Tag: complementary medicine

Posted on

Slowing Down: “Doing Nothing Is Still Doing Something”

When you allow yourself to pause, to live more slowly—during a vacation for example—, you’re doing something essential for your physical and mental health. Good news—yoga therapy can also help.

As the summer season unfolds, I wish you a chance to SLOW DOWN, and if possible, to do so in nature’s embrace. It’s vital for healing, for finding ourselves again, for reconnecting, for feeling deeply, and for being fully present in this life we’re given to experience—with all its joys and challenges. Because, let’s face it, we all go through tough times, no matter our age, gender, skin color, social status, or mental and physical health.

But, slowing down isn’t always easy, is it? Caught up in the whirlwind of daily obligations, you might often feel like you’re living on autopilot, without the time to truly connect with yourself.

Ideas, clarity and emotions can emerge

However, when you give yourself permission to live more slowly—like during a vacation—when you stroll through nature, pausing whenever you feel like it, you allow yourself to connect with your feelings, your deepest needs, and even your creativity. Ideas, clarity, and emotions can emerge.

As my friend, reflexologist Rodrigue Vilmen, says, “Doing nothing is still doing something.”

Rite of passage

A few weeks ago, I went “glamping” (mix of “glamorous” and “camping”) in the French Alps. During this trip, I was surrounded by breathtaking landscapes. I lounged around, took short walks, and read under tall conifers. This “doing nothing” unexpectedly turned into a kind of inner journey, where I felt, at times, sadness from unresolved past experiences. Slowing down also means giving yourself the time to feel what’s been buried and unexpressed, allowing it to be released from its emotional hold. Fully experiencing that sadness was healing because it allowed me to accept it, not fear it, and start to move past it.

Renewal in the French Alps!

Starting in September, you can reconnect with this idea of “doing nothing,” this letting go, by joining my therapeutic yoga workshops. Together, we’ll dive into the art of slowing down. We’ll feel, and continue to untangle the knots, tensions, and restrictions that are deeply stored in the body’s tissues. We’ll breathe and learn to live with more freedom and joy.

1 st Sept. 2024 workshop
14 Sept.2024 workshop
13 Oct. 2024 workshop
27 Oct. 2024 workshop
10 Nov. 2024 workshop
24 Nov. 2024 workshop
8 Dec. 2024 workshop

Posted on

Yoga Therapy for Dummies

Almost unknown, yoga therapy can be a powerful ally on the path to well-being. Here’s everything you wanted to know about the practice but never dared to ask.

What Is Yoga Therapy?

Let’s talk about yoga first. Many people think of yoga as a physical activity made up of stretching and movement. But that’s not the whole picture. Yogis have known for millennia that the body and mind are one. They developed a practice—yoga—that touches the person as a whole, on a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual level. So, by definition, all yoga can be therapeutic. Then, what makes yoga therapy different from yoga?

First, the yoga therapist establishes a therapeutic relationship with you. She/he completely adapts the tools of yoga—meditation, yogic breathing, postures, etc.—to you, helping to activate your body and mind’s natural abilities to optimize your well-being. In yoga therapy, there’s no notion of doing a pose “correctly” or “incorrectly.” The therapist also offers psycho-emotional support through verbal communication and active listening, helping you feel better. In short, yoga therapy is a personalized journey, with the help of a yoga therapist, toward improved well-being.

One-on-one sessions are the ideal setting for a yoga theapy practice, although you can also practice in small groups.

Who Is Yoga Therapy For?

I often hear people say, “I can’t do yoga, I’m too stiff,” or “too big.” But yoga therapy is for everyone, regardless of age or physical condition, including those with disabilities.

What Is Yoga Therapy Used For?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the world is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. In this context, yoga therapy can be a valuable ally, especially for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and insomnia. Increasingly, scientific studies show that yoga therapy can also help alleviate certain conditions, particularly chronic pain (such as lower back pain and arthritis) and fibromyalgia. It is also beneficial for people recovering from strokes, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. Likewise, it complements conventional medical treatments for cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

That said, you don’t have to be ill to benefit from yoga therapy. It can simply be a powerful tool to help you live better. And that, in itself, is already a lot.

The Origins of Yoga Therapy

To trace the origins of this new complementary therapy, we need to go to the West Coast of the United States and focus on one person: Larry Payne. A Californian, athletic, and working in advertising in Los Angeles, Payne was making a lot of money and seemingly living the good life. But in 1978, at the age of 35, stress took its toll. His blood pressure skyrocketed, and he suffered from chronic back pain. Physical therapy, medication—nothing worked. Until one day, a friend took him to a yoga class. It was a revelation. For the first time in two years, his back pain disappeared. Payne felt reborn. He continued practicing yoga and eventually left his advertising career to dedicate himself fully to the practice.

After spending time in India, he returned to Los Angeles and worked tirelessly to promote yoga as a complementary practice. He taught yoga, wrote books, produced videos, appeared on radio and television, and in 1989, he co-founded the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).

The association truly found its footing in the early 2000s. Its mission was to be the voice of yoga therapy for the general public and within complementary and integrative medicine institutions. The IAYT began relying on science, compiling an increasing number of studies on yoga therapy and chronic illnesses. A major milestone was reached in 2004 when, for the first time, conventional healthcare professionals joined its advisory board. In 2007, the first yoga therapy symposium was held in Los Angeles. The association published training standards for yoga therapists in 2012.

Today, IAYT has 5,600 members across 50 countries and 150 accredited training schools. We are only at the beginning of what yoga therapy can bring to public health.

A therapeutic yoga session is either one-to-one or in a small group.

Sources :
– International Association of Yoga Therapists
– Yoga Therapy Health
– The Science of Yoga: the Risks and the Rewards, by William J. Broad (2012)

Posted on

Do Yoga. You’ll Access Your Intuition!

Yoga can clear the way to our intuition and creativity. All thanks to the practice’s breathing techniques.

Is there really a link between yoga and our intuition? Believe it or not—yes, there is.

The source of intuition is inside all of us. The problem is the mind and the thoughts that stop us from tapping into our inner knowing. The good news is that yoga can help thanks to breathing techniques or pranayamas which can quiet that noise.

How it works

Doing pranayama exercises means consciously controlling your breath. These breathing techniques affect the parasympathetic system to create a relaxing effect. Their benefits are numerous and impact vital functions like digestion, blood circulation, elimination, etc. But beyond balancing the body, breathing offers much more, and affects the mind and mood as I explained in my previous post, “Yoga Therapy Saved My Life.”


That’s already great news but there’s more. Pranayamas, when combined with slow movements and concentration, also influence intuition. This mix of breathing, movement, and concentration helps you become present with yourself, relax deeply and balance your nervous system–all essential to connect with your intuition. This process of “letting go” helps access your subconscious and therefore your inner voice.

To suddenly see clearly

Many people say they suddenly see clearly how to move forward in a tricky life situation during a yoga session. I’ve personally lost count of how many times yoga has given me clarity. Yesterday, for example, I suddenly became aware during my own yoga practice, of which approach and poses to use in an upcoming yoga therapy private so that the session can perfectly answer my client’s needs.

Sources: The Science of Yoga by William J. Broad, Radiance: Create an Amazing Life After Cancer (Kripalu Center), De l’inspir à l’inspiration (magazine Inexploré N. 62, printemps 2024).

Posted on

The Pause

My arm lymphedema recently got infected. It’s been a great reminder that I need to listen to myself and my body. At all times.

April 22nd started like any other day, doing yoga.

I had taught a yoga therapy workshop the day before and was feeling super energized. I performed the bridge pose and twisted my shoulders in a way that compromised my circulation. For someone with breast cancer-related lymphedema in my arm, this was a misstep. Off-guard moment. I knew I wasn’t supposed to twist my shoulder that way. The result? My lymphedema got infected.

Since then, I’ve put my foot on the brake. I revisited my schedule—once again—to have more breathing room (I’ve always overdone).

These days, I need nature. I walk. I lay down in the meadow. I read. I create space for myself. Trees, birds and the sky are there for me. To help me repair myself. Yesterday, I practiced yoga for the first time in three weeks, with so much more compassion.

Remember–honor your own wellness journey. In every possible way. That too is yoga therapy.

A nature park, close to home, five miles South of Paris, has been
my favorite place to rest.