From Pain to Possibility

As we continue to explore more guided meditations on the podcast, today’s show is extra special because I’m walking you through a new kind of body scan practice—different from what we’ve done in previous episodes. While the typical body scan focuses your attention to a single point in your body (your hands, your shoulders, your feet, etc.) this practice I’m walking you through today will guide your attention to two points, allowing you to explore the space in between and around them. So find a safe, comfortable place to sit or lay down as I guide you through this 15-minute body scan practice to hear what your body is communicating. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/248

On today’s episode we’re exploring back pain and, specifically, why I don’t use the Uttanasana yoga pose as a means of reducing that pain in my clients. In short, it’s because the results aren’t consistent enough. Join me in discussing back pain, how such pain is actually an expression of the actual problem, and the alternatives to Uttanasana—some of which aren’t mechanical and instead may be yoga nidra, breathing, and rest. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/247

Whether you’re a yoga therapist, a yoga teacher, or a client currently in the rehab process, the concept of cueing impacts everyone, which is why today I’m discussing how to engage in cueing in a way that is most beneficial for healing. Listen in as I explore the fundamentals of cueing, the relationship formed between health professionals and patients through cueing, as well as how to use cueing to prevent injuries and strengthen the connection to our bodies. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/246

Get comfortable because today I’ll be walking you through a body scan and breath awareness meditation, a practice similar to the Rest & Revitalization Sleep Meditations covered in previous episodes. So find a safe and quiet place where you can sit or lay down as I guide you, step-by-step, through this 20-minute body scan and breath awareness practice in order to down-regulate your nervous system. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/245

As I continue my mini-series on Healing & Synergy, today we’re discussing what happens when a health professional or a client hits a wall during rehab and they decide to “retire this yoga pose”. Listen in to learn how a client’s embodied awareness can lead to better connection, less tension, and less gripping. And how, in those states, a patient can increase their capabilities and, as a result, progress their healing. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/244

Welcome to another special episode in the Healing & Synergy mini-series where we are discussing the three biggest myths associated with yoga therapy and the business of practicing it. There are so many great training programs out there that neglect to give participants the education they need to grow a thriving practice without sacrificing their well-being. Tune in as I’m challenging the idea that you can’t actually make a living being a yoga therapist or that people are unwilling to pay your fee and, instead, allow me to provide marketing advice on how to deliver what it is you truly offer. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/243

In this next part of the Healing & Synergy mini-series, we’re discussing the concept of modifications and how, while they may be useful in yoga teaching, they can be counterproductive in yoga therapy. Tune in as I explain how such modifications limit the healing process during rehabilitation as well as the thinking required to move away from those workarounds to actually resolve a patient’s core movement issues. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/242

Find a quiet, comfortable spot because today’s episode—the next part of my Healing & Synergy mini-series—is another Rest & Revitalization Sleep Meditation practice, this one focused on helping you navigate the highs and lows of the rehabilitation process. Listen in as I explain the power behind the practice of opposites in yoga nidra, especially as it relates to the “fix it” cycle, and then guide you through this 40-minute R&R Sleep Meditation, step-by-step. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/241

Now and again as healing professionals, we encounter clients who simply want a fix for their pain and are uninterested in understanding the systems of healing. For many such clients, you may be the latest in a long line of health professionals they’ve sought out. Where you can differ though is in how you develop a healing relationship with these patients so they see rehab as an exploration. Tune in this week as I describe how to cultivate trust with a client by starting a dialogue with them about their pain, as well as the best ways to grow a patient’s awareness of their body so they can reclaim their healing experience. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/240

As part of the mini-series on Healing & Synergy, today we’re talking with Lisa Neukomm, personal trainer and current participant in the Yoga Therapy Certification, about integrating the concepts she’s learned in the program into her practice. Listen in as we discuss how to become an integrative personal trainer by abandoning a healing process that is just goal oriented—lifting heavier weighting, increasing reps, etc.—and, instead, advocating a mind-body connection to achieve true healing with therapeutic movements. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/239

Many struggle to balance being a yogi and running a profitable business because, sadly, no one taught them how. But there is a way to nurture and nourish yourself and your clients as a yoga instructor. In today’s episode, I'm speaking specifically to yoga professionals interested in learning how to grow a sustainable practice without burning out. Listen in as I share how to grow your business in alignment with the healing approach, as well as how to identify a niche by recognizing the kinds of yoga and healing techniques you’re already promoting. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/238

Today I'm talking about a very specific kind of client that may frequent your practice: the “hard driver." This is one of those clients who is deeply ambitious, strong-willed, and has a hard time slowing down. There are some really smart ways you can help these clients reduce pain while working with their natural energetic tendencies and I'm sharing them in this week's episode. Tune in to learn how to channel a client’s innate internal energies to support their rehabilitation and the three key concepts I use to treat "hard-driving" patients. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/237

Many of us in Western culture have a rigid understanding of the student-teacher relationship—one that places teachers in positions of authority to which students are taught to defer. But helping our clients to heal requires a relationship of exchange. In this episode, I’m speaking with Ruth Ann Penny, veteran educator and yoga teacher, about the role of teachers in helping clients out of pain. Listen in as Ruth Ann and I share an in-depth discussion on our role as effective teachers, empowering our clientele to develop an inner locus of control, and forming a healing relationship with our patients. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/236

I'm continuing my mini-series on reducing and eradicating physical pain for your clientele and today’s episode focuses on the glutes—specifically what people may refer to as “lazy glutes” or “dead butt”. In addition to addressing why such terminology can be detrimental to patients, we’ll walk through some of the core glutes exercises that are recommended in the rehabilitation process and the ways in which we, as health professionals, can help clients gain awareness so that they can properly execute these exercises and successfully gain strength. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/235

As a health professional, it’s crucial to understand that your job is not to heal your clients but rather to provide them with the physical and mental tools required to reduce pain. In part two of my Healing & Synergy mini-series, I’m discussing the five key components to help reduce and eradicate your clients’ pain. Listen in as I outline all five of these key components, including “compelling reason” and “strengthening for real,” as well as provide insights on how to implement these principles with your clients so that they can begin their healing journey. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/234

If you're a health professional or yoga teacher who wants to hone your ability to help clients reduce and eradicate pain, I recorded this episode and the upcoming mini-series for you! Tune in to hear me discuss the connection between having fun while working with clients and growing your business, and strategies for cultivating a client base that is committed to your healing techniques. You'll learn what kinds of questions you should be asking yourself to effectively grow your healing skill set and, as a result, your practice. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/233

For many of my clients, the concept of becoming stronger is a challenge, especially after rehab. This is because their rehabilitation likely failed to instill a feeling of connection to their body and the movements required for strengthening. On today’s episode, I'm discussing the process you and your clients can use to make gains after rehab and why, despite common belief, strength can be easy. Listen in as I explore how to gain better bodily awareness during rehab so that afterwards you can apply the necessary load/resistance increases to more easily become stronger—all without risking injury. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/232

Achieving strength—the kind of real strength that supports a pain-free life—requires a solid connection between mind and body. This is the type of strength that we rely on in the rehabilitation process, and I'm outlining how to build this strength in today's episode. Tune in to hear me outline the eight principles of movement that will help you become more attuned to your body’s functions, foster a greater connection between your mind and your body, and start down the path toward alleviating and even eradicating pain. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/231

On this very special episode, I’m speaking with Anne Douglas, a teacher and trainer of yoga and meditation, about the incredible benefits of the Rest and Revitalization Sleep Meditation certification that she created. If you've been curious about adding this technique to your toolbox as an instructor, this episode is for you. Anne and I discuss how different healing practices such as hypnotherapy and non-sleep deep rest teaching (NSDR) fold into sleep meditation, and the ways in which these approaches can help clients identify bodily sensations and engage in a healing dialogue. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/230

I'm so excited to again be talking to two recent graduates of my Therapeutic Yoga Intensive in what is becoming a recurring series where we explore the real, tangible impacts that teachers are having using what they learned in the program. Today's episode features Charlotte Van Bassan and Susan Morrison who are joining me to discuss how the Therapeutic Yoga Intensive has given them the tools to help others become more aware of their movements and compensation patterns, as well as how an open dialogue has provided their clients the power of reassurance in their practice. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/229