Inclusive Yoga

Marlysa Sullivan: A meditation practice of inner well-being

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Marlysa Sullivan is an assistant professor of Yoga Therapy and Integrative Health Sciences at Maryland University of Integrative Health. She is also adjunct faculty at Emory University in the doctor of physical therapy where she teaches an elective on integrating yoga into physical therapy care. Her research interests have focused on developing an explanatory model of yoga therapy based on philosophical and neurophysiological principles. She is the co-editor of the book Yoga and Science in Pain Care: Treating the Person in Pain (Singing Dragon, 2019).

In this video, Marlysa guides viewers through a meditation practice for inner well-being.

 

 Yoga and Science in Pain Care
Treating the Person in Pain
Edited by Neil Pearson, Shelly Prosko and Marlysa Sullivan. Foreword by Timothy McCall.

This is an integrated approach to pain rehabilitation that combines pain science, rehabilitation and yoga with evidence-based approaches from respected contributors. The book shows how to integrate the practices of yoga and pain science, and promotes the movement to a patient-valued, partnership-based biopsychosocial-spiritual model of healthcare. Read more

Neil Pearson: Informing the Language of Yoga Teachers with Pain Science

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Language is powerful, as is pain. Both can be forceful motivators of behavioural change. Spoken language can be interpreted in many ways. Sometimes we even question whether words mean what we think they mean. Pain can be the same. We wonder whether pain really is intended to “get us to stop or change our behaviour”. We might also wonder “exactly what is it that I am supposed to change? Maybe the change I need to make is to stop responding this way to my pain!”

As a yoga teacher, leading groups in asana requires instructions that will keep your students safe. As such, cognitive contemplations such as the above are not well-suited as part of an asana practice dialogue. We use language that guides our students to be aware of what is happening in the present moment. We guide them to find the right challenge so they can explore preconceived notions, all the while staying present with, and not ignoring what’s happening now. We use language that provides options for change. “What would happen if you changed the way you are breathing right now?” “Or what you are thinking?” “Or if you let go of some of the aversion to the emotions or tension that you are feeling in your body right now?” In other words, we use language that encourages awareness and language that encourages self-regulation – often of body, breath, thoughts and emotions. Note that this language of awareness is not the same as asking a student to be aware “as the first step to change”. This is language that focuses on awareness as important in and of itself. Continue reading →

Aggie Stewart: The Essence of Self

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We are very sorry that our last live contributor, Aggie Stewart, won’t be able to share her live session with you today. We wish her the very best and hope she feels better soon! To ensure that she is still part of the Summit, we share a short extract from Aggie’s new book, ‘Yoga as Self-Care for Healthcare Practitioners‘. We do hope you enjoy it.

 

Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.

Parker J. Palmer

 

This is a challenging time to be a healthcare professional. Whether in education and clinical training or in professional practice, major aspects of the healthcare education and delivery landscape present inherent and well‑documented risks to the health and well-being of students and practitioners.

Currently, the effects of the epidemic of burnout and self-harm, blunted empathy, compassion fatigue, absenteeism, and attrition are being felt across the health professions. Research into the factors underlying the current state of practitioner wellness indicates that, for many, signs of burnout and its related consequences emerge during the education and training period and go unattended as graduates step into professional life.

As the healthcare professions grapple with the range of environmental and cultural issues that contribute to the current state of practitioner wellness, self-care has emerged as a pressing need for both students and practitioners. Broadly defined, self-care encompasses the ability to recognize and respond in an appropriate and positive manner to one’s needs on all levels: physical, energetic, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Increasingly, health professional schools, healthcare settings, and health professional associations are providing education on the importance of self‑care on all these levels along with training on specific aspects of selfcare, such as diet, exercise, finances, and activities that support self-care, such as yoga and other mind–body–spirit practices. Continue reading →

Lana Skrypnyk: Creating a Safe Space for the LGBTQ+Community

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As I write this, hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community are at their highest. A poll indicates that two-thirds of people identifying as LGBTQ+ are afraid for their safety when holding hands or displaying affection for their partners in public. 59% of all of those identifying as LGBTQ+ and 81% of those who are transgender report being called a slur in reference to their sexual and/or gender identity in the past year.

As I write this, I myself stand at a cross-roads of intersectionality. As a naturalized citizen immigrant, queer-identifying individual with several invisible disabilities, I have been afraid and anxious since 2016. I am also someone who suffers from mental health issues, including complex PTSD, and someone occupying a larger body than society deems “acceptable”. I have not always had the means to access healing spaces – such as the one that yoga can provide – for a variety of reasons, with cost and lack of representation by people looking like me at the top of the list. Unfortunately, with the Westernization of yoga and its cooptation by the fitness industry, high-end studio fees, expensive athletic clothing and equipment, and traditionally attractive, young, flexible white women on Instagram have become the norm associated with yoga. By sheer luck, I was able to get a Groupon deal to a local yoga studio that provided both diversity and a space where I felt safe enough to explore. I fell in love with yoga and decided I wanted to become a teacher in that very first class. For the first time in weeks, if not in my entire life, I was able to get out of my head for an hour, drop the persona so many of us who identify as LGBTQ+ or are “other” in some way have to keep up during the day, and just be. I wanted to provide the same experience to others like me. Continue reading →

Sian O’Neill: An Inclusive Live Class – Head to our Facebook Page Now!

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Believing in its transformational power, Sian has been practising yoga for over 15 years. She completed the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) accredited teacher training diploma with Yogacampus and also the BWY Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy module with Tarik Dervish, the Scaravelli Immersion course with Catherine Annis and the Qigong for Yoga Teachers Immersion with Mimi Kuo-Deemer.

Sian teaches a flowing hatha yoga class incorporating alignment, a mindful flow and breath awareness, aiming to help students on their own path of yoga. She is a regular contributor of yoga-related articles, including to Spectrum magazine, the official magazine of the BWY. She is the editor of the Yoga Teaching Handbook (Singing Dragon, 2017) and the new Yoga Student Handbook (Singing Dragon, 2019).

CLICK HERE TO JOIN A LIVE CLASS WITH SIAN NOW

Please note that while our summit is open to absolutely everyone from all corners of the world, despite our best efforts we won’t be able to ensure safe, comfortable practice for every attendee nor take responsibility for your own practice. If you have any injuries or are dealing with any conditions that you would normally flag to your yoga teacher or therapist, please seek advice before taking part or following along with any of our classes or sequences.

 Yoga Student Handbook
Develop Your Knowledge of Yoga Principles and Practice
Edited by Sian O’Neill. Foreword by Lizzie Lasater

This practical companion for yoga students and teacher trainees shows how to deepen your knowledge of yoga and where to go next in your training, whether you are thinking of developing your own practice or considering becoming a yoga teacher. It covers the history, philosophy, different styles of yoga, and more. Read more

Matthew J. Taylor: Be An Inclusive Genius

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Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD, C-IAYT is a yoga safety expert, advisor to and past president of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, Accessible Yoga board member, and a yoga policy consultant. He directs SmartSafeYoga.com and authored the book Yoga Therapy as a Creative Response to Pain (Singing Dragon, 2018), as well as over 40 other publications.

In this video, Matt provides some practical information and tips on keeping yoga teaching simple and efficient, while remaining inclusive towards all students.

 

Yoga Therapy as a Creative Response to Pain
Matthew J. Taylor. Foreword by John Kepner

A guide that supports yoga therapists in creating a programme of care for those living with chronic pain, through bringing pain science, creativity and yoga together for the first time. It provides the skills and knowledge to create an environment that restores hope and meaning as well as practical guidance. Read more

Charlotta Martinus: Yoga for Emotional Intelligence among Teens – Head to our Facebook Page Now!

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Charlotta is considered the world expert in yoga for teenagers. Her book, Teen Yoga for Yoga Therapists (Singing Dragon, 2018) was published in August 2018 to high acclaim among both yoga researchers and school teachers worldwide, selling 2,000 books in the first 6 months. Charlotta also speaks on the BBC about yoga and young people. She is the director of the global charity Teen Yoga Foundation, which exists to promote yoga among young people as a tool for wellbeing.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN A LIVE WEBINAR WITH CHARLOTTA

Teen Yoga For Yoga Therapists
A Guide to Development, Mental Health and Working with Common Teen Issues
Charlotta Martinus. Foreword by Sir Anthony Seldon

Including yogic and mindfulness exercises that have lasting positive impact well beyond the mat, this book shows how to use yogic techniques in the optimum way when working with teens. It includes advice on dealing with anxiety, depression, addiction and bullying, with examples of asana, pranayama, meditation and much more. Read more

Dr Steffany Moonaz: Yoga and Accessibility – Yoga for Arthritis

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Dr. Steffany Moonaz is a yoga therapist and researcher in Baltimore, MD and serves as Director of Clinical and Academic Research at the Maryland University of Integrative Health. Her book, Yoga Therapy for Arthritis, was published in December 2018 by Singing Dragon.

In this video, Steffany talks about accessibility in yoga, how the practice can be adapted to suit the individual, and how it improves quality of life.

 

Yoga Therapy for Arthritis
A Whole-Person Approach to Movement and Lifestyle
Dr Steffany Moonaz and Erin Byron. Foreword by Dr. Clifton O Bingham III, MD

Arthritis limits physical mobility while also impacting energy and mental health. Focusing on mental practice and physical postures for a whole-person approach, this guide will support yoga teachers, therapists and health professionals in working with individuals to live differently with arthritis, as well as those individuals themselves. Read more

Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani: Enhancing Emotional Intelligence in Children

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Yogacharya Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani is Director of the Centre for Yoga Therapy Education and Research, and professor of yoga therapy at the Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth University, Pondicherry. A recipient of the coveted DSc in yoga from SVYASA Yoga University in January 2019, he is chairman of the International Centre for Yoga Education and Research at Ananda Ashram, and Yoganjali Natyalayam, the premier institute of yoga and Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam in Pondicherry.

In this video, as well as in the below article, he talks about the benefits of yoga for children, and how regular practice can help enhance emotional intelligence.

 

 

CONCEPTS AND METHODS OF TEACHING YOGA TO CHILDREN

The art and science of Yoga has a lot to offer for children in terms of their health as well as complete wellbeing. Yoga offers us a tool by which we can provide a safe and healthy future for our beloved children. Yoga is both preventive as well as therapeutic for health problems that children face and is also rehabilitative in many situations. It is also important to understand the special needs of the children when teaching them and methods to create interest in them for this great jewel of our cultural heritage. Continue reading →

Susan E. Longtin and Jessica A. Fitzpatrick: Partner Yoga for Autism

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a broad category of neurodevelopmental disabilities defined by two core characteristics, namely 1) impairments in social communication and social interaction and 2) the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities (American Psychiatric Association 2013). Deficits in both of these areas must be present in order for an individual to be diagnosed with ASD. ASD affects the abilities to initiate and maintain interactions, establish appropriate eye contact, and take turns with others. Although the onset of the condition must occur in the early developmental period, usually before three years, symptoms might not manifest until somewhat later when the demands of social communication exceed the child’s capacities and often persist across the lifespan. ASD has increased in prevalence over the past two decades, perhaps due to a widening of the spectrum to include milder cases, increased awareness of the early signs of the disability, a combination of the two, or some other factor. About 1 in 59 children has been identified with ASD according to the most recent estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The introduction of yoga to children with ASD can build strength, balance, and flexibility. The practice of yoga for these children also presents numerous other physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits. Yoga provides a relaxed, playful environment that stimulates communication and socialization. Since children with ASD exhibit difficulty with social-relatedness, partner yoga, in particular, can promote eye contact, joint attention, and reciprocity among peers. In addition, children with ASD tend to engage in more solitary, concrete play of a repetitive nature rather than cooperative, symbolic play. Continue reading →