Whats the Difference: Yoga Classes v Therapeutic Yoga v Yoga Therapy?
This is a common question, and you are quite right to be unsure. Lets dig into it.
First thing to say, its a continuing, there are no absolutes.
Yoga Classes – A shared practice for everyday wellbeing
A general yoga class is what most people first step into. It’s a group experience, guided by a teacher, moving through a sequence of postures, breath, and rest.
Yoga classes can be flowing and energising, or slow and deeply calming — but they usually share the intention of supporting overall wellbeing, mobility, and mental clarity.
They’re wonderful when:
- your body feels generally okay
- you want to feel stronger, more flexible, or more grounded
- you enjoy moving and breathing alongside others
Classes bring rhythm, routine, and community. But generally they are not designed to work with personal injuries, health conditions, or deeper nervous-system patterns.
Therapeutic Yoga Classes – Gentle, supportive, and intentionally accessible
Therapeutic yoga classes are still group classes — but they’re purposefully paced and shaped to be supportive for people who are tired, stressed, in pain, recovering, or simply needing something kinder on the nervous system.
You can expect:
- much slower movement, more time to feel and adjust
- lots of choice: props, variations, rest whenever needed
- breath-led sequences that prioritise safety and ease
- emphasis on down-regulation (calming the stress response)
- space for grounding, relaxation, and nervous system support
Such a class is ideal if you:
- live with persistent tension, pain, fatigue, or overwhelm
- are returning after illness/injury, or feeling vulnerable
- want yoga that meets you gently, without pressure
Therapeutic classes can be deeply healing, but they’re still not a substitute for in person Yoga Therapy if your needs are complex or very specific.
Yoga Therapy – Personalised, 1:1 support for lasting change
Yoga therapy is a tailored approach, usually delivered one-to-one. It uses the tools of yoga — movement, breathwork, meditation, mindful awareness, lifestyle support — to create a plan that fits your body, your nervous system, and your life.
It’s less about “doing a class” and more about building your own yoga and wellbeing toolkit.
You can expect:
- a compassionate conversation about your history, symptoms, and goals
- gentle assessment of posture, movement patterns, breath, and stress response
- a personalised practice plan – short, realistic, and sustainable
- support over time, with adjustments as you progress
- tools to use at home to build confidence, agency and autonomy
Yoga Therapy can help when:
- have a specific condition, injury, or recovery journey
- feel stuck in chronic stress/anxiety patterns
- need a careful, individual approach (physically or emotionally)
- want structure, continuity, and a plan you can actually follow
Yoga Therapy can sit alongside medical care, counselling, physiotherapy, and other treatments, or in some cases it can stand alone.
