Yoga Therapy

YOU & ME Yoga Therapy is for teaching People with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities. It is suitable for clients of all abilities right across the age range, including special babies to the elderly with mild learning disabilities to profound and multiply disabled. 

The system was devised by Maria Gunstone over the past three decades, with support from various professional people and organisations involved in yoga and/or special needs in both UK and India.

Having suffered multiple injuries in 1972 from a serious car accident, through diligent yoga practice I managed to regain my strength and good health. Personally experiencing how much yoga is a worthwhile self-help therapy! I actually started teaching yoga to disabled people in 1978.

In 1984 I won a Churchill Fellowship ‘to investigate the therapeutic value of yoga for disabled people in India.’ Where I met and studied with some of the greatest yoga masters including Yogacharyas Iyengar, Gitananda, Janikiraman Yogendra, Bhole, Desikachar and Dr Gharote. A record of my Indian experience and investigation is published in ‘The Origin of the YOU & ME Yoga System’.

YOU & ME Yoga has now evolved into a highly specialised and sophisticated system, which allows the teacher to select yoga techniques precisely to meet the needs and abilities of individuals and groups with learning disabilities, allowing them to get the very most from their yoga therapy experience.

The training programme is competence-based with criteria clearly set out. It is accompanied by a set of training materials and ongoing assessment. This means each candidate’s learning experience is monitored to ensure they get the very best from both the YOU & ME course and can learn as much as possible from me. I have no doubt this will translate into increased confidence and ability to teach yoga to people with learning disabilities, as well as meet required occupational standards.

This programme is suitable for qualified Yoga Teachers and trainee yoga teachers wishing to teach individuals and small groups with special needs.