Yoga therapy is the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through the application of the teachings and practices of yoga. The yoga tradition views humans as a multidimensional system that includes all aspects of body, breath, mind, intellect, and emotions—and their mutual interaction. Yoga therapy is founded on the basic principle that intelligent practice can positively influence the direction of change within these human dimensions, which are distinct from an individual’s unchanging nature or spirit.

 

The goals of yoga therapy include: eliminating, reducing, and/or managing symptoms that cause suffering; improving function; helping to prevent the occurrence or re-occurrence of underlying causes of illness; and moving toward improved health and well-being. A yoga therapist draws from the principles of yoga and the full range of yoga practices as well as bio-medical and psychological foundations and assessment skills. They work with the client to develop a self-empowering therapeutic program appropriate to the client’s needs.

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What is Trauma-Informed Yoga?

"Yoga is about people, not poses." -Nityda Gessel

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Trauma is an emotional response to a stressful or distressing event. Trauma can elicit responses and sensations in the body that, while normal, can be disruptive to everyday life. Yoga is a mind body practice that includes physical postures (asana), breath work, and meditation. The practice of yoga supports mindful awareness of thoughts, feelings, and body sensations. Learning yoga can facilitate personal agency as individuals recognize that they have a choice in deciding how they'd like to move and experience being in their bodies.

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Trauma-Informed Yoga is client-centered, prioritizing each individual and their lived experience. A Trauma-Informed Yoga teacher or therapist embodies their own personal practice, looks to minimize the power differential, and has a comprehensive understanding and respect for the impact that trauma has body, mind, nervous system, sense of self, and worldview. Additionally, the intention of the teacher of therapist is to be present as a supportive guide to the client's journey. Some benefits of practicing Trauma-Informed Yoga are decreased anxiety, decreased feelings of helplessness, increased self-esteem, and increased feelings of peace and calm.

As a teacher, I prioritize creating a welcoming and affirming environment in which students can learn self-regulation skills through connection with the breath and accessible movement. My approach to yoga is intentionally slower-paced, allowing room for us to experience life as it unfolds in the moment. With this present-moment awareness, we can more clearly see our surroundings, responses, sensations, and feelings in the body as they occur. Students are guided to move in and out of poses at their own pace, adapting postures to support the body, listening intently to what the body needs. The use of props, chairs, and walls for a comfortable and confident experience is welcomed.

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In response to COVID-19 and with the intention of safety, I am currently offering online and socially-distanced individual sessions.  I also facilitate group classes at Amarillo College and Heal the City. 

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What is Pain Care Aware Yoga?

Pain Care Aware begins with the acknowledgment of pain as a human condition and the need for compassionate language and approach  with individuals experiencing pain during yoga. This is not about diagnosing or treating students and clients when there is pain. Being Pain Care Aware means taking into account our own embedded beliefs about pain and about people living in pain, as well as common beliefs that are embedded in our students - about pain, about pain during yoga, how much pain is okay, and how to respond when there is pain during yoga. Pain beliefs and attitudes are impacted by experience, societal influences, context and most importantly by the words and approach of the yoga teacher. In addition, Pain Care Aware language seeks to avoid inadvertently creating fear of movement, helplessness when there is pain, and a sense of fragility. Through a pain care aware approach, practitioners create an environment of safety and resilience, including:

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• Understanding pain and its impact on peoples' lives and behaviours and how they respond when there is pain

• Using language that promotes curiosity and discernment 

• Knowing that words such as pain do not need to be removed during asana practice

• Avoiding language and instructions that inadvertently reinforce fear of movement, helplessness and a sense of fragility

• Offering permission and providing options for choice

• Providing strengths-based and capacity-building approaches to support bio-plasticity and resilience.

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Pain Care Aware does not seek to treat pain or pathology, but rather to recognize that pain will be experienced during yoga practice, and that our language and approach can be adapted to support students experiencing pain during yoga.

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Additional Yoga Offerings

• Yoga Nidra (ideal for those suffering from PTSD symptoms or insomnia)

• Breathwork

• Guided Visualizations

• Mindfulness Meditation

• Individual & Small Group Sessions

• Overcome! Clinic