Feeling down? Yoga Therapy can help.
KITTY REDDINGTON It’s 7PM on a Tuesday evening and after a long day of sitting in front of a computer working, you are giving yourself a well-earned treat – Uber eats delivery from your favorite pizza place and a cheeky glass of wine, while watching the latest thrilling Netflix mini-series, which has you glued to your screen until well past your usual bedtime. When your alarm goes off at 6AM, you press snooze three times, missing your chance to catch the early Reformer class you promised yourself you would do. When you finally drag yourself out of bed, you feel heavy. The day starts with an extra-strong flat white, that you’re sure won’t be the last today.
Does this weeknight routine resonate at all with you? Maybe you can’t relate to all aspects of this because you might also be juggling babies, children, or caring for elderly parents. Our lives are busy and stressful, which is why our routines and habits can have such a big impact on our health and wellbeing.
A few things I see regularly with my Yoga Therapy clients include:
Numbing with food and drinks – the meals we choose to eat after a stressful day
Rewarding with food and drinks – I worked hard today, I deserve this cupcake/wine/etc.
Numbing with screentime – Doom scrolling and Binge watching
There’s nothing inherently bad about having a coffee, eating a cookie, or watching Stranger Things for five hours straight (my fav show), but it’s the reason behind the cookie that has more meaning.
What does this have to do with Yoga Therapy you might be wondering?
Yoga Therapy is where we apply the practices of yoga to help the individual learn how to heal themselves. We can all get into unhealthy patterns and habits – but by using yoga we can help break these. Yoga Therapy isn’t limited to breaking habits, you might see a Yoga Therapist to help heal after an injury, to manage a chronic health condition, or to address your mental health.
I specifically like to work with individuals to help them manage their stress and anxiety, often using breathing practices, which is likely what I would do with the person in the scenario I laid out for you above.
There are so many practices that we can find in yoga that can help us to feel better right now, like just showing up to class. Every time you step onto the mat you are showing up for yourself and taking a step towards better health.
This July, I’ll be running a Therapeutic Yoga Workshop to work on skills on help manage stress and anxiety – two common mental health experiences we can all relate to. Want to learn some disruptive technology for your own body and mind? Join me in July for the ultimate mind and body hacking experience.