LFYP News Issue 17

By Amy Weintraub Posted in LFYP News

In this Issue:

Message from Amy

Dear Ones,

I’m excited about a host of new projects from research underway.  In addition to the studies on which I’m consulting, including the NIH-funded study at Butler Hospital/Brown University, it looks like the most renowned yoga researcher in the world, Shirley Telles, PhD, will be testing the LFY Chakra Clearing Meditation as a treatment for depression at her lab, the Patanjali Research foundation in India. Regarding research, kudos to Patricia Kinser, PhD!  Not only did she achieve her PhD, but one of her studies on yoga for depression has already been published. You can read it on the password-protected LifeForce Yoga page of the website, see Rose’s message for login and password. She is also working on a study, measuring the effects of the LFY protocol with depressed women.

I’m also thrilled to be working with long-time Kripalu yoga teacher trainer Rudy Pierce, known as “the Gentle Yogi,” gentleyogi.com (he mentored me) and our beloved (for those of you who took your training in Tucson) Maria Kali Ma, functionalyogatherapy.com, to design the first 200-hour Yoga Alliance LifeForce Yoga Teacher Training. Rose Kress will be staff managing and doing some teaching, and LifeForce Yoga Practitioner and Kripalu teacher Jami MaCarty, ERYT-500, and Kripalu teacher Tom Beal, ERYT-500 (I mentored him) will also be teaching the evening sadhana classes.

Responding to your demand, we are moving the next level 2 LFYP training to Yogaville on the East Coast, April 1 -7, 2013.  We’ll also be offering a level 1 LFYP Training at Yogaville, April 7 – 14th. Guest faculty for Level One will be Robin Carnes, ERYT-500. who will offer iRest/yoga nidra.  Faculty assistants for the Level 1 training at Yogaville will be Ann Friedenheim, Rose Kress and Patrica Kinser, who will also present on research.

Finally, there’s a new development I would like to share.  In 2013, we’ll be offering the level 1 training in three sections, which will be ideal for those outside the US.  There will be a 26-hour, 5-day experiential at Sivananda Ashram in the Bahamas, open to all including you. It’s just too beautiful there to be putting in 58 hours and working so hard!  Rose and addictions specialist Kathy Shafer, PhD, LFYP-2, will be faculty assistants.  Part 2 will be on-line learning: webinars and small group meetings by teleseminars.  Part 3 will be Skype mentoring with one of our illustrious mentors.

The new book Yoga Skills for Therapists is selling well and will go into a second printing this month.  Thank you to all the LFYPs who contributed! There’s a six-minute interview with me (supposed to be about the book, but the interviewer focused more on my story!) that aired last month on Arizona public television.
Here’s the link: http://yogafordepression.com/amy-in-the-media/amy-weintraub-on-arizona-public-media/

And I’ve been posting current research on the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute page, so if you “like” the page, you will receive brief posts before the research newsletter is published.

Message from Rose

Once again, it;s always a pleasure to be here and to be working with Amy and all of you!  Please send your news and updates to info@yogafordepression.
We are working hard to make the LFYP portion of the website a resource for LFYPs. We have added some research articles, including Particia Kinser’s research, as well as an article from Neil Pearson on chronic pain.

Please Note — the password and URL have changed for the LFYP portion of the site!
http://yogafordepression.com/lfyp/ (please note that there is no “www” in this link)

  • Login: Shiva
  • Password: K=6[)svA4&QK

This is where you can download the most recent version of the Level 1 Manual, mentoring forms, new Power Points that include research and trauma, recommended research articles, and LFYP Mentor Dr. Sue Dilsworth’s new Power Point on yoga and psychotherapy that she developed for the level 1 training.
Here’s a direct link to the new manual:
LifeForce Yoga Level 1 Practitioner Training Manual

Level 1 Graduates

Congratulations to the graduates of the LFYP Training, Level 1, at Sivananda Ashram in the Bahamas.

  • Laura Blake, from Surf Beach, Austrailia
  • Christine MacLean, from Collingwood, ON
  • Catherine Lavigueur, from Mont St Hilaire, Quebec
  • Katie Joyce, from Bath, England
  • Janette Dingee, from Chicago, IL
  • Tamela VanOsdol, from Peoria, IL
  • Regine Tillmanns, from Arlington, MA
  • Kathleen Williams, from Crenford, NJ
  • Masuma Rasheed, from Dallas, TX
  • Rhonda Corley, from Sherman, TX

Level 2 Announcement

As mentioned above, the next Level 2 training will take place at Yogaville in Buckingham, VA, April 1 – 7, 2013.
To take the Level 2 training, you will need to have completed 2 of your 3 mentoring sessions, however it is strongly recommended that you have completed all 3. Forms for mentoring sessions can be found in the LFYP portion of the website.
Registration details.

Facebook Announcement

LifeForce Yoga is now on Facebook! We are using FB more often – for things like posting pictures, promoting events and giveaways. www.facebook.com/LifeForceYoga – like us today and get more involved.
I have also started a LifeForce Yoga Practitioners Group on Facebook. The Tucson 2012 graduates created a group and it is a wonderful way to stay connected. If you would like to join, email Rose, rose@yogafordepression.com, for an invite as this is a closed group for LFYPs only. You will need to have a Facebook account.

Transcending Trauma by Linda Sparrowe

This excellent article on yoga and trauma appeared in Yoga International last fall. I completely endorse the clear description of the brain science behind trauma and the yoga teaching methodology suggested. In fact, it almost sounds like something I would write!  Too bad LInda didn’t include our training, but it’s still a great article!
Transcending Trauma

New Yoga Blog for Children

LifeForce Yoga practitioner Ellen Campbell has created a fun place on the internet for children of all ages. http://youthfulyogis.blogspot.com/ offers kids instruction on poses, plus yoga-related games and general information about the origins of yoga. Encourage your kids to submit their original artwork and Ellen will post it on the blog. Youthful Yogis is actually great for adults as well, since lots of practitioners are looking for ways to share yoga with the children in their lives. And if you teach yoga to children, Youthful Yogis will be a daily source of inspiration.

LFYP Opens Donation Based Yoga Studio in Michigan

Mary Jane Gazda, PhD, 200-RYT, LFYP-1 has opened a donation based yoga studio in Clinton Township, Michigan.

Mary Jane says: my love for yoga grew tremendously during Yoga Teacher Training. I knew I wanted to teach and to reach as many people as I could. I have a passion for yoga it has changed my life for the better. I believe that anyone who is struggling with life challenges can find comfort and calm through yoga. Just breathe fully.

Ahsa Yoga Therapy Center is based on the philosophy of karma yoga or selfless service and is founded on the principle that yoga should be available to everyone, regardless of financial means or skill level. As such, all of our classes are donation based with a “suggested donation” of $5.00- $10.00. If you can donate this amount, please do. If not, donate what you can. We gratefully accept what you can offer. No one is ever turned away due to lack of funds. If you feel a desire to give in another way you can join our Karma Crew to help with the details of keeping the center tidy and neat. Donations help to cover the rent and utilities.
www.ashayogatherapycenter.com

About the Author

Amy Weintraub

Amy Weintraub E-RYT 500, MFA, YACEP, C-IAYT, founded the LifeForce Yoga® Healing Institute, which trains yoga and health professionals internationally, and is the author of Yoga for Depression and Yoga Skills for Therapists. The LifeForce Yoga protocol is used by health care providers worldwide. She is involved in ongoing research on the effects of yoga on mood.

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What People Say

“This workshop has changed so much — my self-image and my life. My own heart’s desire is 100% clear. I gained tools to help myself and others to live life fully.” — Marcia Siegel, Yoga teacher, therapist, Carlsbad, CA.
“I gained tools for working with my own depression and with my clients’ depressions.” — Robert Sgona, LCSW, RYT, psychotherapist, Yoga teacher, Camden, ME.
“Yoga Skills for Therapists is the ideal resource for those who want to bring yoga practices into psychotherapy or healthcare. Weintraub, a leader in the field of yoga therapy, offers evidence-based, easy-to-introduce strategies for managing anxiety, improving mood, and relieving suffering. Helpful clinical insights and case examples emphasize safety, trust, and skillful adaptation to the individual, making it easy to apply the wisdom of yoga effectively in the therapeutic context.” — Kelly McGonigal, PhD, author, Yoga for Pain Relief, Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Yoga Therapy
“I came hoping to learn to move past some of the obstacles blocking my creativity. Over the course of this weekend, I feel I’ve gained a certain measure of faith in myself and in my ability to change. I also had some realizations that I believe will be very helpful to me. I feel encouraged. Both the content and presentation of this program were so well-thought out that I can’t think of any way to improve it.” — Andrea Gollin, writer & editor, Miami, FL
“I integrate strategies like mantra tones and pranayama, but above all I invite myself and those I teach to cultivate svadhyaya, to practice self-observation without judgment.” — Barbara Sherman, RYT 200, LFYP, Tucson, AZ
“This workshop helped me rededicate my energies and begin to work through some of the blocks I’ve felt creatively.” — Steve Mark, college professor, New Haven, CT
“My life is already changed! I will use the tools I learned in my own practice and in my work. I feel safe and seen.” — Susan Andrea Weiner, MA, teacher/expressive arts facilitator, El Cerrito, CA.
“I have been reminded that I am not on this path alone, that others are sharing the journey that sometimes seems so difficult. I have also been reminded of the importance of daily practice and I will do that. The whole program has been an incredible experience for me. Thank you!” — Lorraine Plauth, retired teacher, Voorheesville, NY
“I began a fantasy during the meditation exercise... almost as if I’d been there. It’s now an on-going work of fiction.” — Serian Strauss, Tanzania
“My personal practice will change, as well as my yoga classes. I have a better understanding of yoga!” — Andrea Gattuso, RYT, Yoga Teacher, Hackettstown, N.J.
“A client who returned said, "When I came before, you helped me understand and get where I wanted to go. Now you show me yoga practices I use to help myself understand and get where I want to go.” — Sherry Rubin, LCSW, BCD, LFYP, Downingtown, PA
“I have gained an incredible opening and clearing of old obstructions. I hope to return to my life and fill this opening with things I love to do and that give me joy!” — Lisa Shine, administrative assistant, Ballston Lake, NY
“I feel profoundly transformed, both physically and emotionally. The connection between mind, body and spirit was clearly evident to me, but revealed to me through this workshop as an integrally vital link to overall health.” — Nadine Richardson, program manager at rehab agency, Monroe, CT
“This program changed my life in a significant way. It helped me connect with the spirit which is something you can’t get from psychotherapy and medication.” – G. W., artist, Pittsburgh, PA
“I utilize the LFY techniques in both a class room setting and one-on-one environment. The skills have infused my teachings with compassion, mindfulness, and awareness.” — Kat Larsen, CYT, LFYP
“I learned lots of ways to reduce the anxiety and depression of my patients and myself.” – Aviva Sinvany-Nubel, PhD, APN, CNSC, RN, psychotherapist, Bridgewater, N.J.
“I have found the pranayama (breathing practices) especially easy to introduce in a clinical setting. Some people have benefited quickly in unexpected and transformative ways.” — Liz Brenner, LICSW, LFYP, Watertown, MA
“Words do not do justice to all that I learned. This workshop changed my life!” — Jen Nolan, Teacher, Cortland, NY
“My patients can now have the same effects as many medications without having to actually take medication!” — Deborah Lubetkin, PSY.D, LFYP, West Caldwell, NJ
“I have found the LFYP training to be incredibly useful in giving people specific tools to use in maintaining physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance, and further opening their intuitive abilities.” — Nancy Windheart, RYT-200, LFYP, Reiki Master, Animal communication teacher, Prescott, AZ
“I gained perspective of who I am in the world and this will change my life significantly.” — Mary Ford, artist, Southport, CT
“Giving my clients a strategy and permission to quiet their minds and rebalance the sympathetic nervous system has been very beneficial to them and in our work together.” — Sue Dilsworth, PhD, RYT 200, LFYP, Allendale, MI
I absolutely love this stuff! I have been using it with my clients and I am just finding it to be so incredibly helpful. There seriously something for everything. Although I am not as skilled as I hope to be someday, even at my level of training I’m finding that I am beginning to figure out what to do. It just blows my mind! - Christine Brudnicki, MS, LPC
“I have gained a softer heart, more receptive mind, and tools to enrich both personal and professional aspects of my life.” – Regina Trailweaver, LICSW, clinical social worker, Hancock, VT.
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