What to expect in a One-on-One Yoga Therapy session

It has been on my mind for some time to create a blog post that might help inform those who are intrigued and curious about Yoga Therapy. It has brought me great fulfillment to work with so many individuals over the last several years. Thank you for teaching me how to hold space for you, as you are.

What is Yoga Therapy?

As defined by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT),

“Yoga therapy is the professional application of the principles and practices of yoga to promote health and well-being within a therapeutic relationship that includes personalized assessment, goal setting, lifestyle management, and yoga practices for individuals or small groups.”

There is a widespread view in the west that one must be fit, flexible, feminine, etc etc, in order to practice Yoga. This can not be further from the truth. Yoga can be practiced by anyone at any time. As long as you are breathing, you can practice Yoga. One of the biggest benefits of seeking a Yoga Therapist is that the work is done in a 1-1 setting. Therefore, the practice is molded to suit you and your current needs.

A Yoga Therapist is not a licensed medical professional. However they have received over 1000 hours of education and a large part of that education includes understanding anatomy and psyche. Your Yoga Therapist can work alongside your medical team to support your overall wellbeing.

Who should see a Yoga Therapist?

Anyone! No, but really. There is no Yoga experience necessary at all to begin Yoga Therapy sessions. In fact, it may be preferred for someone who would not be comfortable or well-suited for a Yoga group class. Some avid Yoga practitioners may seek a Yoga Therapist for a more customized practice to meet their goals. On the other hand, a complete beginner may seek a Yoga Therapist to support physical, mental, or spiritual needs. Yoga can be done in the studio, in your home, online, in a clinic, or even in a hospital bed.

What are the benefits for Yoga Therapy?

The benefits far outreach what I can put on paper! Yoga Therapy can support muscular imbalances, chronic pain, cancer treatments, grief, trauma-recovery, anxiety & depression, daily aches and pains, stress, and more. Yoga is a holistic approach that addresses the whole being. Your Yoga Therapist might even have lifestyle tips and recommendations depending on their scope of practice and education. Yoga is especially beneficial for soothing the nervous system, which all other systems of the body can benefit from.

Read here about how Yoga can help change the brain when coping with chronic pain.

What can I expect in my Yoga Therapy session?

Before your first session, your Yoga Therapist will send you an intake form. See mine here. The questions asked cover the “5 layers of our being”. The physical, energetic, mind, higher wisdom, and spirit. Your Yoga Therapist would like to get an idea of where you are at at each aspect of being so they can pinpoint a starting point for your sessions. What is most important though, is your own personal goals for seeking a Yoga Therapist. That is what your sessions will be focused on. You can always shift these goals at any time.

The initial session is 90 minutes long. In those 90 minutes, we review your intake, answer any questions you might have and clarify your goals. At times a structural assessment can occur (depending on your goals), a breathing assessment, and joint mobility assessment. A relaxation portion is included in every session.

If you are meeting in person, you might be going to your Yoga Therapists office, a yoga studio, or another space the therapist may be renting and working in. If you are meeting online, you would create a space in your home that is big enough for your mat and a few other props. You might want to check that you have enough space by gently swinging your arms and legs in each direction to make sure furniture is not in the way, if possible.

Thereafter, each session is 60 minutes. You can expect a combination of the following:

• a verbal check-in & deep listening. This helps your Yoga Therapist cater the practice to meet you where you are at on that particular day

• movement: yoga postures and/or flowing movements. Often the practice is more gentle, however it can be rigorous at times. Again, this depends on your goals for yoga

• meditation: guided, silent, mudras (hand gestures), muscle relaxation, and more

• pranayama: breathing practices. Your Yoga Therapist will choose breathing practices that align with your energy and physicality

• home yoga therapy plan: this is a realistic plan for you to do on your own time at home or office. Your Yoga Therapist will co-create this plan with you. It typically is a combination of the above. Over time you may adjust or add to your plan.

What should I do before and after a session?

Because movement is involved, try to not eat a big meal 1-2 hours before your session. If you are online, set up your space with your mat and any props or comfort items you have. Some clients like to bring tea and a candle. Wear comfortable clothing that allows for you to move in all directions comfortably. Afterwards, try to keep in mind what you might have learned during the session and bring it into your day. If you have homework sent by your Yoga Therapist, seek a time that realistically works for you in your day to practice. Often the home practice will be 20 minutes or under. You will get more out of your yoga therapy if you create a home practice. Your home practice might be a handout and/or an audio or video.

Any risks to know?

According to the NIH: 

“Yoga is generally considered a safe form of physical activity for healthy people when performed properly, under the guidance of a qualified instructor. However, as with other forms of physical activity, injuries can occur. The most common injuries are sprains and strains. Serious injuries are rare. The risk of injury associated with yoga is lower than that for higher impact physical activities.”

Working one on one with an experienced yoga therapist greatly minimizes the risk.

I hope this helps answer some questions you might have had about Yoga Therapy!

Work with me online from anywhere or in person in New Haven County, CT.

Mudita ~ Vicarious Joy

As March approaches,

I feel a sense of hope in the air. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that spring enters this month!
It has been about a year since the original lock-downs due to COVID-19 & I have some reflections I would like to share ...
March is often associated with the color green. This is due to St. Patricks Day, of course. The color green is also the color of the heart chakra. The heart chakra is the 3rd energy center located at the physical heart. Spiritually this is our center of connection. Connection to our highest Self, each-other, the Universe/God/Higher power (however it resonates with you), and with all beings on this earth and beyond.
One thing this pandemic has really taught us is how connected we all truly are. We have been asked to think not only of ourselves and our loved ones, but of ALL. We have been challenged to expand our hearts and open up to the unknown.

This week in class I have been sharing the Sanskrit word "Mudita". Mudita can be translated as vicarious Joy. It is empathetic joyfulness for another. One of my teachers offered up this practice of Mudita:"Be so happy for another, it is as if it is happening for your own self." This practice is not only meant for our immediate loved ones, but for all. The practice of Mudita is to practice genuine joy for another's peace and well-being - even a stranger.
I especially like to consider Mudita when I find myself in a comparison mindset. If I find myself comparing my own skills/success/experience to other Yoga Teachers or Yoga Therapists, I remind myself of Mudita and I feel relief. I can embody Joy for them and their successes. It has taught me that in this way, everyone "wins." The joy and love is sent to the other and it comes back to me. Comparison or envy is released.

I invite you to contemplate Mudita. Catch yourself when you are judging and comparing to another and share in vicarious Joy instead. The more we do this, the more it will come back to us. We are all connected this way.

Supporting anxiety and depression through yoga therapy: How one client practices

Blog published by YogaTherapy.Health

Dec 17, 2020 

By Amy Gaster

Jessica* is navigating life in her 20s, including the changes that can come in this sometimes-tumultuous decade. She is sweet and speaks softly; her calming, grounded demeanor diverges widely from the way she explains her inner experience. Jessica’s goals for seeking yoga therapy are to support her ever-changing experiences of anxiety and depression. She also hopes to feel more connected to her body and her inner self.

Every client is a distinct individual, but a few snapshots of how I worked with Jessica illustrate the path of adjunctive care through yoga therapy and some of the ways in which the practices support the experiences of anxiety and depression.

Foundations for insight

Jessica can clearly describe where in her body she feels anxiety—in the chest and belly, neck, and face (especially the eyebrows)—and the way she experiences depression—as a general heaviness in her body. She also reports feeling disconnected from her physical body overall. She shares that her biggest life challenges right now are recovering from traumatic experiences, unemployment, and navigating medical leave from school. Jessica attends silent retreats, which she finds challenging but also life-changing. I notice that she often closes her eyes, even while talking.

One of the tools of yoga therapy is educating the client. Every individual is unique: Some yearn to know the how and why of what yoga can do to help them; others just want to know that they can feel better.

Yoga therapists do their best to assess who is sitting in front of them and to meet those individuals where they are. We are trained to assess people through yogic methods including the panchamaya kosha model. The panchamaya system views the person as an interconnected whole, from all layers (koshas) of being. From such perspectives—and with client involvement—a yoga therapist chooses not only the practices that may best suit the client, but also the ways in which the practices are presented. Depending on the client, for example, I might occasionally share information like the below, or we may sit and have a longer conversation about how yoga can support mental well-being.

How yoga supports anxiety and depression

Anxiety and depression are not foreign invaders of our systems—they are necessary survival skills we all have. Anxiety is an (over)abundance of the behavioral skill of projecting and analyzing the future to save us from potentially harmful situations, or simply to plan ahead. Depression is an excess of the behavioral skill that allows us to reflect on the past, learn from our mistakes or from things that went well, and carry forward lessons. Much more could be said here, of course. (Some of the yoga research in these areas is linked under “Mental health” here.) The point is that yogic philosophy views these “conditions” not as something to get rid of, but rather as experiences that may require balancing.

Yoga supports nervous system regulation. (Learn one way this might work here.) The practices of conscious breathing, relaxation, and physical poses have different qualities that can be stimulating or calming as needed. When someone is feeling anxious, we might reach for yogic tools that ground and soothe the nervous system. When someone is feeling depressed, we might reach for yogic tools that are uplifting and stimulating.

Yoga therapists seek to support people where they are currently, then offer a yogic intervention to help them find balance. For example; if someone is feeling anxious and jittery, we may help them to move through that energy physically or with the breath, discharging any excess. When they feel a bit more settled, then we can offer grounding breathing practices, relaxation, and poses that require stillness.

If someone is feeling depressed and lethargic, we can invite them to begin slowly, perhaps on their backs with gentle breathing and movements—again, meeting them where they are. Then, once we have brought in more energy, we can offer more stimulating and uplifting practices.

Yoga therapy invites us to practice svadhyaya (self-study) to observe how states like anxiety and depression can shift and show up on any given day. From there, the practice can vary depending on what mood is most predominant.

Meeting energy where it is: Jessica’s practices     

One session, Jessica let me know she was feeling very lethargic and down and so had decided to have a cup of coffee. That led to her feeling stressed, overwhelmed, jittery, and anxious by the time she saw me. Other times, she has come in feeling physically lethargic and mentally anxious and fearful.

Slow, flowing movements with even breathing may be especially helpful when someone is feeling more anxious and needs a gentle way of dealing with that energy. When I notice Jessica’s movements and breath becoming more even and fluid, I invite her to start holding postures for three to five breaths. If Jessica is feeling more depressed on a given day, I might offer a restorative backbend to bring subtle uplifting energy. In either case, we use props like bolsters and blankets to prevent physical strain and shift the focus to calming the mind.

Over time, the system learns to be with a spectrum of experience in a calm way, and clients learn tools they can apply to support balance in themselves.

Silent meditation can feel overwhelming for those with racing thoughts or who tend to engage in negative self-talk. Many yoga therapists avoid silent meditation for those coping with anxiety and depression. Guided meditations that include mudra (hand gestures) or mantra (sound) may be useful to give the mind something to “chew on.”

In Jessica’s case, we began practices with guided visualization, mudras, or guided breath awareness. A practice such as breath of joy with the sound LAM is a staple in Jessica’s yoga therapy plan. This active breathing exercise is meant to uplift and energize.**

Bhramari (bee breath) with shanmukti mudra (using the fingertips to gently close the ears, eyes, nose and mouth) is a harmonizing breathing practice Jessica really enjoyed. I offered sama vritti, or even breathing, when she was feeling depressed to support balanced energy. When Jessica felt more anxious we practiced breathing with a longer exhalation.

Tratak meditation (focusing on a single point) on a candle flame was a practice I chose to invite Jessica to engage with her surroundings with open eyes. Jessica was surprised at how helpful this type of meditation was for her, as she was accustomed to practicing silent meditation with her eyes closed. She reported that tratak helped her to feel focused and centered. Because Jessica already practiced silent meditation, I often ended our sessions with a few moments of silence together to provide familiarity.

Moving forward 

Jessica explains that yoga therapy has helped her get to know herself more, connect with her body and mind, and identify practices and activities that support her in creating more even moods. She looks forward to continuing to attend silent meditation retreats with the new knowledge and tools of breathwork, mantra, and movements to prepare for stillness. She also reports that even if she does struggle with silent meditation, she now knows that there is nothing wrong—she may just be out of balance!

Amy Gaster, RYT-500, C-IAYT, practices yoga therapy in New Haven County, Ct., and from anywhere online via Zoom. Amy supports individuals and small groups in the experience of chronic pain, mental and emotional well-being, and back pain. Find her on Instagram and Facebook.

*Name has been changed to protect the client’s privacy.

**If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure or any kind of head or eye condition, such as migraines or glaucoma, it’s best to skip this practice. If you start to feel light-headed, stop for a minute, breathe normally, and find something in front of you to look at. As with many breathing practices and other yogic tools, working with the guidance of a well-trained teacher is recommended.

This post originally appeared on yogatherapy.health, published by the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Used with permission.

Supporting Anxiety & Depression - the 3 Gunas - Aspects of Nature

Supporting Anxiety & Depression Through Yoga Therapy

As we enter another lock-down due to COVID-19, the angst in the air is palpable. I have heard from many this week that this time around, they are just not sure how they will cope. With the holidays coming up, it is a new experience this pandemic can add to its long resume. I wanted to offer a case study on how Yoga Therapy can help support our mental health. This is my way of contributing to my community, and the world. I feel called to share.

Jessica* is navigating life in her 20s and all the changes that can come in this youthful, yet sometimes tumultuous decade. She is sweet and speaks softly and presents with a calming, grounding demeanor, although that is far from how she explains her inner experience. Jessica’s goals for seeking Yoga Therapy are to support her anxiety and depression, as it changes each day. She also hopes to feel more connected to her body and feel a sense of belonging to herself.

Jessica can clearly describe where in her body she feels anxiety; chest and belly, neck, face, and eyebrows. and the way depression presents; feels like general heaviness in her body. She also reports feeling a disconnection to her body over-all. Her biggest life challenges right now are recovering from traumatic experiences, unemployment, and navigating medical leave from school. Jessica attends silent retreats of the Vipassanā tradition. She finds the retreats very challenging, but also life changing. I notice Jessica often closes her eyes, even while talking.

 One of the tools of Yoga Therapy is educating the client in yogic philosophy. The intention is to empower one with ancient knowledge and to offer new language outside of the labels of anxiety or depression.

The emphasis is always to first meet ourselves where we are at and then invite in the other quality to balance. 

The Gunas

The Gunas are natures 3 fundamental forces. All the qualities of the world contain the Gunas: Rajas, Tamas, and Sattva. Rajas is the quality of energy, wakefulness, and movement. Tamas is the quality of inertia, stillness, and sleep. Sattva is harmony, balance, transcendence. Sattva arrives when the balance of rajas and tamas is met in each unique being. It is the goal of Yoga. Just like the ever-changing state of energy, Sattva too is always shifting. What brings us balance at one point, may not always. That is why present moment awareness is so important on our journey of wellbeing.

When one experiences both anxiety and depression, an understanding of the Gunas can help them to understand themselves. It gives them a way to check in with the aspects of nature present in their own being each day. From there, their Yoga practice and daily choices can reflect the state of energy they are currently in and what may help bring them to balance.

Excess rajas leads to overwhelm, stress, insomnia, anxiety. Excess tamas leads to lethargy, resistance to change, excessive sleeping, and depression. I explain to Jessica how one may experience excess rajas in the mind and tamas in the body and vice versa. When we feel excess rajas, we want to bring in tamas to balance. When we feel excess tamas, we want to bring in rajas to balance. The emphasis is always to first meet ourselves where we are at and then invite in the other quality to balance. 

Jessica’s Practice       

One session, Jessica let me know she was feeling very tamasic so she decided to have a cup of coffee. That led to her feeling stressed, overwhelmed, jittery, and rajastic by the time she came in to see me. At other times she has come in feeling lethargic (tamas) in the body, and anxious and fearful (rajas), in the mind. Yoga Therapy invites us to practice Swadhaya (self-study) to observe how anxiety and depression can shift and present in an individual on any given day. From there the practice can vary depending on what mood is most predominant.

Slow, yet dynamic flowing movements with even breathing are best when someone is feeling more anxious and the energy needs to integrate. When I notice Jessica’s movements and breath becoming more even and fluid, I invite in static holds for 3-5 breaths. At the end of the physical practice forward folds invite in the energy of tamas to ground. If Jessica was feeling more tamasic that day, I would offer her a restorative back-bend to bring in Rajas to balance. The utilization of props in either case helps to prevent strain on the body and shift the focus on calming the mind. During longer held forward folds the mantra “I am here” supports anxious or depressed minds. I guided Jessica to inhale to the crown of the head, saying silently “I am”, and to exhale to the seat: “here”.

 Silent meditation is usually not recommended for those coping with anxiety and depression. Guided meditations that may include mudras or mantras may be more useful in order to “throw the mind a bone”.  Otherwise, silent meditation can feel overwhelming for one whose thoughts are racing or who tend towards negative self-talk.  We began practices with guided visualization, mudras, or guided breath awareness. A practice such as Breath of JOY with the sound LAM is a staple in Jessica’s Yoga Therapy plan. Breath of Joy is an active breath-centered breathing exercise meant to uplift and energize.

Jessica explains that Yoga Therapy has helped her get to know herself more, connect with her body and mind, and to empower her to find practices and activities that help support her in creating more balance in her mood.

Bhramari (bee breath) with Shanmukti mudra is sattvic breathing practice Jessica really enjoyed. When she was feeling more tamasic (depressed), 1:1 even ratio breathing helped uplift. Even breathing supports balanced energy. When she was feeling more rajastic (anxious), 1:2 ratio breathing was supportive. The longer exhale is more calming. Tradak meditation on a candle flame was a practice I chose for Jessica to invite her to engage with her surroundings with eyes open. Jessica was surprised at how helpful Tradak mediation was for her, since she typically practices silent meditation with eyes closed. She reported it helped her feel focused and centered. Since Jessica’s primarily practice is silent meditation, I often ended with just a few moments of silence together.  This provided her with something familiar.

Moving forward:

Jessica explains that Yoga Therapy has helped her get to know herself more, connect with her body and mind, and to empower her to find practices and activities that help support her in creating more balance in her mood. She looks forward to continuing to attend silent meditation retreats with the new knowledge and tools of breath work, mantra, and movements to prepare to sit silently. She also reports that even if she does struggle with her silent meditations, she now feels that there is not something wrong with her, she just may be out of balance!  

Amy Gaster C-IAYT, RYT 500, practices Yoga Therapy with individuals and small groups through-out New Haven County, CT and from anywhere online via Zoom. Amy works with individuals to support them in their experience of chronic pain, mental and emotional well-being, and back pain, utilizing a client-led approach incorporating accessible tools of Yoga. Find her in Instagram, facebook, and her website: yogawithamylauren.com

*Name has been changed to protect the client’s privacy.

The Yogic Kosha Model and Mental Health

The Pancha Maya Kosha Model

This is the framework we follow in Yoga Therapy to support individuals in their physical, mental or spiritual well-being. We are multi-dimensional beings made up of many different, yet interactive levels.

My intention is to introduce this model so that one may get an idea of what to expect in Yoga Therapy AND to educate others in the many ways we can approach our well-being. Perhaps you have tried talk-therapy and it was not enough for you (disclaimer: I believe in and personally benefit from talk therapy). The Kosha model reminds us that we are more than our mental and physical bodies. It teaches that there are other layers to who we are, and therefore other ways to “enter” our healing path.

The Pancha Maya Kosha Model: Pancha means five - 5 layers. Maya is illusion or that which separates. Kosha can be translated as sheath or layers.

1) Anna Maya Kosha- The Physical body. Anna means food. This is our “food sheath”. The part of us nourished by what we eat and consume physically. Our physical body is our most familiar aspect of our being. This is the body we can touch and feel. The body we feed, move, sleep, rest, exercise, and do Yoga asanas (postures). Many people report feeling better after exercise. Even a short walk can provide a mood boost and soothe anxiety. Physical Yoga classes often leave people feeling more grounded and uplifted. “In a large US sample, physical exercise was significantly and meaningfully associated with self-reported mental health burden” This is one way “in”

2) Prana Maya Kosha- The Energy body. Prana translates as energy or life-force. It is the energy that flows through and creates life in all of our systems. Breath is the most physical manifestation of Prana. Breath contains Prana and is the most accessible way for an individual to influence their Prana. Prana can get stuck and stagnant and create lethargy or depression. It can also get scattered or uncontained and create feelings of anxiety. Breath awareness and breathing practices, called pranayama, increase and facilitate the flow of prana in the body and balance the flow of the life force to all the physical systems. I always like to say, if one can breath one can do Yoga. Creating even breaths in and out supports depressive feelings. Lengthening the exhalation calms the nervous system and supports anxiety. Here is an article about breath and mental health by BetterHelp (an online resource for finding a therapist). This is another way “in”

3) Mana Maya Kosha- The Mental-Emotional body. Manas means mind, and the Manamayakosha is the layer of our being expressed as mind, emotions, and feelings. These are our thoughts and emotions. The way we interpret our thoughts and emotions and those of others. This layer is responsible for processing input through our 5 senses of the physical body. It often takes on a bigger role then it may have been intended by creation. Many benefit from processing emotions and mental patterning through Talk Therapy. Some resources: https://www.betterhelp.com & https://www.psychologytoday.com/us This is a way “in”.

4) Vijnana Maya Kosha- The Wisdom body. Vijnana means knowing, and this sheath represents the higher mind, intuitive wisdom, a sense of knowingness. Believe it or not- we ALL have this layer. Here we approach the subtle body. This is the wisdom that lies behind the processing, thinking, and reactive mind above. Think of our mental/emotional body like a shout, and the wisdom body like a whisper. When we are in touch here we are able to trust our higher wisdom, see the bigger picture of our lives and the world around us, & access higher levels of integrating our lives & living in our truth. Practicing meditation, Yoga Nidra, and Journaling are some ways to nourish this layer. I love the free app “Insight Timer” for guided meditations and relaxations. This is a way “in”

5) Ananda Maya Kosha- The Bliss body. This is the fifth and final sheath of our being. Ananda means bliss, - an expanded, unbounded experience of reality. Bliss in the yogic sense, is not the way we typically describe it in our modern language. The experience of bliss is steady without high-highs or low- lows. It is an everlasting contentment - the experience of the soul itself. Again, we ALL have this layer. It is the core of our being beneath the other 4. So it makes sense that it can be hard to sense or access. You may have experienced this feeling of deep contentment before - even if it was fleeting. One can access this “layer” through any of the 4 above.

Here is where I would like to explain what I mean when I say “in” . I am speaking of the Bliss body. The deepest part of ourselves that comes with us when we leave our physical bodies. When we are in touch with this part of ourselves; knowingly or unknowingly, we feel the ultimate connection to source. I believe, this is what we are seeking all along.

These sheathes are not separate or linear. They integrate with each other. For example, it is not unusual to feel connected to your higher wisdom body during exercise, or perhaps talk therapy. The purpose of the intellectual understanding of our different layers is to understand that there are many ways to find support for our unique needs.

My hope is that this has helped you acknowledge the multi-dimensional human you are & learn ways to advocate and take care of you.

I am here to be a guide on that journey.

~ Amy