Yoga Therapy and PTSD

This past weekend while at Yoga Therapy Teacher training at the Asheville Yoga Center we had a panel of speakers visit our classroom. These individuals were all regular people just like you and I. They each had a history of traumatic injuries and experiences, previous addictions, and co-morbidities. All of them had experienced tremendous gains by bringing yoga into their life. They claimed improvements in energy levels, reduced pain, and ability to reduce intake of medications. These same women also admitted to having experienced discomfort and/or set backs from practicing yoga in an inappropriate way. For example, not honoring the needs of the practitioner (you!) and being ego driven. In my experience It's important to practice yoga with a lot of mindfulness. The healing tradition of yoga is an incredibly powerful practice of transformation. It's the practice of getting to know yourself and is best when practiced with a trained yoga teacher or therapist.

I heard through the yoga community that June is PTSD Awareness Month so here's a clip about some of the research of yoga and treatment of PTSD. 

Yoga for Sleep and Stress

Here's another free video from our series. This video is about using the healing tools of yoga and smart nutrition choices to nourish our bodies and minds. It features Keri and local yoga teacher, Liz Finley. It's just over 10 minutes and loaded with great tips! :-)

Check out Keri @BAYA Wellness and Liz Finley @ Liz Finley Yoga

Veggie White Spaghetti

Another one of Chef Tanner's gluten-free dairy-free comfort food creations. It's definitely a throw together dish of all the different vegetables and meats we had left over at the end of the week. He said this dish reminds him very much of one his mom made frequently growing up. We topped ours off with a tiny bit a grated goat gouda cheese. It was delicious and very simple! :-)

 

Candida diet, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo

Ingredients:
 1/4 lb. vegan butter
 1/2 small yellow onion
1-2 tbl. water
1 lb. wax beans, cut on the bias into 1 inch pieces
1 cup broccoli, cut into florets
2 tbl. prepared sun-dried tomato pesto (we used a dairy-free and gluten-free kind we bought at Earthfare)
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 lb. mild italian sausage
1 medium sized yellow squash
1 medium sized zucchini
1/3 c. cherry tomatoes
salt to taste
1 tbl. fresh basil
1 tbl. fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Melt butter and water in a large skillet over low heat. Thinly slice onions and toss in heated butter. Cover and simmer the onions for 8-10 minutes or until melted. Stir occasionally.
2. Boil water and blanch wax beans and broccoli for 1-2 minutes. Strain the beans and add to the butter and onion mix.
3. Place chicken thigh ins a medium sized bowl and coat in sun-dried tomato pesto. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Julienne yellow squash and zucchini using a julienne vegetable peeler.Set aside.
5. Strain the butter, onion, wax beans and broccoli. Set aside.
6. Use the same skillet to brown the Italian sausage and break up using a spatula.
7. Sear the chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes per side. Place in a pre-heated oven until cooked through (approximately 8-10 minutes).
8. Once sausage is browned, add wax beans, broccoli, onions, and cherry tomatoes; simmer on low-heat. 
9. Once chicken is fully cooked, let cool 3 minutes. Chop into bite size pieces and add to skillet.
10. Toss in yellow squash and zucchini. Stir to combine. 
11. Season with salt and top with chopped fresh herbs.  

*Recipe by Chef Tanner Marino and Photo by Keri Rogers.

June Schedule

Public Classes:

Tuesdays
5:45-7pm Mindful Flow Yoga $10

Thursdays

12:30-1:45 Yoga for Cancer Survivors $Free* 5:45-7pm Mindful Flow Yoga $10 

 

Sundays

10:45am-12:00pm Restorative Yoga $10 
2-3:30pm Mindful Flow Yoga $10 
All classes at Greenville Yoga's Augusta Road location. Suitable for students of all levels. *Except Yoga for Cancer Survivors which is offered in the Mezzanine of the Center for Integrative Oncology and Survivorship in the Greenville Hospital System.

Private Yoga Classes and Consultations:
Private Classes offered in a variety of locations around the Greenville area for individuals, couples, families, businesses, etc.  Health education consultations are available as well see website for details (www.BAYAWellness.com)