WHY YOGA THERAPY?
Moving with ease is a powerful analgesic.
Knowledge is a powerful analgesic.
You have more influence over your pain than you think.
Everything changes, even pain.
(adapted from Neil Pearson)
If you’re frustrated by pain treatments and medical interventions that just don’t seem to work for you or don’t have a lasting impact, consider this:
Pain is a bio-psycho-social phenomenon and everyone experiences pain differently. One-size-fits-all approaches to pain that zoom in on a single body part or symptom miss this important point. Pain is a whole person experience and yoga therapy is about what you experience as a whole person.
It is possible to change your experience of pain.
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:
STEP 1 - TELL ME YOUR PAIN STORY
At our first session, you’ll share your history of pain or discomfort, how you’ve tried to address your pain, and what you’ve been experiencing lately that led you to seek out yoga therapy. We’ll also talk about what it is that you desire as an outcome of our work together. What would you like to be able to do? How would you like to feel? Who would you like to be?
STEP 2 - EXPERIENCE PAIN-FREE MOVEMENT
As our understanding of your situation grows, in each session I’ll guide you through a series of mini-movements and together we’ll track your experience. You’ll start to grow your ability to tune in to very subtle sensations and even identify the “pain whispers” before they happen. You’ll gain confidence interpreting your physical sensations with accuracy and you’ll identify any thoughts or beliefs that accompany them. And you’ll build a toolkit of small actions to nip the pain cycle in the bud. At the end of each session, you’ll receive a customized bite-sized movement practice for the week.
STEP 3 - INTEGRATE, REFLECT, REFINE, REPEAT
In between sessions, you’ll practice your customized movement mini-program and reflect on your experience so you can report back at our next session. Over the course of our time together, we’ll refine and re-train your experience, guiding you along your healing path towards your desired outcomes.
YOGA THERAPY FAQ
Is yoga therapy just for yogis?
No! No yoga experience required to benefit from yoga therapy.
I live in California. Can I do yoga therapy remotely?
Yes! I offer yoga therapy live on zoom, from the comfort of your own home. All you need is to be able to join a zoom meeting.
Do I need to buy a lot of special equipment?
Nope, just regular household stuff, like a chair, a belt or strap, some pillows, and a tennis ball. I may ask you to rustle up a yoga mat and some foam yoga blocks.
I’m not sure if what I have is technically chronic pain, but I have tension in my neck that rarely goes away and it’s keeping me from turning my head while driving. Does that count?
Yes it does. Yoga therapy can work brilliantly to help you unwind tension patterns and learn new, easeful ways of moving that allow you to get back to your routine. (In fact, our work together can help prevent your chronic tension from becoming chronic pain.)
I’m in a wheelchair. Can I still benefit from yoga therapy?
Yes! You can access the full benefits of yoga therapy right from your chair.
I’m an athlete. Is yoga therapy just for people who aren’t used to moving much?
No! Yoga therapy is great for runners, athletes, dancers, ashtanga yogis - you might be surprised at how much more ease you can bring to even strenuous workouts!
I’m a skeptic. Is yoga therapy too “woo” for me?
I’m a skeptic too! I also spent over 20 years working in academic research libraries and I find yoga therapy to be perfectly consistent with science. That said, there is so much we still don’t know about the mind-body and it helps to be open to acknowledging a bit of mystery in how it all works. Let’s book a free consult so we can talk more and you can see how it sits for you.
Is yoga therapy first line treatment for pain?
No. Please consult your healthcare team if you are experiencing persistent pain. That said, yoga therapy can be an effective way in to the problem when traditional medical interventions are not working, and it can be an incredibly good accompaniment to your recovery as you. start to feel better.
MORE QUESTIONS?
Book your free 30 minute phone consult here. I’m looking forward to chatting with you.
WHAT CLIENTS ARE SAYING
“Since I started working with Beth I don’t feel that fear that I used to feel. I find myself looking forward to moving every day. And I’m back to walking with my husband!”
— Jari, 65
“I was in near constant pain and feeling hopeless. Beth understood my situation and everything we worked on together was something I could do on my own. Most important, Beth gave me the language I needed to talk about my pain. Just gaining an understanding and vocabulary for my pain has been life changing. Now I have fewer really bad days and I have the tools to address pain episodes when the do happen for instant relief.”
— L., 43
“Since I started working with Beth I notice I’m more attuned to my body, not because I’m feeling more pain, but because I’m noticing the bones and the joints and how they move together. I’m getting better at catching [pain episodes] sooner and responding to them more effectively. I’m gathering all these little tools and techniques that make living with chronic pain more navigable. I’ve now had countless lived experiences of small doable tweaks making a big difference in how I feel. I’m seeing my body as more capable than I’ve known it to be in over 15 years!
Janelle, 28