Yoga as Therapy: understanding and addressing the sources of pain

PRESENTATION

Learn to understand the sources of pain — emotional as well as physical — and what yoga has to offer in response. Doug will weave together the insights and tools of contemporary biomechanical understanding and assessment techniques, the contributions of Ayurveda and its system of Marma Therapy, and the asana and pranayama practices of hatha yoga. The intensive builds on Doug’s Yoga as Therapy intensive from 2008, but attendance at that intensive is not a pre-requisite for this.

We will begin with a combined look at issues surrounding the sacrum and low back, and the sources and role of emotional pain. This will provide the starting point for progressing into a full spectrum treatment of yoga’s approach to pain, including chronic conditions.

Specific areas which we will study will include:

• the ayurvedic understanding of the roots of emotional discomfort - both in relation to memory and the role of the 'rasas' - and how yoga approaches this. This will include a look into the Marma points, or Ayurvedic pressure points, most related to releasing emotional and associated physical pain, and how knowledge of these points plays a role in guiding our asana and pranayama practice. This will include initial insights into chronic conditions such as MS and Parkinson’s, as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

• the sacrum and SI joints: the alignment and movement of the sacrum and hip bones, and the network of ‘sutras’ that support all forms of movement, will provide the biomechanical touchstone for the training. The freedom of movement practised in yoga provides the key to stability and integrity in the pelvic girdle that extends to pain-free movement in the rest of the body.

• trigger-happy hips: a look at muscle pain in and around the hip joints and the various kinds of ‘trigger-point’ pain that can arise in the gluteals and elsewhere, as well as tightness which can limit range of motion. We’ll get quite specific on the anatomy and also on the types of actions in postures that provide solutions. We’ll look deeply into the link between such insights into trigger point pain and the more extensive teachings of Marma therapy, including a look into the deeper therapeutic benefits of work with marma points, specifically in conjunction with hatha yoga practice.

• breath and core actions: through guided asana, we will explore the myofascial ‘sutras’ constituting the ‘core’, notably the psoas and supportive muscles such as the transverse abdominals, with an eye to addressing back and neck issues, detailing specific actions needed to provide this core support, including the practice of the breath and bandhas.

• an eye for trouble - assessing posture: we will go into greater depth in assessing postural patterns connected to specific joint and muscle problems, and how to develop a programme of sequenced asanas to address them, especially with regard to joint and muscular problems in the feet, ankles, knees and hips. Emphasis will be on targeted series of postures and exercises with specific actions in each. Hip, knee and sacral issues connected with the ‘shorter leg’ syndrome as well as scoliosis will be addressed.

• atlas unburdened: the shoulders: key points of alignment and action for the shoulders, including inversions, followed by an in-depth look at the shoulders, including the anatomy of the muscles and their function; associated neck, shoulder and arm pain that can arise from imbalances; and the marma points activated and balanced through proper practice. The anatomy will be placed in the context of the ‘Shoulder Sutras,’ and specific actions in asanas and stretches associated with each — addressing muscle pain in the neck, shoulders and chest, as well as rotator cuff and ‘frozen shoulder’ problems.

• the big picture: ayurvedic insights into hatha yoga sequencing: the Ayurvedic system of ‘Marma Therapy’ provides the ‘missing link’ in understanding much of the logic behind the sequencing of hatha yoga postures to address both imbalances in the doshas and muscular imbalances. This session will give you a template for sequencing your own or your students’ practice in order to derive the greatest benefit from it, and will give you a strong feeling for your own flexibility in your options for practice, as well as a confidence in your own intuition with regard to the principles of Ayurveda.

Doug Keller’s background reflects a lifelong commitment to studying, imbibing and sharing the vast field of knowledge and practice known as yoga. After degrees in philosophy from Georgetown and Fordham Universities in the United States, and teaching philosophy at college level for several years, Doug pursued his ‘post-graduate’ education in the practical experience of yoga at the Siddha meditation ashram in India for seven years, and spent a total of 14 years doing service, practising, training in and teaching yoga in Siddha meditation ashrams worldwide. He received intensive training in the Iyengar system, practised Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, and became one of the first certified Anusara yoga teachers, producing three highly respected books on asana, pranayama and yoga philosophy. His work has since taken him beyond the confines of the Anusara system.

Doug’s teaching is rooted in a vast and inclusive perspective of study and practice that honours the insights of the many streams of wisdom that flow into the river of yoga. He is a regular visitor to Yogacampus, where he has received excellent reviews for the usefulness and depth of the topics he has covered over the years, and for his humour and wisdom. He travels and teaches extensively in both the US and Europe, as well as at his home base near Washington D.C.