By Kristy Hocking
Before wellness became commercially mainstream, it’s hard to imagine a practice so powerful sitting on the fringe.
There was a time where yoga was passed down exclusively, guru to private student.
These days there is a studio on every corner in major metropolises, and an endless stream of options online. The oversaturation, and under regulation, of yoga and various natural therapies led to an investigation into their effectiveness by the Australian government.
In 2019 the Australian government health reforms determined that general yoga and Pilates should be excluded from extras coverage in private health cover based on a Natural Therapies Review, alongside many other therapies.
It was found that there was not enough critical evidence to support yoga’s effectiveness.
Alma Yoga studio founder and teacher Alex Cogley knows first-hand the profound benefit of yoga.
“For me it has been more about emotional support, particularly in challenging times,” said Cogley. “Being able to come back into my body and breathe is life changing. On a physical level – yes, (yoga is) a part of a rehab program.”
Long before lululemon dominated athleisurewear and YouTube workout influencers, I found myself fumbling through this 5000-year-old practice under the harsh fluorescents of our high school gym.
I was grieving the death of a friend, totally unaware of the proverbial toe I was dipping in and felt the immediate calming effects on my nervous system.
While the public-school curriculum didn’t fully pique my curiosity on the wonders of this ancient wisdom, it did instigate a lifelong therapy, far exceeding the physical.
Sunil Taylor, a yoga teacher and student of over a decade, details the effect of the practice – physically, mentally and emotionally.
“The physical postures each are designed to create a specific impact on the body,” said Taylor. “This impact is not limited to physical benefits but also more subtle effects. Personally, the principles of Tapas (Discipline), Ahimsa (non-harming) and Svadyaya (self-study) have had a great impact on my life.”
At 19 I was misdiagnosed with depression. A common experience with many young women whose ADHD symptoms go unchecked through their formative years.
Prescribed antidepressants within a half-hour GP appointment, it did not take long for me to seek other solutions, experiencing a total numbing effect from the medication.
It was at the Coogee Diggers gym that I humbly recalled the power of the practice for my mental state. Legs shaking in warrior two, I glanced at my mostly retired fellow students who all seemed calm and steady.
A decade spanning from high school to local RSLs, to the foothills of Runyon Canyon, I had found my holistic practice to build strength, alleviate physical pain and address the chaos of my mind.
The physical and philosophical equally healing.
Having taught for 20 years, Cogley has witnessed endless change at Alma Yoga, observing yoga’s effect on students as “notably reducing stress, building confidence, feeling good, finding clarity and calm, offering a safe haven, and finding a community of like-minded people”.
In 2024 The Natural Therapy Review Expert Advisory Panel (NTREAP) and the Natural Therapies Working Committee (NTWC) were established to examine the clinical evidence required for certain therapies to continue receiving private health insurance rebates.
Sarah Ball, a yoga and mental health educator and social worker, has advocated for decades in the health space.
“Yoga has supported me through anxiety, depression, burnout and physical injury in ways that are both practical and difficult to fully explain,” said Ball. “There have been seasons where it offered relief and grounding, and others where it simply helped me stay connected to myself and the world while things still felt painful, uncertain or unfinished.”
After many studies yoga, Pilates, Alexander technique, naturopathy, Shiatsu, tai chai and western herbal medicine recently found their way back into private health insurance extras policy.
“I believe it is very important for there to be regulations around the use of the term ‘yoga’,” Taylor said. “I have observed that many different types of yoga being offered such as beer yoga, goat yoga and several other strange variations. These significantly deter from the yoga teaching – a step-by-step path starting with providing guidelines for daily life.”
Every day, 14 Australians aged 65 and over will die from a fall, according to the Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre at Neuroscience Research Australia, with a further 364 people hospitalised.
The loss of balance, muscle and bone density becomes a dangerous slope for the ageing population particularly women.
As a trauma-sensitive educator, health-focused yoga teacher and trainer, and body-positive counsellor specialising in eating disorder recovery, Ball has changed the minds and lives of students seeking to feel better alongside developing the necessary nuanced skills for the next generation of teachers.
“I think it’s really important that people can access supportive, evidence-informed practices without them being available only to those with financial privilege. At the same time, I think it’s valuable that recognition continues to include nuance around scope of practice, accessibility and the reality that yoga isn’t a cure-all, even while it can be deeply supportive alongside broader care.”
Chronic pain is a complex condition that is often under addressed by conventional treatment. It affects over 3.4 million Australians at a cost to the economy of over $144 billion annually through direct health system expenditures, productivity loss and informal care.
There is a strong link between lower socio-economic areas and high rates of chronic pain conditions due to a higher risk of injuries environmentally and lack of financial support to heal.
“I think yoga can offer meaningful support within disability and community health spaces, particularly around connection, agency, regulation, embodiment and social belonging,” Ball said. “And alongside that potential, we also need ongoing conversations about ethics, accessibility, trauma awareness, cultural humility and the diverse ways people experience bodies and movement.”
Though more critical work is to be done in the complex assessment of policy work and accessible therapies, this is a powerful acknowledgement for yoga.
Organisations such as Yoga for Good Foundation, A Sound Life and The Yoga Foundation all create opportunities for those seeking mental and physical support through yoga.
Private Health Insurers like AHM are dubbing the re-inclusion of “Natty T’s” or natural therapies as officially back. You’ll need a diagnosed health condition and a recommendation from your health provider to claim yoga, Pilates and other natural therapies in your extras covers.
Featured image: Yoga benefits go far beyond the physical. Photo: Christine Aldridge
