Yoga Therapy?
Guys! I tried something totally new today! I attended yoga therapy.
Have you ever heard of this? I’ve heard of many alternative therapies and modalities, but yoga therapy is a new one to cross my path.
Last month, I was chatting with a friend who will soon be studying yoga in another part of the country. I told her that I had my eyes open for something new that would integrate things I’ve learned with some new ideas and tools. I wasn’t looking to get certified in anything new, just wanting to allow for some new ideas to improve my own personal health and wellness through someone else’s knowledge and instruction.
She suggested finding a yoga therapy studio in my area. With the power of Google, what do you know? There are yoga therapy practitioners working out of a local yoga studio 20 minutes from my house!
I’ve been looking forward to my appointment, which was scheduled one-on-one with a practitioner who happens to be one of the owners of the studio.
I put on my stretchy clothes (honestly, when am I not wearing them?) and brought my handy yoga mat, not sure what to expect. I’ve been going to yoga classes at our local gym for over a year and though I’m still a novice, I absolutely love yoga and the somewhat-slow-pace and focus on breathing stretches my brain muscles along with my actual muscles.
I was greeted by a delightful lady named Shawn who was welcoming and calm. I’m signed up for a 3-session series, knowing that I’d want to see what the results are over time with a true effort. Today was my first exposure to the studio and Shawn’s approach.
We first had a consultation for at least 45 minutes where she asked me many questions about any limitations or pain that I was experiencing, what I wanted to achieve with yoga therapy, and her recommendations for what I was wanting to improve health-wise and emotionally.
Common to alternative approaches, we also talked about what was happening in my life when I started experiencing certain symptoms. This is something I absolutely love about alternative therapies and coaching. Not that we need to focus on any stresses, but that we’re aware of what was going on at the time something started.
In addition to yoga therapy, Shawn also practices Thai Yoga Therapy, which I Googled beforehand and was a little hesitant about. This is basically a method of yoga where the movement and positions are done to you by the practitioner. The internet made some of it look more like chiropractic adjustments, which are a little outside of my comfort zone. Also, I probably shouldn’t trust what I read on the internet.
Shawn recommended filling the next 45 minutes with a super gentle introduction to Thai therapy and some Yoga Nidra, which I was also new to.
I should mention that I am majorly pregnant, so she tailored the session to what would work with my awesome belly, including elevating one hip slightly rather than lying flat on my back, etc.
After chatting, Shawn propped me in a comfy position, again using many pillows to accommodate my belly. She started with the intro to Thai therapy, which felt similar to a beautiful foot massage. It was extremely relaxing and I simply laid, relaxed, and breathed while she stretched my feet and lower legs and massaged and applied pressure.
She then walked me through a Yoga Nidra exercise, which was a simple body scan. I love visualizations and especially body scans, so I was right on board with this. I was surprised to find out how much it felt like a hypnotherapy session. Essentially, I felt like we used breathing and the relaxation of the body to get to the less-busy levels of brainwaves.
Occasionally, I found myself inadvertently taking an extra deep breath, which again reminded me of hypnotic breath. It took me a few minutes to mentally come back to the room when she was done because I was so relaxed after this.
I’m excited to see how the next session goes. I was surprised that there was very little of what I visualize as yoga in this session of yoga therapy (I expected to leave out of breath, sore, and sweaty like from a workout), but I was pleased with the results and am excited to build on it next time.
I’m curious if anyone else has tried yoga therapy and what you thought of it. Does anyone do it ongoing? Or is it something you revisit as-needed?
If you’re interested in learning more about yoga therapy, Shawn provided me with the following link. The site gives the history, purpose, and even a resource to find a practitioner near you if you’re interested in reaching out to someone locally.
https://www.iayt.org/page/LearnAbout
Keep me posted about your experience with yoga therapy!
