Category Archives: Yoga Therapy

Feeling Lighter After Yoga

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Had two students come up to me after yoga class (one with sciatica and one with back pain) and say they felt lighter and ready to “do stuff” so this photo seems appropriate. The average class actually may be asking you to overdo and over lengthen which can actually cause damage. While it seems like more is better with flexibility, this is not actually so. What I like about the Yapana® practice is that we don’t try to shout cues at people; we feel that the yoga mat is a place to take your muscles to school, sometimes retrain, sometimes rehab, sometimes repose – in other words, yogatherapy 🙂 …and it is a place to learn to relate to a spectrum of sensations. Then, having mastered the art of listening, to put into practice in your daily life…ahhh…there the benefits.  As always, I am available for private yoga classes to help you navigate your practice or learn ways to practice that will best suit you. And you can learn to relax  anytime with my Yoga Mind Cd (portable peacefullness)yoga = light

A yoga therapy breathing practice for joy

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celebrate what is rightThe breath is the link between the mind and the body; the key to finding the peace and joy that resides within. This is an exercise that anyone can do, you can do it at the end of your savasana, or meditation, or as a yoga break anytime.

Choose a comfortable set up for your practice. I have 3 different ones to choose from on my Yoga Mind cd. I was always told that palming the eyes creates a fresh perspective, it is also super important for our ‘staring into screens’ culture as it brings relaxation to the the eyes themselves as well as triggering a parasympathetic response in the nervous system.

Gently rub your palms together for about 15-30 seconds, feeling the warmth and visualizing it as healing energy.  Place your palms on the brow and cheekbones – as opposed to the sensitive eyeball area.  You can let the top throat pull up and back lightly and allow your head to be somewhat heavy into your hands. Tune into your breath, and let the thoughts and images fade into the palms as you feel the warmth from your breath passed back to you from the palms. Let your face feel hollow. When you are ready, let your eyes open from bottom to top and notice how you feel, how the breath feels. Focus in on any new sensations of release of tension, that is always a place of peace and joy.

If you would like any personal assistance, and to learn more breathing practices, I am available for workshops and private yoga classes

 

All you do is

 

Being Kind To Your Body Through Yoga

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“You have to learn how to listen to your body, going with it and not against it, avoiding all effort and strain and centering your attention on that very delicate point, the back of the waist (where the spine moves in two opposing directions). You will be amazed to discover that, if you are kind to your body, it will respond in an incredible way” ~ Vanda Scaravelli , Awakening The Spine

What a beautiful picture this is ~ flowers blossoming where the rib cage is and the pelvis mirrored as a butterfly. If we can learn, and I believe yoga therapy assists this, to open our body with mindful intentionality ~ whether that be with a well placed yoga prop, or just an acknowledgement that we don’t need to ‘attack’ asana, we get better results in the way of improved range of motion, ease and transformation of pain into peace.

Patience and perseverance matter as does practice (time and frequency)  Tissues will adapt according to the demands imposed on them.  That means any ‘stretch’ once a week probably won’t be sufficient  to counter the demands of the rest of the hours of the week.  Make sense? There is no fast track to flexibility, but this does not mean that all yoga therapy is ‘gentle’ however, it can be used as a treatment plan for a healthy and pain free body, or just for better performance in your daily life/sport etc.  Approach practice with kindness and you will be surprised at the benefits.

In reality, we are all individual and should be assessed and treated as such.   I’m available for private yoga classes to help you get on the right track for you.

the body as a miracle of nature

Here is How To Take A Yoga Break Right Now

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Learn simple yoga practices and adapt them to your surroundings and amount of time you have for practice.  I would advise to be cautious – it looks like she is throwing her head back, you want to lengthen the front body not throw the head back, but looks like a great option to do at your desk! Add a breathing practice and little relaxation and you have a little yoga break

seated sun salutations