Managing Pain from a Yogic Perspective Written by Joanne Pineau, Certified Yoga Therapist

 

Even after the body has healed itself or when there is nothing seemingly wrong with the body, we can still be in pain. Why is that?

Not too long ago an older man came to see me in my studio for the first time. His shoulders were slumped forward, his breathing shallow and his skin pale. Not what you’d expect from the president of a property management firm. “This year has been rough” he said. He goes on to tell me that he’s never done yoga but his wife has and she thought I could help him.

Many years of 80 hour work weeks finally took its toll on his body. Diagnosed with fibromyalgia and put on pain medication when his back gave out left him fragile and weak.  After a series of tests on his heart and his spine the Specialists told him there was nothing physically wrong with him.

He was in pain but they couldn’t find any evidence of it in his body. The pain was affecting how he was breathing, his self-confidence and affecting his ability to focus and work.

If you are experiencing chronic pain your nervous system is wound up; it is acting as if you need more and more protection. It has become hypersensitive. Sometimes it’s the result of an injury where you continue to protect the area even after it’s healed (fear).  

Sometimes, like my client, it’s many years of stress where the nervous system has been on high alert, and like an electrical panel where the demand has exceeded its capacity, it has short circuited (energy drain).

From a yogic perspective our body, mind and spirit are interconnected. One affects the other so that everything we do matters including what we think, feel, eat and how we act. The good news is that we can change these things and when we do our health will improve. Following are some tips to help you handle pain:

Slow down.

Yoga can teach you to slow down, to be more conscious in your body and in your life. When you slow down you start to see how your thought and behavior patterns may have contributed to the situation you are now in.

Become more aware.

Regulate your thought patterns and emotions.  Note whether they are helpful or impeding to you. Challenge your thoughts. Ask yourself: “Do I really believe this?”

Reset your nervous system.

Pain is not an accurate indication of tissue health or tissue healing. A paper cut can be painful. With patience and compassion you can reset your nervous system to the way it was before the injury and increase your pain threshold gradually.

Ask yourself: “How dangerous is this REALLY?” Moving just a little further than your pain threshold will help to de-sensitize the nervous system. Move mindfully and breathe into the pain deeply and slowly. Make sure that you proceed slowly, gradually and mindfully and ask yourself if you will you will regret this tomorrow; if so don’t do it.

Learn to relax the body.

Deep belly breathing is the quickest way to start relaxing and unwinding the body. It sends a signal to the nervous system through the vagus nerve in the digestive tract, that everything is alright and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (the relaxation response). Make the exhale longer than the inhale. Progressively tighten and relax the different muscle groups in your body. Do it slowly and breathe while you are holding the contraction.

Set some goals for yourself. 

I once asked a young nursing student with brain cancer what she’d like to do after the chemotherapy treatments. She was thrilled with the question. It changed her mind set. Other than being free of pain, ask yourself “What will I do when I’m feeling better?”

Practice compassion.

Appreciate your body and practice compassion for yourself and others.

The Art and Practice of Self Care for Women


              Many of my patients have a difficult time with the concept of self care. Often they are mothers, sometimes working full time as well, trying to keep up with household responsibilities, attending social obligations, and taking care of everyone else’s needs before their own. Often, the only rest they get is the time they are sleeping, and even that can be insufficient or restless due to worrying or planning for the day ahead.
We are often taught in our culture that self care is selfish. We feel guilty if we put our own needs before the needs or wants of others. This can often leave us feeling overwhelmed, unfulfilled, and exhausted.

So where to begin to create change? An important place to look first is into our minds. What is our belief system around self care? What did we learn from our role models? Were we taught that self care is selfish? Do we believe that we deserve to be nourished, nurtured, loved, cared for, and happy? 

Another essential place to be aware of is our body. What sensations or symptoms do our bodies express when we aren’t listening? What comes up when we are saying ‘yes’ but mean ‘no’? Is the body screaming for rest? Does tension in the body let you know you are feeling angry? What is your experience? 

Finally, it is imperative to become mindful of our emotional reactions. When we do for others before ourselves do we feel upset? frustrated? resentful? or perhaps needed? Do we get a sense of self worth from doing for others? 
Once we tap in deeply to our internal world, the picture becomes clear and we gain insight into where we can begin to create change so that we can live a more fulfilled, meaningful, happy, and healthy life. We can create this AND still be a good mother, employee, friend, wife, etc. Both are possible.

I would argue that self care is SELFLESS! When we create time to nurture ourselves we are able to serve others in our lives to a greater capacity. When we are rested, we have more energy to get what needs to be done accomplished. When we are grounded and centered, we are less likely to be reactive in our relationships at home or at work. When we make time for our health and well being, everyone benefits from our increased vitality. It’s a win-win. Sure, initially when you first start to create time for self care, those feelings of guilt or uncertainty might come up.

Sit with those feelings too. I have learned that if you sit with a feeling long enough, it transforms. In my own experience, guilt shifts into gratitude. I have learned to see self care as a significant accomplishment, more than any other task crossed off on my to do list. I come first, so that I can serve the world better of a place of fullness, vitality, and authenticity. I want to give more because I have been nurtured. I shift from guilt to gratitude, because I know how much more others with benefit from my being grounded and energized and I’m grateful to have the opportunity and wisdom to take care of myself. 

Just over 4 years ago, I made the commitment to make the very first thing I do on my to do list something that serves me. For me, it is often a yoga practice, a hike in nature, journalling, watching a majestic sunrise over the bay, or a slow morning with good food and cuddles with my baby, pup and hubby. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as I am left feeling nourished. I believe this commitment has served me more than anything else in life. I am able to serve my patients better because I feel full and can be present to their experiences. I am more focused and more productive. I have more energy. I can connect deeper in my relationships. I am less reactive. I am more in touch with the big picture. I can connect to life in a deeper way. It has been invaluable! 

As with any big shift, it can be helpful to start with baby steps. Take some time this week to contemplate and plant seeds. What nourishes you? What lights your fire? What helps you to ground? When do you feel most alive? What do need more of in your life? Once you have planted seeds, begin to water them. Perhaps once each week or each day if you can, carve out time in your schedule that you dedicate to care for yourself in the ways you need most. Practice, practice, practice. The practices you create will become habits. These habits become your life. Imagine a life where you feel constantly filled up, energized, and nurtured....how would that feel for you? How might it change the world?

Laura is a licensed naturopathic doctor and certified yoga instructor. Her naturopathic practice Awaken Wellness Within is located in Synergy Wellness Centre downtown Collingwood. 

"As a naturopathic doctor, through education, empowerment, and example, I endeavour to guide patients toward manifesting optimal health and living their most inspired life!" 

“As a yoga instructor, my intention is to guide students towards getting in touch with their breath, listening to the innate wisdom of the body, observing the connection of the mind, body and spirit, and awakening the life force within.”
 

Have you been diagnosed with a Groin Injury?

One of the most common hockey injuries is a groin strain, also known as an adductor strain.

 The adductor muscle group pulls the leg inward towards the midline of the body. During the skating stride the adductors and hip flexors help to stabilize the hip. Studies have shown that adductor strains in hockey may be a result of the adductor group attempting to decelerate the leg during a stride. They can also be related to a muscle imbalance between the propulsive and stabilizing muscle groups.

This muscle imbalance comes from the hockey stance where the hips are constantly in flexion causing the hip flexors to become very tight and pull the pelvis down. This causes the spinal erectors to also become very tight and pull the pelvis up in the back, causing the pelvis to be pulled forward or anteriorly. 

Anterior tilt.jpg

 The prime movers in the skating stride are the hip extensors, abductors and external rotators. When you have an anteriorly rotated pelvis, the prime movers end up in a lengthened or stretched position. This causes extra strain and load on the adductor group as they are responsible for the opposing action and are trying to counteract the abductors and external rotators as well as decelerate the leg in the skating stride.   

Studies have shown that there is a relationship with groin injuries and decreased strength and decreased flexibility. Tyler et al were able to demonstrate that strengthening the adductor muscle group could be an effective method for preventing adductor strains in professional ice hockey players.

Unfortunately, even though these risk factors have been identified and strengthening protocols have been implemented, adductor strains are still very common and continue to occur in most sports, especially hockey.

Tyler et al found that recurring groin strains could be due to incomplete rehabilitation or returning to sport too early before tissue repair was complete. Hagglund et al studied 12 elite Swedish male soccer teams and determined that prior injury such as a previous hamstring, groin or knee injury were 2-3 times more likely to lead to re-occurrence of that injury the following season.

Homlich et al and Tyler et al found that an active strengthening program that consists of strengthening the abductors, adductor and core along with proprioceptive training may reduce the re-occurrence rate of groin injuries and help in treatment of chronic groin injuries. 

Here are 3 exercises to help increase your adductor strength and core all in one:

1. Lunge with wood chopper

woodchopper side lunge A
wood chopper lunge B

 

2. Side lunge with oblique twist

side lunge
 

3. Single leg squat against the wall

single leg squat
 




References:

1.       Sim FH, Simonet WT, Melton LJ III, et al: Ice hockey injuries. Am J SportsMed 15: 30–40, 1987.

2.       Arnason A, Sigurdsson SB, Gudmundsson A, Holme I, Engebretsen L, Bahr R. Risk factors for injuries in football. Am J Sports Med. 2004;32(1)(suppl):5-16 [PubMed]

3.       Ekstrand J, Gillquist J. The avoidability of soccer injuries. Int J Sports Med. 1983;4(2):124-128 [PubMed]

4.       Emery CA, Meeuwisse WH. Risk factors for groin injuries in hockey. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;33(9):1423-1433 [PubMed]

5.       Emery CA, Meeuwisse WH, Powell JW. Groin and abdominal strain injuries in the National Hockey League. Clin J Sport Med. 1999;9(3):151-156 [PubMed]

6.       Knapik JJ, Bauman CL, Jones BH, Harris JM, Vaughan L. Preseason strength and flexibility imbalances associated with athletic injuries in female athletes collegiate athletes. Am J Sports Med. 1991;19(1):76-81 [PubMed]

7.       Orchard J, Marsden J, Lord S, Garlick D. Preseason hamstring muscle weakness associated with hamstring muscle injury in Australian footballers. Am J Sports Med. 1997;25(1):81-85 [PubMed]

8.       Tegner Y, Lorentzon R. Ice hockey injuries: incidence, nature and causes. Br J Sports Med. 1991;25(2):87-89 [PMC free article] [PubMed]

9.       Tyler TF, Nicholas SJ, Campbell RJ, McHugh MP. The association of hip strength and flexibility on the incidence of groin strains in professional ice hockey players. Am J Sports Med. 2001;29(2):124-128 [PubMed]

10.   Tyler TF, Silvers HJ, Gerhardt MB, Nicholas SJ. Groin Injuries in Sports Medicine. Sports Health. 2010;2(3):231-236. doi:10.1177/1941738110366820.

11.   Tyler TF, Campbell R, Nicholas SJ, Donellan S, McHugh MP. The effectiveness of a preseason exercise program on the prevention of groin strains in professional ice hockey players. Am J Sports Med. 2002;30(5):680-683 [PubMed]

12.   Hagglund M, Waldén M, Ekstrand J. Previous injury as a risk factor for injury in elite football: a prospective study over two consecutive seasons. Br J Sports Med. 2006;40(9):767-772 [PMC free article] [PubMed]

13.   Holmich P, Uhrskou P, Ulnits L, et al. Effectiveness of active physical training as treatment for long-standing adductor-related groin pain in athletes: randomized trial. Lancet. 1999;353(9151):339-443 [PubMed]

What are Athletic Therapists?

Athletic therapists, as defined by the Ontario Athletic Therapists Association, are health care professionals that specialize in the prevention, assessment, and care of musculoskeletal disorders, especially as they relate to athletics and the pursuit of physical activity (OATA, 2009).

If you watch professional sports on television, you’ve seen Athletic Therapists jump over the boards, or on to the field, to respond to a medical emergency or injury. You have likely seen someone on the sidelines of a local football or rugby tournament with a first aid fanny pack slung over their shoulder or around their waist. And if you have been in a busy sports medicine clinic, they are there too! 


 Athletic therapists (ATs) are first to respond to an injury or emergency typically in a sports setting. All levels of active people and teams use ATs for their knowledge of acute injuries. With advanced first responder skills, an AT will control the emergency, and can assess for the injury onsite. This leads to a faster diagnosis and treatment time. All athletes and active people want “rapid return to work and play” (OATA). Once the diagnosis is made, the AT will treat and manage the injury, from the initial reduction of pain and swelling to agility and power exercises as indicated. What separates ATs from other health care professionals is the keen awareness for acute injury management, biomechanics, strength and conditioning, and manual therapy. This along with advanced first aid makes an athletic therapist a great choice for athletes of all levels.

The sporting world is dealing with a new awareness of concussions. Athletic therapists are trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of traumatic brain injuries (concussions). Managing these injuries can take a coordinated effort amongst health care professionals and an athletic therapist can be your quarterback. Athletic therapists use advanced assessments, like cranial nerve testing and the SCAT test, to determine if a concussion was possibly sustained. Manual therapy and working along side sports medicine physicians is also in the scope of athletic therapy.  

All certified athletic therapists write a nationally standardized written exam and four components of practical testing. Candidates are tested on assessment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries as well as medical emergencies and non-emergencies in the field. Once the national exams are passed, certified therapists must continually update their sports medicine education and first aid certifications. 


Go ahead, give athletic therapy a try!

Synergy's Athletic Therapist is Alex Barton - Find out more about her by clicking here.

For more information about athletic therapy, check out the recently completed White Paper put out by the OATA: http://www.ontarioathletictherapists.org/page-1614370

 

Author: Jen Mark, BSc., CAT(C), CSCS | Athletic Therapist, Gormley ON | jenkmark.com

Food Sensitivities and Your Health


Many people are unsure about the difference between a food allergy and a food sensitivity. A food allergy elicits an IgE (a type of antibody) mediated reaction that can cause hives, shortness of breath, swelling, etc. Most people with serious food allergies (i.e. to peanuts, fish, egg, etc) are very well aware they have these allergies and will carry and Epi pen to avoid emergencies in the case of anaphylaxis.

Mild or moderate allergies to foods, dust, mold, and various animals can be detected using a skin prick test at your GPs office. A food sensitivity is not as immediate or severe as an allergy. It is mediated by IgG antibodies which cause a delayed type hypersensitivity reaction. This means that a person can react to a food even 48 hours after the food has been ingested.

Symptoms of food sensitivities vary from person to person. Some experience digestive upset, gas, bloating, heartburn, cramping, diarrhea or constipation. Others may experience headaches or "brain fog". Some notice inflammation on the skin in the form of eczema, psoriasis, or acne. For some, joints are affected. Some suffer from recurrent sore throats, chronic ear infections, or sinus congestion. Others may just feel fatigued or moody after eating a food they are sensitive to, or notice they seem to be gaining weight (usually around the midsection) despite a generally balanced diet and exercise routine. In children, food sensitivities can present as behavioural issues, sleep disturbances, chronic ear infections, gastrointestinal dysregulation, or a depressed immune system where they just seem to get every cold and flu that comes around.

Food sensitivities can be identified using various methods. I commonly use a blood test to determine food sensitivities. The test measures whether or not you are producing an IgG antibody to a food antigen you are consuming. This is by far the easiest way to determine the culprits. It takes out the guessing when you don't know whether it was the dairy you had for breakfast, the pasta the night before, etc. Still, some patients prefer to determine food sensitivities using an elimination diet. With this method, the most common food allergens (dairy, soy, sugar, gluten, eggs just to name a few) are removed from the diet for a period of 6 weeks and introduced one at a time after that with 48 hours between introductions.

The process takes awhile but you are able to listen to your body's reaction and understand exactly how and where that food is affecting you and your health.
If food sensitivities are identified, often the culprits will be removed from the diet for a period of time and a natural prescription may be given to you by your naturopathic doctor to heal the inflammation in the body and aid in optimal digestion. A prescription is always tailored to the individual and symptoms presenting. 

Choosing to determine food sensitivities can be a commitment, but the differences patients notice in their health are incredible. Aren't YOU worth it?


LAURA IS A LICENSED NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR AND CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. HER NATUROPATHIC PRACTICE - AWAKEN WELLNESS WITHIN - IS LOCATED WITHIN SYNERGY WELLNESS CENTRE ON FIRST ST.

"AS A NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR, THROUGH EDUCATION, EMPOWERMENT, AND EXAMPLE, I ENDEAVOUR TO GUIDE PATIENTS TOWARD MANIFESTING OPTIMAL HEALTH AND LIVING THEIR MOST INSPIRED LIFE!" 

“AS A YOGA INSTRUCTOR, MY INTENTION IS TO GUIDE STUDENTS TOWARDS GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THEIR BREATH, LISTENING TO THE INNATE WISDOM OF THE BODY, OBSERVING THE CONNECTION OF THE MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT, AND AWAKENING THE LIFE FORCE WITHIN.” 

DR LAURA VANDERAA, CYT BSC ND
AWAKEN WELLNESS WITHIN
NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE & YOGA
705-994-3699
DRVANDERAA@GMAIL.COM
150 FIRST  ST. COLLINGWOOD ON
WWW.AWAKENWELLNESSWITHIN.COM
WWW.AWAKENWELLNESSWITHIN.BLOGSPOT.CA
 

 

 

Prenatal Classes at Synergy!

We are thrilled to be opening our doors to Nicola Syed - Internationally Certified Child Birth Educator. She will be hosting a 4 week Prenatal class on Thursday nights from 6:30-9:30 here at Synergy Health and Wellness Centre. 

Classes are $250 and include birth ball, massage oil, intensive comfort measures for labour class and all hand outs. 

Register by calling 705-209-0152 or visiting www.childbirthchoices.biz for online registration. You can also contact the clinic for more information - 705-446-5828

There are only a couple of spaces left and classes begin November 5, 2015. 

Source: www.childbirthchoices.biz

Welcome Laura James, Pilates Instructor, to our team!

The Pilates Method has been a passion of Laura’s for many years. She has over 20 years practical experience with the Pilates method and has been teaching since 2013. Laura certified with BASI (Body Arts and Science), a world renowned leader in the education of the Joseph Pilates method, located in Costa Mesa, California. She is also certified in Myofascial Compression Techniques and will certify her personal training in 2016.

 

Everyone has a different body, doing a different job, responding to stress a different way, so the techniques Laura uses provides each individual with unique approach to help the body return to health. Laura believes in the body’s ability to heal itself and, as an athlete with plenty of injuries to brag about, her and the Pilates Method was the breakthrough she needed to assist in that healing from the tips of her toes to neck. It is the reason she became an instructor. One of Laura’s clients put it into words succinctly recently saying, “a quality one hour session with a great instructor is like an hour of personal training mixed with physiotherapy. Such a great combination and you walk out feeling much better than when you walked in”.

 

Laura has success stories from clients with varying needs and goals including:

·      spine, shoulder, knee, hip and foot recovery

·      pre and postnatal goals

·      professional athletes recovery and maintenance goals

·      general weight loss and health goals

 

She is new to Collingwood but her family lives here so she is thrilled to make the move. Laura lived in Whistler for a few years a while back so she is happy to live to be back in a community where people know how to work to live, not live to work.

 

To book an appointment with Laura, please contact her via email laura@collingwoodcore.com or call / text 416.937.0704. Bookings can also be arranged through the clinic at 705-446-5828. 

 

Pilates explained

In the 1920s, physical trainer Joseph Pilates introduced Pilates into America as a way to help injured athletes and dancers safely return to exercise and maintain their fitness. Since then, Pilates has been adapted to suit people in the general community.

Pilates can be an aerobic and non-aerobic form of exercise. It requires concentration and focus, because you move your body through precise ranges of motion. Pilates lengthens and stretches all the major muscle groups in your body in a balanced fashion. It requires concentration in finding a centre point to control your body through movement. Each exercise has a prescribed placement, rhythm and breathing pattern.

In Pilates, your muscles are never worked to exhaustion, so there is no sweating or straining, just intense concentration. The workout consists of a variety of exercise sequences that are performed in low repetitions, usually five to ten times, over a session of 45 to 90 minutes. Mat work and specialised equipment for resistance are used.

The Pilates method is taught to suit each person and exercises are regularly re-evaluated to ensure they are appropriate for that person. Due to the individual attention, this method can suit everybody from elite athletes to people with limited mobility, pregnant women and people with low fitness levels.

Classes are held in specialised Pilates studios, physiotherapy clinics or at your local leisure facility or community centre.
 

Health benefits of Pilates


The health benefits of Pilates include:

  • improved flexibility
  • increased muscle strength and tone, particularly of your abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks (the ‘core muscles’ of your body)
  • balanced muscular strength on both sides of your body
  • enhanced muscular control of your back and limbs
  • improved stabilisation of your spine
  • improved posture
  • rehabilitation or prevention of injuries related to muscle imbalances
  • improved physical coordination and balance
  • relaxation of your shoulders, neck and upper back
  • safe rehabilitation of joint and spinal injuries
  • prevention of musculoskeletal injuries
  • increased lung capacity and circulation through deep breathing
  • improved concentration
  • increased body awareness
  • stress management and relaxation.

Pilates suitable for everyone


Pilates caters for everyone, from beginner to advanced. You can perform exercises using your own body weight, or with the help of various pieces of equipment.

A typical Pilates workout includes a number of exercises and stretches. Each exercise is performed with attention to proper breathing techniques and abdominal muscle control. To gain the maximum benefit, you should do Pilates at least two or three times per week. You may notice postural improvements after 10 to 20 sessions.
 

Pilates and challenging your body


Pilates is based on putting yourself into unstable postures and challenging your body by moving your limbs.

For instance, imagine you are lying on your back, with bent knees and both feet on the floor. A Pilates exercise may involve straightening one leg so that your toes point to the ceiling, and using the other leg to slowly raise and lower your body. You need tight abdominal and buttock muscles to keep your hips square, and focused attention to stop yourself from tipping over.
 

Types of Pilates


The two basic forms of Pilates are:

  • Mat-based Pilates – this is a series of exercises performed on the floor using gravity and your own body weight to provide resistance. The main aim is to condition the deeper, supporting muscles of your body to improve posture, balance and coordination
  • Equipment-based Pilates – this includes specific equipment that works against spring-loaded resistance, including the ‘reformer’, which is a moveable carriage that you push and pull along its tracks. Some forms of Pilates include weights (such as dumbbells) and other types of small equipment that offer resistance to the muscles.

You can't suck at yoga!

I love to meet new people and learn about their lives and their passions! While meeting a new friend for coffee the other day, she shared with me that she doesn't practice yoga because 'she sucks at it', to which I replied ' That's impossible, you CAN'T suck at yoga!'. To be 'good' at yoga, you don't need to be flexible, or strong, or injury free. It doesn't matter if you are 13 or 75, large or small, short or tall, or if you are male or female. Anyone can do yoga!!! Let me explain...
The root word of yoga is 'yuj' which literally means 'to yoke'. A translation often extracted from this is 'to unite' or 'to join'. Yoga unites! There are many ways to interpret this - union of breath and body, union of mind, body, and spirit, union with all living beings, union with the earth and our environment, union with divine energy, and the list goes on. Nothing is separate. Yoga brings us to this understanding through a very palpable experience. 

 

So how did union with our heart get translated into pretzel postures? Simple. Asana (the physical practice of yogic postures) is one of the eight limbs of yoga, and probably the most accessible to our north american culture. We can use our physical body as a tool to connect to our deeper layers that are sometimes inaccessible to the conscious mind. We can move energy. We can release tension. We can sharpen our senses. We can de-stress.

 

We are more than just a physical body, but we need to BE embodied in order to access the rest. This is my experience. When I began my journey into yoga nine years ago, I saw it as just another way to 'work out'. I felt better after yoga than I ever had working out but I couldn't put my finger on why. It wasn't just that I felt stronger, or more flexible, or more energized, or more grounded - although these are all wonderful benefits of yoga! I felt more connected to myself, more tuned-in to my life, more inspired, naturally joy-filled. I felt AWAKE in my life! My focus shifted. I could concentrate easily. My relationships improved. My life transformed. The shift is subtle, but powerful beyond rational measure.

 

As a yoga teacher now, my goal is to inspire my students to get a 'work-IN'! through yoga. The physical effects such as more strength and flexibility are just the icing on the cake, but not the point. Yoga helps you to be more flexible in your life, not just your body. The practice encourages strength of heart more importantly than strong muscles. Can you touch your toes?  It doesn't matter! Can you wrap your ankle behind your head?  Who cares?  If you are present in the moment, if you are breathing, if you are listening to the innate wisdom of your body...this is yoga. You can practice on the mat AND in your life!

 

There is yoga for everyone and every-BODY. So many styles and teachers. So many modifications for each posture. Can't touch the floor? - let's bring the floor up to you with blocks or chairs! Can't reach your toes?  Let's get a strap to make that easier. Are you injured?  No problem, there are so many modifications to keep you feeling comfortable and pain free. It's not about bending and breaking your body to conform into physical shapes. That's not yoga. If you show up on mat willing to try, open hearted, breathing deeply, present, then you are not only GOOD at yoga, you are GREAT at it! 

 

If you feel shy around others or just can't find a yoga schedule that works for your life at this time, you can do private classes on your own schedule. Your teacher will customize a program that is right for you, your life and your body! 

 

When I'm not practicing as a naturopathic doctor, I teach yoga to groups or individuals. It is so rewarding to witness people coming more fully into their bodies, and themselves! In the therapeutic private yoga classes I teach, the wisdom and philosophy of yoga is combined with the science and philosophy of naturopathic medicine to specifically address the patients physical, mental, and emotional health concerns through a  tailored yoga practice.  Specific practices can be designed for health conditions and dis-ease including stress and fatigue, headaches and migraines, insomnia, anxiety and depression, menopause, PMS, hypertension and heart disease, attention deficit/hyperactivity, chronic pain syndromes, hypermobility or joint laxity, scoliosis, injury prevention and rehabilitation, as well as for performance enhancement. I primarily focus on therapeutic yoga specific to my client in my practice at Synergy Wellness. It is so rewarding to be able to design a practice that gives the individual EXACTLY what they need...and a tailored practice they can take home as well!

 

It's been said that 'practice makes perfect'. I disagree. The practice of yoga reminds you that you are ALREADY perfect, already whole, just as you are, in this moment. We get on our mats, connect with our breath, and move our bodies in order to REMEMBER. Our natural state of being is joy-full and peace-full. Yoga is the experience of reconnecting to this essence. Ready to practice? What have you got to lose in comparison to what you could find?


Laura is a licensed naturopathic doctor and certified yoga instructor. Her naturopathic practice is located in the heart of downtown Collingwood within Synergy Wellness Centre on First St. where she treats patients and teaches private therapeutic yoga sessions.

 

"As a naturopathic doctor, through education, empowerment, and example, I endeavour to guide patients toward manifesting optimal health and living their most inspired life!"

 

“As a yoga instructor, my intention is to guide students towards getting in touch with their breath, listening to the innate wisdom of the body, observing the connection of the mind, body and spirit, and awakening the life force within.”