Parts Work and Yoga Therapy
My new 6-week series, Somatic Immersion: A Yoga Therapy Journey, starts next Tuesday, October 7!!! Through movement, breathwork and meditation, we'll explore a body/mind/brain conversation that will lead to both insight and a felt sense of safety, and connection.
I'll be working with some of the frameworks I use in my individual and group yoga therapy sessions. Last week I shared a bit about yoga therapy and self-compassion and this week I'll share how to bring "parts work" into your yoga practice. I hope you'll join me for the upcoming Somatic Immersion!
Here's where we're going in today's newsletter - feel free to scroll down accordingly:
1. Somatic Immersion: A Yoga Therapy Journey
2. Getting to know all of your "parts"
3. A little Pando/aspen beauty
#1 Somatic Immersion:
A Yoga Therapy Journey
Six Weeks
Tuesdays, October 7 - November 11
Choose from 3 options or mix and match:
In-person in Salt Lake City
Zoom
Self-paced
#2 Parts Work and Yoga Therapy
You may be familiar with parts work through the lens of Internal Family Systems, a therapeutic modality that identifies "parts" of ourselves in order to resolve internal conflicts and foster greater inner harmony.
But my experience with parts work began when I started studying yoga therapy in 1999. In that context, I learned to have a conversation with my body by noticing what different parts of my body were trying to tell me and sometimes even what they were trying to tell each other.
Let me give you an example that you can try right now if you like. Make your way into a comfortable shape and take a minute to settle in. Then draw an imaginary line down the center of your body. Bring your attention into your right side and notice what you notice. Maybe there's a general sensation or an emotion that arises, or a quality or image that describes your right side. You could simply notice that or you could dive in a little deeper - get curious about the sensations, thoughts, emotions and images that arise and say something to your right side like, tell me more. And then notice what other sensations, emotions, thoughts and images arise.
And then you could settle into the left side and notice what you notice. Ask yourself, what's happening now? What sensations, thoughts, and emotions arise? Is there a quality or image that describes or represents this side in some way? Are they different than or similar to the right side?
You could even ask each side if they have something to say to the other side and a conversation might ensue. If you haven't tried anything like this before, it can feel strange or even silly at first. And like anything the more you practice, the easier it gets. But truly, it is an amazing way to learn more about yourself and what's happening below the surface.
One of the things we learn from this experience is that different parts of ourselves are sometimes in conflict. We can have one part that is more protective, more interested in staying safe and another part that wants to take a risk but can't quite make it happen. Being in conversation with these parts can help us understand ourselves - understand what our different parts need to feel safe. And when we bring self-compassion (read last weeks blog for more on that front), to ALL of the parts, we often come to an internal understanding that helps us cultivate a felt sense of safety and connection which in turn helps us to be more engaged and more joyful.
AND, these kinds of conversations, layered with compassion, can help us to more deeply understand our nervous systems - what dysregulates us and brings us into fight, flight or freeze, and what regulates us and brings us into rest and digest (check out the first blog in this 3-part series for more).
As a yoga therapist and instructor, I have been developing and teaching mind/body and trauma sensitive practices for over 20 years. And over these many years, I have found that there are particular frameworks that are most helpful in both the healing process and the simply figuring how to live in this world process.
In my upcoming Somatic Immersion Series, we'll explore nervous system regulation, self-compassion, parts work, and more. I hope you'll join me!
If you are curious about yoga therapy, please join me in October or schedule an individual session with me.
If you have questions or want to learn more about yoga therapy in general feel free to email me or check out my yoga therapy page.
#3 Pando Love
This last weekend, I spent two days in "The Pando", the largest living organism in the world. This is one giant aspen grove made up of "clones", each tree genetically identical to the next. These trees share a root system and support one another. When one thrives, they all thrive. How's that for a metaphor in these tumultuous times???
What beauty have you seen lately that has stopped you in your tracks? I'd love to know!
As always, if I can answer any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.
Sending so much love your way,
Rachel