Painting courtesy of artist, Martin Vogel. Click image to view his bio and portfolio.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

The Yoga Therapy by: Kathryn Merrifield


Two years have lapsed since I attended a yoga class at Yoga Sanctuary in Mamaroneck.  Thanks to a Groupon, I returned on Thursday to find Ellen Patrick, certified yoga therapist, teaching Yin Yoga.  Ellen had taught me a lot about alignment – so much so that I was able to continue my Vinyasa and Ashtanga practice due to her expert instruction that had me release my clenched shoulders in Down Dog and put the effort into my more relaxed upper back (between my shoulder blades).  Tiny adjustments make a big difference.

Lately, my left hip has been nagging and unable to right itself out of what I determined via x-ray, to be some kind of tissue-related pain, something that I intuitively understood after sustaining years of injury to my body as a side effect of the sciatic pain that reduced me to a hunched over and crying pregnant woman six-and-a-half years ago.  It eased with the help of chiropractic care, specifically through Active Release Therapy from the Optimum Health Center in Mamaroneck.  Chiropractor, Seth Pearl, ran this second facility (to the main office in Scarsdale) but has since closed that site and consolidated his holistic practice to I-Have-No-Idea-Where.

I’ve consulted with Mamaroneck Acupuncture about this hip injury and received a home exercise program from an orthopedist.  Acupuncturist, Dr. Henry Wu, helped but only diminished the pain -  the exercise instructions remain in a stack of papers in the stacked papers area of my house.

Ellen Patrick seems to have provided the assist needed with very simple stretches and the use of a foam roller – I own one of these, but the trick is just knowing how to use it for maximum benefit. 

“So much more than a yoga studio, The Yoga Sanctuary offers Yoga, Yoga Therapy, Pilates, and Massage Therapy.  An oasis for vitality and tranquility, we offer our students various tools that will help to reduce the stress in their lives and enhance their health and well-being.  Anchored in ancient traditions and validated through modern science, the services we offer are designed to empower and influence each individual's life in a more positive direction.
 
Unique to The Yoga Sanctuary, is our Yoga Therapy progam, which addresses the needs of students on the physical, physiological and psychoemotional levels.  Our highly trained and certified yoga therapist, Ellen Patrick, E-RYT 500, provides group and individual instruction providing for issues ranging from lower back pain to Multiple Sclerosis to anxiety and depression.”

http://www.yogasanctuary.net

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