Therapeutic Yoga with Kaitlyn:
Tozzi Yoga; https://tozziyoga.com/ Kaitlyn Vitozzi
Sessions offered Spring & Fall.
No cost, donations are welcome to support KMB for Answers.
This class is specifically designed for individuals who are in recovery, struggle with body image, food anxiety, and wish to
reconnect with their bodies through a trauma informed therapeutic foundation.
In person & virtual, registration is required.
Therapeutic group yoga is probably for you!
The NIH defines therapeutic yoga as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions and involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent, reduce, or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional and spiritual pain, suffering, or limitations.
Sessions offered Spring & Fall.
No cost, donations are welcome to support KMB for Answers.
This class is specifically designed for individuals who are in recovery, struggle with body image, food anxiety, and wish to
reconnect with their bodies through a trauma informed therapeutic foundation.
In person & virtual, registration is required.
Therapeutic group yoga is probably for you!
The NIH defines therapeutic yoga as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions and involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent, reduce, or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional and spiritual pain, suffering, or limitations.
What is Therapeutic Group Yoga?
With 36 million people practicing yoga in the United States, if you aren’t familiar with the jargon, it can be hard to sift through what yoga might be helpful for you or where to get started. Due to the rise of social media and pop culture, many people think of yoga and think they may not be able to participate because they can’t touch their foot to the back of their head or do a headstand. If you share those hesitancies to step into a group yoga class, therapeutic group yoga is probably for you!
The NIH defines therapeutic yoga as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions and involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent, reduce, or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional and spiritual pain, suffering, or limitations.
Unlike many yoga classes that aim to use yoga as a workout or to get you into a fancy posture, therapeutic yoga uses safe movement and self-inquiry so you can get to know yourself a bit better. Our lives are busy, and it often pulls us out of the present moment. The aim of these classes is to get you to feel what’s happening now, not what we need to do later or reliving what we feel like we messed up three months ago. Class will generally look like gentle joint warmups, breath and movement, slower postures designed to help you feel what’s happening in the moment, rest, and meditation.
All postures are held around the concept of a therapeutic edge—somewhere you can feel sensation in your body without any pain. In a group class, everyone might be different! You might reach your arm over your head and feel it in your shoulder, your neighbor might feel it in her hand, someone on the other side of the room might not be able to lift his arm all the way overhead, but he can certainly find a pain-free place to stay, breathe, and practice present moment awareness.
Classes are fully trauma informed, and since you don’t need to conform to the rest of the class, you can back off if anything feels overwhelming. Take a gentler version of the posture or sit on your mat and breathe with some water until you feel like you are more present and in control again. According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, 70% of adults in the United States have experienced a traumatic event. "Extreme stress overwhelms the person’s capacity to cope. There is a direct correlation between trauma and physical health conditions such as diabetes, COPD, heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure." Therapeutic yoga offers a safe place for an hour to practice some of those coping tools on your yoga mat. Experience yourself under a slight amount of stress, notice your breath in an uncomfortable situation, and learn meditation techniques you can take with you when you feel overwhelmed.
Why yoga for body image and eating disorders? Our bodies give us a lot of information every day, but our culture is usually so fast paced and so focused on thinking, we rarely slow down to feel it. After experiencing trauma or abuse, it is common for the brain to feel disconnected from your own body. By listening to inquiry cues during a therapeutic yoga class, a participant may start to reconnect with their body and create a more neutral relationship with it. For example, instead of the narrative of "I hate my arms", they may simply move toward the direct experience of "I didn’t realize how tired my arms feel today." Therapeutic yoga can be a chance to learn to move intuitively instead of from a place of forced exertion or overexercise. What would it feel like to apply gentleness to yourself?
The NIH defines therapeutic yoga as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions and involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent, reduce, or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional and spiritual pain, suffering, or limitations.
Unlike many yoga classes that aim to use yoga as a workout or to get you into a fancy posture, therapeutic yoga uses safe movement and self-inquiry so you can get to know yourself a bit better. Our lives are busy, and it often pulls us out of the present moment. The aim of these classes is to get you to feel what’s happening now, not what we need to do later or reliving what we feel like we messed up three months ago. Class will generally look like gentle joint warmups, breath and movement, slower postures designed to help you feel what’s happening in the moment, rest, and meditation.
All postures are held around the concept of a therapeutic edge—somewhere you can feel sensation in your body without any pain. In a group class, everyone might be different! You might reach your arm over your head and feel it in your shoulder, your neighbor might feel it in her hand, someone on the other side of the room might not be able to lift his arm all the way overhead, but he can certainly find a pain-free place to stay, breathe, and practice present moment awareness.
Classes are fully trauma informed, and since you don’t need to conform to the rest of the class, you can back off if anything feels overwhelming. Take a gentler version of the posture or sit on your mat and breathe with some water until you feel like you are more present and in control again. According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, 70% of adults in the United States have experienced a traumatic event. "Extreme stress overwhelms the person’s capacity to cope. There is a direct correlation between trauma and physical health conditions such as diabetes, COPD, heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure." Therapeutic yoga offers a safe place for an hour to practice some of those coping tools on your yoga mat. Experience yourself under a slight amount of stress, notice your breath in an uncomfortable situation, and learn meditation techniques you can take with you when you feel overwhelmed.
Why yoga for body image and eating disorders? Our bodies give us a lot of information every day, but our culture is usually so fast paced and so focused on thinking, we rarely slow down to feel it. After experiencing trauma or abuse, it is common for the brain to feel disconnected from your own body. By listening to inquiry cues during a therapeutic yoga class, a participant may start to reconnect with their body and create a more neutral relationship with it. For example, instead of the narrative of "I hate my arms", they may simply move toward the direct experience of "I didn’t realize how tired my arms feel today." Therapeutic yoga can be a chance to learn to move intuitively instead of from a place of forced exertion or overexercise. What would it feel like to apply gentleness to yourself?
FAQ:
Is it expensive? Nope! KMB For Answers offers complimentary classes in the fall and spring, so you can attend at no charge either in person or online from the comfort of your own home.
What if I’m injured? Get clearance from the doctor for movement, and then attend anyway. If there is a posture or breath technique that’s not been deemed safe for you to do, find somewhere else your body wants to be until the class moves on. Modifications are offered for all postures. If you sit quietly, breathe, and pay attention to yourself, you will get a benefit from class.
It hurts to get on the floor. You are more than welcome to stay in a chair for the entire class.
If I’m new to yoga, will I know what to do? The beauty of these classes is that there is no right or wrong. Most participants practice with their eyes closed, so the whole class might be doing something different.
I have tried meditating, and my brain runs wild. What if I can’t do it? That is totally normal! Admitting you have a busy brain is the first step toward building your meditation practice. The physical postures of the class are designed to make meditation easier. If you are only able to stay focused for 10 seconds the first class, it might be 30 the next class, and before you know it, you are meditating for 5 or 10 minutes with more ease.
What if I’m injured? Get clearance from the doctor for movement, and then attend anyway. If there is a posture or breath technique that’s not been deemed safe for you to do, find somewhere else your body wants to be until the class moves on. Modifications are offered for all postures. If you sit quietly, breathe, and pay attention to yourself, you will get a benefit from class.
It hurts to get on the floor. You are more than welcome to stay in a chair for the entire class.
If I’m new to yoga, will I know what to do? The beauty of these classes is that there is no right or wrong. Most participants practice with their eyes closed, so the whole class might be doing something different.
I have tried meditating, and my brain runs wild. What if I can’t do it? That is totally normal! Admitting you have a busy brain is the first step toward building your meditation practice. The physical postures of the class are designed to make meditation easier. If you are only able to stay focused for 10 seconds the first class, it might be 30 the next class, and before you know it, you are meditating for 5 or 10 minutes with more ease.