Why Meditation and Yoga for traumatic brain injury?I think of survivors of brain injuries like an aloe plant. Even though the exterior may be ruff and hard to handle, the inside is full of good stuff.
During my second year post stroke, my Neurologist, Christopher Nicolas suggested yoga as as way to increase balance and flexibility, and to deal with migraine headaches. Yoga, having the ability to be adaptive, gentle and restorative is the perfect exercise to enhance learning and memory. Yoga, in and of itself has a very mindful component which in theory should assist the neuroplasticity in the brain. These new neural pathways form to allow the brain to regain critical function post stroke or other brain injury. So, I started slowly while I had to take a break from rehab for insurance purposes. Meditation was already apart of my healing process as I was doing "body scanning" to send healing energy to those parts of my body that needed it the most. When I started back into formal physical therapy, my balance, strength and flexibility had improved, even though the same pains remained in various degrees. What I noticed most during this time was meditation helped me deal with the pain I was not able to escape. As my practice increased, I was introduced to a yoga teacher training for educator. Having been a former pre-k educator, and having seen various body sizes and abilities in their presentation video, I applied and was accepted. I completed a 200 hour Yoga Alliance approved yoga teacher training to increase my knowledge, practice and teach others. Services I provide to individuals or to a group are:
What I don't do are inversions, jumping, long held poses unless supported and on the floor. |
 
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