One-on-one yoga therapy with Darin Somma (Yogeshwar), IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist.
The scope of yoga therapy is much broader than most people realize. Beyond musculo-skeletal complaints, it offers rejuvenative support for every organ of the body and every system of function within it — and it has been a real aid to those working with chronic conditions: chronic fatigue, hormonal imbalance, and the mental states of depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsion. It can help medicines work more efficiently, and it can help the body come off of them.
Properly practiced, yoga is profound medicine. Ten or twenty minutes a day, in some cases, is enough.
The work is always individualized. It treats the whole person and seeks to create the balance from which the body and mind heal themselves.
If you don't see your condition named here, write — yoga therapy often helps where conventional care has run thin.
A number of clients have been able to avoid recommended surgeries through a consistent practice — always working in coordination with their physician.
Yoga therapy works alongside — not instead of — conventional medical care. It can help treatments work more efficiently and support the body through recovery.
"The real doctor is you. Your doctor is your health consultant. If either of these points is forgotten, you pay the price."
Darin views his primary role as a therapist as one of deep listening. He works with you to understand your situation holistically — not just physically. He then seeks to connect you with practices and healing modalities he has encountered through decades of study, offering fair assessments of what modern research has shown alongside what we know has worked for thousands of years. The goal is maximal empowerment for you to manage your own healing journey.
No standard protocol. The practice is shaped to your constitution, your condition, and the rhythm of your life. The same diagnosis in two people often calls for two entirely different practices.
The symptom is never treated in isolation from the person. Body, breath, mind — and the larger questions: what this illness may be asking of you, and what it means in the context of your life and journey. Throughout, the body's own wisdom is the primary guide.
Techniques are chosen so you can do them independently — usually ten to twenty minutes a day. Lifestyle recommendations are just that — take or leave what resonates.
Over twenty years using the techniques of yoga therapy to help individuals heal themselves of a wide range of conditions. IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist and a teacher who relies on these practices for his own healing.
Schedule a therapy consult directly below. The first session is where Darin listens carefully to what you're working with and proposes a practice. Sessions are available in person in the D.C. / Maryland area or online worldwide.
Where indicated, Darin works with two carefully selected product lines that pair well with a therapeutic yoga practice.
A line of 100% organic, wild-foraged botanicals from a master herbalist who cares deeply about source, quality, and purity. Whole-plant tinctures use organic grape ethanol as the menstruum; honeys and oils are organic and from pure sources. The synergistic action of the whole plant — rather than an isolated compound — is the point.
View the BBB inventory →Darin is an authorized distributor of Theraben — a line of unique topical products called "Calm Balm" by health practitioners. The ingredients are simply organic oils, but a proprietary process renders them active. Hundreds of cases document benefits including reduction of chronic pain, accelerated wound healing, and increased flexibility. It really opens up your yoga practice! Ask about a free sample!
Learn about Theraben →If you have a physical, chronic, or mental health condition that you'd like to support with a careful, individualized practice, almost certainly yes. The clearest way to know is to book a consult — Darin listens deeply to what you're working with and, if it's not a good fit, will tell you so plainly and point you elsewhere.
The initial session involves a full intake process, usually 1.5-2 hours. Most follow up therapy consults run between 30-60 min. There is a free ten-minute consult option to see if this is the right fit for you.
That depends on the condition. Some people come in for a single consult, receive a tailored daily practice of ten to twenty minutes, and continue on their own. Others meet regularly for weeks or months as the practice evolves with them. Darin will give you an honest recommendation.
It is not a substitute for medical care, and Darin will not direct you to stop a medication. What yoga therapy can do is support medicines so they work more efficiently, and — when the goal is to come off of a medication under a doctor's guidance — help the body rebuild the balance that makes that possible.
First sessions begin with a careful conversation about your history, your current condition, and your goals — and a look at how you move and breathe. From there, Darin designs a small, sustainable practice for you to take home shaped to your condition. Follow-up sessions usually adjust the practice as the body responds. There may also be some guided practices only done during the session. The goal is to maximally empower you to be in charge of your own healing.
Both. In-person sessions are available in the Washington D.C. / Maryland area. Online sessions run on Zoom and are available anywhere in the world. The intake is the same either way, but certain therapy assessments and techniques can only be done in person. Darin estimates that about 90% of what is capable in-person is capable online, and will let you know if an in-person session is indicated.
Where indicated by a consult, botanical tinctures from BBB or Theraben products may be suggested as a complement to the yoga therapy. In addition to having powerful clinical applications, Theraben is a wonderful product for anyone seeking to deepen their yoga practice.
If you'd like to know whether yoga therapy is right for you — or you'd rather write a few sentences before scheduling — send a note. Every message is read.
yogeshwar@sriyoga.comHealth Disclaimer. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional for any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard the advice of a medical professional, or delay in seeking it, because of something you have read on this website. Yoga therapy is complementary, not a substitute for medical care.