Yoga for Scoliosis NYC 2018: Never Done Learning
This summer I took it upon me to study yoga (for scoliosis) in New York City. As I had booked my ticket and place to stay, I still did not yet know how yoga schedule would become. As the date came closer and closer, I slowly gathered information on possible workshops and classes. The two yoga schools I mostly focussed on are Yoga Union and Samamkaya. Both schools house specialization in Yoga for Scoliosis and have amazing teachers for privates, regular classes and workshops. If you ever get to visit NYC for sure give them a visit.
I already had experience with both studios and knew who I wanted to study with. Therefore, I was excited to find out that Alison West was organizing an 8-day Asana Intensive. However, this intensive did not focus on yoga for scoliosis, I still knew that she would provide great detail and personal scoliosis adjustment. Something I can barely find anywhere back home in the Netherlands. I also came across two workshops that seemed interesting to me. One with a focus on spinal fusion, which will help me guide my Dutch spinal fusion yoga students better in class, and one with a focus on dancers, which is interesting to me since I was a dancer and would love to teach yoga classes specifically catered to dancers. So let me tell you a little bit more about my experience.
8- day Asana Intensive Immersion – The interconnected body
Since I have taken a few privates with Alison West of Yoga Union before, I knew I wanted to study more with her if given the chance. Thus I was happy to find out about the Asana Intensive. This course didn’t have a specific focus on scoliosis, but since I have scoliosis the yoga I do is always yoga for scoliosis (; And as mentioned before I was looking forward to Alison’s attention to detail and personal scoliosis adjustments. Within the program we got to do a lot of different sensing exercises. These are great to help students cultivate body awareness and conscious movement! Through deepening my own practice, I can improve my teaching skills and provide specific instruction for my students in their personal yoga journey.
Workshop Yoga for Scoliose: For Spinal Fusions and a Dancer’s perspective with Jen Gorman
When I started teaching my yoga for scoliosis classes, I also had interest from students with a spinal fusion. I applied my gained knowledge about yoga for scoliosis, but it is hard for me to truly understand how it feels to be fused. And of course every fusion is different. Therefore, it was really helpful to be in a full class with yoga for spinal fusion students and a teachers with a fusion herself. Besides the specific instructions in poses, it was really valuable to hear about the personal experiences of the teacher and students that practice yoga with a spinal fusion.
Now about the dancer’s perspective workshop. Dancers are already heavily invested in body movement. However, possibly too heavily. Therefore, it is interesting to see how through the practice of yoga for scoliosis, dancers can improve their body awareness. There also seem to be specific issues that arise in dancers when practicing yoga. For instance, using abdominal breathing can found to be a challenge. I am truly looking forward to dive more into this and possibly teach dancers yoga in the future.
Yoga for Scoliosis class
When all the intensives and workshops ended, I still felt the need to take another class. This time a specific yoga for scoliosis class with Alison West. I love to take classes with other students with scoliosis and see all our personal adjustment and ways of working with our amazing bodies. Scoliosis can be seen as something limiting, or as an interesting journey with twists and turns through the body. You choose. And as Alison often says, ‘we are never done learning’. And I agree, not only about scoliosis, but even about the body and mind in general.
Yoga for Scoliosis in The Netherlands
Now I am so fortunate to take all this knowledge and experience home and share it with my students. I am looking forward to teach anyone willing to learn more about scoliosis and dive into this journey of yoga for scoliosis. If you want to join any of my classes in either Amsterdam or Oss in the Netherlands, just check out my (Dutch) website: www.basicunion.nl