Explore Yoga Therapy

✨ Supported Bridge Pose ✨

This little powerhouse of a pose not only
- open the fronts of the thighs, hips, and chest
- aids digestion
- reduces fatigue, stress, mild depression, and anxiety
BUT it ALSO strengths the diaphragm, our prime breathing muscle, when paired with slow deep breath. So cool! 🤓
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Give it a try! With your knees bent and feet straight and hip distance on the floor, place a prop (block, blanket, pillow) under your sacrum (pic 2). Wiggle your shoulder blades closer together on your back. Keep your chin and neck in neutral. ✨ Practice slow deep breathing as you allow the weight of your hips to release into the support of the prop. ✨ Stay for 2-3 minutes. Then, lift your hips to remove the prop and release your seat back to the floor.
📸 by the amazing Shelah Riley Photography

On the front desk, , there are these little cards with thoughtful quotes. Today I closed my eyes and let my intuition guide me. This was the card I selected. AND, it was exactly the message I needed.
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My anxious type A personality often gets the best of me by taking me out of the present, out of what is real and true, and into worry and rumination about the next thing.
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So today I will use this reminder and my practice to help me soften more fully into the sweetness of the small things and present moment at hand - replacing speed with depth. 💪🏼🐌❤️
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What helps keep you grounded, open, and grateful?
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Join me virtually or in studio every Monday & Wednesday at noon. Visit westendyogastudio.com for more details.

Monday - Midday Pause & Reset
Wednesday- Yoga Therapeutics

Throwback to the last time I taught at . I can’t believe it’s been so long!
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Come join me for CLASS TOMORROW at 10 am and stay for the tour that follows so that you can meet some of their amazing residents and hear their stories. 💞

For tickets visit - lancasterfarmsanctuary.org

I’m getting so excited for this upcoming workshop!

For more information visit - https://www.westendyogastudio.com/blog/the-power-of-play-using-art-and-yoga-to-enhance-joy-and-foster-connection

I am thrilled to be offering this workshop with Alicia! Join us at as we work together to foster joy and enhance connection. All art supplies will be provided. All levels welcome.
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Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a society, we have had to "put on a brave face," "hold it together," and adapt to situations that do not serve us and our needs as humans in this world.
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We are playful, social beings. Yet, these serious and unpredictable circumstances have left many of us feeling disconnected from community, our innate creative spark, and our capacity for joy.
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Both yoga and art ground us in the present, increase self-awareness, and help release the weight and tension of our burdens.
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In utilizing dynamic fluid movement with breath and enhancement of experience through artistic expression, we can use play to return to a state of joyful connection for the wellbeing of ourselves and others.
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Alicia is a Board-Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Rachel is a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) and an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT). We are both passionate about finding creative ways to empower individuals to live happier, healthier, and more balanced and connected lives.

39 is off to a good start! We had a beautiful weekend amongst the gorgeous baldcypress trees 😍🌳✨❤️

13 months ago, I was at Howard County Hospital as part of my clinical work for MUIH. The next day everything shut down and we all went into quarantine.
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Fast forward to today, I spent my morning speaking to an incredible group of healthcare workers as a first step in building a yoga therapy program to support their patients.
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Then, i was lucky enough to receive my first Covid vaccine. Can you tell I’m just a little bit excited?! What a difference a year makes! Yay for Yay for Yay for
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If you are still waiting to get a vaccine check out vaccinatelancaster.org. The process is super easy. They are vaccinating 6k people a day!



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❤️ ahimsa ❤️

Take some time to reflect on what ahimsa means to you. How can you practice loving-kindness, compassion and support for yourself and others?

Adventures in the family camper - Washington, DC edition ❤️🇺🇸❤️

Grateful for the gorgeous weather that allowed us to stroll and relax on the lawn after hitting up not 1, not 2, but 3 food trucks. 🤷🏻‍♀️

This was Dani girl’s first camping trip and she did awesome! 🐾

I would highly recommend for camping in the DC area.

I can’t believe this passionate, strong, loving, creative, playful, smart kid is 10 today! Happy birthday Keira! I am so grateful and proud to be your mama. Love you! ❤️❤️❤️

Also, Instagram please increase the pic limit. 10 is not enough!!!

For me personally, yoga has been an irreplaceable tool to help me manage stress and anxiety. One reason is that there is always a practice to meet me in the moment with what I need to regain balance.
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If I’m agitated I may turn to a few vigorous poses or a breathing exercise. If I’m feeling nervous or worried, I may recite an affirmation or settle into a gentle restorative pose with a guided relaxation.
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The self-reflective practice of yoga has provided me with the tools to read my physical and psychological state and choose what I need in the moment. This is both incredibly empowering and reassuring.
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Yoga utilizes both top-down and bottom-up practices to reduce psychological distress, improve wellbeing, and promote self-regulation.
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If you are interested in adding simple yoga-based practices into your self-care “toolkit” that you can call on in the moment to calm, ground, and reduce stress and anxiety, please check out Yoga Therapy for Stress Management & Resilience.
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This 6-week course opens virtually tomorrow, 2/23. We will explore the ways in which our nervous system responds to stress, how this affects the body and mind, and identify evidence-based practices to help you strengthen your self-regulation and resilience. Join live or via recording.
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For more information, visit -
https://exploreyogatherapy.org/product/yoga-therapy-for-stress-management-and-resilience-virtual-workshop/