Wherever we focus our attention, change occurs.
Yoga= To unite
Therapy= Treatment/ Healing
Yoga therapy= To unite attention for the purpose of healing
Yoga therapy is anything that promotes health, not necessarily yoga as practiced in a group/studio.
Yoga therapy sometimes uses tools of yoga (movement, breath, awareness).
Yoga therapy is about providing the right and suitable conditions for our system, in order to promote health and fulfill our potential in order to address a specific problem—whether physical and/or mental.
The therapy's principles include:
1. Health is the proper functioning of the system-To maintain it, suitable conditions for health must be provided.
2. Yoga therapy relies on the system's natural intelligence.
3. Yoga therapy is holistic—providing a comprehensive response to the individual and addressing the entirety of the body and awareness, not just the specific problem presented.
4. Individualized and personalized to the individual and their conditions, environment, and lifestyle.
5. Yoga therapy addresses nutrition and lifestyle—nutrition for the body and awareness, lifestyle adapted to the patient, depending on their condition and capabilities.
6. Yoga therapy complements and supports various methods/treatments the individual undergoes.
7. In yoga therapy, symptoms are treated for a sense of well-being, but the root cause is always sought after.
8. There are no side effects.
9. Empowering, encourages independence, and does not develop dependency—the individual is responsible for their health, and they must take active actions to foster it. The therapist's role is to strengthen them, and they can take responsibility by self-practicing (SVATANTRA). Once the individual understands the principles, they can continue on their own without needing further guidance.
10. Persistence creates change—only through persistence can improvement be seen.
11. Yoga therapy is suitable for everyone—every age and every pathology.
12. Yoga therapy is process-oriented—progress occurs gradually.
13. Function before form—focus on function, and the form will change accordingly.
One on one sessions for women
at all stages of life
Have you noticed that yoga is perceived as more feminine? It seems that nowadays in the West there are more female yoga teachers and a higher percentage of female practitioners. However, it's important to remember that the early practitioners in India were only men, and the ancient teachers and founders of various methods were also men. Complete methods, sequences, instructions, and emphases on asanas given by yoga teachers today refer to instructions given by male teachers to male practitioners and do not take into account the female body structure, menstrual cycle, and its effects on the body and mind. Also, the way yoga is practiced today in the West is very different from classical yoga in the East, where teacher and student learn together one-on-one in a process that lasts for years. Group practice of various complex poses was intended for children only. In a private one-on-one session, you can achieve the goals of the practice effectively. At your own pace, with your breath, and what suits you exactly today and at the moment of the session
If you:
Want to start practicing correctly and safely for the first time
Are an experienced practitioner who wants to refine and deepen your knowledge to improve and get the most out of your practice routine
Suffer from a medical problem/injury/physical pain
Deal with mental difficulties that affect your daily life, such as anxiety/depression/sleep disorders/concentration difficulties
Want to improve and change your life, to act in the world in a helpful manner and to maximize your potential.
In a one-on-one meeting, we will tailor and refine the practice that suits you best.
How does it work?
I propose a series of five sessions suitable for everyone, of all ages and physical conditions. The goal of the sessions is to acquire accurate knowledge through the use of tools from the yoga world (movement, breathing, and meditation), to experiment and learn different techniques for calming awareness, and to help you act to promote physical and mental health in your life. In the first session, we will conduct an assessment that will include a brief conversation, filling out a questionnaire, and a simple physical assessment so that I can get to know you and build a practice that meets your goals and is most beneficial for you. Already at the end of the first session, you will receive a practice to do every day. Only regular daily practice will bring results. In the following sessions, we will progress and deepen according to the effects of the practice on the body and awareness, at a pace that suits you. From my experience, you will be surprised at how quickly you will notice changes and improvements in the quality of your life.
The sessions take place at the clinic in Harlem or at your home if it's difficult for you to leave the house right now.In some cases, the sessions can also be held online via Zoom.
For more information, contact me now:
Yoga during pregnancy and preparing for childbirth
Pregnancy - What a magical period!
The experience of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood are transformative and life-changing experiences. Alongside the great excitement of the growing miracle within you, there are also some effects... For me, it started with nausea and inexplicable fatigue, continuing to heartburn, breathing difficulties, constipation, various pains in different areas of the body, feelings of heaviness, instability, and more...
In addition to all the physical changes that occur, there are also mental changes: tension and worries from the unknown, great joy, and sometimes fear of the big change begin to appear.
Yoga practice during pregnancy can greatly improve physical well-being. It can alleviate pain, improve sleep, help cope with various symptoms, develop awareness, and accept the many changes that occur in the body. Many other physical activities can achieve this effect to some extent or another.So why yoga?
During both of my pregnancies, I practiced yoga and felt how beneficial the practice was for me. It helped me strengthen and consolidate, both physically but primarily mentally and spiritually. The practice prepared me for childbirth, and I'm not exaggerating when I say it really saved me, both physically and mentally. During my pregnancies and with the births of my children, I began to understand the essence of yoga and see it as more than just physical exercise that I really enjoy. I began to be interested and learn the "philosophy", to practice meditation, and to develop my awareness. It could be said that with the births of my children, my inner yogi was also born.
What exactly do we do?
In accordance with all these changes, we practice movement, breathing, and meditation on the mat. We always practice according to your current condition at the moment of the session. We open up awareness, allowing us to legitimize the various physical and mental sensations that accompany us throughout the process. Beyond physical comfort, symptom relief, body strengthening, and preparation for childbirth, we also emphasize mental coping strategies, preparing ourselves for the big change, and learning practices to maintain clear awareness and cope with stressful situations that may arise in parenthood.
The main/guiding theme in our sessions will be change. And just as you change from session to session, I as a committed teacher am also committed to adapting myself and the nature of the session to your situation while still working towards the goals, we've set for ourselves.
Want to hear more? Contact me now.
Yoga for women after childbirth
Have you recently given birth? You're likely encountering and experiencing new emotions you haven't felt before, or familiar ones but with intensities you've never encountered. Whether it's your first childbirth or not, perhaps you're experiencing great joy, or maybe the opposite. What's for sure is, that the experience of childbirth and motherhood to a small baby isn't exactly how you imagined it. It can be very intense in the first year. Extreme changes in relatively short periods of time: your body is constantly changing (and also your feelings). and you have a little baby where most of your physical and emotional resources are invested. Even as life goes on, being a mother requires us to be endlessly giving and dedicated to our children. We want to do the best for them and provide them with the best conditions to develop safely and properly, to be healthy and mentally resilient, yet often we're unsure if we're doing things right and feel somewhat insecure.
The many actions we're required to take in order to give our children the best, and the high expectations we feel from the environment, often cause us, mothers, to "forget" about ourselves and prioritize our health very low. sometimes even very lowest on the priority list. The general feeling is that we have no time for ourselves. We sleep less, struggle to maintain a proper diet, and lack motivation to move our tired and achy bodies. Even if we know what would improve our situation and help us feel better, we can't find the the energy to perform it: to prepare proper food for ourselves / not get absorbed into social networks / give ourselves real rest / go for a walk in nature. Often, the reality of being a new mother strips us of the responsibility we have first and foremost for ourselves: in order to successfully nurture and support our little ones, we are forced to ensure that we ourselves are nurtured and have a source to provide from.
I propose a series of five meetings for women after childbirth where you can take a moment for yourself: to move, to breathe, and to quiet the mind. At the end of each meeting, you'll receive a short practice tailored to you and your lifestyle. If you stick to the practice on a daily basis, after the five meetings, in addition to the immediate feeling of relief, you'll have:
Practical tools at your disposal for everyday use in your busy life
New knowledge that can support you for years and in all areas of life, including motherhood.
It will help you find the inner motivation to take care of yourself and persist in practice
In our meetings:
We'll create a renewed acquaintance with the body after childbirth, with attention to the many changes that have occurred from the pregnancy period until now. The practice will be personally tailored to you according to your condition and needs. We'll practice poses and exercises suitable for the body's condition with the goals of releasing the body from pains and stresses, strengthening, flexibility, and stability.
We'll try out different breathing exercises (pranayama).
We'll learn basic meditation exercises for developing mindfulness and calming the mind.
We'll learn how human mind works, how to provide it with the appropriate conditions to find peace and stability even when everything around us feels turbulent.
do you want to hear more? Contact me now