"My Physical Therapist Said I Should Do Yoga… Now What?"

“My physical therapist said I should do yoga… now what?”

Pain, medical conditions, or a desire to fine-tune health and wellness bring many people to yoga. But when a medical provider — a physical therapist, a doctor — recommends yoga to a patient, it's worth listening. It means they see something in your situation that yoga can support.

It also raises an immediate question: now what? A recommendation isn't a plan. And the gap between "you should try yoga" and actually practicing in a way that helps rather than hurts is wider than most people realize.

I've spent years working in that gap. For four years I operated my practice inside a physical therapy clinic, receiving referrals directly from PTs for patients transitioning out of clinical care. That experience — plus my training as a Yoga Medicine® Therapeutic Specialist — shaped everything I'm about to share.

Start by asking your provider the right questions

Before you search for a class or a teacher, go back to the provider who made the recommendation and ask:

Why yoga, specifically, for me? Their answer gives you a focal point. "To rebuild hip stability" leads somewhere very different than "to support your nervous system and stress recovery."

What should I avoid? Ask about contraindications — particular movements, positions, loads, or even breathing patterns they don't recommend for your situation. A good teacher will want this information, and you are the bridge that carries it.

Do you know a yoga teacher who works with providers like you? Many PTs and doctors keep a referral list of trusted wellness professionals. A teacher who already understands how to function as part of a care team is worth their weight in gold.

Why private sessions first

If you're recovering from injury or surgery, or you're new to yoga with a medical condition in the picture, I strongly recommend beginning with private sessions rather than a public or online class.

Here's why, from years of doing this work: a group exercise class instructions — however skilled the cueing is, is meant for a general, able bodied population most of the time, not your healing body. They don't know your surgical history, your pain patterns, or the difference between productive sensation and a warning sign for you. In a private session, all of that is exactly what we work with. A skilled teacher can adapt every element of the practice around your needs, give you real-time feedback, and build your confidence so that when you do join group classes, you arrive knowing how to practice for your own body.

This stage — between provider discharge and independent, long-term movement — is precisely where people either build a sustainable practice or get re-injured and conclude yoga "isn't for them." This deserves our attention.

What to look for in a therapeutic yoga teacher

Not all yoga training prepares a teacher for this work. If you have an injury history or a health condition in play, look for a teacher who:

has advanced training in therapeutic application — anatomy, injury education, and the ability to conduct a real evaluation of your needs, not just a quick chat before class

knows how to recognize red flags — and understands when something is outside their scope and needs to go back to your provider

prepares well: asks you detailed questions, listens, takes notes, and designs the practice specifically for you rather than fitting you into a pre-set sequence

documents your sessions and, with your permission, communicates with your provider about progress and programming (your privacy is protected — no medical charts or private health information are shared)

understands clearly that yoga teachers are not medical providers, and works as a complement to your care team, not a replacement for it

believes in yoga's research-backed therapeutic value while being honest that it is not a cure-all

will refer you to someone else when that's what's best for you

That last one matters more than people think. A teacher who wants the best for your health journey — rather than simply retaining you as a client — is the one you want.

Yoga can meet you exactly where you are

Starting yoga after an injury or diagnosis can feel daunting. But this is exactly what therapeutic yoga is built for: it meets the individual, adapts to the body in front of it, and provides benefits that continue well beyond the clinic — strength, mobility, nervous system regulation, body awareness, and a steadier relationship with your own health.

The recommendation from your provider was the first step. Finding the right support is the second. The practice itself is the rest of your life.

I offer 1:1 private therapeutic yoga and personal training with a focus on post-physical therapy exercise progression and return-to-exercise programming. As a Yoga Medicine® Therapeutic Specialist, I work collaboratively with physical therapists and medical providers, including session documentation and provider communication when appropriate. Online programs and resources are here too. Reach out anytime.