Saturday, November 28, 2020

Entretien avec Mary-Jo Fetterly sur le Yoga Adaptatif

Mary-Jo Fetterly

Cet article a été réalisé et édité par Kathleen Kraft, et traduit par Agathe Sowmya. 

This article was previously posted in English.


Blog d’Accessible Yoga : Où enseignez-vous ? A quelle population enseignez-vous ?

Mary-Jo : J’enseigne le Yoga Adaptatif dans mon studio privé à domicile et dans des centres de rééducation, des hôpitaux et des centres privés de physiothérapie. J’enseigne également à la Heart and Stroke Foundation, Youth Without Limits – Cerebral Palsy Association British Columbia (BC), BC Wheelchair Sports Association et Spinal Cord Injury BC. Je dispense aussi des formations d’enseignants en Yoga Adaptatif. J’aime l’enseignement dans mon studio personnel surtout parce que j’ai un ascenseur et l’équipement nécessaire pour rendre le yoga vraiment accessible pour tous les corps.

Blog d Accessible Yoga : Pouvez-vous partager une expérience marquante ?

Mary-Jo : Depuis que je suis devenue handicapée, l’expérience de l’enseignement et de la pratique du yoga a été exagérée, ce qui signifie que lorsque j’ai été blessée, j’avais un sens très différent de mon corps et de qui j’étais dans mon corps, et par conséquent j’avais besoin des outils spirituels et non physiques du yoga afin de m’aider à faire face à ces sentiments et distorsions. Une fois que je me suis établie physiquement dans un endroit plus ancré et familier et que je pouvais enseigner au « physique », j’ai commencé à remarquer que l’enseignement du yoga à des populations qui avaient une certaine forme de traumatisme ou de défi physique était tout à fait différent de l’enseignement à un groupe de personnes mobiles. Le concept de « trahison corporelle » existe ouvertement dans ce groupe et « secrètement » dans les corps valides.

Peu importe qui nous sommes ou quelle est notre incarnation physique, nous devons apprendre à aimer, prendre soin, et surtout, gérer notre corps physique dans notre expérience d’être physique. C’est crucial pour les deux populations. Par conséquent, j’ai changé ma façon d’enseigner à mes groupes d’Adaptatif Yoga afin que je puisse aborder la fragmentation potentielle entre le corps, le mental et l’esprit de manière directe, se déplaçant ainsi vers une acceptation plus consciente et intentionnelle. Cette approche plus lente, plus consciente et intentionnelle a fait une énorme différence avec la population valide en composant avec leur propre déconnexion corps/esprit.

Blog d’Accessible Yoga : Votre enseignement du Yoga Adaptatif affecte-t-il la façon dont vous enseignez le « Yoga conventionnel » 

Mary-Jo : Je trouve que l’enseignement aux personnes ayant des besoins spéciaux nourrit mon enseignement de la population ordinaire, plus que l’inverse. Je trouve que des concepts tels que la patience, l’acceptation, l’abandon et la capacité de se voir non seulement comme un être « physique » sont plus facilement acceptés et compris par beaucoup de ceux qui ont vécu l’expérience de l’adversité ou du traumatisme. Je suis continuellement émue et inspirée par ces gens qui ont à faire face à beaucoup de choses, et pourtant sont encore sincères et assidus face à leur désir de rester positif et à l’écoute de leur être physique, mental et spirituel.

J’ai également pris conscience intimement lorsque j’enseignais aux personnes ayant des besoins spéciaux qu’il y avait beaucoup de « crispations » dans leur corps due à une vie avec une certaine forme de handicap. Naturellement, leurs systèmes nerveux sont plus sensibles, de sorte que l’utilisation d’éléments sonores et non physiques a été fondamentale pour être en mesure de créer la sécurité et le soutien de leurs systèmes. Ce que cela m’a appris lors de l’enseignement d’une population valide, c’est que les crispations et le traumatisme existe dans de nombreux systèmes, mais quelqu’un avec toutes ses capacités physiques peut facilement cacher voir même, ne pas être conscient du fait que leur système est en surcharge ou en mode lutte / fuite. Ils fonctionnent bien physiquement, mais souffrent de choses comme l’insomnie, l’anxiété et d’autres troubles connexes. Donc, ce que j’ai commencé à faire, c’est apprendre aux personnes valides à ralentir davantage et à prêter attention aux signaux afin de calmer le système nerveux à un niveau très profond. Ils pouvaient encore avoir une pratique très physique, mais l’intention générale était de créer la stabilité, la force intérieure et le calme. C’est quelque chose auquel un corps handicapé fait face à un niveau très réel, à l’extérieur chaque jour.

Blog d’Accessible Yoga : Qu’êtes-vous heureuse de faire prochainement avec vos élèves ?

Mary-Jo : Dernièrement, j’ai travaillé sur de nouveaux projets qui combinent yoga et coaching afin de faciliter le vecteur de transformation dans les endroits où il est nécessaire. L’un est un concept appelé « yoga-fit4disability », qui utilise à la fois le cardio et le yoga pour aider les clients à améliorer santé et bien-être. Je suis également très excitée par le projet « Recovery Deck » que j’ai créé pour déployer le yoga dans les milieux hospitaliers comme meilleures pratiques pour les patients nouvellement blessés de la moelle épinière, du cerveau, des accidents vasculaires cérébraux et des patients atteints de cancer. Enfin, je suis toujours excitée par mon programme de formation de Yoga Adaptatif et les étudiants qui apprennent à devenir des professeurs de Yoga Adaptatif.


Mary-Jo Fetterly enseigne le yoga depuis 30 ans. Elle est maman, étudiante en travail somatique et social, coach en santé et thérapeute de yoga. Son entreprise, Trinity Yoga, à Vancouver, offre des formations de Yoga Adaptatif et une gamme de soutiens et de produits de Yoga Adaptatifs pour aider à rendre l’expérience du yoga accessible à tous.

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Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Core Qualities of Yoga, Part 3: Attitude of Gratitude

This post was originally published in July 2019 as part of a series we shared that explored a variety of core qualities and suggested practices to consider for inclusion in your classes and private sessions (whether on a mat, in a chair, or a combination of both).


By Elizabeth Gibbs


Gratitude is defined as being thankful and appreciative for something or someone. An attitude of gratitude helps us live with a greater sense of well-being in spite of challenges, difficulties, and disappointments. Research shows that gratitude can activate the production of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, the "feel good" chemicals, resulting in deeper feelings of contentment. That’s good news!


How long do those benefits last? The answer is: it depends. Just like exercising, healthy eating, or living a healthy lifestyle, developing a consistent gratitude practice can keep the benefits flowing.

If we choose to work with gratitude in our yoga practice, we will find ways to take it off the mat, out of the chair, and into our daily lives to keep those "feel good" chemicals flowing.

There is a concept in the niyamas, the second limb of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, that sheds light on the practice of gratitude. It’s santosha, often translated as contentment. Not surprisingly, gratitude and contentment are closely related. They’re like two peas in a pod. Gratitude can be seen as a subtler aspect, or shade, of santosha. In her book, The Secret Power of Yoga, Nishala Joy Devi offers this example:

“In South India, there is a heartfelt way of expressing one’s appreciation. Instead of saying 'thank you,' they say Santosha (I am content).”

In spite of our challenges, difficulties, and disappointments, an attitude of gratitude can help us find a measure of contentment with who we are, what we have, and how we can live with more clarity and resilience. An attitude of gratitude helps us remain centered and peaceful; not getting too upset when daily glitches and messy life situations show up (and they will) and not getting too excited when things go 100% the way we hoped (and we always hope they will). Finding the middle ground is not always easy but practicing gratitude is one way to find it consciously and more often.

A quick search on the Internet offers many ways to practice gratitude. I found some sites with seven, 25, 29, 31 and 40 suggestions. These include waking up in the morning and naming five things that you are grateful for before getting out of bed, making daily entries in a gratitude journal, or choosing affirmations to repeat as you brush your teeth or make your breakfast smoothie.

You can do your own search or try out the following suggestions that you can do on your mat, in your chair, or anytime throughout your day. I practice all three.

Gratitude for the Breath

When we are dealing with illness or physical limitations, it can be hard to feel or experience an attitude of gratitude toward the body. However, as long as we are alive we have a way to consciously experience gratitude for the act of breathing. Consciously coordinating breath and movement is a deep practice. Taking a deep breath in as we raise an arm or a leg can feel empowering. Exhaling while we lower an arm or leg can bring a restful release. We can be consciously grateful for each breath and movement accomplished. If some or all of the body is unable to move, we can focus on moving the breath, feeling grateful for each inhalation and each exhalation.

The Upanishads are a collection of Vedic spiritual wisdom writings from India. They are over 2,000 years old. The Taittiriya Upanishad recognizes the importance of being grateful for breath as seen here.

“Man and woman, beast and bird live by breath.
Breath is therefore called the true sign of life.
It is the vital force in everyone
That determines how long we are to live.
Those who look upon breath as the Lord’s gift
Shall live to complete the full span of life.”
—The Upanishads, translation by Eknath Easwaran

In The Breathing Book: Good Health and Vitality Through Essential Breath Work, Donna Farhi give us another reason to be grateful for breath: “Breathing affects your respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, muscular, and psychic systems and also has a general effect on your sleep, your memory, your energy level, and your concentration.”

Breathing happens whether we pay attention to the process or not. When we point our awareness and attention toward the breath, we can use it to deepen an attitude of gratitude. Here is a powerful practice.

Gratitude Breath Practice

1. Bring yourself to a comfortable position, seated or lying down.
2. Place your full attention on your breath.
3. Begin to notice the four parts of your breathing process:
· The inhalation and slight pause before you exhale
· The exhalation and slight pause before you inhale
4. Let the breath come and go naturally.
5. Silently say “Thank you” on the inhalation and again on the exhalation.
6. Spend three to five minutes watching the four parts of your natural breathing process and consciously practice gratitude.

Affirmations

Affirmations are positive statements that help us reinforce helpful, productive states of mind and well-being. When repeated often, they help to encourage a positive outlook. You can think of affirmations as exercise for the mind. Affirmations are short and stated in the present tense: “I am” as opposed to “I will.”

Here is one that cultivates an attitude of gratitude: “Thank you for everything, I have no complaint whatsoever.” This affirmation is attributed to Sono, a female Zen master, who lived about 150 years ago. I use it because it helps me feel grateful and content.

Gratitude Popcorn

This is one of my favorite daily practices. When I take a moment to tune in to my surroundings a few times during the day, no matter how busy I am, something that I can be grateful for almost always "pops" into my consciousness. Here are a few examples.

After days of cold weather and rain, the sun comes out, the sky brightens, my mood lifts, and I experience a sudden onset of gratitude for sunshine. I smile and whisper “Thank you.”

As a recovering perfectionist with a long daily "to do" list, my mind says "Do it all!” When that happens, I feel anxiety creeping in. If I take a moment to tune into my body, I can hear it saying "Edit! Edit! Edit!" If I follow through (I don’t always but I’m a work in progress, as are we all) I will take skillful action and choose three items for the day. Anxiety eases. I smile and whisper “Thank you.”

While watching the news, I see a story about someone struggling with a serious health condition. I reflect on my health, which is good in spite of aches, pains, moody blues, and minor chronic stuff. I smile and whisper “Thank you.”

To get your own bag of gratitude popcorn, remember to tune in to your surroundings a few times a day. If you do, something you can be grateful for will "pop" into your consciousness. Then smile and whisper “Thank you.”

Here is a quote that reminds me to practice being grateful:
“A contented heart is a calm sea in the midst of all storms.”
— Anonymous

Let an attitude of gratitude be your boat. Santosha.


Elizabeth (Beth) Gibbs, MA, C-IAYT, is a certified yoga therapist through the International Association of Yoga Therapists and is a guest faculty member of the Kripalu School of Integrative Yoga Therapy. Her masters’ degree in Yoga Therapy and Mind/Body Health is from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. She is the author of Ogi Bogi, The Elephant Yogi, a therapeutic yoga book for children. For more information please visit her website at: bethgibbs.com


This post was edited by Patrice Priya Wagner, Managing Editor of Accessible Yoga blog and member of the Board of Directors.

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Saturday, November 21, 2020

Del yoga sensible al trauma, al yoga que transforma el trauma: yoga, justicia social y el espíritu


Por Mei Lai Swan, traducción de Alma Durán

This article was previously posted in English.


“Me inspira el saber que podemos tomar este dolor, trabajarlo para transformarlo, y convertirlo en la fuente de nuestro poder.”
– Bell Hooks

“Sanar significa ‘restaurar en un todo’, y cuando nos sentimos completos de nuevo estamos en contacto con el mundo entero.”
–Michael Meade


Hemos visto en las décadas recientes un desarrollo fenomenal en la manera en que entendemos el trauma y lo que son las prácticas sensibles al mismo. Así mismo, investigaciones en las ciencias neurológicas y la neurobiología celular nos han brindado una visión mas profunda de los beneficios de las ancestrales prácticas del yoga y el cultivo de la consciencia plena. La unión de estas dos áreas del saber ha generado lo que se conoce como “trauma-informed yoga”, o sea, yoga sensible al trauma – una aproximación adaptativa al yoga que se centra en proporcionar seguridad, minimizar las posibilidades de una re-traumatización, cultivar el poder personal de acción y la resiliencia, realzando al mismo tiempo el potencial terapéutico de prácticas de corporeidad (embodiment) y de concienciación (awareness-based).

Sin embargo, este enfoque todavía entiende de manera común el trauma como individual y patológico –algo en la persona está “descompuesto“ y debe ser reparado; la responsabilidad de alivio reside en el individuo.

Pero las enseñanzas fundamentales del yoga, la ciencia neurológica y la ecología nos dicen que la vida es relación: todo está interconectado y existe en un proceso dinámico de balance y harmonía. La desarmonía, la desconexión y la enfermedad son señales que la vida nos da de que estamos fuera de balance. La ciencia del Ayurveda llama a esto prajnaparadha, que significa crímenes contra la naturaleza o la consciencia. Si deseamos balance y harmonía debemos conducirnos de acuerdo con la sabiduría de la naturaleza.

Con todo, nuestro mundo actual ha sido construido sobre la base de tantas violaciones de la sabiduría de la naturaleza. Es dominado por una historia, cultura, sistemas patriarcales, colonización y capitalismo. Concentra el poder en las manos de ciertos grupos (hombres, blanc@s, cuerpos sanos y hábiles, heterosexuales) al precio de oprimir y explotar a l@s demás.

Privilegia al individuo sobre la colectividad. Valora la independencia y el conocimiento “experto” por encima de la colaboración y la sabiduría colectivas. Ve a los humanos, la naturaleza y el planeta como objetos para consumir, poseer y a través de los cuales se puede enriquecer. Está construido sobre la ideas lineares de crecimiento y progreso. Ha perdido de vista los ciclos naturales, el misterio, la interdependencia y lo sagrada que es la vida. Socava nuestro sentido fundamental de conectividad, interdependencia y pertenencia.

Nuestra condición global está marcada por la desvinculación, la opresión y el trauma. Donde sea que te ubiques dentro del espectro de la experiencia humana, esto afecta a cada un@ de nosotr@s al interrumpir nuestras relaciones mas fundamentales con nosotr@s mism@s, interpersonalmente y con la Tierra. Si el trauma es la condición de una profunda falta de conexión y harmonía, entonces el remedio debe de ser el restaurar conexión y harmonía a todos esos niveles.

Así es que para de verdad poder sanar un trauma debemos hablar no solo de la regulación del sistema nervioso, autonomía personal, y una relativa “seguridad” que nos deje funcionar como individuos “sanos” en medio de un sistema estropeado. Mas que de una práctica que sepa algo sobre el trauma, lo que ocupamos es una práctica con la capacidad de transformar el trauma.

Honrando el conocimiento colectivo, sincrético y evolutivo, considero que una práctica que puede transformar el trauma debe partir de una visión humanística y holística. Se trata de una aproximación sistémica total que concentra y honra las intersecciones entre la teoría del trauma, la justicia social, y las prácticas encarnadas que se enfocan en el espíritu tales como el yoga y las tradiciones indígenas. Es, entonces, tanto una práctica personal como colectiva que nos invita a:

• Expandir lo que entendemos como “sanar el trauma” más allá de una recuperación, la regulación del sistema nervioso y la integración, llevándonos a explorar las posibilidades de transmutar el trauma, tanto a nivel personal como colectivo, en una fuente de crecimiento, fuerza, sentido del ser y transformación a nivel individual y social.

• Honrar a cada individuo como un ser integral, único y soberano, apoyando tanto la conexión y la harmonía como el proceso de construcción de asignación de significados personales a las interacciones entre el cuerpo, la mente, el corazón, el espíritu y las relaciones.

• Entender, sentir y honrar el hecho de que estamos intrínsecamente interconectados: trabajar con el cuerpo, la mente, el corazón, el espíritu, con tod@s los otr@s y con el mundo como un gran ecosistema viviente e interdependiente.

• Reconocer los componentes sociales, culturales e históricos tanto del trauma individual como colectivo y comprometerse a trabajar en transformar las relaciones, cultura y normas que son parte de un sistema de opresión en un sistema que promueva el cuidado de la colectividad.

• Englobar formas transformativas y experienciales de ser, conocer y hacer––con nuestro compás claramente orientado hacia el amor, la harmonía, el fomento de la comunidad y el bienestar integral.

En las palabras del honorable y sabio anciano indígena Australiano Noel Nannup, permitámonos trabajar “juntos, constantemente, firmemente” hacia esta esperanzada posibilidad.


Mei Lai Swan
: Dedicada al sendero del yoga, la meditación y la creación de comunidad desde hace más de veinte años, Mei Lai Swan comparte una aproximación al yoga encarnada en la experiencia individual e inclusiva que mantiene su corazón en la justicia social. Fundadora de la empresa social global Yoga for Humankind, Mei Lai se especializa en yoga sensible al trauma, justicia social y nada yoga (sonido, mantra y meditación). Su amplia experiencia profesional y creativa como educadora de yoga somática, trabajadora social, terapista enfocada al cuerpo, músico, doula y líder de grupos altruistas fluye en el yoga que enseña y en cómo lo enseña. Aún mas importante, sin embargo, es que ella está seriamente comprometida con su vida espiritual, lo cual guía su pasión por el bienestar colectivo, el deseo de crear comunidades sanas y la transformación social. Mei Lai está dedicada a honrar y hacer visible la riqueza y profundidad de las enseñanzas del yoga con especial énfasis en prácticas accesibles que sean relevantes para tod@s, y que lleven al empoderamiento de cada persona, corazón y mente. Para más información, por favor visita: yogaforhumankind.org, @yogaforhumankind, meilaiswan.com, @meilaiswanyoga.

El original en inglés de este artículo fue editado por Patrice Priya Wagner, Gerente Editorial del Accessible Yoga Blog y miembro del Consejo de Dirección.

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Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Yoga4Caregivers



by Jennifer Henius, LCSW, RYT


Jennifer Henius, LCSW, RYT, uses her passion for yoga to advocate for and support the health and wellbeing of caregivers. Family caregivers, often referred to as “informal caregivers,” are unpaid individuals such as a significant other, relative, friend, or neighbor who provides care and support for someone in need of assistance due to a disabling condition. "Formal caregivers" are paid health care professionals.

Jennifer began practicing yoga in 2016 and completed a 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training in 2019 at "A Yoga Village" in Clearwater, Florida. Her focus these days is to help improve the health and wellbeing of caregivers through an international Seva project called Yoga4Caregivers that she created at the onset of COVID-19. I had a chance to connect with Jennifer online and here is her story.


I am the Founder of Yoga4Caregivers, a new Caregiver Kula, or intentional community of the heart, aimed at empowering family caregivers to explore yoga, meditation, and mindful movement as self-care practices to add to their toolbox in support of their overall health and wellbeing. I was prompted to develop this community as my personal response to the pandemic. I was in search of a way to support family caregivers serving on the front lines of COVID-19.

I have newly created the Caregiver Wellness Collective (CWC) to serve as the home for this new program as well as to serve as national Caregiver Wellness Alliance bringing together key stakeholders from the government, business, and civic sectors to increase attention to and awareness of Caregiver wellness needs, supports, and resources. The CWC also provides direct education and whole health programming in support of informal and formal caregiver health, mental health, and wellbeing.

Caregiving is widely recognized as an increasing public health concern with an estimated 53 million caregivers in the United States currently and the number is growing exponentially due to COVID-19. There are an estimated 5.5 million military caregivers. People of color are already overrepresented within the caregiving population and have also been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

In my yoga practice, I found that slow mindful movement was helpful in managing my work-life stressors. Regular practice allowed me to improve my own capacity for self-regulation of my nervous system and decrease some of my anxiety and stress and also increase my mind-body connection and sense of interoception. The benefits of this slow mindful practice are what inspired me to become a teacher. I realized that sharing some basic yogic relaxation techniques could be helpful to caregivers who weren't familiar with yoga, meditation, or mindful movement.

Yoga4Caregivers, a grassroots movement, is entirely supported by volunteer yoga teachers and mindfulness educators who share in my passion for supporting these hidden heroes in our communities selflessly caring for others. Together, we are making yoga accessible through yoga classes and videos on mindful breathing for caregivers in crisis and at home through our online community.

Many of the volunteers are current or former caregivers, or have experienced caregiving in some way; however, this is not a requirement to volunteer. I am continually inspired by how compassionate and giving our community is even in these really challenging times and I am grateful for our volunteers.

Caregivers commonly experience isolation, anxiety, and depression and face increased risk of poor health and psychosocial outcomes due to a tendency to put off their own health care needs. The pandemic has further increased their risk for health and mental health concerns. The Centers for Disease Control have reported that caregivers have expressed increased suicidal ideation due to the pandemic. Together, we are making yoga accessible through yoga classes and videos on mindful breathing for caregivers in crisis and at home through our online community.

In our community, we offer slow, mindful yoga sessions that are short and accessible for caregivers who don’t have a lot of time. We also offer short videos on mindful breathing techniques. We have a range of classes in our community that vary in length of time, and we enable replays so that caregivers can watch at their convenience. We are working to develop a curriculum.

Here is what one caregiver in our community had to say about Yoga4Caregivers:

My husband was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease about three years ago. The ALZ support groups seem to have horror story after horror story, which I have accepted but do not need to read. This Support Group seems to have something I’m desperately needing …. ten minute stretches, meditation suggestions. I can’t leave him to go to yoga classes, but I was able to take a (Yoga4Caregivers) class this morning and it was very helpful. My mantra is, “just for today. I am able to make it just for today." Thank you!

I believe caregivers are a unique, at-risk group for whom we can make yoga more accessible and offer meaningful solutions as a community to address this emerging public health crisis. This new effort is offering community care to caregivers and is making a meaningful impact.



Jennifer Henius is a 200-hr Yoga Teacher and a Member of the Yoga Alliance. Jennifer is the Founder and Executive Director of the Caregiver Wellness Collective, a new national resource that serves as a caregiver wellness alliance bringing together key stakeholders from the government, business, and civic sectors, and of the Seva Project Yoga4Caregivers. She’s also a Senior Healthcare Consultant and Licensed Clinical Social Worker with nearly 20 years supporting Veterans, their families and caregivers. Jennifer recently served on a team in Washington, D.C. to implement and oversee the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' National Caregiver Support Program. Jennifer can be reached at jenniferhenius@gmail.com Those interested in volunteering should contact infoyoga4caregivers@gmail.com


This post was edited by Patrice Priya Wagner, Managing Editor of Accessible Yoga blog and member of the Board of Directors.

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Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Looking Beyond Physical Accessibility

Ryan McGraw

by Ryan McGraw


Students of all different abilities, ages, and sizes will walk through the door of a yoga studio/class. As a teacher or studio owner, you can get overwhelmed with the thought, “How will I accommodate everyone?” You can prepare yourself by ensuring the space is physically accessible and that you know something about accessible yoga, but the key to making things accessible is getting to know the individual yoga student.

Since the accessibility needs of each person will be unique, there is no rigid accessibility guide a yoga teacher or studio must follow. Even if two students have the same disability, it probably will present differently in each person. So although you may have knowledge of a specific condition it is essential that you (the teacher and/or studio) keep an open mind and not have any preconceived judgements about anyone that walks through the door to take a yoga class.

The principle of “universal design” needs to be taken into account from the point a person leaves their house to the time they return home after class. If a barrier exists at any point in the process, a student may not be able to attend class. Universal design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability, or disability.

Therefore, when scheduling classes you must consider multiple facets of the students’ lives. Is your studio accessible by public transportation and paratransit (a public transit service for people who are unable to use regular buses or trains)? Can a student with a mobility limitation move around the yoga studio easily? Is the bathroom easily accessible? Can a person on a limited income afford class? Is the lighting in the studio accommodating to someone with light sensitivity issues? These are just some aspects a yoga studio needs to consider when making a universally designed yoga experience.


When a new student with a disability walks into your studio/class, treat them with the same respect and dignity as you would treat any other student. Do not assume that they have no yoga experience and that you will have to make all kinds of accommodations for them. Instead, just talk to them! They have likely lived in a disabled body for many years, making them the world’s leading expert on their body. Asking the student questions may be important to ensure the student’s safety in class, but you should not simply assume a person needs or wants assistance just because they may appear different from the other students in the class.

When yoga instructors teach poses, they usually teach the classic pose as they learned it. However, in Accessible Yoga we look at what the function of the pose is and what the person’s abilities are and create a pose from there. Thus, the student and teacher are working together in collaboration to create a pose that is safe and effective for the individual at this moment in time. In this situation, the student’s body is teaching the instructor as much as the instructor is teaching the student. Keeping an open mind in this process is essential.


Ryan McGraw
approaches every class with the belief that everyone can do yoga. As a person with cerebral palsy who has been practicing yoga for 15 years, Ryan is well aware that yoga poses can be adapted to meet the needs of the student, no matter what their ability level is. Ryan earned his 200-hour yoga teaching certificate in 2011 and has completed two adaptive yoga teacher training with Matthew Sanford. Ryan received his Master’s Degree in Disability and Human Development from the University of Illinois at Chicago, in 2013. For his Master’s Thesis, Ryan created an adapted yoga manual for people with disabilities. He has written about his yoga experience in Yoga and Body Image, a collection of essays from people who are not the average yoga practitioner and recently published an article in Yoga International why it is essential to teach accessible yoga in 200 hour teacher training courses. As a member of the disability community who has worked in the disability advocacy field for 12 years, Ryan advocates for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society. access2yoga.com

This post was edited by Patrice Priya Wagner, Managing Editor of Accessible Yoga blog and member of the Board of Directors.

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Wednesday, November 4, 2020

From Trauma-Informed To Trauma-Transforming: Yoga, Social Justice, And Spirit


by Mei Lai Swan


“I am inspired by the knowledge that we can take this pain, work with it to transform it, so it becomes the source of our power.”
– Bell Hooks

“To heal means to ‘make whole,’ and when
we feel whole we are in touch with the whole world.”
–Michael Meade

Recent decades have seen a phenomenal growth in our understanding of trauma and trauma-informed practice. Likewise, research in neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology has brought a deeper understanding of the benefits of the ancient practices of yoga and mindfulness. Together, they have given rise to ‘trauma-informed yoga’––an adaptive approach to yoga aimed at supporting safety, minimizing retraumatisation, building personal agency and resiliency, and enhancing the therapeutic potential of embodied and awareness-based practices.

Yet this approach still typically understands trauma as individual and pathological––there is something ‘broken’ within the individual that needs fixing, and it is the individual’s responsibility to heal.

But the foundational teachings of yoga, neuroscience, and ecology tell us that life is relationship: all things are interconnected and exist in a dynamic process of balance and harmony. Disharmony, disconnection, and illness are the signs life gives us to tell us we are out of balance. The Indian science of Ayurveda calls this prajnaparadha, which means crimes against nature or wisdom. The solution for balance and harmony is to work with the wisdom of nature.

Yet our world today is built on so many crimes against the wisdom of nature. It is dominated by a history, culture, and systems of patriarchy, colonisation, and capitalism. It concentrates power in the hands of certain groups (men, white, able-bodied, heterosexual) through the oppression and exploitation of others.

It privileges the individual over the collective. It values independence and ‘expert’ knowledge over collaboration and collective wisdom. It sees humans, nature, and the planet as objects to consume, own, and profit from. It is built on ideas of linear growth and progress. It has lost sense of the natural cycles, mystery, interdependence, and sacredness of life. It undermines our fundamental sense of connectedness, interdependence, and belonging.

Our global condition is marked by disconnection, oppression, and trauma. Wherever you sit on the spectrum of human experience, it affects each one of us by disrupting our fundamental relationships with ourselves, each other, and the Earth. If trauma is a condition of deep disconnection and disharmony, then the remedy must be restoring connection and harmony at all of these levels.

So trauma healing must be more than nervous system regulation, personal agency, and relative ‘safety’ to function as ‘healthy’ individuals within a broken system. We need more than a trauma-informed practice, we need a trauma-transforming practice.

True to collective, syncretic, and evolving knowledge, I see trauma-transforming practice as a whole human, whole system approach that gathers from and honours the intersections of trauma theory, social justice, and embodied spirit-centered practice such as yoga and indigenous traditions. It is a personal and collective practice that invites us to:

• Expand our understanding of ‘trauma healing’ beyond recovery, nervous system regulation and integration, to explore possibilities of transforming trauma into personal and collective growth, strength, meaning, and social transformation.

• Honour each individual as a whole, unique, and sovereign human being, and support connection, harmony and personal meaning-making between body, mind, heart, spirit, and relationships.

• Understand, feel, and honour our fundamental interconnectedness: working with body, mind, heart, spirit, each other, and the world as one great interdependent living ecosystem.

• Recognise the social, cultural, and historical components of individual and collective trauma, as well as personal and collective wellbeing, and work intentionally to transform these social relationships, culture, and norms from systems of oppressions to systems of collective care.

• Encompass transformational and embodied ways of being, knowing, and doing––with our compass clearly set towards love, harmony, collective care, and wellbeing.

In the words of Australian indigenous elder Noel Nannup, let us work “together, steady steady” into this hopeful possibility.



Mei Lai Swan: Dedicated to the paths of yoga, meditation and community for over 20 years, Mei Lai Swan shares an approach to yoga that is deeply embodied and inclusive with a heart of social justice. Founder of global social enterprise yoga school Yoga for Humankind, Mei Lai specialises in embodied trauma-informed and social justice education and nada yoga (sound, mantra and meditation). She brings to this work a wealth of professional and creative experience as a somatic yoga educator, social worker, body-focused therapist, musician, doula and non-profit leader. But more importantly, she is deeply committed to the path of spirit, which guides her passion for collective wellbeing, community building and social transformation. Mei Lai is dedicated to honouring and making the richness and depth of the yoga teachings and practices accessible, relevant and empowering for every body, heart and mind. yogaforhumankind.org, @yogaforhumankind, meilaiswan.com, @meilaiswanyoga.

This post was edited by Patrice Priya Wagner, Managing Editor of Accessible Yoga blog and member of the Board of Directors.

° FOLLOW Accessible Yoga on FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube.

° REGISTER here for our next conference.

° DONATE here to help us bring yoga to people who don't have access or have been underserved, such as people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, children with special needs, and anyone who doesn't feel comfortable in a regular yoga class.