Yoga Therapy ~ mind/body health maintenance & rehabilitation
The focus of Lifewaves Yoga Therapy continues to be:
* One on one, individualized programs
* Mindfulness-Based Structural Integration
* Workshops and Classes at Your Location
LIFEWAVES YOGA “the mind/body connection”
Lifewaves is a practical approach to integrating the concepts and principles of mindfulness into all of our daily activities. As these types of mind/body disciplines become more accepted by the general public, there also continues to be many misconceptions as to what these practices are all about, especially when it comes to yoga. For many, yoga seems like just a series of "stretches" and postures that often look unattainable to the average person. This only adds to the misconceptions.
I’ve been a yoga teacher for over 40 years. I’ve seen it go through all of its changes, slowly working its way from the fringes of our society, to the commercialized, often trendy, boom in popularity, and eventually, a scientific evidence based, yet very slow, acceptance by the medical community.
The biggest misconception that I have observed is the belief that “yoga" is the often contorted, strenous, unatainable looking postures. Yoga is a science of awareness and self-discovery. The word "Yoga" means union, and is about "awareness" of mind, body, breath (spirit/energy), together, in harmony, in the present moment. Traditional yoga postures are only one way to experience “yoga”, and their ultimate purpose is to become more aware of our mind/body and how it responds as we "discover" things on a variety of levels both physical and emotional. This helps ease our thoughts of past and future, allowing us to relax and listen to our bodies, letting go of attachments to “achieving” the physical postures. True yoga movement is fascia movement (no forcing) and almost effortless, in a sort of self myofascial release, with each individual paying attention to their own comfort and challenging limits and not being drawn beyond by our ego oriented competitive conditioning, or by somebody else’s idea of where we should be. The by-product of this is a natural progression, as well as our increased sense of relaxed inner peace. The goal of yoga is the practice. It has no end point to be “achieved”.
Breath awareness is the foundation of mindfulness, and yoga, and is the key to the relaxation/stress management component of the practice. Experts estimate that 60-80% of all doctor visits are for stress related complaints that have no specific diagnoses, ie.. chronic back and neck pain, headaches, fatigue, gastro-intestinal discomfort, poor sleep, etc. These are often a result of how we respond to daily stress. Many injuries occur because of a pre-existing stress related condition that puts us more at risk for straining muscles that are already tight and tense. Stress can be both physical and emotional, and both can manifest in our bodies as muscle tension, pain, and restricted motion. The basic concepts of "yoga" (and mindfulness) can be applied to any aspect of life, including. . . relaxation, stress & pain management, therapeutic exercises, and the body mechanics of our daily activities.
In my many years of working with people on all levels, my observation is that a large majority of us don’t know how to relax or control our movement to stay within our comfortable limits. We’ve become “dis-connected” from the basic awareness of our mind/body’s natural state of physiological relaxation and the conscious control we have on all levels, including movement, breath, and emotional response.
I view yoga as a foundation for daily life, a process of mind/body health maintenance, preparing us for our daily tasks, activities, and situations. Through breath awareness we can “discover” that quiet place within us and experience peace of mind. Our movement comes out of stillness, and from there we can gain greater focus and awareness (paying attention) to things like posture, body mechanics, and our habitual holding of breath and tension.
Yoga can be a wonderful form of exercise, but there is a difference between “doing yoga” and cultivating the mindfulness, that yoga teaches us, into our daily life.. Like other exercise fads, yoga’s popularity may fade and be replaced by the next trendy craze. Those who discover the true meaning of yoga, however, will continue to reap a lifetime of benefits, not only in the areas discussed here, but beyond.
So, if you’ve wanted to explore yoga but have been hesitant due to injury, chronic pain, or just being out of shape, Lifewaves yoga can provide a safe, guided introduction, addressing your specific needs, regardless of ability or physical limitations, or if you would like to “discover” how to integrate mindfulness into your life for Mind/Body Health Maintenance, Lifewaves may be the answer!
Private sessions * Personalized Programs * by Appointment
