Yoga and psychotherapy

PSA Safe Grocery Shopping in COVID-19 Pandemic – UPDATED!!!

2020-03-26T06:49:00.001-07:00

2012-09-03T09:03:00.001-07:00

Serge Prengel has interviewed Dr. Lynn Somerstein, PhD, RYT, on his radio program, Somatic Perspectives. http://lnkd.in/KXnmZB She talks about yoga and psychotherapy.

Awake

2012-04-16T17:55:00.002-07:00

http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/sleep-disorders-fear-anxiety-0416125/

For people who can't sleep.

Upward-Facing Soldier - NYTimes.com

2012-04-14T06:32:00.001-07:00

Upward-Facing Soldier - NYTimes.com:

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2012-04-09T12:06:00.001-07:00

Teacher Training, Yoga for Arthritis

Last weekend I was a member of the advanced yoga teacher training, Yoga for Arthritis, presented by Steffany Moonaz and Nancy O’Brien. I mentioned this training previously and several people told me they would like to hear more about it. One reader decided to take the class.

The training was a 30 hour Intensive Training for RYT level teachers, held at the Integral Yoga Institute on 13^th Street, in NYC. This is where I did my teacher training, as did many other members of the class, but people who had trained elsewhere were also welcome. Integral Yoga is my home institute- the first yoga classes I ever took were with Swami Satchidananda’s students, who had a small ashram in an apartment building on West End Avenue, which is where Integral Yoga began.

Several years ago Yoga Journal did a review of the main schools of yoga, and Integral Yoga was found to be the safest. It is renowned for its authenticity, quality, and dedication to service. Dean Ornish trained at Integral Yoga, and in consultation with Swami Satchidananda created the famous Dean Ornish Program, the first lifestyle program proven to reverse heart disease. Mala Cunningham, another student of IYI, created the medical cardiac yoga program. Steffany Moonaz and Nancy O’Brien hope to make similar contributions in the care of people with arthritis; Steffany is connected with the Arthritis Foundation, and may make a film with them about yoga.

Many people probably don’t believe you can do yoga movements if you have arthritis; the myth is only really flexible people can do yoga. This is backwards. People get more flexible if they do yoga. Beginner yoga classes build strength, balance and flexibility- just what people who have arthritis really need. Over 75 scientific trials examining the benefits of yoga have been published in medical journals; these studies show that yoga provides safe exercise and has important psychological benefits as well; yoga reduces bodily aches and pains, depression, anxiety and aggression; it increases muscle strength, flexibility, respiratory capacity, balance, alertness and enthusiasm. I have arthritis myself- so I know first-hand how a yoga practice helps. All I have to do is remember what my mother looked like, and how frozen she became as she aged.

I thought yoga’s benefits applied only to osteoarthritis, and not rheumatoid arthritis, but I was wrong. People with RA benefit from yoga too, as do people with fibromyalgia and those who are dealing with the Lyme disease.

On Friday morning we started the training with a Hatha Yoga Class which included references to arthritic students and ways to help them. Steffany led the class; she has an arthritic wrist, cannot bend her hand in a right angle to her wrist, and so often rests on her fists, rather than on her palms, in cat/cow, for example. A few years ago I took a yoga workshop with Tao Porchon Lynch, who was still demonstrating peacock pose at the age of 92. She told me to tent my fingers rather than rest on my flat palms, another alternative hand position.

We used different props- chairs, wedges, straps, bolsters, rolled up blankets- all familiar to me except for the wedge, made of cork, which can be used under the hands or the heels. For several years I’ve suffered from extremely painful Achilles tendons, which after a lot of work have improved considerably, but my life would have been a lot easier if I had known about that cork wedge. I tried rolled up blankets and yoga blocks when my pain was at its worst, but nothing felt as comfortable as this wedge, made by Huggermugger. Resting my heels on the wedge provided a less acute angle which was more comfortable, and also supported my heels so that my ankles were able to relax.

Steffany has created a 16 session syllabus of hatha classes of progressing difficulty. These twice weekly yoga classes and one homework class encourage people to establish a home yoga practice for when the classes end. She includes in her Teacher’s and in her Student manuals clear illustrations and explanations of poses and their modifications.

We practiced the positions and their modifications ourselves- yoga is always a body learning experience- taking turns as teachers and students. The atmosphere was collegial, warm, and supportive. I was tired the first night, but as the weekend continued I became more energized, so I was ready to go back to work on Monday, my toughest day of the week.

Thanks for asking to hear more. I hope I’ve answered your questions and piqued your curiosity. And I would like to know your reactions.

Yoga Therapy | LinkedIn

2012-04-04T14:38:00.001-07:00

BALANCING ON THE HEART:

A THREE SESSION WEB BASED TRAINING FOR THERAPISTS ON THE USE OF

MEDITATION IN TREATMENT.

APRIL 19, 26, AND MAY 3, 8:00 TO 9:30 pm EST.

OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS OF GOODTHERAPY.ORG.

DR.LYNNSOMERSTEIN@GMAIL.COM FOR DETAILS

Yoga for Arthritis

2012-04-02T19:05:00.001-07:00

AdAdvanced Yoga Teachers' Training- Yoga for Arthritis, at Integral Yoga Institute.

101 year old yogi - YouTube

2012-03-29T06:21:00.001-07:00

101 year old yogi - YouTube:

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Yoga for Arthritis

2012-03-26T08:48:00.001-07:00

On Friday I begin an intensive teacher training to help people with arthritis. The course is offered by Integral Yoga Institute, my alma mater. People are often surprised to learn that I have arthritis myself because I'm very flexible--but that's because I've been doing yoga for 50 years, and, believe me, yoga helps.

Organ Cleansing Practice « Himalayan Institute

2012-03-25T07:06:00.001-07:00

Organ Cleansing Practice « Himalayan Institute:

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To Cut The Risk Of A High-Fat Meal, Add Spice : The Salt : NPR

2012-03-18T04:59:00.001-07:00

To Cut The Risk Of A High-Fat Meal, Add Spice : The Salt : NPR:

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The Enlightenment Ideal on Vimeo

2012-03-14T16:31:00.001-07:00

The Enlightenment Ideal on Vimeo:

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2012-03-14T15:35:00.001-07:00

Starting Therapy—And Ending It, Too
Lynn Somerstein, PhD, RYT - There are good reasons to seek out a therapist rather than just talking to friends and family about problems, and it's important to ...
www.goodtherapy.org/.../starting-therapy-ending-it-0313124/