Yoga Therapy

The fundamental purpose of yoga is to foster harmony in the body, mind and environment.

 

Is that voice inside you demanding change?

Yoga therapy offers a way in to hear the demands of your inner voice and to take appropriate action based on inner wisdom.

When we hurt, physical therapy is often prescribed to treat soft tissue trauma, muscle spasms, arthritis, and many other problems; the goal is to decrease pain and increase flexibility, range of motion and function, as well as build strength and correct posture. Similarly, yoga therapy pursues those goals in the context of who you are as a whole person.

Perhaps your shoulder hurts due to repetitive motion strain from carrying box after box, emptying your childhood home now that you are the executor of your mother’s will, and your siblings are unwilling to help … it may be that a few arm exercises are not necessarily going to fully address the weight on your shoulders. Mindful movement can bring greater awareness which allows for more choices as you set your course to navigate life’s challenges.

What does Yoga Therapy involve?

Although all yoga is potentially therapeutic and healing, yoga therapy is the specific application of yogic tools—postures/exercises,
breathwork, meditation techniques, and more—to uniquely address an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional needs.

The International Association of Yoga Therapists offers certification only to those who pass an accredited training and testing program involving 1,000+ hours of honing knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics so as to have a basic understanding of typical disease states and associated symptoms and contraindications.

In addition to the Western medical framework for physical and mental health, Sarah is trained in the foundational philosophy and therapeutic aspects of Viniyoga and Kundalini Yoga practices, with additional training in the Buteyko Breathing Method under the tutelage of Patrick McKeown of the Buteyko Clinic in Galway, Ireland.

NEW CLIENTS

Begin with a private 90-minute intake session to discuss health history and current state, clarify your goals for therapy, and start to explore ways to facilitate more ease and less suffering.

You will leave our initial intake session with a personalized practice appropriate to your needs and abilities; it will be up to you to do the practice if it is to have any effect. It can be quite empowering to realize that you can influence how you feel by doing a certain set of movements and/or focusing on conscious breathing. Healing thus comes from within, rather than from an outside source.

Additional sessions assist in the development and refinement of your personal practice for achieving and sustaining your goals. By developing a therapeutic relationship, I get to know you — your needs and desires, skills and abilities — and can offer a personalized practice that will serve the whole you.

By meeting you where you are, I can offer assistance on the path to where you want to go.

Complimentary Strategy Session Phone Call: 30 minutes FREE. Contact me to inquire.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC UPDATE:  Instead of in-person private yoga therapy sessions at Bayview Studio on Whidbey Island, WA, I am offering online livestream sessions via Zoom.

Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the Self. — The Bhagavad Gita