In modern society, ‘Yoga’ has taken on many definitions, forms, variations, and styles. Yoga is essentially a spiritual discipline (or philosophy) based on an extremely subtle science, which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. Popular culture has borrowed or pulled this one piece out of the ancient Yogic philosophy and refers to it as ‘Yoga.’ The third limb of the 8 Limbs of Yoga, as it is referred to in Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, is Asana. Asana means a steady and comfortable ‘posture(s)’ designed to focus the mind and calm the nerves and allow one to enter a deep meditative state. Only when the body is healthy and the mind one-pointed and inward does a person have a chance to discover the inner dimensions of life. This self-discovery is the essence of spiritual practice.

According to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, there is an eight-fold path leading to liberation, known as the ‘Ashtanga Yoga System’ or ‘Eight Limbs of Yoga.’

1. YAMA – Restraints, moral disciplines or moral vows.
2. NIYAMA – Positive duties or observances.
3. ASANA – Posture.
4. PRANAYAMA – Breathing Techniques.
5. PRATYAHARA – Sense withdrawal.
6. DHARANA – Focused Concentration.
7. DHYANA – Meditative Absorption.
8. SAMADHI – Bliss or Enlightenment.

The first four limbs are concerned with our external world—the way we react to situations physically, how we handle our personal responsibilities, and whether we notice how often our emotions influence our external actions.

Once we become more aware of the outside world’s influence on our anxiety, we can start to regulate our thoughts more effectively and explore the higher limbs.

Instead of focusing outward, the last four limbs help us reflect on our inner world, learn to recognize anxious thoughts, concentrate on them, and from there, accept their presence.

Hatha. Hatha yoga focuses on posture and breathing techniques, traditionally to channel vital energy source.

Ashtanga. Ashtanga is based on ancient yoga teachings, but it was popularized and brought to the West by K. Pattabhi Jois in the 1970s. It’s a rigorous style of yoga that follows a specific sequence of postures and is similar to vinyasa yoga, as each style links every movement to a breath. The difference is that Ashtanga always performs the exact same poses in the exact same order.

Vinyasa. Vinyasa is a Sanskrit word for a phrase that roughly translates as “to place in a special way,” referring—in hatha yoga—to a sequence of poses.

Kundalini. The Kundalini system of Yoga is concerned with the awakening of the psychic centers or chakras. According to Shaivism, there is a divine masculine energy that takes the form of Shiva and a divine feminine energy that takes the form of Shakti. Shiva symbolizes consciousness, the masculine principle. ShaktiI symbolizes the feminine principle, the activating power. Both Shiva and Shakti are alive in both men and women. Kriyas are practiced to help awaken & prepare the body for the movement of Kundalini Shakti energy through the chakras, from the root chakra, or Muladhara, upward toward the crown chakra, or Sahasrara.

Tantra. Traditional Tantra is a moving meditation. Traditional tantra yoga isn’t sexual, but it is deeply tied to the concept of pleasure and learning to become truly in tune with your body.

After our first session, we will have a better understanding of the flow in and around your energy centers and how they might be affecting your current state of mind and body. Then, we can devise a home practice to help alleviate energy blockages/overactivity to encourage a more balanced sense of awareness in both body and mind as well as loosening the hold anxiety may have on your daily life. 

The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of non-communicable disease (NCD) deaths are due to four main disease types: cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory diseases. Unfortunately, lifestyle is the major causative factor in NCDs, including tobacco use, sedentary lifestyle, lack of regular exercise, unhealthy diets, and chronic psychosocial stress. Chronic inflammation and stress is a common factor of many of the NCDs and an area where yoga has been found to be extremely beneficial.

Recent research has shown that yogic and mindfulness-based practices can positively impact the body in many ways, including helping to regulate blood glucose levels and keeping the cardiovascular system healthy. It also has been shown to have important psychological benefits, as the practice of yoga can help to increase alertness and positive feelings and decrease negative feelings of aggressiveness, depression, and anxiety. Some healthcare providers are responding to these positive findings—as well as the growing patient demand for an alternative approach to wellness that is natural, low-tech, relatively inexpensive, and generally very safe—by incorporating medical yoga into their practices 

Source: National Library of Medicine.

Yes, I offer both. Check our event calendar for upcoming group sessions. Private sessions can be booked singularly or in a series of private sessions at a discounted rate.

International Association of Reiki Professionals says…According to the website of the International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP), Reiki doesn’t cure anything. It does however help “get to the root cause of a condition” and create the best environment “for the body to heal.”  In short, Reiki can help the body heal itself.

Science says…The National Library of Medicine reviews the available clinical studies of Reiki to determine whether there is evidence for Reiki provides more than just a placebo effect. The available English-language literature on Reiki was reviewed, specifically for peer-reviewed clinical studies with more than 20 participants in the Reiki treatment arm, controlling for a placebo effect. Of the 13 suitable studies, 8 demonstrated Reiki being more effective than a placebo, 4 found no difference but had questionable statistical resolving power, and only one provided clear evidence for not providing benefit. Viewed collectively, these studies provide reasonably strong support for Reiki being more effective than a placebo. From the information currently available, Reiki is a safe and gentle “complementary” therapy that activates the parasympathetic nervous system to heal the body and mind. It has the potential for broader use in the management of chronic health conditions, and possibly in postoperative recovery. Research is needed to optimize the delivery of Reiki.

What I’ve personally experienced... I come from a family of science. My father is a medical doctor (family practitioner/OBGYN) and my mother is an RN. If you were to ask me 15 years ago if I believed that Reiki was an effective tool for healing, I would have probably said no. Today, I feel differently. I still have a firm grounding in science but I also have experienced how Reiki has not only affected my clients but also myself. When combined with other modalities, I’ve never experienced a truer form of healing. Once I allowed myself to break free of limited beliefs and influence from the outer world, I could experience just how powerful the ability to ‘self-heal’ could be.

Before any energy healing session, I like to begin with a shared brief guided meditation and grounding exercise. This helps us both relax, soften feelings of anxiety, and connect energetically. Next, I use my hands to scan the body and energy centers to detect blockages or overactivity.

Because every session is different, I then take intuitive/instinctual directives from my higher self as well as how your energy channels in the subtle body choose to reveal themselves to my higher awareness. This could include sonic vibrations emitted from a tuning fork or custom-formulated aromatic blends designed to stimulate a particular energy center.

Finally, I perform a traditional Reiki energy healing session to encourage shifts in & around the following 7 Chakra energy centers.

1. Root Chakra (Muladhara) – Base of spine, in tailbone area.
2. Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana) – Lower abdomen, about 2 inches below the navel.
3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura) – Upper abdomen in the stomach area.
4. Heart Chakra (Anahata) – Center of the chest, just above the heart.
5. Throat Chakra (Vishuddha) – Throat.
6. Third-Eye Chakra (Ajna) – Forehead between the eyes.
7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) – The very top of the head.

Everyone is different and experiences Reiki in their own unique way. My only suggestion is to go into a session with an open mind. Just like life, try to be open to a new experience.

Leave expectations and other people’s personal Reiki experiences parked outside. You are a unique and magnificent in your own way and deserve to experience the healing potential of Reiki in the same measure.

Let go of the wheel and trust the power you already have within you.

In short, it’s helped me cut out the bullshit and become more aware of what really matters. Meditation has softened self-limiting beliefs and self-doubt. Instead of blocking negative thoughts, I’ve learned to simply ‘let them go.’

Have you ever tried to conceptualize just how much time we spend ‘thinking?’ Thinking about who we are, thinking about what we are going to do, thinking about how to go about doing what we’ve been thinking about doing, thinking about how we might fail, thinking about the people who have hurt us, thinking about what we’re going to do about it…and so on, and so on.

That’s a lot of thinking and A LOT of time spent living on the ‘outside’. Now, imagine what it might be like if we weren’t limited by our thoughts. If we brought out attention inward. I can tell you from personal experience, it’s life-changing.

Meditation can literally unravel our thinking brain and guide us back to who we are. Who we REALLY are.

Before any energy healing session, I like to begin with a shared brief guided meditation and grounding exercise. This helps us both relax, soften feelings of anxiety, and connect energetically. Next, I use my hands to scan the body and energy centers to detect blockages or overactivity.

Because every session is different, I then take intuitive/instinctual directives from my higher self as well as how your energy channels in the subtle body choose to reveal themselves to my higher awareness. This could include sonic vibrations emitted from a tuning fork or custom-formulated aromatic blends designed to stimulate a particular energy center.

Finally, I perform a traditional Reiki energy healing session to encourage shifts in & around the following 7 Chakra energy centers.

1. Root Chakra (Muladhara) – Base of spine, in tailbone area.
2. Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana) – Lower abdomen, about 2 inches below the navel.
3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura) – Upper abdomen in the stomach area.
4. Heart Chakra (Anahata) – Center of the chest, just above the heart.
5. Throat Chakra (Vishuddha) – Throat.
6. Third-Eye Chakra (Ajna) – Forehead between the eyes.
7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) – The very top of the head.

This is something I hear expressed quite frequently. I struggled with meditation when I first started my practice, and at times I still struggle.

The key to meditation is meeting yourself where you are and being patient with yourself. The act of just ‘showing up’ for yourself and trying is a powerful first step.

In a ‘Just Innergy’ session, I will guide you through a grounding meditation that you can practice at home. During your session, I will better understand where you might have energy blockages and can walk you through another meditation to assist with keeping the energy flow balanced at home.