An Oak Bay yoga studio has found itself in a unique position.
Ajna Yoga has become one of the first schools in the world to be accredited for yoga therapy.
“Yoga therapy is using yoga to help rehabilitate,” said Jules Payne, the co-owner and director of teacher training at Ajna.
“It’s sort of been talked about for the last 20 years but before then there was no set process in the same way there is for massage therapy or physiotherapy or chiropractic.”
Ajna Yoga has become one of the first 11 schools in the world to receive accreditation from the International Association of Yoga Therapists, joining other Canadian schools in Vancouver and Toronto.
“We were really proud when we were at the conference last year that we had three from Canada,” said Payne.
She estimates more than 100 students have graduated or are presently in the teaching program at Ajna, with about 100 people a week taking part in the therapy sessions at the studio.
“We do all therapeutic classes so every teacher at the studio is trained in yoga therapy,” said Payne. “All of our classes in some way are therapeutic.”
She said they have been running their training program since 2008, moving from Victoria to the current location on Theatre Lane in Oak Bay in September 2012.
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