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CONDUIT - from the Old French “to bring together”. I . LOVE . WORDS I am doing a lot of reading these days - articles, books, old issues of Yoga Therapy magazines. In one of these places (I can’t remember which), I came across the word ‘conduit’. It was used in a sentence “conduit for your own healing”, and I do remember the topic was Yoga Therapy. Part of the challenge of this field I’ve entered - Yoga Therapy - is that it is new and that makes it difficult to explain clearly and understandably; especially since the practice of Yoga has been around for a LONG time (thousands of years and for 100+ years here in the U.S.). For some yoga is exercise or stretching; many practice yoga for its spiritual meaning; and others for physical and mental wellbeing — there is no right or wrong way, because all of these reasons offer a doorway to self-awareness. “conduit for your own healing” - think about it. . . Using that phrasing, I can succinctly tell people why I am here, what Yoga Therapy is about and why I chose to expand my knowledge base and open an office to work with individuals. When I began my yoga practice 23 years ago, I had little knowledge of my body. Over the years and through many hours of training, reading, self exploration, I learned more and more about the miracle of a shoulder blade moving side to side on my upper back; the strength of the IT band, the power (and fragility) of our hips, etc., etc. To the point where I now speak in terms like “maintain tension in the strap as you release the leg; your hamstrings will appreciate it” — as though my hamstrings were my best friends! I’ve developed a relationship with my body that for the first 48 years went unknown and unexplored. Now, as I step into this new-to-me role of Yoga Therapist, I view myself as a ‘conduit’. A bridge between an individual and his/her body - to include physical, breath, emotions, feelings, struggles, challenges, and accomplishments. We all have the option to learn more about ourselves. The alternative is to take the body/breath/mind & emotions for granted. Going hither and yon in search of quick fixes, when - perhaps - the tools to find the doorway to our own healing is at our fingertips. I’ve heard the phrase ‘nothing is one and done’; so it goes in Yoga Therapy - a Yoga Therapist works with clients as their conduit to a mutually-created plan offering movement, healing, support, comfort - all in support of resilience (the ability of a person to adjust to or recover readily from illness, injury, adversity, major life challenges, etc.). It takes time, but the rewards of participating in one’s healing journey are priceless. Thoughts? Take care, Leslie
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