems to have started to bloom.

But does this solve the challenge of deciding who is qualified to be a “therapist”?

Enter my friend John Cottrell, a licensed counselor, a yoga therapist, and a passionate teacher of vinyasa-style yoga.  John has written books, contributed to many journals, and if I am being honest, possibly has more irons in the yoga fire than I do.  

John and I discuss two things on this episode I want to highlight.  First, is how comfortable yoga therapists can be talking about the therapeutic side of their jobs.  We often couch ourselves as skilled yoga teachers and nothing more, even though we have spent a lot of time and money training to attain the C-IAYT title (that means we are certified by the IAYT)

John and I also talk about community, and creating and holding sacred the connections we have with each other.  Be in in creating a teaching collective like John and friend have in Salt Lake City, or in creating professional connections within our yoga teaching landscape.

I know you are going to love my conversation with John as much as I did.

RESOURCES.

John Cottrell’s Website: http://www.johncottrell.com/

John’s Clothing Line: https://mbody.com/

John’s Baking Adventures: http://www.onecakewonder.com/

Mosaic Yoga Collective in Salt Lake City, UT: https://mosaicyoga.squarespace.com/

Working In Yoga’s Website: www.workingingyoga.com

The International Association of Yoga Therapists: www.iayt.org