Brenna
Brenna is a (C-IAYT) Certified Yoga Therapist under the International Association of Yoga Therapists,a Certified ESMT Essential Somatics Movement Teacher, a Certified Pelvic Floor Specialist including Pfilates Therapy, Certified Pre-Post Natal Consultant, Certified Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapist, Meditation for Teens and Adults including I-Rest and Para Yoga Nidra and Mindful Meditation for Children and Teens, Restorative and Yin Yoga, and life coaching. She has been teaching for more than 15 years in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley areas. She does home visits as well as on Line Zoom sessions.
Pre-Natal Yoga Classes
Pre-Natal Yoga classes now offered at Alongside You.
6 week series starting April 5th/17. Class size limited.
Register through: https://www.alongsideyou.ca/yoga-classes/
or call Brenna: 604-369-8785 cell
604-283-7827 Ext 709
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Yoga Therapy and Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapy
Yoga Therapy and Trauma Sensitive Yoga
The power of Yoga Therapy to change lives is what has drawn me to it as a teacher. Starting by working on myself, it gave me back control and quality in life, physically through Yoga Therapy and psychologically through Trauma Sensitive Yoga. Yoga Therapy teaches people how to allow healing to occur. In teaching Yoga Therapy, I am the facilitator of healing, and by getting to the causes and conditions required for healing, allow it to naturally arise once everything is in balance.
What is a Yoga Therapist?
There are spaces in the medical community where Yoga Therapy fits. Part of the job of educating people is to distinguish Yoga Therapy from Studio Yoga, and the good news is, people are becoming curious!
The IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists) has been in place for the last 7 years, and holds an annual conference, at which amazing presenters bring forward new concepts in Yoga Therapy and bring the therapist community together. Dr. Baxter Bell M.D. became a Yoga Therapist as it allows him to treat the entire family. Yoga Therapy supports healthy aging, and can be applied to young and old, middle aged and seniors.
What is Yoga Therapy?
It’s not Studio Yoga. It is an amazing tool that can be taught to a student and be used on their own at home after a few sessions, with success. Any situation that has taken you to a chiropractor, physiotherapist, or a myriad of other physical therapy modalities, can also be treated with Yoga Therapy. You need not be practiced at Yoga. Yoga Therapy comes from a thorough education of the human anatomy, it’s biomechanics, and integration of all systems. The extra, here is the integration of your mind/body connection, it realty is linked. With many physical conditions, there is a corresponding psychological condition, whether it results from; an MVA, Post Partum Depression, Infertility or Urinary incontinence, to name a few.
What is Trauma Sensitive Yoga?
Life is traumatic, just depends on the degree. Yoga, particularly Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TSY) can help us to reconnect and feel at home in our own bodies. It can help us learn to blend our experiences into our daily lives. Through exploring yoga and mindfulness we may be able to better thrive emotionally and in turn, contribute to our own well being, and beyond into our communities. Students learn simple, body-based self-regulation techniques that will help to build resilience in their bodies and better equip them to manage stress, trauma, depression, anxiety and rediscover the true self and feel comfortable in your own skin. Through this gentle yoga practice the internal experience is emphasized, you will be free to make choices in a safe supportive place of embodied empathy and attunement. An ideal adjunct to psychotherapy.
Trauma survivors are often referred by their health care providers to cultivate, “the simple body awareness that makes it possible to gauge, slow down, and hault traumatic hyper-arousal, and to separate past from present (Rothschild, 2000)”
Congratulations to Alongside You!
Congratulations to all my affiliates at Alongside You in Ladner, on winning the Integrated Health Agency award in November.
Follow the link to learn more: https://www.alongsideyou.ca/alongside-now-award-winning-integrated-health-agency/
Yoga and Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapy
Yoga Therapy and Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapy
Brenna designs individualized home Yoga practices for those who want to work more deeply with their therapeutic needs than can be done in a group setting. She asks for a minimum commitment of four 1 1/2 hour sessions, plus a 1 hour follow up $540.00 GST incl.
Brenna does not do medical diagnoses and encourages you to consult with your healthcare provider regarding diagnosis. She works collaboratively with physiotherapists, psychologists, counsellors, chiropractors, massage therapists, Ayurvedic practitioners, and Medical/Naturopathic Doctors to help you assess how Yoga Therapy can be a part of your healing plan. She focuses on understanding the root cause of your problem (Heyam-Hetu) before deciding collaboratively what the goal of the practice is (Hanum) and the makeup of the actual Yoga Therapy practice (Upayam). The first session is primarily exploratory to understand your situation on a physical, energetic, cognitive, psychological level. This is based primarily on you the student's self-assessment of your condition. The second session works on building the Yoga practice and the third is to assess, review, and revise the practice as necessary, and the fourth is to practice. You will be walked through Guided Meditation, that you can learn and practice at home on your own. You can include some Chanting as well if you like.
The most common problems addressed with Yoga Therapy:
Common Aches and Pains: Feet and ankles; knees and hamstrings; hips; lower back; hands and wrists; neck and shoulders; sciatica; etc. Tight Muscles/Fascia/Nerves or Hyperextension (Over flexible/Over stretched ligaments)
Misalignments: Kyphosis (hunch back/rounded shoulders); lordosis (sway back); asymmetries in hips; pronated feet; scoliosis; etc.
Injuries: Whiplash; strained muscles, tendons or ligaments; sprained joints (hips, knees, shoulders, ankles, elbows, wrists); bulging discs, etc.
Post joint replacement surgery: knees; hips; etc.
Weight gain/loss: Obesity and anorexia
Arthritis: Osteoarthritis (OA); Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Digestive Disorders: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD); acid reflux; indigestion; constipation; and diarrhea
Other Chronic Conditions: Carpel tunnel syndrome; Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, (CFS); fibromyalgia; hypo/hypertension (low/high blood pressure); incontinence; insomnia.
Women’s Health: PMS; menstrual irregularities; pregnancy; infertility; menopause
The most common problems addressed with Trauma Sensitive Yoga Therapy
Emotional Health: Chronic anxiety, depression or stress; healing from grief or loss; dealing with trauma or change; traumatic vehicle accidents.
Yoga Therapy for Fertility Workshop
Therapeutic Yoga for Fertility Workshop
Date: Monday September 12, 2016 6:30-9:00 pm
Location: The Village Clinic - #7, 1363 – 56th Street, Tssawwassen
Presenter: Brenna Jacobson, Certified Yoga for Fertility Instructor, Pre-Natal Consultant
Cost: $59/ Single, $79/ Couple + GST, Private sessions available upon request
Register: 778-434-3072, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. min of 4 participant to run the workshop
An introduction to yoga, meditation, self-nurturing, and how it can help you discover ways to support physical health, relieve stress, let go of negative thinking and nourish your reproductive well-being. We will explore:
- Principles of Yoga for fertility: Awareness, Acceptance, Grounding, Centering
- Postures and modifications to guide and support your efforts
- Body awareness – Listening to your body and responding effectively
- Fitness, Active Lifestyle and Core Training for Fertility
- Restorative yoga to open lines of energy through the body, to create harmony and ease
- Relaxation and meditation techniques and breathing
- Creative and positive self-image and practice positive thinking
- All students will receive a handout complete with 30 minute home practice
Have questions, call Brenna at (604) 369-8785 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Yoga Therapy for Fertility Workshop
Yoga For Fertility Workshop
Wednesday May 25th, 6:309:
00pm
Location: Alongside You #
2034840
Delta Street, Ladner
Presenter: Brenna Jacobson, Certified PreNatal
Consultant/Yoga Fertility Instructor
Cost: $49 individuals/ $69 couples (plus GST)
Register: http://bit.ly/YogaFertilityMay2016
Availability: We require a minimum of 3 individuals/couples and a max of 10 to run the workshop. We
will refund all fees if a cancellation occurs and will give as much notice as possible to clients.
An introduction to yoga, meditation and selfnurturing
and how it can help you discover ways to
support physical health, relieve stress, let go of negative thinking and nourish your reproductive
wellbeing.
We will explore:
● Principles of Yoga for fertility: Awareness, Acceptance, Grounding, Centering
● Postures and modifications to guide and support your efforts
● Body awareness – Listening to your body and responding
● Fitness, Active Lifestyle and Core Training for fertility
● Restorative Yoga to open lines of energy through the body and create harmony and ease
● Relaxation and meditation techniques and breathing
● Create a positive selfimage
and practice positive thinking
● All students will receive a handout complete with a 30 minute home practice
Partners are welcome to attend. Private sessions available upon request to provide ongoing
guidance for physical and emotional support.
** Please bring your own yoga mat **
Have questions? Please call Brenna at (604) 2837827
ext. 8 or email
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203 4840
Delta Street, Ladner, BC V4K 2T6 | Phone: 604.283.7827 | Email:
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www.alongsideyou.ca
Bi Weekly Tip
Bi-Weekly pelvic Floor Tip: Pelvic Floor Muscles
Pelvic Floor Muscles: The pelvic floor muscles extend from the pubic symphysis to the sacrum, like a hammock. They provide support for the pelvis and abdominal organs. They also maintain circulation of blood flow and control the leakage of urine. Isolating strengthening these muscles is 80-85% effective in treating urinary incontinence. It is equally important to contract and relax these muscles therefore, in training them, we are wanting to achieve a balance equilibrium. Tight pelvic floor muscles inhibit pelvic movement including your lower back (sacral) area.
How They Work: When you inhale, the diaphragm expands downward, which in turn causes the pelvic floor to move downwards. The reverse being, when you exhale, the diaphragm moves up and the pelvic floor draws up towards your centre. Try a couple of slow deep breaths and try to experience this. If you don’t feel this, you would need to seek assistance on pelvic floor isolation.
Try This: Introduce yourself to your pelvic floor muscles by:
Put a small ball between your thighs and squeeze. Sometimes contracting the adductor muscles of the inner thigh will let you feel the pelvic floor muscles engage.
Squeeze your pee muscle as if to stop the flow of urine.
Draw a line from tailbone to pubic bone and imagine drawing them closer to one another.
Squeeze your glute muscles (buttocks)
Sit on a chair and take 3 deep breaths. Relax your chest and belly. Now squeeze the pee muscles and take another 3 breaths while holding the contraction. When you compare the 2 sets of breaths, if the first set were the same or easier, you are not effectively engaging the pelvic floor. If the second series of breaths feel more challenging, you are probably isolating the pelvic floor muscles and can go ahead and take on pelvic floor conditioning program such as pfilates.
BiWeekly Tip
South Delta Pfilates Therapy: Pelvic Floor Conditioning
Bi-Weekly pelvic Floor Tip: Deep Core Muscles #2 Lumbar Multifidus
Lumbar Multifidus: These deep core muscles are located around the lower spine. A group of muscles that protect and stabilize our lower back and pelvis when we move. If one side is not contracting, or is tight, this may result in low back pain, or risk of injury.
How They Work: Deep core muscles work at a low intensity level 24 hours a day, every day of your life. You will need to adjust your thinking to “quality” rather than the number of reps.
Try This: Introduce yourself to your Lumbar Multifidus by standing tall. Relax your back and abdominal muscles. Place your right thumb on one of the lower (bumps) vertebrae. Roll your thumb to the right and hold it firmly in place. Raise your left arm in front of your body, and begin to move it up and down about 3 inches, keeping the arm straight. You should feel a slight bulging of the multifidus under the thumb as you move the arm..
Repeat this on the left side to ensure that both sides are responding to the arm movement. One side may respond more than the other, but it you don’t feel any swelling sensation on either side, you should consult a pelvic floor physiotherapist.
http://www.southdeltapfilatestherapy.com* This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. *http://www.ladnerbirchtree.com
BiWeekly Tip
Bi-Weekly pelvic Floor Tip: A Functional Core
Let me explain what your true core is. Most often when a client is asked to contract their core, they brace their abdominals, tilt their pelvis or squeeze their glutes. A healthy, active, strong core changes how you feel, makes you stand taller and reduces risks of injuries. Our deep core muscles are working throughout our days. They are engaged when we are lifting groceries, or our children. A fall can create muscle and imbalances in our skeletal systems. Pregnancy causes factors that can destabilize our backs and pelvis, by weakening or stretching the pelvic floor.
The Core Muscles: Core muscles are located around the spine and pelvis. They protect and stabilize our bodies, protect our lower back and pelvis when we move. This may result in low back pain, or urinary incontinence and poor posture. Pelvic floor rehabilitation exercises are very subtle, but extremely powerful and effective in rebuilding your pelvic floor.
How it Works: Deep core muscles work at a low intensity level 4 hours a day, every day of your life. Once you learn the exercises you can incorporate equipment like a fitness ball to increase the number of muscles used. You will need to adjust your thinking to “quality” rather than the number of reps.
What are they called: Transversus Abdominus (TVA): The deepest of the abdominal muscles. It stabilizes the back and pelvis during movement. Weak TVA results in tummy pooch, and results in our using “cheater muscles”, tightening our glutes, or bracing our outer abdominal muscles. Often referred to as our ‘natural girdle”.
Try This: Introduce yourself to your TVA by standing tall, and cough a few times. Press your fingers flat just below your belly. You should feel your TVA contract. Don’t worry if you don’t feel it right away, it can take some experimentation.
I will cover the other 3 Deep Core Muscles over the next 3 Tips.
Pelvic floor specialist Brenna Jacobson RFP, Cert Pfilates, Pre-post Natal Fitness Consultant, Cell 604-369-8785
http://www.southdeltapfilatestherapy.com* This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. *http://www.ladnerbirchtree.com