Originally trained as a molecular biologist and research scientist, Dr Monro became deeply interested in the therapeutic potential of yoga in the 1970s after using yogic breathing to support his own asthma. This personal discovery sparked a lifelong commitment to exploring yoga’s clinical and scientific relevance, leading him to leave a significant and prestigious scientific career, during which he worked with the Nobel Prize–winning team of Watson and Crick.
His decision to step away from such a trajectory reflects the essence of Dr Monro: a man guided not by status or acclaim, but by a sincere desire to alleviate suffering and pursue work he believed truly mattered.
In 1983, Robin Monro founded the Yoga Biomedical Trust (YBT), the first organisation in the UK dedicated to researching the health benefits of yoga and developing therapeutic programmes. Under his leadership, in the same year, the YBT developed the first yoga therapy training in the Western world and became known for:
early clinical research into yoga for physical and mental health
collaboration with medical professionals and academic institutions
accessible therapeutic programmes for common conditions
His work established the field in the UK, bringing credibility, structure, and therapeutic clarity to a discipline that was not yet formally recognised there
Learn More About Contemporary Yoga Therapy
If you are looking for modern, evidence-based yoga therapy training, CPD, or therapeutic resources, please visit:
https://themindedinstitute.com
Dr Monro not only established yoga therapy as a credible, evidence-informed discipline, but in creating his own yoga therapy training programme, provided the basis for a generation of practitioners who were trained to a consistent, high standard and were able to shape the growth of yoga therapy as a respected and credible profession.
In 2007, shortly after completing her yoga therapy training, Heather Mason went to the Yoga Therapy Centre in London, where Dr Monro was based. There, he offered Heather her first professional opportunity and supported the very beginning of her work.
His steady encouragement in those early years strengthened Heather’s confidence and deepened her commitment to the field. From this foundation of support, she was later able to conceive of and develop The Minded Institute. Heather recalls that when she shared her intention to create a training school, Robin told her that teaching the field would require her to understand it far more profoundly, and that through teaching, she would come to know the work in a completely new way.
As The Minded Institute evolved, Heather continued to draw on Robin’s insight and wisdom. He taught lectures and workshops for the organisation and remained a trusted mentor, later becoming a colleague and friend. When she founded The Yoga in Healthcare Alliance, Dr Monro became a Trustee and contributed invaluable stability and perspective to its early development.
Given this history, when Robin Monro passed away in November 2024 at the age of 92, it was deeply meaningful that his family entrusted Heather, as Founder of The Minded Institute, with the Yoga Biomedical Trust. Their decision affirmed her commitment to continuing his legacy of innovation and deep integrity in the delivery of yoga therapy education and in advancing the scientific understanding of yoga’s efficacy. We hold this responsibility with profound respect, reverence, and gratitude.
Yoga therapy is the adaptation of yoga practices for people with health challenges. Yoga therapists prescribe specific regimens of postures, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques to suit individual needs. Medical research shows that Yoga therapy is among the most effective complementary therapies for several common ailments. The challenges may be an illness, a temporary condition like pregnancy or childbirth, or a chronic condition associated with old age or infirmity.
—Robin Monro, PhD, Yoga Biomedical Trust (UK)
Yoga therapy is the personalised, clinically informed application of yogic tools - movement, breathwork, meditation, and behavioural change - to support physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
It integrates traditional yoga practices and philosophy and values with contemporary understanding of physiology, psychology, and neuroscience, and medical insight to apply these tools in an evidence-based and compassionate fashion. Crucially, yoga therapy also centres on the therapeutic relationship built between client and therapist, recognising it as essential to meaningful transformation.
personalised movement and postural practices to support strength, flexibility, range of movement, balance, and recovery from injury
breathwork (prāṇāyāma) to bring balance to a host of systems of the body
mindfulness and meditation for attentional control, self-insight, and mental transformation
guided relaxation and somatic awareness building
lifestyle and behavioural tools to support the discipline needed for meaningful change
exploring meaning, values, and existential orientation to help clients live with greater coherence and purpose
Yoga therapy is typically delivered one-to-one or in small therapeutic groups and is designed to respond to specific health concerns or long-term conditions.
To learn about contemporary yoga therapy, you can visit The Minded Institute.
Yoga therapy adapts practices to the individual, using clinical reasoning insight and evidence-informed methods. It differs from general yoga classes by focusing on specific health needs and therapeutic goals.
Dr Robin Monro (1932–2024) was a pioneering figure in modern yoga therapy. He founded the Yoga Biomedical Trust in 1983 and helped establish early research and therapeutic programmes that shaped the field in the West.
The YBT was a UK charity dedicated to researching the therapeutic applications of yoga and offering accessible clinical programmes for common health conditions.
Heather Mason, founder of The Minded Institute, was guided by Dr Monro early in her career and continued to work with him after founding The Minded Institute. He offered lectures, insights, and inspiration. Upon his passing, the Yoga Biomedical Trust entrusted TMI with the care of YogaTherapy.org, in recognition of aligned values and a shared commitment to integrative, evidence-based yoga therapy.
The Minded Institute - What is Yoga Therapy?
The Minded Institute delivers one of the world’s most respected yoga therapy training programs, and is the only school in the world to be certified by the British Council of Yoga Therapists, the International Association of Yoga Therapists, and the National Council of Psychotherapists. You can read more about its yoga therapy training on its website.
