Yoga therapy uses a "bottom-up" approach compared to traditional psychotherapy, which uses a "top-down" approach. A top-down approach begins by addressing the mind—our narratives, thoughts, and feelings about our challenges—with the belief that changing our thoughts will lead to broader life changes. However, this approach can feel overwhelming, especially when dealing with difficult or traumatic experiences where verbalizing emotions might be challenging. In these cases, a "bottom-up" approach has been proven to be more effective.

In a bottom-up approach, the emphasis is on the body. It helps establish "islands of safety," or body-based self-regulation skills, so that we feel safe enough to eventually process our thoughts and feelings about our difficulties without getting overwhelmed. The wisdom in the bottom-up approach is that our body is body holds all our emotions and past experiences we haven’t yet healed from. The bottom-up approach allows us to find healing in a way that transcends language.