YOGA/YOGA THERAPY
I have been doing yoga for more than 20 years. I received my certificate as a yoga instructor through the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.
I am also trained in Iyengar, Sivananda, Anusara, and other styles. I teach beginners to advanced. Yoga can assist in maintaining a healthy body and a quiet focused mind. I will teach you about the witness consciousness for greater self awareness and personal insight. Yoga can help us to learn how to embody fully our self and all that contains, bringing more of our self, our unique gifts, into the NOW.
Yoga Therapy – during a massage session I move your body through a series of yoga poses to assist you in achieving greater relaxation and flexibility. In conjunction with these movements, I will teach you proper breathing techniques to aid in gaining increased flexibility. Specifically, I use yoga therapy and massage combined to address certain health issues, i.e. frozen shoulder, lower back pain, sciatica problems etc.
I also offer individual Yoga training classes. If you prefer personal and undivided attention, I will train you one on one and help you develop a 15, 30 or 60 minute routine designed specifically for your needs that you can use at home.
I also find that some clients may be intimidated going to a yoga class without any prior experience. Taking a few classes with me first will help prepare you and alleviate that fear to increase your confidence thus enabling you to attend yoga classes at a gym or yoga center.What is Kripalu Yoga?
Practice begins gently with an emphasis on being present in your body, sustaining a flowing breath, and warming up. The overall experience is one of learning to love and nurture your body, not whip it into shape.
It allows you to choose the level of physical intensity that is right for your body. It teaches you how to listen to your body and honor its needs. On some days this may lead you to challenge yourself physically. On others you may move more gently to relax the body and soothe the mind.
It recognizes that every body is different. The goal is not to perfect the external form of the postures. To views postures as tools to release chronic tension, stretch and strengthen the body, and increase self-awareness.
It activates the life force of the body that yoga calls prana. The body is animated by an energetic life force intimately tied to the breath. Rhythmic breathing charges the system with energy. A balanced sequence of yoga postures encourages it to flow freely and evenly to all parts of the body.
It encourages you to create a lifestyle supportive of your health by listening to your own body. You become more sensitive to the needs of your body and are naturally drawn to make healthier choices about diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits. Kripalu Yoga considers each person’s body the ultimate authority on what promotes health and teaches you how to access this body wisdom to live with more vitality.
It’s a yoga you can practice “off the mat.” Being alive is a richer experience when you are connected to your body and breath. You learn how to meet challenges with a sense of relaxation, self-acceptance, strength, courage, and openness to change.
It offers practical tools to foster psychological and spiritual growth. By teaching you how to fully feel strong emotion and compassionately observe the activity of the mind, Kripalu Yoga fosters emotional healing and facilitates psychological growth. As a result, your ability to express yourself, listen to others, and be in relationship deepens.
It acknowledges that regular yoga practice is designed to initiate a process of personal transformation. By nurturing the body, opening the heart, and clearing the mind, Kripalu Yoga removes the obstacles that so often stifle and stunt the natural progression of human development. Regular practice stimulates an ongoing process of positive change that inspires you to realize your full potential.