There are many conditions that can benefit from yoga therapy. Below are a few examples of conditions or areas of the body in which yoga therapy can be supportive.
With all my heart, I believe that yoga can help us live with ease, as we travel along the journey of our lives.
SOME APPLICATIONS OF YOGA THERAPY….
Yoga for Sleep
Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? Most people experience insomnia at some point in their lives. And the stress over whether or not you’re going to get a good nights sleep can just add to an already overworked nervous system. Yoga therapy can support your efforts to sleep well.
Equip yourself for a better night’s sleep with yoga poses, breathing practices, meditation techniques and/or self-care practices. A pre-bedtime yoga routine can reset your nervous system and improve your relationship with sleep to help your body fall asleep and stay asleep.
Yoga for Low Back Pain
Yoga can be a wonderful tool to manage and prevent low back pain, if used appropriately. However, yoga classes are not all the same and some can create more problems than solutions. If your health care provider recommended yoga to help your low back pain, be sure you are practicing safely.
Deirdre will lead you to safely build strength and symmetry in the muscular systems that support the lower spine and pelvis. Learn to release chronic tension, increase circulation, build strength/stability in some areas and flexibility/mobility in others.
The sacroiliac joints are a common source of low back pain, especially in yogis. Read about Deirdre’s journey as a yogi with low back pain.
Yoga for Osteoporosis/Osteopenia
Osteoporosis and osteopenia are conditions in which the bones become less dense, making them more prone to break. Some degree of bone density loss is a normal part of aging but when it happens too much, serious risks can result. Both men and women can have osteoporosis/osteopenia.
Yoga is an excellent tool to reduce stress, build strength, and improve balance and agility to reduce fall risks. Some studies have indicated an increase in bone density from practicing yoga. While yoga is very useful, it must be practiced safely and there are some types of poses that hold more risk for someone with osteoporosis or osteopenia. Practicing with a knowledgable teacher is crucial. Deirdre has been diagnosed with osteoporosis herself. She still practices yoga regularly but has made appropriate changes to her personal practice to take care of her bones.
Yoga for Stress and Anxiety
Life can be very stressful and maintaining a steady ship is sometimes easier said than done. Yoga therapy has much to offer when it comes to managing stress, anxiety, and your emotional state.
Yoga for Happy Hips
Achy hips? Uneven gait? Tight quads and hip flexors? Posture problems?
Our powerhouse of strength is all about the hips. Think of all the muscles you use to get out of a chair, or walk up a flight of stairs. When this area hurts, or is weak, or lopsided - it affects your life in a big way. Yoga therapy can support happy hips by releasing tension, building strength, finding flexibility, and creating symmetry to help you move with ease.
Yoga Nidra (Guided Meditation)
Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation technique that helps to restore energy and calm the nervous system. A practice can be adaptive and take between 10 minutes and an hour. Deirdre is trained in the iRest tradition of yoga Nidra.
Yoga for Pelvic Floor
The muscles at the bottom of the pelvis are like the basement of your core. They need to be strong enough to hold up the structure above, but flexible enough to allow movement with breathing. Plenty of problems can occur when the pelvic floor is weak or too tight. Gentle yoga poses and breathing techniques can assist in balancing strength and mobility in the pelvic floor.
Too tight? Too weak? or a combination? Yoga Therapy brings awareness of what's happening down there and methods to balance strength and flexibility where we need it.
