What kind of rest do you need?
What kind of tired are you? – asks Saundra Dalton-Smith in her book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity(1). This seems like a confusing question; how[...] The post...
View ArticleWhat kind of rest do you need? Part 2
In viniyoga, we often say that the remedy we choose should match the type of problem the student experiences. When someone is dealing with a structural issue, yoga asana would[...] The post What kind...
View ArticleOne week only: End of summer sale on all yoga series
As the summer gradually comes to an end and many of us return to more sedentary patterns of living, it becomes particularly important to keep moving our bodies and maintaining[...] The post One week...
View ArticleThe remarkable nervous system and how it runs our physiology and cognition
Are you or someone you know having a hard time? Do you experience mental or physical pain, tightness in your chest or stomach, restless sleep, or just a general sense[...] The post The remarkable...
View ArticleIssues in the tissues: Four main causes of our physical and mental suffering
Time and time again, I find that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras offer invaluable insight into every subject I’m exploring at any given moment. Last time we talked about the nervous system[...] The post Issues...
View ArticleAssessment models for working with clients and small therapeutic groups...
Human suffering is universal, but everyone’s experience of suffering is unique, even for those who have been through the same traumatic event. Our role as Yoga Therapists and yoga teachers[...] The...
View ArticleThe role of asana as an intervention tool for collaborating with clients and...
A painting is often a complex combination of the totality of it and the independent parts of it that come together to form the work of art. So, too, is[...] The post The role of asana as an...
View ArticleThe role of the inner practices of yoga for working with clients and small...
The doorway into yoga for so many westerners is asana. In my last blog, I talked about the role of asana in working with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Asana[...] The post The role of the inner...
View ArticleThe healing balm of therapeutic groups and working with the story
Our connection with other human beings is essential to our health and happiness. Traumatic experiences can disrupt that interconnectedness, creating grief and isolation. Often clients are sitting with...
View ArticleTaking care of yourself as a yoga therapist & yoga teacher who works with...
The ability to hold the space for clients who have experienced trauma requires the ability to take care of yourself and continue to refine your understanding of suffering and how[...] The post Taking...
View ArticleVirtual event: Working with individuals & small therapeutic groups around...
Working with people who have experienced trauma is some of the most difficult and humbling work that we might take on as yoga therapists or yoga teachers trained in yoga[...] The post Virtual event:...
View ArticleThe mighty heart: How your circulatory system nourishes every cell in your body
“Go to your bosom; Knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know.”– wrote William Shakespeare. We expect a lot from our metaphorical hearts. We want them to know[...] The post The mighty heart: How...
View ArticleHow to keep your heart healthy by learning to unwind
Did you know that a horse’s heart is 17 times larger than an average human heart? If you stand next to a horse, your hearts would be on the same[...] The post How to keep your heart healthy by learning...
View ArticleWhat baboons can teach us about stress-coping styles and heart health
Robert M. Sapolsky, a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University, has been escaping to the Serengeti in Africa to study baboons in their natural habitat for over two[...] The post What...
View ArticleZoom in Within: Yoga for Your Organs and Systems
Your body consists of about 37 trillion cells; each of those cells knows exactly what to do to keep you alive and healthy. Together they perform an unquantifiable number of[...] The post Zoom in...
View ArticlePolyvagal Theory opens up new ways to interact with our clients and gain...
As a yoga therapist, learning to listen to my nervous system’s signals for regulation, safety and cues of danger has been invaluable in being present with a client. This post[...] The post Polyvagal...
View ArticleWhat to do when we lose our balance during a session
Clients come to us seeking a regulating presence. We need to be regulated to support our clients in returning to balance. Yet all of us get dysregulated. The tone of[...] The post What to do when we...
View ArticleHow shame triggers a shut down response and what we can do about it
Shame protects vulnerability, a small voice of despair and hopelessness. Thirty years ago, I witnessed my loved one’s suffering and death. As a medical power of attorney, I was responsible.[...] The...
View ArticleHow to pace movement in a yoga practice to match our client’s nervous system...
When I was first introduced to the polyvagal theory, my self-image was that I spent a lot of time in the ventral vagal (safe, connected, responsive) state. Yet I judged[...] The post How to pace...
View ArticleHappy Holidays! Win a free yoga course or an annual membership
Thank you for reading our articles and sharing your thoughts! We hope that you have a delightful holiday season. As we look ahead to 2023, please help us understand what[...] The post Happy Holidays!...
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