Yoga Therapy in Cancer Recovery Rehab

Hello Dear Friends, I have been a bit absent writing on the blog due to having many projects this year. I was working on contributing to a book but had to resign today due to one to many time constraints on my time and energy. I have decided to share my article with you here. I have two and this is the one I originally posted. I will post the other shorter one soon. I hope someone finds this helpful.

With Love,
Courtney

Courtney Robinson, C-IAYT Stress Management Specialist Ornish Reversal Program, E-RYT 500 , RCYT, RPYT, Y12SR, POLY-500, U.C.I. Solution Focused Coach

I see clients in my private practice and at Saline Heart Group (private medical practice) in Benton, AR, under the guidance of Dr. Allan Hatch, Cardiologist.

Title: “Empowering Through Treatment and Remission”

Stage:
Cure and Remission Intervention: Though I see small groups of patients in many stages of cancer recovery rehab, I have the same main focus with an individual: to bring the nervous system back into homeostasis or balance through the parasympathetic nervous system or PNS. The treatment looks at a variety of other underlying factors such as anxiety, depression, fatigue and reduction of lymphatic congestion. There are many facets to treatment and remission. Many tools are needed in the mental and physical toolbox. The main focus is to bring the body into the PNS to assist in the body’s ability to begin healing through rest and digest by engaging the bodies own self regulation process.

I teach a gentle practice to engage the PNS which include: ● Relaxation techniques ● Visualization ● Meditation ● Affirmation or positive internal dialogue ● Safe asana or postures ● Breathing techniques (pranayama) two part or diaphragmatic, three part, and when appropriate alternate nostril breathing

We (myself as a facilitator with the client) utilize these techniques to induce a positive hormonal (reduction of cortisol, increase in serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin) response to reduce pain, decrease depression and anxiety, reduce lymphatic congestion, decrease heaviness in the limbs, increase cognitive ability, and reduce fatigue.

The Practice:
1. Centering: We begin with centering to bring the mind and the body into the same place. The mind is often filled with worry about the future or concerns about what one could have done differently.
 2. Pranayama: Work with the breath to slow the breathing response and begin to bring the body into the parasympathetic response. Two part and three part breathing allows for more oxygen in the blood which is needed to heal organs and prevent a recurrence of illness. If appropriate, at the end of class I will add alternate nostril breathing if the client is comfortable. Due to some issues with the nostrils and tenderness from treatments, this is not always possible. Breathing is continued with the entire practice with an emphasis on inhaling and exhaling on the movement or action.
3. Body Scan or Progressive Relaxation: I go through a body scan or relaxation process utilizing the peripheral nervous system, relaxing from the feet to the hip joint, then the fingers to the shoulder joint, one limb at a time. We move on to the base of the spinal column, working up the neurological tree utilizing the planes of the torso, front, middle, and back. Each breath brings awareness to the point of focus and the exhalation relaxes the body part we are focusing on, ending with the neck, face, and head relating to the brain. This is a journey inward from the outer areas of the body into the brain. This format that we follow also follows the pancha maya kosha model. I tie these together with breathing, body scanning and work on cognitive function as we begin to add meditation, positive thinking, and affirmation to fit the clients needs that day. We end up with the mental and emotional focus, wisdom and intuition towards the end and deep meditation focused on brain, mind or consciousness in final mediation. Then, work back out through breath and physical body.
 4. Transition meditation, cognitive work with affirmation or mantra: After centering and focusing on pranayama and relaxation, we come to meditation and affirmation. There is a period of quiet focus and then a focused affirmation or positive thought in the positive present tense, such as an “I am” or “I have” statement. The focus is on the clients needs that particular day. For example, “I am strong”, “I am brave”, “I am capable”. It can be what the client chooses. This is the major cognitive portion before moving onto the somatic or movement portion.
5. Postures or Movement: Postures and movement begin to carry information from the brain down the spinal column through the body or through the neural pathways, which helps to address moving the cognitive work through the body by means of postures, and carrying the work of the mind through the body which also is another way of working though the nervous system, in the yoga world we relate this to samskaras or patterns. We follow a posture process of working from the head and neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, spine, hips, knees, and feet using small movements of each joint to address all the lymph chains and lymph glands in the body. These movements have been shown to reduce lymph congestion, increase artery flexibility and circulation, which supports a healthy immune system and increases oxygen carried throughout the circulatory system. These movements have been shown to reduce pain and increase awareness in the body and further the relaxation response. Typical movements include moving the joints in the way in which they are meant to be moved such as a hinge joint moves like a door. Shoulders are a ball and socket so they have a large range or motion such as shrugging the shoulders back, up, and forward. Common postures you will see are simple seated spinal twist, seated forward fold (head kept above the heart for safety) , and gentle cat cow. There always has to be an awareness of devices the client may have. Commonly, there will be a port. Inversions can aggravate the port so I tend to stick to modified versions.
6. Final Meditation: Once postures have been completed, the client is then placed in an appropriate supported position for final meditation. I will go through the pancha maya model. We will focus on relaxing the body again from the feet to the head (Annamaya), breath awareness (Pranamaya), and belly region (Manomaya) for checking in with self. The client will look at themselves like looking at beloved friend and check in. A question may be “How am I doing today?” Self compassion and non judgement are encouraged. We then move onto the solar plexus area and heart (Vijnanamaya). Ask “What do I need for self care today?” or “What is it that I need to pay attention to?” with a focus on inner intuitive listening or the inner guide. We will stay here in the heart area and focus on gratitude and finding the good in each day. We will use visualization through this process: seeing what we are grateful for and naming it. Moving on to the head and brain, we will focus behind the eyes, between the ears, or the middle of the mind as we center on breath and meditate quietly (Annadamaya). We will come back out as we focus on bringing this all to a cellular level: breathing in, bringing light, or positive thoughts down through the body filling every cell. I may use a visualization like sunshine pouring through the body, removing anything that doesn't need to be there and leaving only health or wellness. It could be emotional or physical. We wrap this up with breathing, focusing on the middle body or trunk, arms, legs, wrists, ankles, and feet (moving from the inside back out).


 Case Study: My client is Mandy, a 42 year old who is a wife and mother. She previously worked in social work and had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Mandy was feeling scared, and she was trying to navigate treatment for herself with the uncertainty that comes with a cancer diagnosis. Her concerns were for her family and not only their worries and fears, but also finding help for all their needs and her own while she was in treatment. Mandy and I met when she called me about attending my yoga teacher training. She reached out to me a few months later to let me know of her diagnosis. We switched gears to focus on her health together rather than schooling. She would see me in my office at least one to two times a month depending on her treatment schedule. I often try to make sure that sessions work with the treatment schedule. For instance, scheduling a few days prior to treatment rather than after a treatment when the client may experience more negative symptoms such as digestive issues and severe fatigue. Our focus was to give her the tools in her mental toolbox to regulate her nervous system so she could manage her health and assist her body in doing the hard work ahead of her. I shared with her the dietary guidelines from Dr. Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease because of the analysis that has been shown on the improvements of breast cancer patients who participated in the research. Each session included a time for her to talk and for me to listen. I would allow her to express her feelings openly. She was feeling a lot of frustration and some anger at the situation. Others would say things to her such as “It’s all going to be okay” when truly no one knew if it would or not. Our sessions included centering, pranayama, two and three part, and alternate nostril breathing. For Mandy, she was familiar with alternate nostril breathing. I added it to her practice because of its calming and balancing impact on the body and mind. We would then do a deep relaxation to activate the PNS to a deeper state or relaxation to bring balance (homeostasis) to the body and mind. Postures were used to assist with reducing fatigue, keeping the muscles supple to keep up her range of motion, and reduce lymph congestion to allow her circulation to remain healthy. Working in cardiac rehab I also knew that if I could help her learn to regulate her PNS, the impact to her heart from treatment may be reduced. We would also do some chanting of Lokha Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu to mentally bring a sense of peace, but also to activate the PNS through cranial nerve No. 10 or the vagus nerve since studies show that chanting or humming is very relaxing to the nervous system. She enjoyed chanting, and it helped soothe her mind and body. It became a default mechanism for her when under stress. We would often use the guided meditation in the above protocol working through the pancha maya model. Sometimes we would use other visualizations like envisioning the future with perfect health. One particular day, she told me that all she could see was sitting on her deck with her boys doing normal life things. Recently, she told me that she was getting some pressure from people to go back to work or figure out her passion. She told me, “I want to be a wife, mother, friend, and do what I am doing.” I felt strongly that her image from her previous visualization had come to be true, as she was doing exactly what she envisioned. Mandy had many rounds of chemo, a double mastectomy, and subsequent reconstruction. She is doing very well now. Her hair is growing out, her appetite is back, and she is fully enjoying life. She expresses deep gratitude for the practice and shares her experience of what she learned in yoga therapy with others.


Ancient Text that inform the practice.
1. Taittiriya Upanishad (2:1-5). The five sheaths (pancha-koshas). 1. Annamaya kosha, "food" sheath (Anna) 2. Pranamaya kosha, "energy" sheath (Prana) 3. Manomaya kosha "mind" sheath (Manas) 4. Vijnanamaya kosha, "discernment" sheath (Vijnana) 5. Anandamaya kosha"bliss" sheath (Ananda)


2. The Yoga Sutras 3:9 Nirodha parinama, the transformation of the bounded state, occurs when the attention moves from the rise and fall of the minds impressions to the silence that pervades when it’s activity is settled. Through practice the mind is settled and the PNS is engaged. One experiences a sense of peace and well being. A state that does not associate with illness or disease but with a sense of oneness and joy.

Research Sources
Breastcancer.org. (n.d.). Yoga. [online] Available at: https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/comp_med/types/yoga

Katuri, K., Dasari, A., Kurapati, S., Vinnakota, N., Bollepalli, A. and Dhulipalla, R. (2016). Association of yoga practice and serum cortisol levels in chronic periodontitis patients with stress-related anxiety and depression. National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Krishnakumar, D., Hamblin, M. and Lakshmanan, S. (2015). Meditation and Yoga can Modulate Brain Mechanisms that affect Behavior and Anxiety-A Modern Scientific Perspective. [online] National Center for Biotechnology Information. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4769029/ [Accessed 29 Aug. 2019].

LI, S., SUN, Y. and GAO, D. (2013). Role of the nervous system in cancer metastasis. [online] National Center for Biotechnology Information. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3629128/

Narahari, S., Guruprasad, M., Thernoe, L., Bose, K. and Ryan, T. (2016). Yoga protocol for treatment of breast cancer-related lymphedema. [online] National Center for Biotechnology Information. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4959325/

NJTV News. (2018). Could practicing gratitude have health benefits? | Video | NJTV News. [online] Available at: https://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/could-practicing-gratitude-have-health-benefits/

Ornish Lifestyle Medicine. (n.d.). Ornish Lifestyle Medicine | TIME: For Breast Cancer, It’s Not Nature vs. Nurture—It’s Both. [online] Available at: https://www.ornish.com/zine/time-breast-cancer-nature-vs-nurture

Patanjali, & Shearer, A. (2002). The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. New York, Bell Tower.

Publishing, H. (n.d.). Yoga for anxiety and depression - Harvard Health. [online] Harvard Health. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/yoga-for-anxiety-and-depression

 San karācārya, Sureśvarācārya, Mādhava, and Mahadeva Sastri, A. (1980). The Taittiriya Upanishad. Madras, Samata Books

The Zen of a "No Buy" Challenge.

I am in a constant struggle to explain this to people "IT IS LITERALLY ALL YOGA" and what I mean by that is yoga  translates to "yoke" or to connect the mind and the body. How the mind thinks the human goes. Asana or postures is only one small part of yoga. If you don't think it you don't do it. The state of your mind and your perspective is often the state of your life. Now I am not saying that everything that happens to you is because of how you think, however much of the way our life looks and how we respond is because of how we think.
If I like a bohemian aesthetic and I'm a bit of minimalist about having to many possessions and I desire a simple life, I am probably not going to care to much if my cups match or if I have extra sets in the garage.If I value exercise and good health then I will likely make time for those in my schedule.

In a "No Buy" year you start off thinking "Well this will really save me money". This is why "No Buy's" often happen. For me the "No Buy" was more because I moved to a smaller home after raising four kids after a divorce in a big rambling 1930's house and I was sick of stuff. Even though not a collector or hoarder I had the stuff of six people (my new husband included) and tons of storage to not deal with it. It was a major pain to move and I wanted less, far less. So here comes the "No Buy".
I was already frugal, and good with money but I desired more and this is what I could think of. I decided no "new" clothes, no shoes, no purses, books or jewelry. I had some caveats to replace things. So not buying kept me from shopping and not shopping gave me time. And having time gave me time to read, workout, and spend time with family and friends. You don't realize how significant this is until you aren't doing it, even if you think you are not a shopper now...trust me on this one.
Here are 10 things I discovered on my "No Buy" year that gave me a new sense of simplicity and a feeling of peace (there is the mind body).

To see more on my No Buy Year you can look at the VLOG here.

Contentment, self care, discipline is all in the first limb of yoga.

1. When you don't shop online or at the stores you have more time to spend on exercise or yoga practice.
2. You have more time to spend on reading.
3. You have more time to spend on hobbies.
4. You have more time to meal plan and cook.
5. You desire less because you are not looking. *This right here is in the Yoga Sutras!
6. You realize how much you don't need to be happy.
7. You realize how much you don't need period and how stuff weighs you down.
8. You have to deal with not filling that void that shopping filled. You have to ask yourself the hard questions and getting through that is really enlightening. It makes you realize what really adds value to your life and what doesn't.
9. You become more resourceful. You find new and creative ways to do things, this strengthens your mind and creativity.
10. You become creative with what you have. I came up with all kinds of clothing combinations once I had less, I felt better dressed this year than any.
11. I realized my perceptions of what I thought I needed actually were only perceptions, on a daily basis I could get by on so much less and that felt amazingly freeing.


If you feel like you would like to try a "No Buy" then some guidelines might be to try a week or a month. You will need necessities but that depends on you. Maybe you buy the basic foods and toiletries you need for a week and get by on that budget.
Maybe you want to try to budget for a month. Set up a minimal budget for what you need, food, bills, and gas and if you know you have something coming up like a date night then set a budget for that or make a plan to do it free. You set the rules.

What I will be doing after I close the school.

So I have been announcing that I am retiring from owning the school after 10 years. To be honest that was my plan from the beginning. Own a school for ten years. Why 10 years...I'm just weird with numbers, I figured ten years was a nice round number, and 200 plus teachers was my goal, I'll end with 225. I've done the work, time to pass the torch.

I love the school, well I love the people and I love teaching. What I don't love is for 10 years I've worked two weekends a month plus taught about six workshops a year. That totals to over half the weekends of the year I'm gone plus working five days a week. I'm tired y'all.
But I'm not really going anywhere. Rena Wren will be taking over the school mission which is to bring this type of holistic classical yoga to everyone who wants it. My goals have always been to reach those who don't have access to yoga and also to make it available to everyone who wants to learn.

I will still teach full time at Saline Heart Clinic in the Ornish Reversal Clinic. I still need to work on marketing my book "The Mud & The Lotus: A Guide and Workbook for Students of Yoga", that never ends, you must work after the book is published. I have a couple of ebooks I need to get finished and published. I have some courses to publish and another book or two in the works to write. I'll assist Rena for at least two more years as well. On occasion you will see me teaching a workshop or at a conference.

If you want to work with me or you are interested in the work I am still doing here is what you can do or how you can reach me or study with me.
1. Ornish Clinic:
 If you need Intensive Cardiac Rehab call Saline Heart Group and ask for Tara. This will get you into the Ornish program if you qualify which will give you access to Stress Management Yoga with me.
2. The Book:  If you want to learn more about yoga for yourself or to teach it, or to open a school and use my curriculum you can buy the book for a bargain price of $29.95. You can use it for your own learning. https://www.amazon.com/Mud-Lotus-Guide-Workbook-Students/dp/194452892X
3. Book a workshop or have me present at your event: If you want me to ]'come teach a "Yoga for Health Care" workshop or present  then email me to set up a conversation cdb120@gmail.com 
4.  Book a consultation over the phone or in person: Need help with your yoga,  yoga therapy, consulting or coaching in your personal life or for your health, need help teaching yoga, opening a studio or school, need help with your yoga business or anything more? I do personal and financial consulting and coaching in the field of yoga therapy and personal finance.  Click the link or email cdb120@gmail.com

I appreciate your taking the time to read this. If I can be of service to you please contact me. I look forward to knowing you.

The Critics

I would like to share a personal experience about "reviews", "critics" & "trolls" (as I understand them). Also I would like to discuss the bravery of putting yourself out there for rejection.

Today someone told me about a nasty comment on my Facebook page, while searching for it I found one on another page I am an admin on, the person was being hateful to someone who used to work for me. I promptly hid them both (they were of the crazy kind) and went on about my business not giving it to much thought.

I am reviewed on Facebook, have a public page on Instagram, have 3 meditations on Insight Timer, have a published book out there (most reviews on Amazon), and my work on Yoga Alliance (my business accreditation home) has a "Student Review" Page. So in the past 5 years I've been reviewed about 3000 or more times, mostly good but a few nasty ones, and a few with helpful feedback. The mean one's hurt but now a days I actually have become thicker skinned. Here is how I deal with it. This video by Brene Brown helped me greatly.

WHY YOUR CRITICS AREN'T THE ONE'S WHO COUNT

1. Putting yourself out there opens you up to critics. You can't ever and I mean ever please everyone. There is a saying that says "You can be the juiciest peach in all the world and someone won't like peaches". Truth.

2. People are often jealous. Often people will see you do something and it magnifies their insecurities. Who knows why or how but it does and there are those who by being happy for others they feel it takes away somehow from their own worth. That has nothing to do with you. Miserable people try to make others miserable.

3. What's the worst that can happen. I used to think "God blessed me with the ability to say "What's the worst that can happen? They aren't going to kill me". However the more I put myself out there, the more work I did, the more public I became, I found people more than willing to tell me how to do my job and it often really hurt. Sometimes it was helpful such as a dear friend and student who told me to quit apologizing. Actually several people told me this, it was very helpful. Was I a bit mortified? Yes, a little but I survived and it helped me over come it.
On several occasions people gave my business a bad rating based on a problem they had with one of my contractors, never giving me the option to fix it before they went public. *That happens a lot to business owners. I survived all of it and continued to thrive.

4. Consider the source and have some self compassion. A few years back I had a student who for whatever reason latched on to one of my teachers and decided the best way to handle that was to berate me. I was going through a horrible court battle with my ex that had been on in court for years, raising four kids by myself and my now husband (whom I was dating) had to have open heart surgery. I wasn't my chipper self. I was quite and did my job but charismatic I was not and somehow she wanted me to be charismatic like this other teacher and I'm just me and at that time "me" was struggling. Her hatefulness was like salt on an open wound.

5. The people in the cheap seats..ignore them. They aren't putting themselves out there like you are. They live in fear or laziness or whatever, but they don't know how brave you are. They don't realize the fear you face in putting your work out there and sharing it with the world. They aren't brave, they are weak and weak people hide behind a mask or a screen and try to bring those who are brave down.

6. Ask yourself the question "Is this true?". So I will often say "Is this feedback helpful and true?" If the answer is yes then I make a change. For instance on Insight Timer two people out of 600 reviews told me my audio could be improved so I purchased a new microphone and sound screen because I knew they were right.
When someone said on my Facebook page today "OMFG get lost"..well that's just a sour and miserable person. So I thought "Wow, what a miserable person" and got on with my life. Hide that stuff on your feed, get rid of the mean people if you can block them.

7. It only takes one yes. In some cases, not necessarily reviews but putting yourself out there to be published or to present you are going to be rejected. And I mean you are going to be rejected a lot! This is normal. Let me say it again this is normal. I have applied to countless events and was rejected and even asked "Who do you know associated with this event?". I got the picture right there. It was about who you knew. This year after 18 years in business I got a lot more of "YES". Please read this carefully, in 18 years I tried and tried and finally I got a book published, I spoke at a large and respected conference, I got the great job, I was interviewed on a well know podcast, I was featured on a well known app. Things started clicking but you know what? Just the other day I got rejected, one of my articles got rejected by a magazine. I was able to laugh about it because I know 90% of the time it's rejection and 10% acceptance on this end. Then when you get out there 90% of the time it's acceptance by your audience and 10 % rejection.

8. Find your people. Literally all of the people I am close to are business owners. They are publishers, writers, teachers, and own brick and mortar businesses and they are as human as you and I. We talk about the ups and downs, we share the mean thing someone says on our Facebook page and the rejections and we encourage each other. We say "Me too, but you know it only takes one person to say Yes." Find your people. Join a group of like minded people. Take someone in your field to lunch. Join online business groups to find support. Reach out and ask for help.

9. Keep being brave. Put yourself out there. If you feel passionate about something it is likely a God given gift. It is likely your purpose. That passion comes from somewhere. So keep being brave.

10. Ignore it. I used to want to respond to every comment good or bad and it's hard to do at a certain point. My recent Insight Timer meditation had over 600 reviews and a 4.5 rating which is great for this app. I read a few of the reviews and stopped. You don't have to read every single one, you can send out a general "Thank you" but you don't have to allow the negativity in. At some point when people are buying your work and you are making a living at it, it's okay to quit reading all the reviews. It's also okay to stop doing surveys. Yes you heard me right. I ask people to please share any positives they have with the world (whatever format is asking their opinion such as Facebook or Yoga Alliance) and please if you have a problem or need me to help send me an email or give me a call. I quit doing surveys because overall 1 our of 20 complained. Once you build a circle of friends and trusted business confidants you can trust they will tell you what you need to change or fix.
One of my dear teachers who is in the top of our field once told me (our group) in a training that he quit doing surveys because he was so sensitive to the negative ones. He was in his mid 70's and at the top of our field, he is very well respected. His openness and vulnerability gave me permission to accept myself more and to know that we are all human, even those of us who put ourselves in the public arena.

All my love and I wish you the very best. Courtney Butler Robinson

Asking for Help & Getting It.

This information really could be for anyone, however I generally address yoga teachers and yoga business owners since this is the field I service. One thing that happens to me on a weekly basis is someone ask me for help. I actually love helping others and it makes me so happy when someone actually gets what they need and it improves their life and they tell me about it. It makes me feel useful.
On the other hand one thing that really frustrates me and it is becoming a real struggle is people calling and asking me for favors that create a lot of work for me.

Here are some tips (and examples I deal with) on how to promote yourself and your career that are actually more likely to get you what you want and be beneficial to the other person as well. Consider the fact that when you ask for help one of two things need to happen.
1. You need to also be benefiting the person you are requesting help from.
Or
2. You need to benefiting someone else in the process and let it be known your goal to help someone else by being helped yourself.

See below for an explanation.

Examples of request I get and when and how I am willing to help.

1. A call to put a link of my website. It generally goes like this "Did you know yoga is good for xyz, and we offer this service. Could you put our link on your website?" Well "No", I would have nothing but links clogging up my web page. What would work is this "Hello, my name is xyz and I offer this service ______. We see that you are a professional in your field and would love to work with you. Would you be interested in having us submit a blog post and if it meets your standards would you please post it on your blog page. We will then share it with our clients via email and social media. Hope to have the pleasure of working with you."
2. People ask me to have meetings all the time and give me examples of their work then ask me to promote them. I simply do not have time to do this. I have a busy life and business and can barely keep up with my marketing plan. My goal is to support my family through my work so I need to promote my business, however if it's a win win I'm happy to help. Here is what does work. "Hello my name is ____________, I am a yoga teacher specializing in __________. I hear you are the go to person for yoga in this area and I am offering such and such. I would love to give you a free ticket to my event and if you will share it with your clients I will gladly share your events on my page as well with my clients." By the way it would be good if you attended the persons class, buy and read the book, read over the webpage etc... before you meet with them. I actually had a person ask me to promote them on a day of my big workshop in the same town. Had they read my webpage or looked at my social media they would have known this and probably thought better of it. 
3. If someone is already my student and has spent countless hours training with me and spent money to work with me then I am going to promote their work because it is dear to my heart to help those people. I do not mind doing this. If someone calls me looking for a restorative yoga teacher and my student has a passion for this I am going to promote them. If you are my student and reading this know that I don't mind helping you, especially if your request takes me 15 minutes or less to handle. If you have not been a client of mine and you want to work with me please read my book, my blog, my web page or look at my You Tube Channel for the answers you are looking for and if you want to work with me give me a call or email me and we can book a consult. My rates are very reasonable. 
4. Can you help me plan a retreat? Did you go to school with me or are you already a client of mine ? If so yes I can spend about 15 to 30 minutes giving you some pointers. No worry, no cost, I am happy to help you because you are already a client of mine and I appreciate you choosing to work with me. Do you need additional help? Then please book a call with me for a consult and I will give you a detailed plan. OR even better,  I wrote a book on the subject and you can buy it for $14.99. If you need more after that then book an appointment and we can build a detailed plan. I know the cost of my time will save the person more than they spend with me. I've spent a ton of time and money honing my skills and I love to help people be successful.
5.  My student has severe pain in this area and I want to help them. Are you my student, client? Have you spent time working with me in the past and paid me to train you? Absolutely, you want to help someone else I will help you help them as long as we can figure it out in a reasonable time frame. Do you know me but are not my student? Is this going to take more than 10 minutes? If so then please book a phone call with me to do a consult. 
6. Would you come talk to my group about xyz for free? I spent enough money on training to pay for 6 years of college and have worked countless hours to do what I do. If you want me to take time out of my day there is a fee, on the rare occasion that I can volunteer my time like this it is going to be for a cause I truly believe in and or I have no one else I can send you. I'm often going to send you one of my student teachers who is working in the field you are requesting because they are building a career and it would benefit them. I recently was asked to speak to a group that is likely not going to be able to afford even to pay me a small fee,  because it is a cause dear to my heart I said yes. 

The bottom line. When you are asking for help think about the other person. This is their career. They are making a living doing this. If you want to be on their podcast how are you going to promote them? If you want them to promote you how can you help them. If you want them to come speak to your group tell them what you have budgeted for this.  If you are are afraid you don't have the money to pay then ask them how much they charge. Be considerate of their time and consider if you were being asked to help someone what you would feel good about.

Hope this helps you be successful in asking for help.

Love,

C

Courtney is Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT), long time yoga teacher with all registrations with Yoga Alliance, She owns two schools (RYS 200/300), is a published author with the "The Mud & The Lotus, A Guide and Workbook for Students of Yoga" and her ebook "Hosting Successful Yoga Workshops, Retreats, and Yoga Events", she also has published meditations on the app "Insight Timer" . She teachers workshops and does public speaking online, for podcast, webinars and conferences. 

Hosting Yoga Events

Hosting Yoga Workshops, Retreats and Events

Are you a yoga teacher who wants to start offering workshops but you are not sure how? Would you like to offer a weekend retreat to your students but don't know where to begin?

I've spent countless hours on the phone over the years assisting others in doing just this. In 2007 I started with a series of small workshops on certain topics like yoga for sciatica and yoga for foot pain. These were quite successful. From there I grew organically opening a school, then gaining the knowledge to host larger events like retreats. At the same time as I was working on my career in the field of yoga I was also working about twenty hours a week in the field of sustainability. At that time I was Vice President of a group called the Beautification Commission. We had grant money to do work to clean up our environment in my local community. That work led to me helping and leading organization of large community events that often attracted upwards of 7000 people. We rented large spaces, found sponsors, made schedules, attended other events and generally did all the things you do with event planning. After about 5 years of doing this I gained enough skills to put on day events, then weekend retreats.

Why am I telling you this? Because I have spent a large part of my career hosting successful yoga events and have made many mistakes and had many successes which I have learned so much from. I love to help others be successful, being of service makes me happy.
I've published a 24 page e book that is in the form of a download. The e book contains links to assist you in your journey as well and a list of other resources.

To order this book for only $14.99  go to http://www.balanceyogaandwellness.com/how-to-host-yoga-events-booklet.html

5 Tips from the book
1. Start your search for a location a year to six months prior to your event if you can.
2. You will need to have the down money for a deposit. 
3. You will not be able to please every persons dietary needs.  Have a back up plan (I give tips for this in the book). 
4. Pick a place with plenty of room for all the yoga mats. Look at floor space carefully. 
5. Put in place a detailed financial policy and keep your options limited on pricing to avoid bookkeeping headaches. 

Signing Non Competes, Competition, and Ethical Practices as a Yoga Teacher.

I am weary of this conversation and it's a constant topic of discussion in the yoga world. I keep hearing that some yoga teachers think that the studios are living in fear of competition and yoga studio owners (who were once teachers out there working often in many locations) are worried about their sub contractors teaching for the competition as they struggle to keep the doors open.

What if everyone started putting themselves in the shoes of the other person? How about the Golden Rule?

We have to get back to thinking about others. Even when it's not easy.

This is my current response to a FB group called  "Yoga Teachers" I am in.
Honestly this kind of negativity I am responding to in this post is one reason I am backing out of the public yoga world to some degree.

Full Disclosure: I owned a studio for 2 years (after many years of working as a teacher and yoga director) , closed it when my building was sold and decided not to move. I traveled and taught for a few years and came back to teach in a shared space I rented to offer classes where I made as much money teaching as when I had my studio without the headaches. I have no stake in my opinions as I now work in the corporate world as a contracted yoga therapist, I'm in charge of me and I like it. I still own a very successful school that has been in business for ten years and has trained over 205 teachers to date. I will retire from school ownership in 2019 by choice to focus on my work as a yoga therapist, writer and presenter. 

Courtney Robinson So I've been in the business nearly 20 years and I've been on all sides of this. I've been the teacher, I've been the administrator, and I've been the studio owner. Legally if you're an independent contractor then they do not have the right to tell you where you can and cannot teach. However, when I was working for the health clubs and a large nonprofit and hiring and firing people as employees, general practice that is not spoken about is to not hire people who work for competing businesses. This is in the corporate world where they aren't really concerned with your feelings, they see business as business.  We were instructed in both places where I was the administrator do not hire yoga teachers that work for the competing business unless we were desperate. When I opened my own studio I had been training teachers for some time so 90% of the teachers in town had been trained by me, and I had actually hired them in the nonprofit and the gym where I had worked. I simply asked them if they came to work for me to please not offer a competing class at the same time. I also talked to them about the circumstances in which I would be okay with, I had a right as a studio owner to run the studio as I felt was best practice for the business.  I requested that they make working for me a priority over taking jobs elsewhere if they decided to take the job. For example if they were already teaching at the local gym on Wednesday morning fine, but if they were looking for another class I requested that they ask me first and give me a chance to offer them something (at the same or better pay) before they go out and offer something down the street. Because I had been in charge at the other places I knew what they were paying and I offered competitive pay with benefits. As a Studio owner it is very difficult to keep the business afloat if the teachers that work for you are teaching for your competitor. There are often jobs in the studio where you're working if you get creative. You can do admin jobs for the studio or you could offer intensives or workshops or work privately with the clients. You simply would pay a percentage to the studio. This is how I became a "yoga director, then a fitness director" where I taught classes. *I have had teachers go out and open competing businesses with mine while working with me or within a short time of leaving and I've heard back that they had no idea how hard it was going to be. One told another teacher if she had to do it again she wouldn't. So think about both parties before you rush to decisions. What a lot of yoga teachers who don't own businesses don't understand is that the yoga studio is paying for marketing to get people into your classes, as well as insurance on the building which is huge (mine was $1250 for a year in a midsize town in  Arkansas), not to mention overhead that you're not seeing like bookkeeping, accounting, rent, toilet paper and supplies, the cost are endless. I am fanatical with numbers and tracked every dollar that came into our studio for two years and I can tell you that 73% on average that comes into a studio for a class goes to cover expenses. I was often paying double to my teachers over what I was taking out to pay myself. After paying all of the expenses and my teachers I was lucky to make $600 a month. My teachers on average where taking home more for classes than I was. I had low overhead with a family-owned building that I had no rent on. I also had built a clientele as I was one of the first teachers in my community. I write about this extensively in my book in the business section. You can find extensive information out there in my book and for free by putting Courtney Butler Robinson yoga in a Google search bar.
I think it's high time we all consider each other's position what the other party is going through. A lot of yoga teachers decide to open a studio and figure out the hard way how incredibly hard it is to compete when you're dealing with a lot of subcontractors. Yoga teachers often don't understand until they get out there and open a brick-and-mortar. It can be done ethically but it takes both parties considering the other person. Have conversations with each other. Talk it out. Think of all sides of the equation. 
One last example,  for years I worked in a gym, and I worked at a studio that I helped open, as well as working at a local college for 10 years for the health science division as their yoga teacher. The gym and the studio often shared students. I would not teach a class at the gym or vise versa that was in direct competition with the studio time. This may sound unrealistic but I felt that it was ethical. For instance if the gym had a 10 a.m. Monday morning class I would not teach at 10 a.m. class at the studio. I know this sounds crazy to some people but I always considered if that would cause the owners of both places a hardship if students had to choose between the two. I had a large following and I knew that it impacted both places.

Using Yoga Philosophy in Dealing with Tough Relationships

Today I was scrolling through Instagram and I came across a photo that spurred feelings of aversion, attachment and ego. When I thought through this a bit and ask myself "Why do I feel suffering?".I looked to the Kleshas for clarification (Yoga's Reasons for Suffering lined out in the Yoga Sutras) . Quickly I was able to see clearly what I was feeling. First I try to identify why I am suffering, then I will apply yoga as an application to understand and heal that suffering.

First: Identify the suffering. 
For me it is three of the 5 Kleshas: Asmita, Raga, & Dvesa

Asmita: Ego. My ego in comparison to this picture and how I had been hurt by this persons actions. For a moment I made it about me. How could I allow them to hurt me? Wasn't I smarter than this? Why did I continue to find myself in these destructive relationships? How could someone choose to do something so hurtful?

Raga: Attachment.  Sadness at the loss of my own faith in myself to choose to have relationships like this.  A pattern I've seen many times in my life. A person is very charming and kind and caring and then you start to notice a change such as distance, lying, anger, jealousy  (often when they lose interest or the gain for them from the relationship with you is gone). A pattern I repeat in my life from growing up with addiction in my family. There is a lot of manipulation with addiction and this often pulls you in, because drama is familiar.  This type of personality (addictive, self involved)  is often also drawn to a people pleaser or fix it person. That plays out in our relationships, as a child who grew up in addiction drama was just what we called "life". Adaptability is  our form of control and a way to gain love even though we aren't aware of it, until of course we are. These people we are drawn to are often charismatic and loved by many, but always at somewhat of a distance. They tend to run or change when they feel they have let their guard down or become vulnerable.  I am quite sure they are hurt people who do not know a healthy way of dealing with their hurt. Yet that does not mean we have to be a door mat for them to practice on.  I'm a person who tries (or used to, I'm getting better)  to keep peace at all cost because that was the control I once felt I had, hurt me, "Hey it's okay you are hurt so I'll protect you and your feelings even though I am hurt". This only turns inward and it's bad. It leads to being depleted & sick. I personally am in recovery now but it is a lifelong process to let go and heal from these tendencies. You may backslide now and again.

Dvesa: Aversion. I  felt sick when I saw this picture and the description because I felt it to be a false representation. Of course that is "my" perception alone.  I have to be big enough to own that someone else may see it very different.

So I went on over to the Yamas and NiYamas: Also in the Yoga Sutras, these are the guidelines for ethical living. Limbs 1 & 2 in  The 8 limbs of Raga Yoga.

I looked them over for a solution to my problem. Sometimes the solution is simply in the understanding.

A Yogic Application:

Ahimsa: Do no harm. By continuing to talk about this (I've already done that many times with my trusted confidants) I am feeding energy into it, only harming myself and potentially the other person. Not doing harm does not change even if the person is not what you presume to be a good person. Because it's not about them doing no harm, it's about your behavior.

Satya: Truth and Benevolence. The truth is this person was working from their own frame of reference no matter how distorted I think it to be. They have their truth and it is not mine. They may be acting out of fear or greed but I have to act in my truth and so the best thing is for me is to get away from them, detach.

Asteya: Non stealing. I can choose to allow or not allow someone to steal my joy.

Brachmacharya: Moderation and Unity. Keep my focus on thinking about the good not just the bad. Moderation in negative thinking. Being grateful for those good relationships in my life that have been lasting and don't involve drama.

Aparigraha: Simplicity. Keep it simple. Focus on my life. Don't over think it. Take care of Courtney.

Saucha: Clarity and Purity. What is true for me. I have clarity on what is true and good for me today. Be of a pure heart and be loving and focus on loving those who love me and treat me respectfully.

Santosha: Contentment. I have a gratitude practice. Again being content and looking around at all I have and the love in my life takes me away from the anger or sadness.

Tapas: Discipline. I discipline myself to my own self talk. To look at the situation as if I was coaching someone else. To focus on what I want my life to look like and how to achieve it. Such as I don't want this to hurt me and it does,  so I need to focus my mind in a different direction, one towards love and abundance.

Svadyaya : Self Study. Choose to practice my breathing, asana (postures) and meditations and positive thinking. Go to my Alanon meetings and read my literature that supports my recovery from abusive relationships.

Ishvara Pranidhana : Surrender to my God, my higher power. I am not in control. There is only so much I can control and I know God has my back.

Thank you for seeing into my world for today. Thank you for reading this. I hope this also can help you or someone you know.

Take care of you. Self care. Love yourself and be kind to yourself. Now I'm going to the gym!

Courtney

Clearing Confusion about Yoga Teachers and Yoga Therapist.

Hello Dear Yogi's, As yoga explodes in the West and around the globe the confusion grows. One administrator at Yoga Alliance once told me "It's the Wild West of Yoga these days!". That it is.

As with anything, especially in the West, if it becomes popular then it will become capitalized on for people to make money. Money is not evil but often brings out the worst in us. Even ethical people have a hard time keeping up and being competitive when they have made yoga their living.

Yoga is vast and varies greatly from lineage to lineage. The National Institute on Health now recognizes yoga as a healing modality. So how does one determine what type of yoga to take or who to see?  Is a hot vinyasa yoga class as healing as a private yoga therapy session with a certified yoga therapist? It depends on who you are and what you need.

Here I will try to clear up a bit about the difference in a yoga teacher and a yoga therapist.

In the U.S. yoga is not regulated. In some states yoga schools are regulated but yoga teachers are not. That means anyone can teach yoga, with or without training. Most reputable providers now recognize at minimum a 200 hour Registration with Yoga Alliance as the minimum to teach yoga. This means the teacher has had a basic teacher training with two hundred hours of training. A 500 hour registration means the teacher has had 500 total hours of training. A certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) has at minimum one thousand hours of training.
A yoga teacher can provide yoga that is therapeutic in nature. Many styles and types of yoga can be therapeutic as they can be mentally, physically and emotionally balancing. A yoga teacher can provide private yoga classes and small group yoga that has a goal of providing a better quality of life for the student.

Then what is a Yoga Therapist?

Some two hundred and three hundred (three hundred was once called five hundred because you add the hours together) schools are training people and saying they will be yoga therapist but they are not accredited with the International Association of Yoga Therapist or IAYT so they cannot apply for the C-IAYT credential.  There is a big difference in being a member school and an accredited school. Accreditation means the school went through a rigorous process to achieve accreditation and was approved by IAYT. A member school simply pays a fee to be affiliated with IAYT.

However, teachers who graduate from those 200 or 300 hour schools may have training with a yoga therapy emphasis. I myself have a 500 hour program that is holistic in nature and teaches yoga teachers to work one on one and with individuals and in small groups in way that promotes safety and health and overall quality of life. I train many medical professionals to utilize yoga in their practice from doctors, social workers, psychologist, nurses, occupational therapist and more. I do train people to assess, work and provide private individualized instruction to address the needs of the client.  However, Yoga Alliance will not allow me or anyone else to call a 300/500 hour program a Yoga Therapy school under YA accreditation. There is a lot of confusion on this because a 500 hour program just a few years ago was the highest credential in our field (though there were some programs out there offering yoga therapy until a few years ago there was no accreditation program).
IAYT is the credentialing source for Yoga Therapy Schools that want to offer an accredited program as a yoga therapist, this requires a total of 1000 hours of training, with at least 800 hours in the field of yoga therapy.

So what to do and how to know what credentials you need if you are wanting to provide yoga therapy and what if you want to be the recipient of yoga therapy?

If you are a yoga teacher and you want to work with people in a way that provides overall health and quality of life lets talk about how to do that ethically. Get training in the area you want to work. Lets say you want to work one one with students and keep them safe providing physical and mental balance. Then I would recommend saying something like "Jane Doe: 200 hour teacher providing classes and individual yoga sessions in the are of Trauma Informed Yoga" , assuming you had training in that area, or you might say "I work one on one with individuals to improve the quality of their life using yoga as a therapeutic modality".
How would that differ in what a Certified Yoga Therapist might say? "Courtney Butler: Certified Yoga Therapist working one on one with students offering yoga therapy." I could go on to say what specific areas I work with or put a link to my bio which gives my overall training and credentials.

Simply put as a yoga teacher or therapist only advertise what you are capable of and what you have been trained to do. Always be honest and ethical with a clear intent.

If you are a student wanting yoga therapy then you need to determine your needs. If you have run of the mill stress, anxiety and need to get in better shape but you are not limited by what you can do then you would be fine to find a "well trained" yoga teacher to take classes in a group or one on one. You should ask questions to find out their experience and what the class will look like. Let's say you are suffering from depression and want counseling but also would like someone to incorporate yoga. Many social workers are now being trained to incorporate yoga into their counseling practices.

If you are a person who has illness and has been limited by your doctor on what you can and cannot do then I would suggest you see a C-IAYT or someone with a medical background specific to your needs and yoga training. The International Association of Yoga Therapist has strict guidelines for what C-IAYT's must know and how much experience they have to have. For instance I was grandfathered in but had to provide at minimum ten years of documented experience in my field working one on one. I had to provide documentation of my training in the field of yoga therapy (I had over the 1000 hours) as well and had to be a registered yoga teacher (actively working) for over ten years (for me it was seventeen). Each grandfathered in teacher (only before summer of 2018, this is no longer available) had to prove competency. From this point out each C-IAYT needs to take an additional 800 hours of training on top of a 200 hour RYT to become a Certified Yoga Therapist with an accredited school.

As the field of yoga therapy grows IAYT leads the way in providing the highest standards. It is very likely in the near future yoga therapy will be much like chiropractic care and acupuncture and you will see yoga therapy offices that accept insurance. Those yoga therapist will likely be regulated in the future and will all hold a C-IAYT credential.

In closing, a yoga teacher with proper training can offer a class or a private session to help with many of life's challenges. If you have any type of disease, illness, bone weakness, neurological issues and your doctor or medical provide has recommended you try yoga therapy it would be good to look into someone who either has specific training in yoga and a related medical background or holds the C-IAYT credential. For instance I often train social workers, these folks are more than capable of helping using yoga and meditation techniques to deal with depression and anxiety. I am often sent clients though psychiatrist or neurologist with neurological issues they have not been able to resolve, I work daily with diabetics, cardiovascular patients, and those with cancer. If I am not available to work one on one with someone I will often find a qualified yoga teacher with a complimentary background or specialized training to help them or recommend another yoga therapist.

At the end of the day the responsibility lies on the student or client to do their research and homework and find the person they feel comfortable working with. 

Sincerely,
Courtney Butler Robinson
C-IAYT
Stress Managment Specialist with the Dr. Dean Ornish Reversal Program
ERYT 500, RCYT, RPYT, POLY 500, Y12SR
RYS 200, RYS 300/500
Author of "The Mud & The Lotus: A Guide and Workbook for Students of Yoga"

Dealing with lack of support, distractions in the classroom and encouraging diversity.

So I put out on the Internet to yoga teachers, students and yoga business folks to please share with me your biggest struggle and frustrations as well as what motivates you. A dear teacher friend sent me her answers. 
What was frustrating and a bit of a struggle came in two areas.

1. Feeling frustrated when people treat your work like a hobby or a luxury. 
As yoga teachers we know that most of us have gone to school for quite some time, worked and studied really hard to get to where we are and when we get out of school it's just the beginning. Then we have to figure out how to get students to our classes. Some people have had to make the choice to live a simpler life and give up some of life's extravagances in order to teach. We often run to and from job to job just to have enough clients. We sometimes open up our homes and invite people in to give back what has helped us. It is only natural that it would hurt when people make comments that it must be nice to "be able to just teach yoga". Ugh.. 

What I have found is that there will always be those who are either ignorant to what it takes to be good at our craft or maybe they are jealous or sometimes just down right nasty. Most of the time what I have found is it's best to try not to engage, it never is worth it anyway. I have found these things help. 

1. Rather than try to defend, be yourself, do your thing, and when you are with people who don't understand you try to talk about something else. I know this can sometimes be people we are close to and they ask about your life and you don't want to go there. It's also hard when you want people to be supportive and they think you are wasting time or money. Just keep doing you and try to not go down that road. We have to make ourselves happy and not live for other people. 

2. Find people you support you. Talk to other yoga students, teachers, and friends who get you. It's important to have this support so you don't feel alone. When you feel alone or lonely or wonder if you are wasting your time (been there) call your supporters. 

2. Struggles with people who disrupt class. 
Set the tone before class by getting the room the way you want it. Do you want a quieter style class, have soft music, low lights (maybe twinkle lights) and a calming atmosphere and speak in a quite calm voice. If you want a more upbeat class, have the lights at a comfortable level for the practice, or low is fine, however your beats per minute on the music or your play list  may need to be a bit more upbeat. If you want a calm class but the ability to feel like a person can ask questions then give permission language before and after class. Such as "If you have a question please raise your hand or simply ask me to come over".

1. Hand out a sheet with "What to expect or yoga etiquette to new students". They would appreciate it and it will save you some headaches, cover distractions like when it's okay to talk, coming in late, leaving early, body odor, phones etc.. A little planning saves a lot of headaches. 

2. One of my teachers always says "relax your lips" to those that feel they need to be chatty during class while others are trying to focus. This one always works. 

3. When nothing works have a gentle talk with the person and explain your issues as kindly as possible. Sometime they will understand and other times they won't and they won't come back but that may be best. 

3. Motivated to get a diverse group of people or a certain population to class. 
This teacher I was referring to was motivated because she reached out to size 14 and over women to get them to yoga. I need to ask her how she did that, so "L' if you are reading this please give me that info. If you want to attract a certain group of people here is what I suggest.

1. In your marketing material reflect pictures of the type of people you want to attract. If you want to reach out to curvy full figured women then put pictures of those type of women in class. 

2. If you want to offer classes that are not intimidating to beginners post pictures of all shapes and sizes doing common postures that are easily accessible to a wide group of people. 

3. People need to see people that look like them to some degree. If you are African American and you want to reach that population put pictures of yourself on the material and or other people of color doing yoga. Also find those populations and start offering those classes in places you will be able to easily reach those populations. 

Thank you "L" for your comments. I so appreciate them!

Love and Light,
C

Yoga for trauma, weight & joint issues.

Research to help yoga students, teachers, business owners.

Hi friends. I'm doing some research and would appreciate your help. Yoga students, yoga business owners, teachers, school owners, studio owners, would you please share with me by emailing me at cdb120@gmail.com. Please let me know if you don't want me to share your name.
I'll answer those questions in my blog/vlog and get back to you. Thank you so much!

Please answer these questions: 
What is your biggest frustration? 
and/or
What is your biggest struggle?
What is your motivation for practicing, teaching, owning a business etc...?

Thank you all!
Courtney Butler Robinson
C-IAYT
Certified Solution Focused Coach
Stress Management Specialist

Why I wrote this book

Are you a yoga student thinking of becoming a teacher?
Are you wanting to understand more about yoga?
Do you have a yoga school or want to own one?
Are you a yoga studio owner or administrator of a yoga program?
Are you a yoga teacher that has many questions concerning business, keeping students and dealing with burnout?
Have you gone through training and feel you still need support?

This book is for you.
It is available
 at https://www.amazon.com/Mud-Lotus-Guide-Workbook-Students/dp/194452892X
and Etaliapress.com
I guarantee this book can save you the cost of the book in dollars or stress.
I love to help teachers, individuals and business owners.

Please see my website for more info on my bio.
Consulting starts at $75 an hour and is done via Skype, email or phone.

The Struggle with The Struggle

The older I get I believe that so many things in this world are not black and white, however there are things I do believe are clearer than others. Be kind and most people will be kind back, however not everyone will be kind. Make good choices and work hard and there is a pretty good chance you will have a productive life and be able to care for yourself. These things are pretty certain, yet life happens and things happen and we are "human", humans make mistakes. It only takes one bad choice to derail an otherwise productive life. Yet we can, with connection get back on track.

I have come to believe in my nearly five decades on earth that we are the physical manifestation of source energy, or God, or spirit, on earth. We are the extension of God's energy on earth, therefore we have the spirit of God in us. I may be wrong, this is only my perception from practice and life. We are however like clay and even the Bible uses the example of Jesus being a potter. Isaiah 54:8 says that Jesus,  who was a psychical manifestation of God is the potter and we are the clay.  My belief is that there is one God for "all" people and he is shaping and molding us. This is not a religious post by any means but one that is here to express that we are source energy and we can connect to source energy, the love of the God of your understanding,  through meditation, contemplation and love.

When we feel good and right and at our highest self we are likely connected to source. When we feel needy, tired, hungry, sad that is our humanness being molded by the potter. When bad things happen, when people say and do mean things that is the pressure of the world and how we respond is the action of the way we allow source to mold us. How we respond is what comes out when we are put under pressure much like squeezing a sponge.

I told my dear friend the other day "I struggle with the struggle". When someone does something and I feel it's hurtful to me I want so bad to be able to be the example of grace and love but I don't always know how. I actually do feel hurt, sad and at times broken by another persons actions. It is not their action but my reaction that shapes me, I know this and yet it's still hard. My belief is that our humanness is the experience of all of those feelings we have here on earth, and those feelings are the school house, the learning area to navigate life to make us smarter, kinder, wiser spirit filled people. What if all those things, those perceived bad things are exactly what is suppose to be happening? I had a situation recently that hurt very badly and I heard this in my soul "Everything is happening the way it is suppose to Courtney"... So I got that what was happening may seem bad, but it is for the greater good. Now I do not believe all bad things that happen are for good but I do believe source can take the hardships, the pressure and make something good out of it, mold us. Maybe that is when we take our bad and hurtful experiences and help others.

So when you are sad, when you are lonely, depressed or generally in a really bad place in life. Be still. Close your eyes, turn your palms up and simply observe. Observe the messages in your life. Connect through your breath to your body, this is the highway between the mind and the body, this is fastest way to connect to God, and God is always in the present moment. Source is here, right now, right here. Listen inwardly,  you are not your thoughts, you can change your thoughts, you are not your name, your job, you status, your place in the family, you are simply an extension of the great "I am" and when you stop and connect that energy will guide you. Ask the questions "What do I need?", "What would you have me do?", "What is right?", "Should I respond or be silent?" Then listen in your gut, literally you will feel it. If the answer you get feels "good" that is source, if you feel bad, sad , guilty that is not. Sift through it and when you know with certainty how to respond then do so. It's okay to set boundaries with people, and mean what you say without being mean. It's okay also to be silent until you know what you need to do. You are not wrong or right, you are simply a student of life.

Be open and allow source to flow through you. Source, The God of your understanding, only has your highest good in mind at all times. Listen and be open and you will see it, you will start to see, it will show up in your life once you become aware. You become aware by going to that still quite place inside.

Love and Light,
Courtney

Depression, Anxiety, and PTSD : Coaching and Yoga Therapy as Healing Salve

"Follow the Sun by Xavier Rudd a song I listen to when I need inspiration."

I do not know if this is true in research or what the data (feel certain it is)  is but I do know from first hand knowledge. Depression and anxiety are often triggered by trauma. I know this all to well from my many bouts of months and years of  dealing with this myself.

No matter how smart, savvy, self care knowledgeable we are. No matter our credentials,  degrees or the level of comfort in which we live, no one is immune to pain and heartache. Some people get more than their fair share and some people get less.  I have never met anyone that has not experienced it. Sometimes I wonder if it is a prerequisite for spiritual growth.

The past two and a half years I have been writing a manual, book, textbook, semi self help book about yoga and during that time I have been hit with a major bout of PTSD. I was diagnosed at the age of 19 with PTSD by a therapist after I had a still born baby. The PTSD was not only from the loss of my child but also from trauma I had sustained growing up. Most of us have some sort of trauma at some time in our life, some of course much worse than others. I don't know anyone who has not endured some severe pain or loss.

At the age of 46 the one thing I have going for me is perspective. Yesterday one of my senior students commented to me that "You are always so happy.", which my response was "Oh I have my stuff but when I show up for work I am here for you not me.". And that is true, when I show up to work it's not about me, I have to flip the switch and be there for them. And that is not always so easy. This year I was thrown into a major post traumatic episode with a family member who I dearly love, but who is suffering severe trauma and substance abuse issues. Many old memories and pains came to the surface and before I knew it I was in my own full blown depression once again. So what do to do? The only things I knew how to do are more of what I teach as a yoga therapist and Solution Focused Coach:  yoga, meditation, and hardcore radical self care. It is the only thing I know that remotely  makes life bearable during a depressive, anxious, period. I say period because you can't "will" yourself out of this, it has to take it's time.

So here is an example of how I cope and what I do. It is much like taking an aspirin. It temporarily takes the pain and makes it bearable. Then over time you heal and can manage on a more balanced level.
During normal times when I am not going through an episode I do all of these things, during a painful period I up it as much as possible.

1. See a therapist, it's helpful to have a non biased person to speak to that you can trust.
2. Go to Alanon or AA, or any 12 step meeting, support group if that is relative. Find a sponsor if that is relative to your situation.
3. Go to gentle yoga classes that are balanced by a qualified teacher.
4. Meditate. I use Insight Timer, and I use daily meditation books like "Journey to the Heart", or simply sit quietly and observe your thoughts without attachment.
5. Have a mantra that you say anytime you feel yourself going into the uncontrollable crying. Mine are "I am Brave", "I am whole", "I am worthy". Write it down and post it so you can see it.
6. Walk, exercise.
7. Go outside in nature and connect. It helps to watch animals and realize that life goes on outside of our heads.
8. Have a gratitude list. You need to write it down, it makes a difference.
9. Feed yourself nutritious food.
10. Get adequate sleep.
11. Talk to a friend you can trust.
12. Have a calendar with self care appointments. I know that each day I have one of these things :yoga, an Alanon meeting, a date with myself at the gym, or dinner with a friend. I plan each day with something to refocus and get out of the loop in my brain.
13. Take it one day at a time. One hour, one minute. Just get through the day. You don't have to figure out the future.
14. Say the "Serenity Prayer" often.
15. Get yourself cleaned up and look your best. At all cost do not look pitiful. It makes you feel pitiful.

We are all imperfectly perfect human beings. All experiencing this life as one big school house, I am certain we are here to learn.
Be compassionate with yourself and others.

Love and Light,
Courtney

How to live a Holistic Life

 The five points of yoga or using cognitive (mental) and somatic (movement) therapy.

Preparing for a Big Time Commitment

As the New Year approaches I know many people will be thinking about commitments. There will be old commitments revisited and new things to explore. I'm a curious person and there are many adventures I would like to take. Many things to learn. There is one thing I know in my four and a half plus decades of life. You can have it all but you can't have it all at once.

Twice in the past month I have heard that people don't really change until they become uncomfortable enough to change. You eat a poor diet and the doctor tells you have high blood pressure and high cholesterol but you feel fine so maybe you don't really change until you have a heart attack and vow on that hospital bed to change your life. When I was in Virginia this past year at a yoga therapy conference I heard one of the speakers say there are two ways to learn. The hard way is to have to pay a consequence or suffer from your mistakes and the easy way is to observe others. If you want to have money do you ask a rich person or a poor person how to accomplish your goal? If you want to be happy do you ask a negative person? Heck no, you find a pleasant and peaceful person.   

My career is one that has been based on many, many years of trainings. It is also a career that has required to me to constantly train and keep up. This means working sometimes seven days a week. I have learned quite a few lessons over the years to keep up with this schedule and I thought I would share them here in hopes that it would help the readers and especially in hopes that it might help some of my students. 

1. Keep a nice big paper calendar and sync it with your calendar on your phone/computer. Do this every couple of weeks. 

2. Fill your calendar out in advance. 

3. The week of your training or big commitment do not make any unnecessary appointments. 

4. If something comes up that you must do, such as a child's school event, then go but plan so that it's not to exhausting. Go right home after. Have an easy meal prepared that evening before you go.
5. Avoid alcohol the week of the event or training. Also avoid artificial sweeteners a few days before something that requires heavy thinking.

6. Eat a healthy diet.
7. Take your vitamins. 

8. Have a regular sleep pattern. 

9. Avoid negative media. 

10. Plan time off. I plan my summers with as few working weekends as possible. I make sure I am off two weeks at Thanksgiving and no weekends for three weeks during Christmas. Most months I have to work Monday to Thursday at my day job, every day at my home office and two to three weekends a month teaching or taking trainings. It is imperative that I "KNOW" I have some time off coming up so that I don't get exhausted. 

11. Take mini breaks during the week. If you are working seven days a week can you sneak in a couple of hours to do something you enjoy. Maybe a pedicure or a massage, maybe a 4:00 matinee, or dinner with a loved one. These little mini breaks are very important to not getting worn out. My dear friend once told me she enjoys one hour of mindless t.v.. One hour of relaxing is very helpful to your nervous system. 

12. Do mini exercise sessions. I do 7 minute workouts, 10 minutes on the treadmill, 5 min meditations. Sometimes I'll do them throughout the day. This is essential to my mental and physical health. 

13. Do not take on many commitments at once. Stay focused on one goal at a time. Occasionally things overlap but be very careful to not allow this to happen to often. 

14. You can not do many things well. There are so many hours in the day and simple daily activities that you must do take up much of your time. If you take on a big commitment try not to take on two at once. Sometimes this is unavoidable. I had three schools going when a dream job came along that I couldn't turn down. I immediately hired extra help to give me a break. It's hard paying that extra money but I also know that I would be mentally drained if I worked 7 days week for a year. So if you find yourself in this situation try to find a way to give yourself some relief. Hire a sitter, a house cleaner, a yard service, or someone to give you a break.