Brenna
Brenna is a (C-IAYT) Certified Yoga Therapist under the International Association of Yoga Therapists, a Certified Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation Specialist including Pfilates Therapy, Certified Pre-Post Part Consultant, Certified Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapist, with other specialties, Meditation for Teens and Adults including I-Rest and Para Yoga Nidra and Mindful Meditation for Children and Teens, Restorative and Yin Yoga, and integrates Ayurveda Lifestyle life coaching. She has been teaching for more than 8 years in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley areas. She does home visits that include small groups and privates or teaches from her small studio.
Therapeutic Yoga For Chronic Pain Care
What is chronic pain? This term is tossed around so freely nowadays. I don’t think there is one person who isn’t themselves affected or knows someone who uses this term regularly in describing themselves or a situation.
According to Neil Pearson, who teaches at UBC, lectures worldwide, and has been working exclusively with patients who suffer from chronic pain for over 20 years, “Scientists explain aspects of chronic pain through explanations of neuro-immune plasticity. They are able to show that when pain persists there are relatively permanent changes in neural and immune systems and cells. The problem is that attempting to change these back takes effort, practice and patience. Our efforts are required, to rewrite this story and to create lasting ‘positive’ neuro-immune changes. … And most include disruptions of breathing and muscle tension. For many of us when the story has continued to play for some time, it includes changes in our feelings of competence, difficulties in letting go of tension, being out of balance in life, being disconnected from our life’s purpose, and as such, if we direct our yoga practices (or any contemplative movement practice) towards these, we can rewrite the story.”
Persistent, chronic pain requires a different approach for healing than acute pain which usually goes away eventually on its own.
What Yoga Therapy provides is an individualized practice specifically aimed at your needs.This requires you to view ‘Yoga therapy’ as more resembling a physical and/or rehabilitation process, not a studio style practice, and also includes integration of practices for mind and breath.
Students are taught to experience their practice from the inside out. It’s not about how it looks on the outside, it’s how it feels on the inside.
Viniyoga™ methodology specialist Gary Kraftsow is part of the lineage that I am practicing under. Several principles that differentiate this method and create its effectiveness in the healing process, include:
Somatic Experience - practicing and feeling from the inside out, not focusing on what you look like on the outside, and befriending your body
Moving with your breath – allowing your body and breath to move in unison, learning to follow your breath
Repetition and Stay- the choice to move in and out of a shape or pose, or hold it for several breaths depending on your comfort level
Individual Sequencing- collaborative approach where you and your teacher create a practice that is unique to your needs, and make appropriate changes as you progress.
The physical part (asana) portion of your practice uses a technique of empowering you to check in with your body before and during a posture. First, by going to the edge of pain, that is your baseline, where you start from. This prevents the sympathetic nervous system [SNS] from firing up, thinking you are going into a place of pain or danger and tightening up even more. You will find yourself forming new habits such as to ask yourself “Is this safe, am I going to increase pain, is this working for me, am I ok here? By always starting from a place of comfort, listening to your body rather than to generalized cues, and by working through a complete practice in this way, you will begin to change your perceptions of your pain, and notice as it decreases. You will learn breathing practices to integrate relaxation and create the space for your body to move into. Your movement will eventually follow your breath. You will practice breath awareness, noticing the quality of your breath. Your thoughts are reflected in the quality of your breath and your breath is a reflection of the quality of your thoughts.
You will learn positive Mindful Techniques to change how you perceive your pain and start to work from a place of comfort. You can move away from the painful story toward a place of feeling comfortable in your body again, and reconnect with your true self.
This may also involve surrounding yourself with positive minded friends and supportive people, or joining a group of others who also want to play a meaningful role in their personal healing.
Restorative Yoga posesare vital to bringing the body into the ‘Relaxation Response’, whereby the parasympathetic nervous system [PNS] replaces the “fight, flight or freeze” state of the SNS, taking you to a place of deeper relaxation where healing of body and mind can take place.
Studies are ongoing in support of evidence based knowledge regarding Therapeutic Yoga.
In the International Journal of Yoga Therapy [IJYT], No.26, 2016, Mindful Yoga Pilot Study Shows Modulation of Abnormal Pain Processing in Fibromyalgia Patients, J.W. Carson et al. report that their “program showed significantly greater improvements on standardized measures of fibromyalgia symptoms and functioning, including pain, fatigue, stiffness, poor sleep, depression anxiety as well as improvements in measure of relaxation, acceptance and vigor…
In my teaching of therapeutic yoga, I have witnessed the physical and lifestyle benefits in my clients. I am currently midway through my Certification of 1000 hours as a Yoga Therapist, (CYT) with Maggie Reagh, founder of Yoga Therapy International, and look forward to many years of service to those who are searching for a path to healing. With loving self-awareness and compassion for yourself, learning to listen to your body’s whispers so thatit won’t need to scream, and letting your body know it’s OK to let go and BREATHE, you will come to know that you are not your pain! Listen to your body more than you listen to your pain.
Pelvic Wellness
Pelvic Wellness: Foundational Core and Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation
Protocol for an individually designed Core program of physical therapies:
Assessment to identify hypertonic, tight, or hypotonic loose muscles- Applying Release strategies for large muscles; psoas, piriformis, sciatic etc.
- Assessing other commonly related physical issues including: lumbar, spinal, sacroiliac, hip or sciatic pain, incontinence, prolapse, DRA diastasis recti abdominus, scoliosis, as well as digestive, sexual and menstrual difficulties.
- Using core physical therapy techniques to retrain the deep core muscles.
- Using Therapeutic Yoga techniques, begin working on any of the above-mentioned physical issues, by stabilizing and aligning of the back, hips and pelvis to create a healthy core foundation and environment for the organs.
- In the final phase, integrate strengthening of the pelvic floor (PF) muscles by using a combination of Therapeutic Yoga and (PF) Pfilates Therapy, in order to strengthen the pelvic area and deep core muscles.
This process involves much more than just ‘kegels’, and is often misunderstood and undertaught.
You will be provided with the knowledge and tools to take home to keep and practice confidently on your own!
Instructor: Brenna Jacobson, (C-IAYT) Certified Yoga Therapist
Pelvic Floor Pfilates Cert Teacher/Trainer (10 yrs experience)
Cert Pre-Post Natal Consultant
Mindfulness Meditation Workshop
WCW World Continence Week
WCW - World Continence Week
World Continence Week
World Continence Week since it’s inception in Cairo in 2008, Monday – Sunday in the last week of June.
It is estimated that incontinence affects approximately 400 million people worldwide. Historially people didn’t talk about their symptoms, find it too personal, embarrassing, or thinking their was something different or wrong with their bodies, in the form of nvoluntary leakage.
The purpose of World Continence Week is to increase public awareness and enourage people to
Educate themselves, but talking to a friend or family member, a doctor or healthcare provider, a professional who specializes in pelvic floor health and rehabilitation. Incontinence issues can affect self image, self confidene and quality of life.
So, now that you know you are definitely not alone, or different in some weird way, you may consider taking the first small step, get curious, seek help.
The good news is it’s never too late to to retrain the pelvic floor and associated muscular system. These muscles are no different than others, they respond to strength training programs and techniques, as well as release techniques. Yes, your pelvic floor muscles can be hypertonic (too tight) and need releasing before retraining. People automatically think incontinene is due to hypotonic (weak muscles) which often it is, if you are not an athletic person.
In honor of World Continence Week, we at Alongside You, are promoting pelvic health, and offering our 6 week Progressive Series for pelvic floor rehabilitation by retraining and conditioning . Bookings taken from Starting July 1st, 2017..
There is help available, take the first step!
Brenna Jacobson,
Pelvic Floor Specialty, Yoga Therapy (250)
Pre-post Natal Consultant
Pre-Natal Yoga - "The Greatest Gift a mother gives her family is a commitment to her own self-care
Pre-Natal Yoga – “The greatest gift a mother gives her family is a commitment to her own self-care” Cheryl Richardson.com
“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." and so in you the child your mother lives on and through your family continues to live... so at this time look after yourself and your family as you would your mother for through you all she will truly never die.”― OshoShree Rajneish
Caught your interest? Tell me more you ask!
Pre-natal Yoga can provide the tools to access and connect to all the resources you have to birth your baby. You, as a mother can unite with your breath, body, inner knowing, and the new life you are carrying inside.
Coming to a Pre-natal Yoga Class can help you check in with how you are feeling. It’s an opportunity to make new mom friends. Pregnancy can be an isolating experience. Aside from the relaxing and physical experience, your “Mom Tribe” can come together, discuss feeling, fears, release emotions that may be building, and share resources . Pre-natal Yoga is also about building strong, capable and competent mothers, who are preparing to face some of the major changes ahead, for example in relationships, like with the father, who may have been enjoying an exclusive relationship with you, prior to the 1st born.
What other ways can Pre-natal Yoga help me?
Pre-natal Yoga can provide benefits on every possible level. Physical, mental, and spiritual bonding with the baby, balancing hormones, learning pain coping techniques, learning self-regulation through stress reduction and the nervous system and conscious relaxation (relaxation on purpose)!
Practical application of Pre-natal Yoga knowledge:
It can help you have a powerful birth experience and help you to feel inspired and empowered, by overcoming fears about the birthing process. You will learn about contraindicated poses, (whether to avoid or do in a gentler manner) or to avoid altogether.
Breathing Techniques: Can provide pain relief, control energy, teach you to find a focal point, and work syncronistically with the challenges of labor and childbirth, connecting the body and the mind.
But I’ve never done yoga before?
You can safely begin a pre-natal yoga practice at any point through your pregnancy as long as you have clearance from your care giver. You will be free to modify your poses with whatever props you want, and your teacher will give you lots of safe options, pretty much to delivery.
You’re not done yet! And You’re not alone!
This is just the beginning of your yoga journey. Once your body has had a chance to recover from delivery, you can progress to your Post-partum Yoga.
But I have already been through everything, what else is there?
Delivery of that lovely baby is just the beginning of the journey. You now responsible for this new little life. You may feel a desire to reintegrate with your Post-natal Tribe. You have all gone through a unique experience, and now have a series of new experiences to come, in common. You share in a spiritual companionship with other women. You build a community of moms, sharing new resources, building confidence in yourselves as moms. You may be feeling blue, or even mildly depressed, often simply due to lack of sleep. This is not uncommon. Not to mention the physical rebuilding of pelvic core strength, regaining core strength and stability. Repairing your posture, and maybe losing a few pounds. There are other physical issues you may need to deal with, slight urinary incontinence, diastasis recti abdominus (DRA) which often presents as “Mummy Tummy”
What better place to unwind, revitalize and “let go” and find that sense of belonging, than in the safe environment of your Post-natal Yoga class, with your fellow moms, your Yoga Tribe.
Brenna Jacobson (RYT 250)
Certified Pre-Natal Consultant
Yoga Therapy & Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapy in Practice Part 2
Case Study #3: – Previous student of yoga for many years. No longer able to practice due to fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, resulting tension in jaw & neck. An example of how what happens in the mind, is reflected in the body.
Results after 3 mos. Using Combination of Physical Yoga Therapy and Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapy Techniques:
- Noticeable decrease in anxiety. The client demonstrates a lighter presence where there used to be heaviness
- Release techniques have greatly reduced the jaw and neck tension
- Gentle therapeutic program, designed for client’s particular needs, has allowed for a return to home-based practice, resulting in becoming comfortable in one’s body, and eventually returning to group sessions
- Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapy Breathing techniques and guided meditation to rest the body and mind, enables the client to stabilize and stay grounded
- Gain key ability to tune in and listen to one’s body in order to be able to self-regulate at first sign of tension, anxiety and stress
- Letting go of anxiety and tension using gentle therapeutic yoga practice, the aches from the fibromyalgia have decreased due to improved circulation, and the release of uptight muscles and joints.
By Brenna Jacobson (RFP)
Yoga Therapy & Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapy in Practice Part 1
Yoga Therapy and Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapy in Practice
Gentle Vehicles for Healing
Case Studies Bases on Real Life Experiences:
Case Study #1: Ten year old MVA – Resulting in the following chronic symptoms:
1. Soft tissue injury in upper back and neck, exacerbated by a fall onto the left elbow.
Results after 1month, Using Physical Yoga Therapy and Techniques:
- Easing of pain in shoulder, which has resulted in improved sleep at night
- Greater mobility in movement of shoulders and arms
- Greater mobility and range of motion in neck
- Improved posture
- Improved mobility in hips
2. Arthritis in facet joints, brought on by MVA:
Results after 1month, Using Gentle Yoga Therapy and Techniques:
- Nurture and maintenance of spine flexibility
These improvements have resulted in client having more energy, and mental clarity being free from the exhausting pain, now knowing and having the ability to self-regulate and correct as necessary. Client will move forward with back strengthening techniques, but for now just enjoying being relatively pain free.
Case Study #2: Lung surgery in adolescence – Resulting in severe Apnea until present age of early 60ies, including misaligned left shoulder and hip due to compensating for breathing imbalance.
Results after 2 ½ mos. Using Combination of Physical Yoga Therapy and Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapy Techniques:
- no longer anticipating the next breath
- improved posture, increased lung capacity for the breath
- shoulder position greatly corrected with posture
- increased left hip mobility with greater range of motion
- client demonstrates greater confidence and a lighter, happier state of being
Alongside You Offers Kids Yoga
Alongside You now offereing Yoga for Kids!
Classes held over spring break, with special introductory offers.
Register on line:
https://www.alongsideyou.ca/yoga-classes/
For more info: Contact Brenna
brenna@alongsideyou.ca
604-369-8785 cell or 604-283-7827