Honor Yoga announces the further expansion of the yoga programming to include “Wellness and Recovery,” a program designed to use the aspects of yoga including meditation and psychology to increase the overall mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of individuals who may be living with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and/or addictions.
The newest division, led by Nathalie Edmond, will focus on three key components to support the well-being and recovery of all individuals, especially those who have experienced trauma or are going through recovery, using the various aspects of the physical practice of yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and psychology to live a life with ease, compassion and strength. Honor Yoga Wellness and Recovery will offer specialized workshops, individual consultations, and small group classes to help individuals build skills and enhance well-being.
The director of Wellness and Recovery, Nathalie Edmond, Psy.D., RYT-200, is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 12 years of experience providing individual therapy, group therapy and workshops. She has been the director of a women’s trauma program and has overseen mental health and addiction programs for children, adolescents and adults.
“The success and growth of Honor Yoga demonstrates that more people are recognizing the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits of a yoga practice.The Honor Yoga team saw this as a need for specialized programs, classes and workshops that cater to a very specific group,” Dr. Edmond said.“I’m honored to be leading this new division, and I look forward to working with Honor to not only share my own experiences, but give our community the skills they need to heal and enhance the quality of their lives by integrating yoga with psychology.”
Dr. Edmond is trained in mindfulness and meditation and has a daily personal practice. She believes in mindful living and creating space for people to connect with their true selves, whether that is on or off the mat. She has been trained in dialectical behavior therapy, which uses mindfulness, and cognitive behavior therapy to help people deal with difficult emotions. She has also been trained in sensory motor psychotherapy (body-oriented approach to the treatment of trauma), mindfulness-based compassion therapy, mindful yoga therapy, restorative yoga, yoga for 12- step recovery and reiki. She became a yoga teacher because she recognized the healing elements of yoga and the many parallels between one’s yoga practice and how one approaches life.
Through the well-being pillar, participants of this newest division of Honor Yoga can enhance their overall well-being by promoting mindful living, cultivating compassion and gratitude, balancing being mode with doing mode, learning to live more in the moment, embracing a wider range of emotions and experiences, learning radical acceptance, improving confidence, and enhancing relationships.
Individuals who are working on recovery from a wide variety of concerns will be able to learn mind-body techniques to cope with and overcome such issues through a physical practice, meditation, breath work, cognitive behavior therapy approaches and more.
For those who have experienced trauma, programming will provide a necessary opportunity to further support the healing process. Research is showing that the imprint of trauma is held in the body and in our ways of relating/ coping with the world. Yoga can help one become more positively connected to one’s body in a safe way as well as develop mastery. Specific skills can be taught to help people deal with their emotions, whether it is feeling too much or too little.
“As Honor has grown over the years, we are finding more students coming through our doors who are seeking a way to cope with life’s challenges including traumatic situations, drug and alcohol addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and a variety of other challenges. It is important for us to develop programming specific o these individuals in a safe, welcoming and nurturing environment to face these obstacles and learn the techniques to cope with these things from day to day,” said Maria Parrella-Turco, chief officer of Honor Yoga.
To find an Honor Yoga near you, visit www.honoryoga.com.