Release Stored Anxiety 

and Trauma from the body

Yoga helps restore the body and mind to a natural calm state. Yoga is derived from a sanskrit word "yuj" which means to join or unite. Yoga is a way to unite the body, breath and spirit in order to bring the rest and digest or parasympathetic nervous system back on line.

Adjusting our posture can change how we feel emotionally; different postures provide us with the ability to feel different emotions. For example sitting curled in a ball versus standing tall we may experience different emotions. Yoga brings connection to our mind, body, and breath allowing us to feel all the emotions, knowing we are safe here and now.

Yoga helps widen our window of tolerance; our ability to accept and be ok in uncomfortable emotions, knowing they will pass as we connect with our center or core because we start to bring compassionate awareness to every part of ourselves. With yoga, we can learn to stay present with discomfort while trusting that we won't be swallowed by the discomfort.

Yoga poses and breathwork don't just work on superficial muscles either. Yoga allows us to release tension from our fascia - the connective tissue that extends into every structure and every system within the body.

Fascia will naturally tighten when we're restricting movement, like at night or when we're sitting for extended times and will loosen when we move. Trauma, depression, and anxiety often cause us to restrict movement - we breathe more shallow, tense our muscles, don't move as much. This can result in chronic pain and other physical ailments. Yoga allows us to hydrate and move the fascia in a non-threatening way.

As you join me in these yoga videos, I invite you to notice where in your body you're feeling tension, or feeling immobile. Allow your breath and body to act like a wave on the ocean; starting and returning to your center or your core. Imagine a jellyfish moving through the water. Our heart, lungs, muscles and fascia all expand and contract like this.

I invite you to just flow with the pulsations of the breath, expanding and contracting staying in alignment with yourself and your core.

All of the videos have a gentle and rhythmic flow helping you return to parasympathetic dominance. While doing the breathwork, feel free to come back to your normal breath anytime you need to. Similarly, while in a pose, feel free to adjust the pose or come out of it whenever your body tells you to. The purpose is to let go, to release tension in the mind and body. If we are forcing anything, whether the breath or the poses, we are not letting go and instead we are keeping the sympathetic nervous system active. The slow rhythmic movements and breath help us feel safe and secure, like being rocked to sleep as a baby.