Yoga Instruction & Thai Yoga Bodywork

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Most of my private clients are people who either have never done yoga and are not comfortable in a class environment, or have issues that prevent them from engaging in a regular practice. These issues include scoliosis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, severe depression, anxiety, or other types of physical disabilities such as knee or shoulder injuries that they need to work around to gain strength and mobility.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. I would recommend that a potential client first ask if the instructor is a certified instructor who is registered with Yoga Alliance, the governing association for yoga instructors. Also, ask for references if possible, ask how much experience the instructor has, what is their approach. But most importantly, how do you feel being with this person? Is the energy in the room positive? What is your instinct telling you? All of these are important factors.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. The secret to yoga is that there is no secret! Yoga is as individual as each person who practices it, and if you can't touch your toes or put your foot behind your head, it doesn't mean you are not doing yoga. The experience of a yoga practice is both transcendent and nurturing to each person. Like anything, you get out of it what you put into it, and the longer you practice, the more you witness the transformation in your body, your mental outlook, and your relationships with other people.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. Our focus is on the therapeutic aspects of a yoga practice, with the intention of helping the client work within his/her capabilities, taking into consideration illnesses or current conditions, to maximize strength, flexibility, and over sense of well-being. We believe yoga is possible for EVERY BODY, and will work with our clients to get "unstuck", literally and figuratively.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love to witness the transformation people experience when they discover the "magic" of a yoga practice. Their excitement in seeing themselves expand beyond the limitations they have been living with for years (some of them self-imposed), coupled with the discovery of a power they never knew they had--in their bodies as well as their minds--is the most satisfying part of my job. Some people love that they can now touch their toes, others are happy that they can now stand up straight (which leads to better breathing, stronger backs, and seeing the world in a different light), and others are surprised that their anger level, stress, insomnia, and general malaise have all but disappeared. A yoga practice purifies the body, and such, purifies the mind.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. Most people who call start out by listing the reasons why they can't or haven't yet done yoga. "I'm not flexible," "I'm overweight," "I have back issues." Sometimes they're not sure why they called, but they know they are being drawn to find out about yoga for a reason. We tell them that yes, they will improve their flexibility and strength by engaging in a regular practice, and they will probably lose weight, but the benefits they will derive go FAR beyond those mentioned. We take time to explain how the body works, how muscles stretch and become strong, how proper breathwork can induce a sense of calm and can also energize and bring a person out of lethargy, how yoga can positively affect their state of mind and outlook on life, and how, with mindfulness combined with diligence, they can heal their bodies and improve their lives, their relationships, and their feelings about themselves.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. One of my favorite stories is about a student of mine who was a self-proclaimed "type AA" personality, pushing herself in yoga and all her other exercise classes spite of numerous injuries that would not heal. She kept her shoes on and wore knee braces during practice, and would be in extreme pain and not say anything. She was also very introverted and hid behind her eyeglasses. Over many months and with lots of communication between us, she began to realize that what she was doing was not working for her and that she had to "back off." She is now at the point where she has learned how to modify her poses when necessary, has cut back on the number of work-out classes she takes (from 28 a week to 15), has started physical therapy to heal her injuries, and sees me for private yoga sessions, where she can work at her own pace and continue to build her personal yoga practice using modifications, props, breathwork, and mindfulness. Furthermore, she has traded in her eyeglasses for contacts, got her ears pierced, and wears brighter, lighter clothing. She is blossoming!

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I have personally discovered the power of yoga through how it transformed my life. When I first began practicing yoga, my body and my heart were broken and I had been suffering with panic attacks and anxiety for 25 years. I came "to the mat" for the physical benefits, but kept coming back when I began to feel changes on all levels of my life. This is how I approach each client, to meet them where they are and develop a personal practice that is beneficial to them, to first work within their limitations and gradually expand when they are ready, to make adjustments when necessary, and allow them to discover what their body and their mind will allow them to achieve when they can let go of expectations and allow the magic to unfold.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. When I began my personal yoga practice, I was curious about the physical health benefits. And although I noticed immediately how unflexible and weak my body was, I did notice that my anger and stress level went way down. So I kept at it. Over time, my body became much stronger and more flexible, but I still didn't understand what this thing called "yoga" was really all about. When people asked me "what exactly IS yoga?", I found I couldn't come up with an intelligent definition, so I decided to enroll in a teacher training program. I had no intention of becoming a yoga instructor, but by the time my training was completed, I found myself being put in front of a room full of students and told to guide them through a yoga class. After the nervousness subsided, I realized this is something I could do, and actually wanted to do. I personally experienced the magic of yoga, and wanted to spread it to others.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I regularly attend workshops and trainings that further my knowledge of therapeutic yoga, and have completed my 500-hour certification as an advanced yoga instructor. I am also a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, as well as the Mid-Atlantic Yoga Association, and review ongoing research in the field of therapeutic yoga on a regular basis.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. Western medicine is now realizing that a yoga practice has tremendous benefits, both physically and mentally. Research has proven that it can help conditions such as depression, anxiety, scoliosis, MS, Parkinson's, degenerative disc disease, alcoholism, cancer (pain management), insomnia, high blood pressure, post traumatic stress disorder, and a host of other illnesses and issues that affect a person's quality of life.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. I would say to first, seek out the type of training that "speaks" to you. Ask lots of questions, do lots of research on your own. Yoga can be a mysterious field for people, and just understand that it is NOT a religion, but rather a lifestyle. The vast majority of yoga practitioners come from various spiritual backgrounds, and honor them all. Bring to your teaching those elements that resonate with you. Even after your training is complete, understand that you must keep studying on your own.