I am so pumped!

I just finished spending one of the most gorgeous fall weekends in Vermont in an online training from 9:30am-7:00pm both days so you might not think that would be my state of being. Well, maybe I’m a weirdo but it’s true!

I was attending the first module of the 2nd half of my yoga therapy training. This part of my training got postponed in Fall 2020 as did so many aspects of life due to the pandemic. All’s well because in the meantime, I found and completed an Ayurvedic Health Counselor training, and Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy come from the same lineage of Vedic study so it was meant to be.

The weekend was completely energizing!

When I tell people about this training, a lot of folks ask, “So what is Yoga Therapy exactly?” or “Seems like all Yoga is therapeutic so aren’t all yoga teachers Yoga Therapists?” These are great questions and, yet, there is a definite distinction between teaching Yoga and being a Yoga Therapist.

Let’s start with Yoga. Yoga is a system of mastering the mind so as to become more conscious in our relationship with ourselves and world around us. Its ultimate intent is to free ourselves from our suffering so that we recognize and unite with the pure consciousness of the universe that is what we truly are. That’s a bit of a mouthful. In essence, it helps us see our own BS so we can let it go and be happy.

Yoga includes asana (postures), pranayama (breathwork), meditation, chanting, prayer and a set of codes of conduct that one can do and eventually find pure bliss. In its evolution in the West, much of that intention has been stripped away and Yoga classes today are often just focused on mastering postures and breath—both of which can offer lots of benefit and help in healing so no shade thrown here. There’s just a lot of treasure that’s been lost in translation.

Yoga Therapy is the specific and scientific application of the system of yoga and all of its practices to heal from specific dis-ease and/or injury. Yoga Therapy can support healing from structural, physiological, and psycho-social conditions. Yoga Therapy is more targeted to an individual or a specific condition. This work is most often done in one-to-one settings. Yoga Therapists can teach Yoga classes that are therapeutically based but these classes tend to be very small and include individual assessments and personalized support as part of the classes.

Yoga Therapy has its own deep lineage of study that is thousands of years old. As I mentioned above, Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy share the same Vedic lineage, and like Ayurveda, Yoga Therapy includes assessing an individual’s constitution and potential imbalances to determine the appropriate practices to apply towards healing. Both Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy “remedies” include lifestyle practices (on and off the mat) that encourage an individual to be more present for the life choices that they make so that they can understand their habits and patterns and how that might be affecting how they feel. These are tools for both healing and prevention of dis-ease.

So why am I so pumped? For a couple of reasons actually. First, I love studying Yoga and Ayurveda. I could do it all day long. When I’m studying, it fills my tank. I feel nourished! It helps me connect to something bigger than myself and that true joy I feel when I study confirms for me that I’m following my calling. I'm so grateful to have that privilege.

When I’m doing these trainings, I find I am more inspired in my teaching and mentoring which leads to my second reason for being pumped. There’s so much to learn. I felt like a kid in a candy shop just reviewing the training syllabus for the next 2 years. My fingers were tingling, my heart was fluttering and my eyes were popping! It’s going to be a lot of work and study, but ultimately, I’ll have even more to offer you and I can’t wait!

We all have the opportunity every day to tap into that part of ourselves that is whole and wise and to live our best lives—even in the midst of life’s inevitable hardships. Yoga and Ayurveda offer transformative practices that heal and empower us to reduce our own suffering. They are magnificent and simple at the same time. The world could use more of that, don’t you think?

In that spirit, I’m excited to announce two new offerings based on my Ayurvedic Health Counselor training. Check out the two workshops I have coming up in the next few weeks.