How are you this week? How are you feeling with services starting to open? As I talked about last week, we miss you and we can’t wait to practice with you again!!!
This week I thought I would share a little bit about my plans for the reopening strategy of the studio. In stage two, I will begin to offer one on one private classes or yoga therapy sessions. Then in stage three, group classes will begin. When the classes do start, I will keep the schedule really simple to begin with. It will be only myself teaching and I have chosen to put those classes in the times that were most popular before we closed. With the small studio space, if we need to continue practicing 2 metre spacing, you will be asked to register for class and drop in’s will not be accommodated. Of course, this is all speculative at this time and may change again.
Since yoga therapy will be my main focus over the summer, I think it’s important to share a little more information about this practice for this weeks Musing.
What is yoga therapy and how is it different than regular yoga?
Yoga therapy is slowly beginning to gain popularly among yoga instructors. It’s quite an investment for any one who decides to go down this pathway . Most instructors are 200 hour trained, a few are 500 hour, a yoga therapist will have at least a 1000 hours of training. To learn more about myself and my training, please head over to the About HeartFelt Yoga page.
Any yoga class will have aspects that are definitely therapeutic. Just slowing down the breath is therapeutic to the nervous system. A therapeutic class or session will offer students something specific. For example, I have taught Therapeutic Yoga for Backs for 13 years. Each movement in this class is chosen in order to improve the health of your back. Here is a testimonial from a student who has used the techniques from Happy Backs for the last few months.
Throughout my adult life I have accumulated multiple injuries while at play or work that have caused severe back pain at times. This was managed through Massage and Chiropractic care for years.
A few months ago, I met with Sandra for a yoga therapy session. I have used the techniques and exercises to almost eliminate the need for massage or Chiropractic care. Gone are the days where I could tell my back was going out of alignment and hoping I could hang on till my next cracking! With the tailored stretches and therapy tools I can manage my back stress before it becomes pain when I push myself to hard with projects or heavy labour. The sequence of poses Sandra has designed for me also help build muscles to support and strengthen my trouble areas to reduce in in some cases eliminate discomfort and issues. -Leigh
Yoga therapy is all about you! Before we practice together, we meet for an assessment. As a yoga therapist, I want to understand where you have been and where you want to go. We have an in depth conversation, to help me fully understand the goals you wish to achieve. A specialized practice is then designed just for you, based on this discussion. This practice may include asana, meditation, mantra and aspects of Ayurveda. It may or may not look like a typical yoga practice.
Typically, the program is created for you to do at home. It can be added on to your already established practice or it can be designed as a stand alone practice. Again, this depends on what your goals are. In the future, I hope to add a Therapeutic yoga class to the weekly class schedule. This will give those who have received a program the opportunity to come to the studio and practice their therapy practice.
Personally, during our time in quarantine, I have been doing yoga therapy on my own body, in order to heal a few physical injuries my body has sustained from years of teaching and practicing yoga. I have also incorporated techniques to help me stay grounded during these intense times of change.
Over the years, I have designed practices for people making lifestyle changes, living with anxiety, grief and depression, as well as people dealing with injury or illness. If you are wondering if yoga therapy is right for you, once the province opens up for stage two, I will be offering information sessions.
In the mean time, enjoy this beautiful spring weather!
Sandra