Guest Blog: Therapeutic Yoga – Carrots 'N' Cake

Monday, March 30, 2009 at 02:01 PM

Guest Blog: Therapeutic Yoga

I recently conducted a “blog interview” with my good friend, Jen, who is currently working on her yoga certification to become a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with a specialization in therapeutic yoga. Jen has some wonderful insights into the field of therapeutic yoga as well the practice of yoga in general. I hope you guys enjoy reading her thoughtful responses to my questions.

1. How did your interest in your first develop? How often do you practice now?

A good friend of mine introduced me to Power Vinyasa yoga during a difficult time in my life (following the loss of a good friend and while making some tough life transitions). I wasn’t sure how I felt about yoga at first – it was okay, but I wasn’t in love with it. I thought it was sort of strange – the *heat*, the Om-ing, the names of the postures, putting my body in strange positions — but, I promised my friend that I’d go a few more times to give it a fair shot. After about 4-5 classes I was hooked. Working out at the gym always made me feel good physically and even helped in relieving stress, but yoga provided more than that. After yoga practice I noticed that I felt strong and powerful, yet also light and free…like I was floating.

My mind was clear, my perspective was brighter, I felt more at peace with things happening in my life…I felt alive. I wasn’t sure how this was all happening, but it felt wonderful and I wasn’t about to let that feeling go. Now I practice approximately four times a week (I still value going to the gym and lifting weights or running for a change of pace).

**NOTE: I practice hot power vinyasa yoga, which I absolutely L-O-V-E. However, this type of yoga isn’t right for everyone. I recommend that people try different styles, including hot yoga, and be thoughtful it (e.g., be sure to drink lots of water, replenish your electrolytes (various sports drinks and powders), and listen to your body if something doesn’t feel right). Choosing your style of yoga really comes down to personal preference…try everything…variety is the spice of life, right?!!

2. Tell me about your 31-day yoga challenge that you did in January. How did you change mentally and physically?

The 31-day yoga challenge, organized by one of the yoga studios I frequent, consisted of practicing 31 consecutive days of yoga during the month of January. When I heard about it, I immediately wanted to do it, but my inner voice immediately began yelling, ‘how will you ever have the time to get to the studio everyday to practice with school, work, … life?!’ I imagine that this is one of the biggest obstacles for people and exercising in general – making the time and making the commitment. Before I began the 31 days I decided to make this commitment to my self and my well-being. It is important to note that I was looking forward to doing this, it was energizing and exciting, not something that felt burdensome. This is key for me – why do it if it doesn’t make you feel good?! Over the course of the month I felt renewed, refreshed, and of course physically challenged (definitely sore some days). I had a clear mind about things, I was less anxious about all the work I had to do, I didn’t get stressed as easily as I often do…I just kept breathing in and breathing out. My body and my mind were thanking me all month – the rewards were so great that I didn’t want to stop at day 31. Although, I didn’t continue going 7 days a week (I like to give myself a day of rest), this 31-days only heightened my love for yoga and commitment to my health.

3. What is your professional and educational background?

Following my undergrad work at a school in upstate NY where I majored in Psychology and Communication, I worked as a qualitative researcher at a youth-focused marketing firm. This was a fun and exciting job, but after a few years and some soul searching I realized I wanted to go to grad school and continue my studies in psychology. Since then I have obtained my Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling at Boston College and am currently working on my PhD in Counseling Psychology (also at Boston College). I have worked as a therapist in college counseling centers, hospital settings in acute care, and residential treatment programs for youth. I am also currently working on my yoga certification to become a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), with a specialization in therapeutic yoga.

4. What is therapeutic yoga?

Yoga has been around for thousands of years, and has long been known for its countless benefits – physical, mental, and spiritual. Recently there is a growing amount of empirically-based research providing evidence for these many health benefits. My focus is particularly on therapeutic yoga for mental health problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic stress, etc.). The ujayyi breathing (i.e., deep breathing), certain poses or asanas (i.e., physical postures), and meditation are all extremely effective in treating symptoms.

Therapeutic yoga can take many forms. In some cases, it might consist of helping clients in talk therapy become more mindful of their internal state in the moment (e.g., recognizing and being aware of their thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations). More specifically, this might mean asking an anxious client in individual therapy to notice and identify what they are feeling, do a body scan, and then work on various breathing techniques or postures to move through the anxiety. In other cases, therapeutic yoga may involve teaching therapy clients breathing techniques to manage stress or physical postures that help with depression by promoting a greater sense of wellbeing. Therapeutic yoga might also consist of a more traditional group yoga class where students are asked to bring attention to their bodies and breath (e.g., what they are feeling and where, what emotions are being released, and intentional deep inhales and exhales that reach throughout the body) while the teacher remains sensitive to the emotional state of the students in the class (e.g., recognizing that certain poses may be triggering to someone who experienced trauma).

All of the above approaches have shown to be very useful and effective. Although I plan to use all forms noted above, so far I have primarily used therapeutic yoga by integrating it into my individual therapy work (e.g., teaching mindfulness, deep breathing, certain postures, and body awareness). I look forward to expanding this work to groups.

5. What do you find most interesting about therapeutic yoga?

What I love most about therapeutic yoga is the ability to help people find inner peace. It is amazing to see the transformation – physical, mental, spiritual – that people have as they practice yoga. Many people who struggle with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health problems find that their symptoms disrupt many aspects of their lives (e.g., self-esteem, relationships, work life, perspective on life, etc.). So, watching the process of someone who is engaged in therapeutic yoga can be particularly moving when you see lives change shape. When you see someone come in with a smile, when someone comes to you and says “I never realized how strong I am” or “I’m able to breathe through stressful situations, when I used to panic,” or “I feel more hopeful that things will turn out okay for me” or “I’m finally allowing myself to FEEL what is happening in my body and my heart, and this is bringing me closer to my family.”

6. What are your future plans for incorporating yoga into your professional life?

Currently, I work with individual therapy clients on specific mind-body techniques (e.g., breathing, certain postures, mindfulness, etc.). This summer I will be starting a therapeutic yoga group for children, a group for adolescents, and a group for staff working with traumatized children at a residential treatment facility.

Over the next few years, I plan to continue my training in therapeutic yoga as there is so much to learn. In the future, I hope to open a wellness center where I can provide holistic treatment (including, but not limited to yoga, meditation, traditional talk therapy, support groups, mindfulness in living, eating, working, relationships, etc.) for individuals struggling with various mental health concerns.

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