Advancing The Profession of Yoga Therapy In Australia

Revisiting an Ongoing Conversation

When we first wrote on this topic last year, we highlighted the importance of defining yoga therapy as a profession and strengthening its place within the broader healthcare landscape. The conversation is no less important now – in fact, it is more relevant than ever. As yoga therapy continues to grow in visibility it is timely to bring these reflections back into the light, with some important updates.

Although yoga has a long history, yoga therapy – the application of yoga practices to meet individual health and wellbeing needs – remains less well known. While yoga nurtures and supports, yoga therapy is purposefully therapeutic. This distinction is crucial, particularly as more teachers invest time and resources in training as yoga therapists. Understandably, tensions can arise when the title “Yoga Therapist” is used without appropriate training, which underscores the need for clarifying the scope of practice of yoga therapy.

Since its founding in 1999, Yoga Australia has been central in shaping standards, ethics, and education for yoga teachers and therapists alike. In 2016, the organisation formally recognised yoga therapy as a specialist certification, creating an important framework for professional identity. Today, as the profession matures, we continue to refine what it means to practice yoga therapy responsibly, ethically, and inclusively.

Historically, yoga knowledge was transmitted through lineages and mentor-style apprenticeships, spanning many years. These traditional methods emphasised both depth and breadth in yogic training. These skills enabled teachers to work therapeutically with individuals well before “certification” or “accreditation” frameworks existed. While modern professional standards are essential, it is equally important to honour those who came before – those whose therapeutic skill arose from long, traditional, and often rigorous pathways of learning.

The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), founded in 1989, continues to provide global recognition of yoga therapists. In Australia, Yoga Australia has adopted an inclusive approach – recognizing both contemporary training programs and more traditional pathways – to ensure that our profession both honours its history and embraces modern frameworks.

One significant and exciting development since we published the first article on this topic is that Yoga Therapy has now been accepted back into the private health fund rebate scheme, with details currently being finalised for reinstatement. This is an important step forward for recognition of the profession and will enhance accessibility for clients seeking therapeutic support through yoga.

Why revisit this now? Because the aims of advancing yoga therapy are pressing and timely. Establishing a shared definition and professional presence matters for many reasons:

• To consolidate yoga therapy’s role as a respected and evidence-informed modality within holistic and allied health.
• To give allied health and medical practitioners confidence in referring clients.
• To improve accessibility through schemes like the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), ensuring equitable access for all Australians.
• To strengthen recognition by private health insurers.
• To ensure compliance with national and international standards, including professional development, first aid, and insurance.

These aims remain the same, but the need to articulate and embody them is greater than ever. As healthcare shifts toward integrated, holistic models, yoga therapy has the potential to make a unique and profound contribution to our nation’s health and wellbeing. To do so, we must be seen as professional, unified, and competent.

The hallmarks of a profession – specialised knowledge, autonomy, authority, and altruism – remain a compass for yoga therapists in Australia. By committing to high standards of training, ethical practice, research, and ongoing education, we not only protect the integrity of yoga therapy but also strengthen its capacity to serve communities in a modern healthcare environment.

As we revisit this conversation now, we extend an invitation to every yoga therapist to see themselves as part of this larger vision. Your engagement – whether through membership, working groups, research, or professional dialogue – helps shape the path forward. Together, we can ensure that yoga therapy in Australia continues to mature as a respected profession: grounded in tradition and integrity and equipped to meet the needs of the present day and the future of healthcare.