After having taught yoga in a studio setting for several years, I had the chance to deepen my studies in India.  I noticed something that seemed pretty remarkable to me there in the Yoga Mecca.  People weren’t carrying their yoga mats around and planning to meet their friends after work at class.  In fact there were no yoga studios and few classes.  Instead, a person that wanted to practice yoga would find a teacher and that teacher would create with them a very specific program based on their goals, age, health, etc.

Did you know that some of the forms of yoga we study in classes here in the West are actually based on the personal practice of the teachers that brought them here?  Several of my clients have expressed that they’ve tried yoga, and felt that it just wasn’t for them, or that they were confused as to what style was right for them.  When you take into account that your experience in a class may be based on another’s personal practice, it’s no wonder that many people feel challenged, intimidated, and even sustain injury if they’re routinely doing a practice that isn’t meeting their needs.

The principles of yoga therapy include connection of the breath with the movement of the body, with specific focus on the spine.  A therapeutic approach to yoga, yoga therapy can be used to address physical, mental and emotional issues, including but not limited to: scoliosis, back problems, injury rehabilitation, chronic fatigue, Fibromyalgia, MS, asthma, stress-management, insomnia, anxiety, depression, smoking cessation and women’s issues ranging from pregnancy to menopause.

In a one-on-one setting, an individualized practice is created to address these issues, and may combine specific postures, breathing exercises, meditation, visualizations, diet and/or lifestyle suggestions.

Gianna helped me to create my own yoga practice over the course of six weeks. She is patient, creative, and affirming. I’ve found that the individual approach to yoga can take you very far in a short amount of time and the feedback and instruction from someone who really gets to know you is invaluable.

-Tom Mattox