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Yoga Therapy: Supporting Individual Healing
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Dating
back more than 5000 years, yoga is a complete method for restoring
and maintaining well-being.
It works from the outside in, and the inside out, starting from
the assumption that our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects are integrated. Yoga recognizes
the direct influence of habits of thoughts and emotions on our biochemistry. Imbalance in one area of
life will eventually make itself felt in all areas of life. |
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What is Yoga Therapy? |
Yoga therapy assists in reclaiming personal responsibility for
over-all health by identifying and correcting necessary physical,
mental and emotional changes, before the body responds with a
crisis in health; and by supporting and re-balancing the system
once dis-ease has manifested. We all have
a natural ability to heal when supported at all levels of the
process and drawing on our own innate wisdom. A wellness prescription for vitality,
joy and equilibrium must therefore nourish body, mind, emotions
and spirit – the whole being.
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How Does Yoga Work? |
Many of us become very disassociated with our
bodies as we grow older, treating them more like a car which
needs maintenance or unfortunately, sometimes urgent repair.
- From
a physical perspective, the conscious combination of breath
and movement through the postures strengthens and balances
the entire organism, assisting metabolic function; and the
cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, and musculoskeletal
systems, to function more effectively and efficiently.
- Posture
work also teaches the connection between the physical and
emotional selves, re-opening our ability to listen to the body.
- Breath
and meditation/relaxation techniques lower blood pressure,
slow pulse and breathing, and improve mood and concentration,
thus reprogramming the body’s habitual response
to stress. Many people find that as their bodies and minds
become calmer and more at peace, they are able to reconnect
with what re-energizes and re-Sources them. This in turn
allows them to be at home, in the workplace and in the community
in a healthier, more balanced way.
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Therapeutic Benefits: |
Yoga
applied as a therapy has been found beneficial in healing from
or living better with illness, and in supporting changes to
lifestyle and stress-triggered conditions. To name just a few,
some of the more intriguing recent studies found that yoga:
- in
conjunction with a balanced diet, lowered
blood pressure as well as a hypertension drug
- helped actually restore
lost bone density after a regular practice of only six months,
something once considered medically impossible
- lowered the
risk of heart of attack by maintaining the flexibility and
resilience of blood vessels and in another study, when combined
with dietary changes and counseling, actually reversed blockages
in the main arteries of the heart, something also once considered
impossible
- was found more effective than traditional
splint therapies in treating carpel tunnel syndrome
- was found
73% more successful in treating chronic
depression than
drug-related therapies
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What Happens in a Yoga Therapy Session? |
- Define areas of concern:
- prioritize alleviating symptoms
- begin to explore how to restore vitality and equilibrium in a
larger sense
- Develop
a sequence of adapted postures designed to relieve stress and
strengthen problem areas, including the use of focused breathwork,
relaxation techniques, and/or meditation when appropriate
- Assist
the client in learning what to avoid or approach with caution
- Consider
simple self-care practices & attitudes
that could be integrated
- Integrate physical therapy or other prescribed treatments to maximize impact
- Balance informational and experiential
activities
- Follow-up support plan
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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION |
Kathryn Downton, Lifesong
founder and Certified Viniyoga teacher and therapist, has
completed a seven year Master’s teacher training with
Claude Marechal, the internationally renowned teacher of teachers
from Belgium.
As a Viniyoga Therapist, Kathryn has helped
many people with a wide range of health and life challenges,
including stress-related illness, chronic pain, inflammatory
conditions, sleep disorders, and life transitions of all kinds.
Kathryn
is also trained in Reiki and a form of Healing Touch. She
brings her diverse life experience as a community development
worker and adult educator in Canada and overseas, as well as
personal experiences with healing a chronic illness, to her
work.
To book an appointment with Kathryn, phone 455-AHHH! (2444)
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 Top of Page
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Please call 455-AHHH! (2444) for more information or an appointment. |
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