Yoga
As a yoga teacher I offer individual lessons in hatha and vinyasa flow yoga. I will explicitly point out here that yoga is not a sufficient treatment for the psychological problems I listed under ‘treatment spectrum’. Yoga is never a substitute for professional psychotherapy. However, it can complement it helpfully
Individual yoga lessons can help you to improve your physical health, as well as your mental and emotional balance. I discovered my persistent enthusiasm for yoga when a shoulder injury forced me to pause other sports for a while. The asana and pranayama practice (yoga postures and breathing exercises) that I started complemented my many years of experience in meditation and my preference for emotion-focused psychotherapy, as well as approaches based on mindfulness and acceptance-based psychotherapy methods.
My yoga classes are inspired by my enthusiasm for self-development. They are also based on my working experience as a psychotherapist and many years of iyengar and hatha practice. Through my yoga classes, I want to enable my students to better understand and care for themselves on an emotional, physical and mental level.
- Asanas & Alignment: In the context of yoga, alignment is understood to mean that the individual asanas (yoga postures) are carried out correctly. This is very important in order to protect one’s self from injuries and benefit fully from the asanas. Through the correct alignment, your yoga practice will be more secure and precious. This is why I value correct alignment in my yoga classes.
- Iyengar Yoga: BKS Iyengar was a student of Krishnamacharya, the founder of “modern” hatha yoga. In his approach to yoga philosophy, he founded the alignment-focused iyengar yoga. Alongside Pattabhi Jois, who likewise was a student of Krishnamacharya and founded asthanga yoga, he is regarded as one of the most influential yoga teachers of the world. Iyengar yoga is the base of my own yoga practice and my yoga classes.
- Hatha & Vinyasa-Flow Yoga: Hatha yoga is a form of yoga, in which the balance of body and mind is primarily reached through asanas (yoga postures), pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation. It is know for creating physical well-being and balance. At the same time, supposed contradictions (e.g. effort and ease, being active and letting go or thoughts and emotions) are balanced and integrated. Vinyasa-Flow is a dynamic and creative form of yoga, which is inspired by asthanga yoga. It does not follow a fixed sequence but every class has a different sequence. The focus is no the connection of breath and movement to create the flow of movement. Vinyasa-flow yoga is often called a moving meditation.
- Vulnerability: In the context of yoga vulnerability means confronting our own supposed insufficiencies and weaknesses and not devaluating or suppressing them. This enables students to open up, discover new perspectives, and provide themselves relief. For this reason, my yoga classes are shaped by the idea of vulnerability.
Primary and further education:
- 2020: Lifelong membership of the yoga school Samma Karuna
- 2019: Yoga Alliance – certificate for 200 hours
Yoga und Psychotherapie
Read here, why I am convinced, that yoga and psychotherapy can complement each other in a helpful way.