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The Relevance of Yoga Therapy as a Complementary Therapy to Conventional Medicine - A Personal Reflection.
- theholdingspacecol
- May 5
- 4 min read
Dear Reader,
I am writing to you today not just as a yoga therapist, but as someone who has had their own journey through the healthcare system and came out somewhat jaded. Earlier this year, I found myself in the very system I have only ever seen from the outside. The last time I had been this close to it was in 2018 when a virus landed me in the intensive care unit (ICU). But this time, it was different. Chronic diarrhea, unexplained weight loss, and an unshakable sense of fatigue led me scrambling to seek answers.
I had tests, scans, procedures, and multiple doctor visits - all in the pursuit of a diagnosis. Yet, the result was always the same: they could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong, except that my gut was inflamed. That was it. No real answers.
What struck me the most during those months was not just the ambiguity of the diagnosis but the way I was treated. The doctors were kind, but the visits were rushed. No real questions about my life - or my emotional or psychological well-being, which, to be honest, plays such a huge role in our physical health.
I felt invisible, unheard, as if my voice did not matter when it came to my health. I was a cluster of symptoms, a case to be solved. Conventional medicine, as vital as it is in diagnosing and treating physical ailments, often focuses primarily on symptoms, diagnosis, and medication. It is a system built around finding solutions to problems that are usually seen in isolation. But what about the emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of our health? What happens when those pieces are ignored?
For me, the missing link became so clear: we are more than just our symptoms. We are complex beings with histories, emotions, and experiences that influence our well-being in ways the healthcare system often fails to address.
This is where alternative therapies, like yoga therapy, can be effective.
Yoga therapy offers something different. It is not just about fixing a symptom; it is about embracing you as a whole person and addressing the root causes of dis-ease, not just the surface-level discomfort. Working in small groups or one-on-one, yoga therapy allows for individualised attention, giving you the space to be seen, heard, and nurtured.
Yoga therapy sees you as a whole being - not just a physical body, but a layered and interconnected system of mind, body, breath, and spirit. When imbalance arises in one layer, it does not stay contained. It sends ripples through your entire system. True healing begins when we recognise and tend to all of who we are.
I invite you to consider this: When was the last time your doctor truly asked you about your emotional or psychological health, as it related to your physical symptoms? When was the last time you were given the space to address not just your illness, but your overall wellbeing, as a whole person?
As we continue to navigate this world of medicine - where diagnoses can feel impersonal and treatment can be one-size-fits-all - it’s time we ask ourselves: Are we part of a larger system that is more focused on capitalising on our conditions than truly helping us heal? And if so, how do we reclaim our health in a way that nourishes all parts of who we are?
There is no single path to health. When something within us whispers that the current way is not working, it might be time to pause and consider alternative directions. To wonder, gently, if there is another way - one that invites healing rather than simply managing symptoms.
It takes courage to remain curious, to resist being placed in a box and expect to stay there. Yes, doctors offer answers, but we must also ask: are those answers always the full story? Or have we, in the noise and rush, lost touch with our own inner compass - that quiet, intuitive wisdom of the body? Perhaps healing begins when we choose to listen again, and to seek from a place of presence rather than prescription.
The Outcome for Me
In the end, I walked away without a diagnosis. Over time, I began to understand something deeper: perhaps I did not need a diagnosis to know what my body was trying to tell me. My symptoms were not random; they were messengers. My body, in its quiet wisdom, was asking me to pay attention to the layers beneath the surface. To the grief I had not named, the transitions I had not fully processed, the pace I had not slowed. Since then, my gut has returned to a more balanced state - not because of a prescription, but because I began tending to myself differently. With more awareness. More compassion and patience.
Curious about how yoga therapy could support your wellbeing?
I offer a free 60-minute consultation where we explore what is present for you and whether this path feels right. You can book here:
More about Yoga Therapy and Digestive Health:
With Warmth and Care,
Surayya Hassan - The Holding Space
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