Phoenix Rising yoga therapy

Domain X · Body, movement, breath & physical · Michael Lee · 1986 · United States

What it is

Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy is a one-to-one mind-body practice founded in 1986 by Michael Lee (MA, Dip.Soc.Sci, Dip.T., C-IAYT, E-RYT 500), an Australian-born teacher and behavioural scientist who moved to the USA in 1984 and studied for two years at the Kripalu Center. It draws mainly on Kripalu…

Format

• PRYT is a single-practitioner method with a recurring session form rather than a staged protocol. No phase model with entry and exit criteria is set out in the published descriptions; the structure below is assembled from them with gaps marked.
• Formats

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• Training route (as sources state it; check current details with the school)
• Certification: three certificate levels, delivered online with in-person intensive retreats. An earlier description gives an eight-month distance-learning programme plus an applied practicum, 174 contact hours plus mentor supervision, training largely experiential, with topics including assisted postures, body psychology, dialogue techniques, breathing techniques and body mechanics. Hours and fees may have changed.
• Accreditation: the YogaUOnline overview states NBCC (National Board for Certified Counselors) accreditation; the PRYT page hosted by USABP describes one programme as an "IAYT accredited program" without naming the level. The International Association of Yoga Therapists' own accredited-programmes list (updated 26 February 2026) does not show a Phoenix Rising programme, and IAYT notes that some member schools have…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve intense or unusual breathing? Have you been told about the medical conditions for which that is not advised?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• breath-holding during postures, over-breathing, chest tightness. Working: the breath steadies naturally and the client uses it to stay present.
• a client who is spacey, tearful or unsteady at the door (extend grounding, delay departure). Working: the client is oriented, steady and clear about follow-up.
• reluctance to criticise a valued practitioner; your own pull to add touch to therapy without training or code permission. Working: concerns are named early and roles stay clear.
• the client seeking PRYT to avoid difficult therapeutic work, or as a substitute for medical care. Working: the client makes an informed, unpressured choice and knows they can stop.
• some clients find repetition irritating or condescending at first; explain its purpose, or reflect less often. Working: the client deepens or refines their description after a reflection.

Problems the guide addresses

• Client stays "in the head" or nothing seems to happen
• Irritation with the method (reflection, eyes closed, touch)
• Overwhelm, panic, flashback or dissociation
• Risk: suicidal thoughts, self-harm, psychosis or mania
• Physical pain or injury
• Touch-related difficulties
• Non-attendance or dropping out
• Rupture with the practitioner
• Confusion between PRYT and psychotherapy
• Spiritual or cultural material

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.