It begins with the body. It’s the physical body that is the medium, providing fertile ground for exploring. And “exploration” is exactly what takes place by attending to the inner experience of what is happening – moment to moment – in the body as well as in emotions, thoughts and in the connection to what feels greater than all these put together.
You might wonder how this happens. Essentially, it is through an amazing process of noticing sensations, memories, feelings, words and phrases, colors and images that surface as the body is moved and supported in postures and patterns. As this occurs, the Witness (the Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy practitioner) allows the client to explore whatever is noticed, spoken or not. While the focus of the client throughout the session is inward, the practitioner provides physical safety, active listening and an invitation to explore whatever shows up at the edge of awareness.
I want to say, “That’s all there is to it,” but one must appreciate that simplicity can only truly exist when there is a solid foundation beneath it.
At the core, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy is a process, not a protocol or a treatment. It is a relational process guided and supported by the practitioner in which the client interacts with himself, navigating his inner body experiences. This way of being with a client is based on a two-fold path: one that incorporates the eight limbs of yoga, anatomy, body mechanics and verbal skills and a second that develops the skills of mindfulness, compassion, intention and appreciation for whatever happens. The core combines both; the practitioner combines both.
Simply put, the process facilitates the client staying in the present experience of his body as he explores what’s happening now, in that moment. It all happens for the client from the inside out – enabled by the Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy practitioner. And while the therapy session moves forward from beginning to end, the take-away is created by the client, never prescribed or taught by the practitioner.
A Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy practitioner is so much more than a teacher or a healer, emerging out of a process that is based on the fact that human beings have the capacity to heal themselves. They require only fertile ground and a climate that promotes healing and change to occur. What can happen then is truly amazing…
