Yoga Therapy is very helpful for processing and healing grief, anxiety and trauma. This processing is not psychotherapy, we don't rehash past wounds, rather we move the care inward and look for the places in your physical body that those wounds live and we release them with the tools of yoga.
The process begins with the first phone conversation where we will chat about your situations. You will be asked some basic questions and you will be given lots of time to ask questions. After our chat we will decide if Yoga Therapy seems like a good fit for you. Before your first appointment you will be given an intake form, which is very much like an intake form you might get from a Medical Doctor or Psychotherapist. I use this to help prepare for our first appointment.
Yoga Therapy is based on the belief that every person and situation is uniquely different. It is impossible to say exactly how a session will unfold. With this in mind, the following will give you a general idea of what to expect.
At our first appointment we begin by reviewing your intake and giving you an opportunity to talk about what brought you to Yoga Therapy, and your goals. We will look at your physical holding patterns and imbalances (where do you carry stress). Holding and imbalances are a good indication of the root cause of physical pain. They are also an indication of – or created by - emotional holding or spiritual/energetic blockages.
We may spend more time chatting about what's happening in your body and emotions. We may also discuss what’s happening in your day-to-day life that could be contributing to physical and emotional stress.
We will work together to develop a personalized treatment plan. The plan will likely begin with breath awareness exercises and move into yoga stretches /postures and other tools of yoga that may be supportive including: meditation, guided relaxation, visualization, mudras and sound.
Unlike a traditional group Yoga class there will be dialogue throughout the Yoga Therapy session. You will be encouraged to witness and share what is happening in in your physical and emotional body. The intention of this dialogue, along with the physical postures, is to help you go deeper into sensation and eventually open restrictions that may be causing pain.
At the end of the session we will work together to develop a practice that you will do at home. The home practice is always based on the time you have available and the poses you felt where most beneficial.
You can expect that we will meet initially for three one-on-one sessions. After your third session you may want to continue meeting one-on-one or attend one of my weekly classes or a workshop.
Please feel free to call or txt me if you have any questions or want to book a complimentary phone consultation. 226.927.4804.
