Vancouver Yoga Conference

Vancouver Yoga Conference this past weekend at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Yoga garden, yoga vendors, ooommm coming from all directions, & a busy/happy/joyful energy. What a great time!

I caught up with my friends at Halfmoon Yoga Products - providing props and love to everyone in the yoga garden!

I was able to get in 2 workshops with my mentor Susi Hately - from Functional Synergy therapeutic yoga!
1. Bio mechanics of the core
2. Considerations for cancer survivors

In addition, I was privileged to assist Susi for her workshop on managing back pain. We had a blast. 7 great yogis who have had back pain and/or have yoga students who have back pain.  We covered a great range of topics throughout the day including: what back pain is all about - how the pain is manifestation of dysfunction occurring elsewhere in the body, exploring default patterns, discovering leg bone to pelvis connection, as well as pelvis to spine connection, and spine to shoulder blades connection - how these can all have potential to cause discomfort or pain depending on how congruent these connections are. It was a wonderful day of exploration!

I am excited to share insights from the other workshops in further blog posts.

When I got home, my husbands tells me that he can barely move his neck.... well it is a good thing his wife is a yoga therapist. We have a date in the yoga room in about 5 minutes.... poor guys is a menace on the road as he is having trouble making shoulder checks.... I'll be working with him for the good of all the drivers in our local area..!

Day 3 – back in class

My first class back in the teaching role since my training… I was so stressed out! As if I was coming back to the very first class I ever taught.... And guess what? My back started to hurt. Quite cool actually, in a way, it has been feeling great all day and then mood change and there we go! Default pattern… the first step is awareness into that pattern. Quite curious when it is revealed and repeats! (and repeats and repeats and repeats… well I guess that is why it is called a default).

So back to the stress, I mean class… – my new knowledge of yoga therapy and putting that into practice within a class… hmmm that’s another step.  Gentle hatha, I went in with recommendations of no pain, pure movement, and smooth and even breath.  Started with pelvic floor, accessed the transverse abs, went onto twists and the obliques, and we were off!  Overall it was a fun class, but I definitely have some interesting lessons coming from this. 1. Be mindful of your cuing. This class I was very cognisant of cuing the actual pure movement vs. the end result of the movement (i.e. twists, lead from your obliques and not forcing with the arms). 2. Meet every student where they are at. Some are ready for a conversation re: pain free ROM,  others love “go big or go home” – and that is ok.  3. In the end, appreciate if you can reach out and make a difference for even a couple of students (I had a great conversation about the pelvic floor and kegel exercises after class…. Hilarious).

Overall, I’m in love with this new twist on my current teaching methods. I felt authentic, even more so, I felt light and excited to teach, and my students really enjoyed it! About half way through the class I had an epiphany that I still know how to teach, all of a sudden my body let go of all the stress tension and it just happened. Beautiful. I just have a few more tool with which to assist my students get out of pain.

 I look forward to continuing to spread the good word about decreasing pain, finding peace and stillness in the body, and healing… this is my thing and I’m in love.

Now it is a little late and I’m about to go upstairs to my yoga room for some before bed practice. I’ll report on that tomorrow. What I will say is that I have been sleeping with a bolster under my knees, a 10 pound sand bag (aka meditation pillow from Halfmoon) on my hips, and an eye pillow; I am out like a light. The added weight just allows me to melt into the bed, seriously, it is amazing. I am so excited to do this again…. Yummy.