Our Approach
Yoga therapy is a healing movement practice that strengthens your body, calms your mind, and releases tension to give you the strength, energy, flexibility and resilience you need to thrive. Great for anyone that wants to boost their physical and mental strength and wellbeing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Angie's yoga Therapy Process
I believe that healing is possible.
Our bodies have incredible potential to heal. Often that requires us to get a little quiet and listen to what they are trying to tell us. When we live with pain, tension or stress our nervous systems are often in a heightened state of arousal (sympathetic drive) and it is hard to hear the whispers of our bodies through all the noise of the pain. Even if tissue damage has healed and/or pain has decreased we can still feel pain and our system can still feel unsafe or threatened – even if we aren’t consciously aware of it. I help my clients to down regulate (decrease sympathetic activation and increase parasympathetic activation) just enough that they can start to notice and hear the whispers a little more clearly.
When we start to move from a place of ease, pain and tension can resolve. There are many ways to do this and it is highly individualized for each person. What works for one person could potentially activate another. That’s often why you hear “I don’t know why the program didn’t work for me, it worked for such and such a person” In my process there is no “protocol” for “x condition.”
- Client driven process: The client fills out a body diagram illustrating areas of their body they are experiencing pain, tension or discomfort or anything else that might be relevant.
- Session 1: We meet to discuss their body diagram, history, issues they would like to change or improve, any goals they might have and most importantly what they would like to work on in our time together.
- Session 1-3: We work together to determine patterns that may be contributing to pain/tension/discomfort. This includes a personalized assessment looking at the client’s movement
We generally start with small movements to reduce patterns contributing to pain/discomfort. The client learns how to relax the muscles that are contributing to tension, stress and pain and how to nurture and strengthen the supporting muscles that should be powering the movement. The client is guided to feel and sense this in their own body so they can feel the difference. It’s not necessarily about which movement or exercise we do, but often how we do it. During this phase the client will generally feel less tension and pain with the new movement pattern. - Sessions 4-8: We progress each session honing and strengthening the new patterns and adding more complexity to the movements. I love movement, so I draw upon many different realms. Some movements/tools used are similar to physiotherapy, athletic therapy or yoga. Depending on the client and their goals we may also use breathwork, meditation, curiosity, rhythmic movements, self-massage, ayurvedic techniques or movements relevant for specific sports/activities. The client also becomes more aware of what might contribute to a pain flare up and what can help them get out of a pain flare up. This process increases confidence and autonomy in their health and wellness.
- Home practice program: at the end of each session the client receives a home practice video which consists of some of the movements/exercises/practices we did together. Practicing at home helps to strengthen new patterns, increase progression and create a wellness routine the client can continue even after we complete our work together.
- Most clients not only report reduced pain, tension, discomfort, but they also note improved sleep, a greater sense of agency and gratitude, they are less impacted by stress and they have an increase in overall well being.
- At the end of our 8 sessions together (2-3 months) we evaluate the progress and goals of the client and decide whether we will continue to work together. Many clients are so excited by their progress they want to continue on to the next level to see what is possible. Some clients are good with 8 sessions and may come back in the future with something new they’d like to work on.
More information Research links related to Yoga Therapy, Pain, movement:
For resources and articles published demonstrating the application of Yoga Therapy for various conditions of pain and chronic pain, click here.