Yoga & Movement Practices

Yoga Therapy is “the process of empowering individuals to progress towards improved health and well-being through the applications of the teachings of yoga.” Therapeutic Yoga does not aim to “fix” anything, nor is it attempting to replace any medical advice.

This practice is a practice of embodiment, of learning from your own body while teaching your body.  The lessons are received experientially.  By placing your body (or by having your body placed) in poses, you create new imprints, new ways of holding your body or new ways of the body holding itself. Alignment in the body helps to facilitate healing.  Alignment is not the healing itself; it is the container or space within which healing has room and opportunity to occur–think about a cast immobilizing a bone so that it has a safe space to repair: the cast doesn’t grow new bone; your body does. But the cast is necessary for the bone to grow properly and without interruption.

Therapeutic and Adaptive Yoga also seeks to treat individuals holistically.  You are not your diagnosis, your age, your ability, your condition.  You are a whole being.  And that wholeness is addressed in these therapeutic sessions.

As many props as necessary will be used in your practice in order to make any pose more accessible or available to you.  Even for those who cannot move their own bodies, the principles of a yoga pose can still be applied.  With a trained practitioner placing props to support your body, you can still receive the benefits of a pose.  This is why we call it Adaptive Yoga and this is why we say that it is for any body.  It is because of this willingness and ability to adapt the poses to your individual body’s needs that we consider this practice to be universally useful and accessible.

Aerial Yoga classes are currently offered by Ana at Bluebirds Ballet Academy as a 5-week series package. Children’s and adults’ classes are offered. Private instruction and single class parties are available as well. Over a 5 week period, students will learn essential techniques for how to grip the silks, “finding the silks,” strengthening their bodies, improving flexibility of body and mind, seeing from new perspectives (both mentally and physically), and of course learning fun flips and inversions to boost self-confidence and overcome fears in a safe and supported environment. Skills will build from one week to the next to ensure that each student in this small class is developing the skills and strength needed to progress to more challenging movements and to learn to ‘trust the silk’ to support their bodies. Class size will be limited to 6 students so the teacher can give hands on guidance and support when needed.

Ana Leger is a Certified Yoga Instructor and has taught yoga classes in Lafayette since 2017. She’s taught Yoga and Mindfulness to children and high-schoolers since 2018. Ana has been practicing Aerial Yoga since 2015 and she’s played with AcroYoga and SUP Yoga (Stand-Up Paddleboard) for a few years too.