The first step towards healing is to agknowledge that healing is possible. 

Many people in their day-to-day lives find themselves suffering unnecessarily due to the effects of trauma. Trauma can encompass a whole rainbow of negitive experiences such as chronic or acute depression, sustained physical or mental illness, addiction, physical injury to the body, sexual assault, childhood abuse, PTSD, loss of a loved one, loss of a child, inability to conceive... The list goes on and on. Victims often feel lost in an uphill battle against the negativity, hopelessness and stress brought about by their trauma. They may suffer prolonged psychological effects such as; loneliness, anger, depression, anxiety, an inability to trust others, self doubt or self hatred, self sabotage, feeling misunderstood or misrepresented.

I should know, I am one of these victims. I was a victim of childhood illness, childhood sexual abuse, divorced parents, bipolar disorder, sexual assault and the loss of my brother at a very young age. (Please read my blog for more of my story) 

The most Important thing I will share with you as a survivor is that the first step towards healing is it acknowledging that healing is possible. 

Healing IS possible. I cannot stress this enough since it is the foundation of everything I do and of everything you will learn from me. 

What is it that I do, exactly? 

Ah yes... to the point: I teach therapeutic yoga in a "teach a man to fish style". Meaning, I simply teach you the skills of yoga and meditation that empower you to heal yourself. But, in keeping with the metaphor, it is always you who will cast your own line and prepare your own dinner. In other words, you are always the one in control. It is YOUR practice.

How is your style different from other yogic and alternative medicine therapies?

As a trauma survivor I understand that maintainingcontrol and building trust is important and, with me, the ball is always in your court. In practice, I will never ask that you abandon critical thinking, ask that you do something you are not comfortable with, or ask that you follow any of my steps unquestioningly.  In my own quest for healing I have walked many empty paths under the guidance of teachers and healers who were either misguided themselves or did not have my best interests at heart. I learned that superstition and misinformation are the guiding star to many schools of philosophy that, in the end, did not provide me any relief and came with a very high price tag.  The fact of the matter is that many supposed healers and spiritual teachers out there use people's vulnerability to market their dogma and nonsense and do not have evidence to support that what they teach leads to health and well-being. So, that is why I will never expect that you rely solely on my credentials and will always provide sufficient empirical evidence for WHY we practice something and will suggest you demand that of all your teachers and therapists on your journey toward healing. What I offer is real down-to-earth tools to better your quality of life. Above that, I will go at your pace, respect your boundaries and I will earn your trust, rather than expected be given outright. 

That's all well and good but it's a little vague, can you give me any specific example of I can expect to learn?

Yes, I will teach you to let go. Therapeutic yoga taught me to feel my experiences and then let them go; I found that if I held on, I created stress and blocks that stunted my growth in my physical and spiritual life. Furthermore, if I suppressed or minimized my feelings, as is our instinct, they always surfaced later on often in very toxic ways. It is only when I let the past go that I was able to work toward a healthy future. eventually, with lots of hard work, I was able to invite positivity and happiness into the space formally inhabited by fear and anxiety. This is because when we calm the body and mind and react to life from a place of ease, we see things more clearly and create space for healing. 

How do I calm the body and mind though?

often times the trauma we seek to heal from causes physical stress in the body. When we are stressed our bodies go in to fight or flight mode. This elevates adrenaline and cortisol levels which can cause the probably familiar debilitating side effects of trauma; depression, headaches, extreme weight fluctuation, fatigue, insomnia, chronic illness and impaired immune and thyroid function.

Regular yoga and meditation practice calms the nervous system, which eases anxiety and creates clarity in your mind. By combating the stress of the world with physical activity and relaxation, you strengthen your immune system and improve organ function, keeping yourself healthier and more armed to deal with life's difficult moments. You move out of the state of constant high alert and become able to find calm anxiety free moments. When you are not in fight or flight mode you will notice yourself slowing down more to appreciate the little things. unexpected stress that normally would have overwhelmed you is as easy to deal with as side-stepping something thrown at you in slow motion.