Category Archives: Yoga Therapy

Common Misconceptions of Yoga

It’s the beginning of another year and many people are getting back into workout routines and making goals for 2017.

It can be intimidating to

begin or resume an activity.

Our Physiotherapists often have people ask us about what is the “best” activity for them. Whether it be after a having a car accident, a back injury, or simply to get moving, Yoga can be a great option.

There are several misconceptions when it comes to beginning Yoga:

You need to be flexible to start yoga.

This is a common misconception. It’s easy to believe this when photos, websites and social media depicting yoga often show a person in a complicated and challenging pose. There are steps and progressions for challenging poses. Every body is different. Finding an instructor that can show you the best way to use available props and modify movements to best suit your body and situation is ideal. To start in small yoga classes and even in private yoga instruction even with the intention to progress to a home based or studio practice is ideal.

Use the straps and blocks to assist in your poses and movements to ensure optimal alignment and prevent injury. As a Physiotherapist, it is more important to be able to control your movement rather than over stretch.

Yoga is for “hippies”

Yoga is for everyone. Seriously. It depends on what brings you to yoga, and what type of yoga you are practicing? Certainly there is a mind-body component of yoga. There is nothing wrong with practicing yoga simply for the physical aspect, although many people feel a pull for something more.

Yoga is only for Women.

Yoga is not a feminine or masculine activity. It is an activity. Both men and women are welcome at studios. It really is about the individuals own practice and goals. There are some studios that have men’s yoga classes for a less intimidating environment.

This misconception can stem from the thought that you need to be flexible to do yoga. If this is an intimidating premise, start with one-on-one yoga or a men’s class.

Yoga is only for relaxation.

Certainly there are relaxing components of yoga, but this is dependent on the class or variety of yoga you are practicing. Is there a focus on slow and sustained movements or is it a faster flow. Try an Ashtanga class and you will realize that is is not a relaxation class.

Yoga can help a person develop range of motion, mobility, flexibility, balance and strength. This can be accomplished through body weight movements, sustained postures and repetition.

If relaxation is what you seek, yin classes, restorative classes, classes with longer shavasana, yoga nidhra classes or even guided relaxation may be the way to go. One-on-one sessions can help you accomplish these goals also.

You have to go to a studio to practice yoga.

Once comfortable and safe with the movements of yoga, a home practice is perfectly attainable. You can do occasional drop-ins or work one-on-one with an instructor.

Yoga is dangerous

Yoga is not dangerous. Like any new activity, people benefit from specific and individualized instruction from qualified teachers. People can get hurt from doing too much too quickly. Avoid trying to keep up or pushing beyond safe boundaries into pain.

There is no rush in progressing a practice. Ego is a dangerous thing. Yoga is safe. Know your body, be patient and be gentle. Approach the teacher an let them know you are new, or out of practice and they may keep a closer eye on you. I welcome gentle “adjustments” or corrections as feedback.

I can go on about yoga

misconceptions,

but you get the point.

Your experience with Yoga or any activity is what you make of it. Do the research and ensure you begin with a solid foundation. Invest in the foundation. Whether it be starting small group classes or one-on-one sessions that guide you into a home practice or a studio practice.

Ensure your teachers are the right ones for you.

Ask them about their philosophy regarding poses and props. Also what is their training? Traditionally a 200 hour yoga teachers training is industry standard to teach but “yoga teacher” is not a protected term like “Physiotherapist” or “Massage Therapist” or “Chiropodist” is. Ensure you teachers have at least that level of training, if not more, as well as a thirst for knowledge.

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The Importance of Breathing – Pranayama

At our Oakville Physiotherapy and Wellness Clinic the importance of breathing and proper breathing is often touched upon in our Physiotherapy treatment, Massage Therapy treatment, but most often during a Yoga Therapy session.

One of the 5 principles of Yoga is breathing exercise (Pranayama). Yoga breathing is an exercise that helps to promote proper breathing. Proper breathing helps ensure adequate oxygen supply that helps revitalize the mind and the body. The thought is that is helps to supply our vital organs with with oxygen and helps to remove waste / toxins from the body. Our bodies require oxygen for energy (ATP) production.

Proper breathing is also the basis of core stability, with our main muscle of breathing (our Diaphragm) working in conjunction with the core and pelvic floor musculature. Proper breathing is assisted through ideal bodily alignment. We tend to adopt a body alignment with desk work and seated positions that curve us forward and prevent a full descent of the diaphragm.

Yoga Breathing assists with a multitude of physical issues, mental health, and chronic pain. It can be coupled with meditation that helps downgrade the nervous system. This helps transition the body from a potentially higher level sympathetic or “fight or flight” function to the parasympathetic or “rest and digest” function. Proper breathing should be incorporated into everyone’s daily lives.

Yoga Therapy helps to align a persons goals with their practice. It allows a person to have feedback and guidance in obtaining their best alignment to ensure breathing as well as techniques that will work for each unique individual. Therapeutic Yoga is appropriate for those of all ages and abilities and is geared towards the individual and their goals.

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More on Yoga Therapy

Our Oakville Physiotherapy and Wellness clinic is happy to have Therapeutic Yoga Instructor Jennifer as part of our team. She’s so passionate about Yoga but also movement in general and the general and mental health benefits that it can bring. She is excited to share her skills and passion for Yoga to the Oakville, Milton and Burlington communities. Our front desk, Physio’s and Massage Therapists have received many questions regarding the specifics of this service so we have decided to host an open house Saturday February 13th where people from the surrounding community can pop in, meet Jennifer and ask away!

Below is a small blurb from Jennifer describing what brought her to focus her Yoga teaching practice on one-on-one Yoga Therapy:

As a yoga teacher and practitioner, I have experienced first hand the physical and mental benefits that yoga provides. However, last year I began to experience chronic injuries from a job which required me to sit hunched over for many hours a day as well as some repetitive strain from physical activity. It began to negatively impact my life and my practice. As a result of this, I became interested in how yoga could be used as medicine to heal the body and along with it, the nervous system and the mind.

I began to read everything I could on the subject, and took training programs with experts to learn how to heal myself and others using yoga as a tool. The results for me have been astounding. Often, the pain is not where the problem is, as I discovered when I began using therapeutic yoga treatment on myself. My hips became more limber in addition to reduced pain in my upper body and neck. Now, I have improved movement in two areas of my body just by moving properly in one. The applications are endless.

Yoga therapy can work in conjunction with conventional medicine, or other therapists you are seeing. What’s the difference? Therapeutic sessions take into account deep-seated or underlying causes of illness or pain and seek to bring ease and peace into your life as well as treating your physical condition. This incorporates calming the nervous system to allow space for healing, deep relaxation, yoga poses adapted to your specific issue, visualization techniques, breath work and more. A session may involve all of these things or focus on one, depending what it is YOU need and are comfortable with. Yoga Therapy or Therapeutic Yoga is accessible for everyone, you do not need to know how to do yoga to benefit from a session. Alternatively, if you are looking to make your way back to yoga after an injury, then this is a great place to start!

I am happy to meet with anyone who is interested or has questions to discuss if this is a good fit for you. Call the office to set up an appointment or consultation, or come by our open house this Saturday February 13th beginning at 11am. I look forward to bringing more ease to your life!

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Yoga Therapy Open House

Oakville’s Palermo Physiotherapy is now proud to offer Yoga Therapy. Yoga instructor Jennifer Williams conducts personalized one-on-one Therapeutic Yoga sessions, that are geared to a person’s individualized needs. Jennifer will be in the clinic Saturday February 13th from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm to answer any questions and discuss the benefits Yoga Therapy can have for you specifically. Therapeutic Yoga can assist:

Mindfulness
Stress Relief
Anxiety
Now Offering Yoga Therapy at our North Oakville Physio and Wellness Clinic
Range of motion limitations
Range of motion control
Core strength
Balance
Safe transitioning into larger group Yoga
Movement
Pre-Natal activity
Post-Natal activity
Parkinsons Disease
Post Stroke Rehabilitation
Arthritis
Guided meditation

Stop by the clinic for a small snack and coffee and to see what it’s all about! Yoga Instructor / Yoga Therapist Jennifer will be happy to discuss why she loves helping her clients / patients using Yoga Therapy.

Yoga Therapy at Oakville Physio clinic in Palermo medical building — Yoga Therapy – All Ages, Goals, and Abilities Welcome!

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New: Yoga Therapy!

Our Oakville Physiotherapy and Wellness Clinic, located in North Oakville at the Old Bronte and Dundas Street is excited to announce a new team member. We would like to welcome Jennifer Williams to our team of practitioners. Jennifer is a Yoga Therapist practitioner. She will be providing one-on-one / private yoga instruction to patients who are interested as well as individuals in the surrounding Oakville, South Milton and Burlington North communities. Therapeutic Yoga is useful in injury recovery, pain reduction and even as a bridge into other activities.

What is Yoga Therapy?

Yoga therapy, or therapeutic yoga, is a combination of relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, and yoga postures to restore functional movement to the body. It allows the body and brain to communicate to facilitate healing, treating the body as a whole. It brings an awareness and a ‘deeper listening’ to what is happening in your body. Each session is designed specifically for your needs, using the principles of relaxation, pure movement, stability, mobility, strength and flexibility.

Yoga Therapy can improve conditions such as:

Chronic pain
Chronic fatigue
Headaches
Neck pain
Shoulder pain
Back pain
joint mobilization/stabilization
Stress, anxiety, depression
PTSD
cancer recovery
ADD/ADHD
Pre-Natal & Post Natal Yoga
and many more

Yoga Therapy has something for everyone, and you are never too old or too young to start. This is a practice created for you and your body. If you are ready to bring more ease into your life, physically and mentally, call today to book an appointment.

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