So what DOES an Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist do?

“Is it some weird religious thing?” “ Is it being a vegetarian?” “Do you make people be all bendy like pretzels?”

These are actual questions I have gotten at parties, workshops, college classes, even in line at the grocery store.

“I know I should do Yoga.” “I've heard of Ayurveda”. “I am SO Vata right now!”

“I am NOT flexible.” “Oh I got injured in my Yoga class so I can't practice right now.”

These are actual statements and comments I have gotten over the years. Some intrigue me, others amuse me, some confuse me and some entertain me.

So how do I respond?

It depends....here are some my actual responses.

I have...gone shopping at the Farmer's Market.

Practiced breathing. Made face masks. Drawn pictures. Written poetry. Cooked and drank homemade herbal tea.

Practiced walking meditations at the beach and park. Practiced sun salutations standing and/or seated.

Danced in warrior pose. Chanted simple mantras and sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

Brainstormed about improving relationships. Visualized our best selves.

How did we get there? Is that even Yoga/Ayurveda?

Yoga is whatever works. It is about relationship.

I get to know my students. We chat a lot the first session. They take a survey/quiz and we talk a lot about their responses and what they might indicate.

I teach them about their physical, mental and emotional constitution and current imbalances. They learn about what health looks like from Ayurvedic (the sister science to Yoga based in Nature) perspective.

We set exciting yet believable goals. We break things down into do-able sustainable lifestyle practices. We use creative tools to tap into the healthiest parts of ourselves. We co-create a plan. Then you practice and we check back in. We make adjustments....sometimes more breath, or more fun, maybe less time, or more challenge. You go back and practice some more.

How do you know it works?

You know your Ayurvedic Yoga is working if your relationships get better. You'll begin to notice what is practiced in a 1 hour session and then on your own at home makes the other 23 hours of your life better. The progress is cumulative and exponential. All of a sudden you have reached a goal and it surprises you it.

Success Stories:

I have had the honor to witness, and hear success stories of a client with severe arthritis going for a distance ocean swim, a college student with severe anxiety be able to focus and breathe their way through a final exam and get an A, an overworked overstressed middle age woman with insomnia be able to fall asleep and stay asleep for an entire week straight, a seventy something senior citizen with knee replacement be able to get up and down of a very low chair without straining.

But what makes me love my work even more is when clients and students tell stories of sharing their simple experiential wisdoms:

"I taught my daughter the breath and and she can sit still better in school"

"I taught my boyfriend how to make a request and we do not fight so much now"

"I shared the warm water in the morning with my mother and she no longer has severe constipation"

"I told my daughter about nasya oil and she no longer gets sinus infections"

SO what do I do? I LOVE my work, my practice and I get to help people get back in touch with their true nature with practices based in Yoga, Ayurveda and the Creative Arts. It's WAY cool and I am grateful.