Physical therapy and yoga therapy can be complementary rather than competing approaches. Tiffany's method is to ask for the PT's exercise list and map those exercises into the correct yoga actions and associated asanas — so that both practices are working in the same direction. For many students, yoga therapy offers something PT cannot: a whole-body, breath-centered approach that addresses the nervous system's relationship to pain.
Mapping PT exercises into yoga
When a student is working with a physical therapist, Tiffany asks for the list of exercises the PT is recommending. She then takes those exercises and maps them into the correct actions and associated asanas in the yoga practice. A PT exercise for hip abductor strengthening, for example, maps directly into the action of the back leg in Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II). A core stabilization exercise maps into the engagement required in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) and all standing poses.
This approach means the student is not doing contradictory work in two different settings. The yoga practice supports and deepens what the PT is building, and the PT's targeted work reinforces the alignment principles of the yoga. Students who work in both modalities simultaneously often progress faster than those working in either alone.
"Yoga does not just work on the muscles — it works on the intelligence of the body."
— B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life
What yoga therapy offers beyond PT
Physical therapy is typically episodic — a course of treatment with a defined end point. Yoga therapy provides a sustainable daily practice that the student continues independently. The breath work, the alignment principles, and the somatic awareness developed in yoga therapy become tools the student carries for life.
Yoga therapy also addresses the nervous system's relationship to pain. Chronic pain involves not just tissue damage but also sensitization of the nervous system — the body learns to anticipate pain and guards against it, which can perpetuate the cycle even after the original injury has healed. Therapeutic yoga works with the breath and the parasympathetic nervous system to interrupt this cycle.
Frequently asked questions
Is yoga therapy the same as physical therapy?
They are similar in some respects — both work with the body's structure and function — but the approach is different. Physical therapy typically targets specific muscles or movements in isolation. Therapeutic yoga works with the whole body as an integrated system, using breath, alignment, and the relationship between body parts to address the root cause of pain, not just the symptom.
How does yoga therapy work alongside physical therapy?
Tiffany's approach is to ask for the PT's exercise list and map those exercises into the correct yoga actions and associated asanas. This means the student is doing complementary, not contradictory, work in both settings. The yoga practice supports and deepens what the PT is building.
What can yoga therapy offer that physical therapy cannot?
Yoga therapy addresses the nervous system's relationship to pain, the breath's role in recovery, and the whole-body postural patterns that may be contributing to the injury. It also provides a sustainable daily practice that the student can continue independently, which extends the benefit of the therapeutic work.
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Tiffany Bergin
C-IAYT · CIYT · Iyengar Yoga Teacher · Functional Nutritionist
Tiffany is a certified yoga therapist and Iyengar yoga teacher based in Minnesota. She works with people navigating chronic pain, digestive health, hormonal shifts, and the stress of daily life — bringing together therapeutic yoga, functional nutrition, and somatic practice into individualized care. Learn more →