What is Yoga Therapy, and how do you know if it's for you? (English version)
Biddy Messchaert 
Discover what Yoga Therapy is and how it can support your well-being. In this artic(with audio), Biddy shares how Yoga Therapy meets you where you are
Prefer to listen? Click here for the 6.5 minute audio version:
Maybe you've heard the term before—yoga therapy. I’ve mentioned it on the website and on social media quite a lot, but maybe you weren’t quite sure what it actually meant.
Is it like a private yoga class? Is it a form of counseling? Something for people with injuries?
I know the term can feel a little mysterious. So let me tell you a bit more about it.
Yoga Therapy is where we let yoga meet you—not the other way around.
There’s no need to fit into shapes or breathe or move differently than how you are right now. We let the practice meet you as you are, with whatever you’re carrying—physically, emotionally, or energetically.
Maybe you're dealing with pain, burnout, anxiety, grief, chronic illness, or fatigue.
Maybe you're simply craving a deeper connection to yourself.
Yoga Therapy creates space to explore what might support you. It’s a collaboration, where we look together at what’s happening in your body and your life, and how the past might be impacting your present. We slow down, we listen, and we create space for whatever is present. From there, we craft practices that meet you where you are.
Yoga—like yoga therapy—is about so much more than the poses.
The tradition of yoga is centuries old and includes many different tools: movement, meditation, breathwork, self-study, and the ways we relate to ourselves and others. That self-inquiry is part of the foundation of yoga—and it’s something we bring into Yoga Therapy as well.
Yoga Therapy blends this ancient tradition with modern science.
The training I did dove deep into trauma-informed approaches, medical understanding, and the psychological side of working with clients. It gave me tools to work safely and respectfully with many of the conditions people live with. And it taught me that knowing what we shouldn't do is just as important as knowing what we can.
Yoga Therapy isn’t about fixing, pushing, or performing.
It’s about reconnecting to your breath, your body, your nervous system.
(And just to clarify: nervous system regulation doesn’t mean you always need to be more relaxed. It means helping your system come back into balance—whether you’re dealing with low energy or overwhelm. It’s not a stationary state; it’s something that’s always in motion.)
At the heart of Yoga Therapy is being met with care and compassion, without judgment.
Your input and experience shape the sessions—we build it together.
And in all of my work, “no” is a complete sentence. If something doesn’t feel right for you, you don’t have to do it. You don’t have to explain. (Of course, you’re always welcome to, but you’ll never be asked to justify your choices.)
Each Yoga Therapy session is one-on-one. I work both online and in my cozy practice space in the Netherlands, on the border of Delft and Rijswijk. We talk, we move, we breathe, we rest. We drink tea. Sometimes we share a bit of chocolate. We work with what feels most present that day, while also keeping the bigger picture in mind. Together, we find practices to support you as you move through your life.
You don’t need any yoga experience.
You don’t need therapy experience.
You don’t need to be flexible.
You don’t need a yoga mat or yoga pants.
You just need your beautiful self and a willingness to begin.
If this speaks to something inside you, you can learn more about Yoga Therapy at yogawithbiddy.com/yoga-therapy, or book a free introduction call there.
And if you're curious but not quite ready? That’s okay too.
I’ll be sharing more in the coming months about what Yoga Therapy can look like.
So feel free to keep following along—and don’t hesitate to message me if you have any questions.
I look forward to talking to you again soon.
Until next time,
Biddy
Categories: : Article, blog, yoga therapy