Yoga Therapy
What is yoga therapy?
A yoga therapy session is designed to meet the unique requirements of your needs to support your physical, mental and emotional health and any health conditions you might be navigating. Yoga applied therapeutically can be helpful and supportive with a wide range of different physical and mental health conditions; see below for more info. Yoga is a practice and philosophy that has tools to address the whole body-mind and looks holistically at the whole person, therefore it can be an empowering resource helping us to take responsibility for our health and wellbeing in a gentle, inclusive and positive way. I work with a somatic and trauma sensitive approach and one of my main focuses is to help you establish your body as a place of resource, stability and safety so that it can naturally move into a place of regulation and regeneration.
A somatic approach: A somatic approach focuses on reestablishing our connection to the body from a place of felt sense also known as interoception. It helps us to listen inward and become mindful of the natural impulses of the body and what our body may be trying to communicate with us. A somatic approach cultivates a connection to the feeling, sensing body rather than our ability to perform, do or achieve certain postures. Reconnecting to our interoceptive capability’s can help to cultivate more nourishing experiences in our relationships with ourself, others and the world around. Inhabiting a body that has the capacity to feel is an important step to becoming more embodied and can be helpful in accessing states of care towards both ourselves and others.
Trauma Sensitive Approach: My approach to yoga therapy and embodiment is through a trauma sensitive lens, as whilst yoga can be a great way to connect with our body, reconnecting with the body can present with specific challenges for people who have suffered from trauma. It can be helpful to take this into account and work slowly and gradually whilst rebuilding a connection. I have found that a trauma sensitive approach is helpful for most people as we explore building a healthy relationship with our body/mind in a safe and manageable way.
What will the session entail?
The session could entail some or all of the following depending on what you feel comfortable with and how you would like to work with your body:
Asana (the physical practice of yoga postures) that stretch, strengthen, twist, invert, open, close and move the body through it’s full range of motion. Yoga asana positively affects our physical health and wellbeing which also translates into and effects our mental and emotional health and can support creating states of stability, self regulation and grounding in the body.
Pranayama (Breath Expansion) - working with breath is an integral part of yoga. We can explore this is many ways to cultivate our connection to the essential vitality and lifeforce energy that is present in all living beings. Building a relationship with life-force energy (prana) can reconnect us to our own sense of aliveness. Inherent in the breath is a deep wisdom that invites us to move between states of expansion and contraction without getting stuck in only one place. Accessing this consciously and forging a connection with the breath is a foundation that goes on to support states of simply being as well as empowered doing; inhabiting both these states is needed for equilibrium and wellbeing. Working with the breath can also support nervous system regulation and address habitual breathing patterns and states of imbalance through the whole body mind.
Relaxation, meditation and yoga nidra are all deep states of rest that are essential for rejuvenation and our ability to be active and dynamic in our lives with balance and ease. Everyone’s relationship to rest and stillness is different so approaching this individually and sometimes slowly and gradually can be helpful.
Creating Resource resource is a principle taken from somatic experiencing that focuses on our ability to create feelings of stability and safety in the body. We can work together to look at yoga practices that might create or support feelings of resource inside the body.
Self Practice If you would like I can give you things to practice at home so you have access to a self-practice that you can do anytime anywhere.
The following is a list of some conditions that yoga therapy can be helpful in supporting:
Stress
Depression
Anxiety
Mental and Emotional Health
Nervous system regulation
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Asthma
General aches and pains of the musculoskeletal system
Women’s Health
Enhancing energy
Cultivating deep rest
How to book:
If you would like to book a session with me please email me to arrange your first session or we can also have an informal chat on the phone.
I recommend booking an initial session to meet each other and for you then to decide if you'd like to commit to more sessions. Pre session I will ask you to fill out an intake form and during our first session we will look through this together.
I then recommend coming regularly, most people come once every two weeks. Regularity is part of the active ingredient for change and to go through a process of depth time is needed. Please be aware even if you commit to weekly or biweekly sessions you are welcome to stop sessions at any point if you decide you don't want to continue and you are welcome to pay as you go or make a payment plan with me that will work for you.
Please feel free to ask as many questions as you need to or email me to arrange an informal chat on the phone if you would find that helpful.
Prices:
Yoga Therapy Sessions are £60 per 1hr. They are held near Ashburton at The Soma Shala which is based at The Husbandry School.
“My yoga sessions with Emily have been a really big support to me during a difficult period in my life with chronic illness. Her classes have provided a deeply nurturing and restorative space and a richness that I had not experienced in any class before. I felt that my individual needs were met with such presence and warmth. There was always attention to what was going on for me both physically and emotionally and I felt completely accepted. Whatever I brought with me to the class, she would meet with honesty and generosity by sharing her knowledge and experience wherever these could possibly be of help. My relationship to yoga has fundamentally changed. Instead of pushing myself and my body into positions, my intention now is to listen inwards and follow what is most healing for me on any particular day. A move from my head into my body; and from a place of continual striving that could never be truly satisfied, to a place where deep nourishment can be found. This is a big learning for me and I can see just how vitally important it is to the rest of my life and in helping me as my journey continues. ”
“Allows the process of ‘undoing’ and can often find some space from the ‘should be doing/feeling...’ mind set. This creates an inner softening and sense of inner connection. Whatever happens for me during the class I always feel quieter and softer following the class which helps me feel more open and connected to others.”
“This was the first time I felt so in tune and at ease with my body and this first time at yoga was truly an amazing experience, which has stuck with me ever since. Emily has accompanied me in finding a new way of taking care of myself physically and mentally, in a very professional and educated way, and for that, I am forever thankful.”
“I have learnt so many ways through yoga to reconnect not only to my body but also be in the moment to my surroundings too. You have taught me ways to deal with anxiety, stress, anger and sad energy states. Always you have been empathetic, kind and gentle. ”