the power of presence

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." Maya Angelou

I got back home late last night from my yoga therapy training. I spent five great days in Asheville and was really able to immerse myself as a yoga student once again. That alone was enough to make me one happy little gal. But this training and the people was so much more than I could have hoped for.

My initial reason for signing up for this training was to learn more about working with private clients. Within a week, I had several people that were dealing with chronic illnesses contact me about private yoga sessions. I thought I was at this training more so for the sake of others (students and present and future clients), but was I ever wrong! I was quite the little Phoenix Rising Rookie, having no idea. I learned much more than I had imagined. More about yoga, techniques, the power of being really present with others, and so much more about myself, and this was like a great gift wrapped in a pretty little package.

I truly believe in the power of yoga and the amazing "things" that yoga can bring to a person's life. After this training, I am completely convinced of the transformative power of yoga, and especially the method used in Phoenix Rising. During these sessions, the client is in poses that are supported by props and/or the practitioner. Traditional hatha yoga poses are the foundation of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy. Imagine a thai yoga session in which you are in the poses for a looong time. You take your time in working to your "edge" (and we speak about this all the time in class). A place where it's just right, and it's interesting to you. As our teacher Ruth said, and I love this..."It's a level of intensity that calls us to aliveness." We may encounter physical, mental, and emotional edges. And during a session, the client is free just to witness was arises, or to speak about what arises. The Phoenix Rising sessions combine ancient and modern theories and wisdom. This type of yoga therapy is also less about technique and more about people going deeper into their truest selves and gaining insight.

To be completely honest, I wasn't exactly sure how I would feel about this whole technique. The thought of someone working so closely with me (physically and mentally) during a yoga practice....kinda freaked me out a bit. I don't consider myself someone that just naturally opens up to people. But having someone else present to support you in these poses frees you and allows the opportunity to go so much deeper in the poses. You get the chance to listen, to really listen with all of your senses. And with someone holding your leg in reclined hand to big toe pose for 15 minutes, you can't easily escape. For a flow yoga lover like myself, this was a challenge. And yes, I did see the correlation here to my everyday life! It really was a phenomenal experience.

I enjoyed the training so much that I definitely plan to attend the level 2 training. In the meantime, I'm practicing some of the techniques that I learned during the training. So the first three people to leave a comment can schedule a free hour long session. So go ahead...don't be shy!