How it works…

Assessment

After you sign up for your first appointment, I’ll send you some forms to fill out. This gives me a well-rounded picture of your health, lifestyle, and other factors that I need to consider in order to co-create a plan with you. During your first appointment, I’ll ask you follow-up questions and we’ll have a conversation about how we should work together. Usually, there’s enough time to try a few ideas and see how they fit. I’ll write down what we’ve done so you can practice at home until we see each other again.

Movement

This is what most people think of when they hear about Yoga Therapy. I often teach gentle movement as a way to help my clients increase range of motion, strengthen muscles, and assist the flow of energy in the body. I’ve had extensive study, training, and experience in how to tailor movement to specific conditions. This is a process of curious exploration, and if certain movements don’t fit your body, we simply try something else. As we get to know each other, it will be easier for me to know which movements will work for you. In this way, your yoga practice becomes more refined.

Meditation

There are lots of different types of meditation, and it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. It is, however, a very powerful tool for improving your immune function, reducing inflammation, and easing psychosomatic symptoms. I've been trained in assessing individuals and helping them find the most appropriate meditation techniques based on their ayurvedic constitution, personality, and health history.

Breath

All of the above techniques are far more effective when the element of breath awareness is included. Breath can even be a practiced all on its own. I always assess how my clients are breathing and include breath awareness in a way that suits the needs and constitution of the individual client.

Reading Your MRI

I’m always happy to consult with my clients regarding the results of their MRIs. While I’m not qualified to diagnose medical conditions, I am skilled at translating the medical jargon in a summary statement. I show my clients pictures of what I’m talking about, explain it in a way they can understand, and describe how their condition is affected by different types of movement.

Physical Therapy Support

If you’re currently in physical therapy, I can help you get the best result possible. I can explain why your PT has chosen your exercises for you and what you are trying to achieve by doing them. I can also arrange your stack of PT exercises into sequences that progress in a beneficial way. I can help you to incorporate breath into your PT exercises and coach you on proper technique.

Somatic Yoga Therapy

Somatic Yoga Therapy is a gentle approach to helping people heal from traumatic stress. The techniques in Somatic Yoga Therapy address the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual elements of healing in a way that respects a person’s need to move slowly, feel safe, and have control over their experience. Using techniques that involve movement, mindfulness, breath, and visualization, you can increase your awareness of the way the process of traumatic stress plays out for you. Using this awareness, you can care for yourself in a loving way that facilitates increased resilience and ease in every day life. You can shift from reacting to engaging. If you’re seeking help with healing trauma through private somatic yoga therapy, I recommend committing to four sessions.

Conditions I’ve Helped

Osteoporosis

Yoga has been shown to increase bone mineral density over time. It has also been shown to immediately halt bone loss. I have experience and skill in adapting the protocol used in research to help individuals find safe, effective ways to access the benefits of this practice. To see the research, click here.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Sometimes, I have clients with pelvic floor dysfunction who’ve been through Physical Therapy and have seen little or no result. With my unique approach to this condition, you’ll learn to use breath, relaxation, and strength to learn to control your pelvic floor muscles, and integrate your pelvic floor with your deep core. This work is deep and significant, and I can help you with any emotions or energy that arise as a result.

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is related to a variety of factors, and is rarely just in the body. In private yoga therapy sessions, you’ll learn about posture and body mechanics. You’ll also learn how to integrate your breath into movement and use relaxation to release chronic patterns of tension from the mind and the body.

Traumatic Stress

Through my Somatic Yoga Therapy group class and in private sessions, I help people ease their traumatic stress symptoms by first teaching them to explore and gradually expand their ability to be present in a body that hasn’t always felt safe. By identifying subtle changes that occur before being triggered, you begin to feel more in control of your experience. With confidence, you begin to move through old energy. You begin to respond to the things you experience, rather than reacting. Over time, you find you’re able to explore your sensations with curiosity and approach your body with friendliness, making it possible for you to step into your own fullness.

Preparing/Recovering from Surgery

To get the maximum benefit from surgery you can prepare your body by strengthening and stretching the tissues around the surgical site. This helps your surgeon do a better job. Self lymphatic massage (an Ayurvedic technique) helps move cellular waste away from the area. Additionally, people who prepare mentally with meditation, visualization, and breathing techniques recover more quickly.