“Life isn’t easy: our spirits go through as much as our bodies”
My philosophy in practice: Why I teach private or small classes uniquely
The importance of yoga asana tailored to the students unique anatomy, history of injuries and energy is the signature of my yoga teaching. Having been through experiences of yoga injury myself, creating an asana practice informed by knowledge of anatomy is the best way to create a life long practice of yoga.
Only private instruction allows bespoke sequencing of asana to your body’s unique needs. True to my psychological training, I provide my students, whether seasoned yogis or beginners, with practices tailored not only to the needs of their bodies, but also their minds optimal well being. Whether needs are or to increase attention, hone mindfulness, build emotional resilience or find calm and manage stress, meditation and pranayama have been proven by both centuries of yogic practice and now backed by research.
The meditation or breathwork practices I teach and recommend represent application of the latest research in neurology, somatics, and psychology, to the students emotional and spiritual needs. Meditation type and recommended frequency of practice is based on research that shows which practice will work best for the needs of that student to facilitate change, to create new neural pathways, to change habits of the mind into new ways of being.
Yoga was originally always taught privately, one teacher directly to one student.
If you are working with physical or emotional challenges, yoga can help. W
hether going through a period of life transition, extreme stress, or wanting to change old ways of behaving, acting, or thinking, these practices can help, but are best taught individually.
“One of the key practical lessons of modern neuroscience is that the power to direct our attention has within it the power to shape our brain’s firing patterns, as well as the power to shape the architecture of the brain itself.”
— Daniel J. Siegel, MD Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation
I take a coaching format approach, number of sessions are based on needs and goals of students, always growing an aspect body, mind and spirit of the student.
To use an old expression, I don’t give my students the fish, I teach them to fish.
I address your needs by unifying a practice around it, always addressing physical, psychological and spiritual.
After initial meeting, I create a treatment plan with developmental end objectives.
Each sessions builds on the previous with self practice work between sessions.
While I do still work with some students over a long time, I prefer sessions to be a limited number from beginning. Whether seasoned yogis expanding on their current practice, or beginners learning yoga, I want give my students their own practice for life;
A practice that respects reality of their time, that respects reality of their anatomy and longevity for the body, and that challenges the psyche to build emotional resilience through grounding in sense of self.
As each individual is different so will be the practices I create for them; from pranayama, to asana to meditation. I believe that engagement with practices originating from the East (yoga, meditation, breathwork) are best done in conjunction with our sciences of the West, with a balanced application of both. I will refer out to medical or mental health professionals when needed to support the work of the student. This looks different for each client.
“We should return to the body in order to create spirit again; without body there is not spirit because spirit is a volatile substance of the body.”
— (Carl G. Jung, Nietzsche’s Zarathustra: Notes of the Seminar Given 1934-39, Vol 1. p 368)
The intricacies of the connections between Body, Mind and Spirit (or Unconscious or Soul) which I present to you were learned through direct experience (illness, return to health, healing of the body through yoga, supported by osteopathy and traditional Chinese medicine), through study (both academic and of self), and through a deep sense of inner knowing (through meditation, and various spiritual experiences).
I come with this knowledge to say to you, not that I know, but that with all I have seen and learned, I know I do not know.
Basic spiritual coaching services
At a distance during Covid.
I can provide guidance and advice for creating or refining a meditation practice based on your current situation, where you would like to “go” in your external circumstances via changing your inner circumstances, I will advise a meditation practice, and lifestyle changes and monitor you over the weeks you integrate. For practicing yogis I will recommend accompanying yoga asana practice.
For those less familiar with yoga asana, it is possible to pair spiritual coaching with private yoga lessons tailored to integrate your meditation practice.
Meditation practices are chosen based on the latest psychological and neurological research, tailored to what works best for you.
Yoga practices are chosen based on principles of somatics, that adult learning and neurological change is best achieved not through the mind and therapy alone, but also through learning new patterns of somatic movement to carve out new neural pathways.
Any yoga practice recommended or taught will be strongly based in your personal anatomy, injuries, illnesses and strengths.
