Group Therapeutic Yoga Classes
Therapeutic yoga differs from regular yoga classes in that it has a goal of preventing, relieving or managing specific symptoms or conditions. My classes focus on movement education, therapeutic techniques and pain relief, and functional strength and mobility. I aim to share the tools to help you feel better in your own body, and empower you with the knowledge and understanding of how to do so.
With a firm belief that no one way is right for everyone, I offer options for variations, support personal choice and individual alignment, and encourage you to find the practice that feels right for you. Class sizes are kept small enough to ensure personalized support and guidance.
Please see details below for specific programs. Customized programs are also available for private groups.
Yoga Detour™ classes
Blending yoga with mindful mobility, this practice infuses strength and stability into yoga and movement. Classes will move at an accessible pace, waking up the body thoughtfully and methodically using an isolate-activate-integrate approach to create more ease and stability throughout.
Expect a detour from a traditional yoga class with the creative use of props and an incorporation of various movement modalities. Although these classes may not always move quickly, come prepared to work as you learn more about how your body is designed to move and how to build strength progressively to support the rest of your activities.
Session starts June 1, 2023
Thursdays from 10:00 am – 11:15 am
at The Yoga Studio (37776 2nd Ave, Squamish)
Dates: June 1 – 22
Cost: $80 for 4 week class series. Registration required.
(*Inquire about any available drop in space.)
Therapeutic Yoga for Hips and Shoulders
Two of the most common areas of physical limitation are the hips and shoulders. When we can improve the function in these areas, the aches and pains elsewhere (such as knees, back and neck) often reduce or even resolve themselves. Every part of the body is affected by what is happening above and below it and when we learn to move better – with less compensations – we can improve strength, stability and mobility, allowing us to move with less strain and more ease.
This session will explore function in the hips and shoulders and provide some insight into your own movement patterns and habits. From this awareness you can begin to shift your mechanics and gain more strength and freedom throughout your whole body.
Session starts May 29, 2023.
Mondays from 5:45 pm – 7 pm
at The Yoga Studio (37776 2nd Ave, Squamish)
Dates: May 29 – June 26
Cost: $100 for 5 week class series. Registration required.
Yoga and Mindful Mobility
A “Grease the Wheels” Head to Toe Tune Up!
Referred to as a weekly dose of WD-40 for your joints, these classes will provide a more general, full body practice with a focus on keeping things moving well, building support and unwinding any accumulated tension.
There will be an opportunity to incorporate any personal requests for things that need attention and to customize the class as needed.
Next session starts July 3, 2023.
Gentle Unwind & Recharge
Bringing together the best of both worlds, this session will explore a balance between movement and relaxation. We’ll start with some gentle yoga and mobility work to get things moving and release any sticky spots, and finish with a mix of yin, restorative yoga and breath practices to leave you feeling relaxed and renewed.
No experience necessary.
Next session starts July 10, 2023.
Yoga for Core Strength and Stability
Core muscles are key for balance and stability and play an essential role in moving well in our daily lives. Good core strength can help reduce back pain, protect from injury, improve postural imbalances and increase performance in recreational activities.
This 5 week series will provide the opportunity to practice more slowly, incorporating yoga postures, strength work and therapeutic movement with plenty of options to adapt the practice to your own body and needs.
You will leave with a better understanding of true core stability and techniques to help maintain structural integrity in your body.
No experience necessary.
Next session dates TBD.
Therapeutic Yoga for Desk Jockeys
Do you spend a lot of time in a chair? Whether you work long hours at a desk, computer or driving a vehicle, this session will address the common aches and pains caused by sitting for extended periods of time and give you a better understanding of how to relieve and prevent them.
The classes will offer simple exercises and stretches that can be done during short breaks in the day and a slower practice that can be done at the end of the day to ease tired muscles and counteract the effects of sitting. You will leave with the tools to help manage any associated discomfort on your own and into the future.
No experience necessary.
Next session dates TBD.
Yoga for Hip Health, Strength and Mobility
We rely on our hips to support us in nearly everything we do but we don’t always support them very well. Stretching them when they feel tight doesn’t always help for long and isn’t necessarily what they really need.
This session will give you a better understanding of WHY things get tight in the first place, what you can do yourself to ease that discomfort and some new tools to help your hips feel happier and more flexible.
Next session dates TBD.
Roll, Release and Restore
Rest and recovery to balance out our busy lives. This session will include a blend of self-myofascial massage to release tension, gentle movement and strength work to support and unwind, and yin & restorative yoga to relax deeply.
Next session dates TBD.
Movement Matters
A movement practice should help you feel better in your daily life, not just on your mat. This series will look at the body from the perspective that we need to train (or maintain) what we want to keep, whether that be strength, mobility, range of motion or specific movement patterns.
We’ll explore what is needed to be able to move well, why it matters in real life, and how to train it both on and off the mat.
No experience necessary.
Next session dates TBD.
Therapeutic Yoga for Back Care series
Whether you are recovering from injury, living with back pain, or simply looking to strengthen and care for your body to enable you to continue the activities you love, this progressive series will explore ways to help manage and prevent back, neck and shoulder pain and provide you with the foundation and tools to incorporate these techniques into your daily life.
You will learn to modify and adapt yoga postures to your individual body and situation, strengthen in areas of weakness and release areas of tension. The classes will provide the opportunity to practice more slowly and gain awareness of the biomechanics of how we move, creating a better understanding of why we may experience pain and discomfort and how to help relieve it.
No experience necessary.
Next session dates May, 2023.
Core Integration
Building the Foundation for Freedom in Movement.
A strong and well functioning core allows us to find confidence, ease and freedom in movement.
More than simply building strength and stability, this class will explore ways to enhance your awareness and connection between the core and the rest of your body. Using props such as resistance bands, balls and blankets, we will blend yoga and functional movement to build a fun, progressive and accessible practice that balances strength work with play and creativity, and offers options that will allow you to explore and progress at your own individual pace.
Gain insight into how core function impacts the rest of the body and find mobility, freedom and ease that will translate to every activity that you do!
Next session dates TBD.
Move Well
Yoga meets movement science. No matter what your chosen activity is, we can all benefit from moving better. With a creative approach based on biomechanics and movement science, this 8 week series blends therapeutic yoga with functional movement, strength and mobility training.
Improve performance in all your activities by learning more about how your body is designed to move, gaining awareness of your own movement patterns, building strength and stability, and improving your mobility and function. This is integrated movement education with a sustainable approach. Move well, feel better.
Next session dates TBD.
Rethinking Stretching and Flexibility
Feeling stiff and sore? Whether you have chronic tight spots or are wanting to improve flexibility and ease muscle tension overall, this 3 week series will offer you a better understanding of why your body feels tight and what you can do to help ease it yourself, safely and effectively.
You will learn how and why muscles get tight in the first place, how to manage chronic muscle tension, a more effective approach to stretching and tips to minimize excessive muscle discomfort after activity.
Blending therapeutic yoga, functional movement and exercise science, these classes will benefit you no matter what your chosen activity is. No experience necessary.
Next session dates TBD.
Self Myofascial Release and Massage
Feel like you could use a massage but can’t go as often as you would like?
Come learn some simple myofascial release techniques and tips to help ease the aches and pains yourself, whenever you need.
In this 5 week series you will use balls and props in self massage techniques for your fascia (connective tissue). Self myofascial release (SMR) can improve your range of motion, mobility and circulation, release stress and tension, reduce inflammation and promote quicker recovery from activity.
We could all use a little more self care. Come in, unwind, and walk away feeling relaxed and renewed. No experience necessary.
Next session dates TBD.
Pain Management classes
Living with chronic pain can be debilitating. Pain management classes aim to help calm the nervous system and reduce the pain response in the body through gentle movement, breath work, guided relaxation, mindfulness practices, meditation and restorative postures. Pain education and stress management techniques offer ways to cope with and shift the experience of pain, often reducing its intensity and giving you back some sense of control, safety and comfort in your body. By slowly retraining the nervous system, we can teach the brain that the areas it is protecting are no longer a threat and help calm an over-sensitized system.
Next group session dates TBD.
Private sessions are also available.
Injury Prevention in Yoga
Do you love yoga (or want to love yoga!) but feel frustrated because it doesn’t always feel as good as you think it should? Do you have nagging aches and pains sometimes after practice or worry about injuring yourself?
This session will look at common yoga poses and how to approach them safely, in a way that not only prepares your body but adapts them to your individual needs. Learn how to make your practice stronger and more sustainable, and gain principles that you can apply to all your activities.
Next session dates TBD.
The Prop Star Series
Want to feel like a prop star?
Props aren’t just for support and assistance. They can also be used as valuable feedback tools as well, providing us with novel input and allowing us to feel things differently. Sometimes that external feedback is enough to create an entirely different experience.
This series will blend creativity with fun, new ways to use yoga props. Each class will focus on one prop and use it to explore a focus or theme for that day. Come prepared to play, discover connections and experience familiar shapes in a new way. No experience necessary.
Next session dates TBD.
Relax. Unwind. Recharge.
Life can be busy, challenging and stressful at times for many of us. Take some time out for yourself with yoga and relaxation to calm the mind, soothe the body and help keep yourself balanced.
This 3 week session will focus on gentle movement to unwind, breath and meditation techniques to relieve stress and tension, and restorative yoga to relax deeply and recharge your batteries. You will leave feeling calm, relaxed and renewed, with the tools to incorporate these practices into your daily life whenever you need.
Appropriate for all bodies, no experience necessary.
Next session dates TBD.