Spent the whole weekend at Niroga Institute for the Muscular System module taught by Baxter Bell, MD, Yoga Therapist/Teacher. At the Sunday workshop, really enjoyed working with a very capable peer, Mallery to practice on our visiting guest/client – Thank you R for being such a lovely soul – such receptive and open-minded guest willing to try everything. Hope you can try out the protocol that we sent you home with. If you could stick with it for few months, we have faith that you will see some positive shifts. We really believe in the power of yoga so … I am praying that the protocol can serve to effect a positive improvement in your overall health. Hope to hear from you sometime in the near future ! ( You have such a beautiful caring friend, who brought you there yesterday so we thank her for her support of the program.) Love his way of teaching – lectures and then it’s all about practical application: Learning is Doing.
“Yoga therapy is of modern coinage and represents a first effort to integrate traditional yogic concepts and techniques with Western medical and psychological knowledge.”
– George Feuerstein, Ph.D.
As therapists, our job is not to provide diagnosis or replace the mainstream medicine but rather to complement, supplement and collaborate with integrative western and other alternative medicine. I mean really – these are the trying times sometimes – whatever works (and we know yoga works) so why not assemble a team to attack armed with varied methods and moralities to if not win the battle, at the very least alleviate and better cope. This extensive training in holistic approach to our fellow human’s suffering can be a humbling experience. We learn to view the person who stands before you as a WHOLE person – not a cancer patient or a victim of violence, or whatever the scary sounding condition – having to make mental notes of symptoms, body parts affected, formulations drawing from extensive medical training. That’s someone else’s job who does it better.
We instead provide the “soft”care, recognizing and valuing that person who is so much more than the sum of all the symptoms that ails them – and there’s no need to identify the person with what afflicts them. Empathize, yes, but no labeling – yeah, that person with Scoliosis or that person with cancer or that person with this or that disability where – that does not identify them. Instead, identify with what could bring that person some of the lost joy – where’s the spark? Where is that glimmer of light hidden under the layers? In fact, that student or client is … an extension of self. Their suffering is your suffering – there’s is no difference; just happened to be assigned another unique mind and body reading another script of life this time around. Banishing ego, yes, it’s humbling and powerful at the same time. Training is most helpful in defining the scope of our role (when to help; when to refer, clearly recognizing our limitations, not letting ego do harm – we do no harm) and knowing how we may best help that person who seeks out this therapy. Without the training, no matter how well intentioned, one can do more harm than good.
Recipe from Jyoti’s class on Ayurvedic cooking …
another twist on smoothies – depends on what dosha you are what type of smoothie to make.
Turmeric tea from Japan … it’s golden. Golden-green.
Spring time – finding ways to alleviate my allergy as I deal with teary itchy eyes and sore throat. Self-care should not be overlooked if I am to be serious about being more of service, to be more present – to be more purposeful in living a life more in alignment with my truth. On the verge of adrenal fatigue … self-care time. Restoration of software taking place in order that I can restore others. It’s going to be a
BEST DAY EVER !
Yes, headache remedy that works. No drugs.
Let’s stay PAW-sitive no matter what ! 