Yoga Therapy (FAQ) Frequently Asked Questions
While I've tried to be comprehensive in the Yoga Therapy FAQ, it is quite possible that I have missed something. Please contact me if any questions arise which are not answered here or if you decide you would like to schedule a session with me. I schedule private sessions during the "Available for Private Yoga Therapy Sessions" slots noted on the calendar. Be aware that the calendar reflects my general availability on a weekly basis, but does not reflect sessions I have already booked.
- "What is Yoga Therapy?"
- "What is the relationship between Yoga Therapy and Meditation?"
- "Is Thai Yoga Therapy the same as Thai Massage?"
- "How are Thai Yoga Therapy and Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy different?"
- "What do I need to know before a Yoga Therapy session?"
- "Can you come to my home or do I have to come to you?"
- "How many Yoga Therapy sessions do you recommend that I'll need?"
- "When can I schedule a Yoga Therapy session?"
- "How do I decide which Yoga Therapy session to do?"
- "How much does a Yoga Therapy session cost and how long does a session last?"
- "What forms of payment do you accept?"
- What I love the most about Yoga Therapy is that it supports clients exactly where they need support. Some people perceive neck pain as isolated to the neck. As Western science studies Eastern healing traditions, there is a growing belief that physical symptoms can be intricately tied to other parts of the physical body as well as to mental attitudes and emotions. On an even deeper level, the acknowledgment that every human being has an energetic element to them has developed with the acceptance of acupuncture as a licensed modality. Yoga Therapy can support people on all of these levels.
- Yoga therapy is a growing limb in the world of hatha yoga that emphasizes slow, mindful
movement with awareness of spinal alignment. In the presence of persistent mental or physical tension, the body can misshape itself - fostering a cycle of mindset, behavior, and even, illness. Mindfully relaxing and realigning the body through yoga therapy can break this cycle and promote healing. - Yoga Therapy allows you to have a personal experience with your unique body-mind connection. Most people have heard of this connection, but aren't quite sure what that means or are skeptical as to whether it even exists. Since words can't adequately express the body-mind connection, you need to experience it first-hand for yourself. The result of that experience is that you now have access to a new, highly-reliable source of information about your life choices.
- Yoga Therapy lengthens, stretches, and releases muscles, so that constrictions and blockages in the body's energetic channels are cleared. Many complementary modalities believe that the human being is comprised of layers, from the most subtle (energy) to the most obvious (physical). Physical symptoms are the final means that the body has to communicate imbalances that originate at the energetic level. Under this view of health, Yoga Therapy becomes an integral and necessary tool to balance, support, and clear energy blockages.
"What is the relationship between Yoga Therapy and Meditation?"
- Anytime you slow down and pay attention to what you are experiencing with your senses, you are meditating. Your senses communicate what you are experiencing right now. Not what happened in the past, not what may happen in the future ... but what is going on right now. Thus you are in the moment ... you are experiencing now. This technique is called "mindfulness meditation".
- During a private Yoga Therapy session, you are encouraged to leave your perceptions, your expectations, your "should's" and "must's" at the door and simply allow yourself to experience the session. The more present you are to the experience of being stretched and to what you notice as you physically relax, the more your thoughts quiet down and you are able to be in the moment. The combination of the movement and the duration of the session allow even the most active mind to just be present. This is why so many clients report a sense of clarity and peacefulness after the session.
"Is Thai Yoga Therapy the same as Thai Massage?"
- In form there is no difference. However, in intention, there is a huge difference. In Thai Massage, painful pressure may be applied to release the blockages. In my personal experience, this causes my body to contract even more against the pain.
In Thai Yoga Therapy, the intention is to create a safe, trusting environment where the body and mind can relax deeply. Deeply intense stretches or tender acupressure points may be experienced by the client, but if the intensity does not diminish with a deep exhale, then I choose to move on with verbal agreement from the client. As the practitioner, if I were to approach a session with tentative movements, strained posture when doing the stretches, or even a distracted state of mind, these states of being can be sensed by the client, who will unconsciously hold back. My commitment to advanced levels of training in my chosen forms of Yoga Therapy ensures that I do not approach sessions in this manner, but with a purposeful, confident, healing, supportive touch and state of being conducive to your deep physical and mental relaxation.
"How are Thai Yoga Therapy and Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy different?"
- In form, the two modalities share some aspects, but the focus is completely different.
- The focus of Thai Yoga Therapy is to clear energy channels through rhythmic massage,
acupressure, supported stretches and breath focus. - Phoenix Rising shares the supported stretches and breath focus. However, the focus of the session is to explore what shows up within the body as you deeply relax both physically and mentally. Thus the dialogue component is included to facilitate this exploration. Phoenix Rising sessions begin with a stated intention by you, the client, as to how the session can best support you. At the end of the session, the integration step helps you to process your insights from the session and to bring them forward into your life.
- The gentle back bend depicted in the photo is a classic stretch that is found in both modalities. In Thai Yoga Therapy, since there is a sequence that is covered during the session, we would stay in this stretch for a few breaths and then flow into the next one. In Phoenix Rising, we would stay here as long as there was something to explore. Through the dialogue component, some people describe an uplifting, freeing, flying sensation as they breathe and relax into the stretch ... others want to come down quickly, so we move on to something else.
"What do I need to know before a Yoga Therapy session?"
- Wear comfortable exercise clothes, preferably nothing too loose that could get bunched up as I stretch and move you.
- Please refrain from eating anything heavy for about 1 hour prior to the session.
- Please bring an open, curious mind and a desire to relax and let go.
Sessions are conducted fully-clothed, with the client lying on a padded mat on the floor. Everything can be adapted to a seated position, if lying on the floor is a concern for you.
Many people with tight ankles or knee problems see this photo and immediately think "I couldn't do that." And yet, this stretch can also be done, just as effectively, with the client seated in a chair.
"Can you come to my home or do I have to come to you?"
- While I used to travel to your place to do private Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy and Thai Yoga Therapy sessions, I now request that you schedule private sessions with me at my locations. I have found that this arrangement makes the most sense when I take into consideration a reasonable fee that would cover my travel time, set up time and associated costs. Most clients prefer to come to me as they are dubious about finding 1.5 hours of uninterrupted quiet time at their home.
"How many Yoga Therapy sessions do you recommend that I'll need?"
- This is a question that I always ask when starting a new healing treatment. While I prefer to receive a firm answer, the nature of Yoga Therapy is that "it varies based on the individual". Your personal experience in the session will determine how often you want to receive a session.
- With the Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy sessions, some people come in whenever they need to quiet down and gain clarity on a life situation. I have had other clients come weekly as they are working through the issues surrounding a particular decision in their life.
- With Thai Yoga Therapy, I have clients prefer this over a regular massage because they find Thai Yoga Therapy to be more deeply relaxing. Many clients with chronic pain in their backs and shoulders experience days of relief after a session, so they choose to commit to their self-care and well being scheduling a regular session.
"When can I schedule a Yoga Therapy session?"
- Because I teach meditation classes and lead discussion groups in the evenings, I have limited evening slots available. I usually do not schedule sessions over the weekend unless it is with a long-term client. My calendar lists the times I have set aside for Yoga Therapy sessions, but does not represent my actual availability. Appointments are not reserved until confirmed by a phone conversation, at which time I will send you the paperwork necessary for the session.
"How do I decide which Yoga Therapy session to do?"
- Call me and we can talk about it.
- Thai Yoga Therapy is usually a good place to start if you have never had a one-on-one Yoga Therapy session before because it introduces you to the concept of supported stretches and the focus is relaxation, which everybody needs!
- Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy allows you to focus inward to explore what is going on in your life. Sometimes sessions can be intense if your life situation seems overwhelming, but most people agree that sessions are incredibly therapeutic and they leave with a sense of empowerment.
- For those with limited range of movement due to pain, a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy session would be a better place to start as the structure of this session allows for more freedom in staying for a while in areas that need attention. Since there is a prescribed sequence of stretches that I need to complete in a Thai Yoga Therapy session, the session may not feel as complete if we agree to skip stretches to accommodate areas where you experience pain.
"How much does a Yoga Therapy session cost and how long does a session last?"
- I charge $75 per hour, but occasionally run promotions. Please contact me for current promotions.
- A Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy session lasts 1.5 hours ($112.50). After you have experienced a few sessions and are able to fully relax and allow me to stretch you, the option exists for a 1 hour session.
- You choose whether you want a Thai Yoga Therapy session for 1.5 hours ($112.50) or for a full two hours ($150). In exchange for your written feedback after the session which I need in order to complete my next level of certification, I am discounting these sessions as follows: 1.5 hours ($100) and 2 hours ($137.50) The tradeoff in the shortened length is that I will omit stretches and shorten your time in meditation. It is worth experiencing the exquisitely deep relaxation that accompanies a 2 hour session!
"What forms of payment do you accept?"
- Payment in full is required at the end of the session. I accept cash and checks made payable to Integrative InSight. If you prefer to pay for the session by credit card, please let me know and I can email you a PayPal link so that you can make the payment prior to the session.