Skip to content

Balance Through Movement

  • Home
  • Continuing Education
  • Yoga Teacher Training Overview
    • Registration Details
    • Yoga Teacher Training Overview
    • Why Compassion?
    • Who Our Students Are
    • Our Teaching Faculty
  • About Us
    • Meet Laura & Whitney
    • Our Guiding Principles
  • Community Care Fund
  • Contact Us

Contact Us

    Be social with us!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    I mentioned earlier this week that I like to use b I mentioned earlier this week that I like to use blankets to do a restorative down-dog. Here is a mini (I only had a few props!) version of that. You are welcome 🤩😀
    Successful Continuing Ed course!! Lovely to see p Successful Continuing Ed course!! Lovely to see people engaged, participating, and starting discussion during our course yesterday. Y’all rocked!! If you missed the course about preventing burnout In healthcare workers using micropractices, we hope to do it again in the near future. Get on our email list (sign up on link in bio) to be the first to know when our next one is 😊 Thanks to @dani.elle.25 for her nurse expertise in planning 🙏♥️
    Ain't no shame in the blanket game!⁠ ⁠ I use t Ain't no shame in the blanket game!⁠ ⁠ I use them to:⁠ pad my knees⁠ roll under my neck⁠ elevate my feet⁠ provide different sensory input under my feet to challenge my balancing⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Not to mention I love using a wildly obscene amount of blankets to do restorative downward-facing dog😍.⁠ ⁠ Are you a blanket do or a blanket don't?⁉️⁉️⁠ ⁠
    Have you checked in with your breath today?⁠ ⁠ Have you checked in with your breath today?⁠ ⁠ Running from one patient to the next, barely taking a bathroom break between clients, answering your emails or documenting your notes during your lunchtime? Sound familiar?⁠ ⁠ In our upcoming online continuing ed course for healthcare workers, we talk about taking brief breaks to check in with the breath. While washing your hands between clients: "Have I taken a deep breath in a while?" Leaving a patient's room: "Am I holding my breath?" After each client encounter: "I am taking 5 slow, deep breaths."⁠ ⁠ It's been a tough year if you work in healthcare and mental health. This course teaches you how to take care of yourself, so you can continue to care for others with compassion whilst showing compassion to yourself ♥️⁠ ⁠ ⁠💚Wednesday July 28th 9am-12:10 pm⁠ 💚Sponsored by NC SEAHEC⁠ 💚CNE's for nurses, contact hours for all other healthcare workers, including mental health professionals⁠ 💚See link in bio to register--or message us for details.⁠ ⁠
    Continuing Ed Course for Healthcare Workers!!⁠ ⁠ Documenting, charting, writing notes, answering emails from patients, clients, co-workers. Hunched over at the desk or at the nurse's station...🤯⁠ ⁠ Short micropractices like the one seen here can be used throughout your day to help you get through the day, to feel better in your body, to refresh your brain, to be present in the moment.⁠ ⁠ This Wednesday, we're offering an online CEU course titled 🌟Empowering Healthcare Workers with Tools to Thrive🌟 We will be teaching these micropractices and how and when to use them at work and at home to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue.⁠ ⁠ 🔹Wednesday July 28th 9am-12:10 pm⁠ 🔹Sponsored by NC SEAHEC⁠ 🔹CNE's for nurses, contact hours for all other healthcare workers, including mental health professionals⁠ 🔹See link in bio to register--or message us for details.⁠
    If you are curious who is teaching in our training If you are curious who is teaching in our training you can take a peep at the website - we have an overview of each of our faculty members! We have selected a wide range of voices and interests to share with you.⁠ ⁠ A 200-hour training is the beginning of a lifelong journey of learning. By the end, we hope to have exposed you to enough concepts and ideas that you can determine which ones speak most to you.⁠ ⁠ If restorative yoga speaks to you - I've got a luxurious weekend planned for you in this 2021-22 training!!!
    Do you squat?⁠ ⁠ Great for hips, ankle mobilit Do you squat?⁠ ⁠ Great for hips, ankle mobility, back strength, core strength, pelvic floor health, foot strength, getting in touch with the three diaphragms (pelvic floor, respiratory diaphragm, and the vocal diaphragm).⁠ ⁠ But, it can be really hard to get there or stay there if you can even get there.⁠ ⁠ This is one of my favorite variations. The range of motion benefits, the spinal lengthening and strengthening, and waaaaay more ease. ⁠ ⁠ Two blocks under my sitting bones--bringing a support surface up to me, so that I can stay here longer. I can focus on my breath (and not on how tight I am), I can feel the pelvic floor contracting and relaxing, I can lengthen my spine and open my chest. ⁠ ⁠ I can even work my way down from two blocks to one or none. But, sometimes I'm looking for some ease while still getting benefits 🤓💪⁠ ⁠ Variations make movement practices more accessible, fun, less boring and provide novelty for the brain. ⁠ ⁠ Yoga blocks for the win 🙂
    One of our visiting faculty, AmariYah aka @fluidjo One of our visiting faculty, AmariYah aka @fluidjourney is a Reiki practitioner. She is continuing her education and following her heart by enrolling in a course in anti-racism, ancestral connection, and community. She is raising funds to pay for tuition, books, and travel. We are wholeheartedly invested in AmariYah's journey. We invite you to consider donating to er education fund as well. If you donate $25 or more, you will receive a deck of Healing Affirmations cards, inspired by our very own @whitneygwilkerson :)⁠ ⁠
    A toolkit indeed!⁠ ⁠ Throughout our training a A toolkit indeed!⁠ ⁠ Throughout our training are simple practices like the one below. But, simple doesn't mean meaningless. I chose each of these to start or end the days or sprinkle between various lessons with intention in mind.⁠ ⁠ One reason: to fill your toolkit :)⁠ ⁠ Second reason: to help you learn more about your body and brain, how it works, and how to apply what you are learning in the training when navigating everyday life. ⁠ ⁠ An example of a closing practice:⁠ ⁠ Fill in the blank: “One thing I am taking with me today is.....…” (this is an awareness practice - it helps you scan your day and see what is "alive" for you. Do you want to learn more about a topic? Do you need some support? How do you feel? etc. This helps the brain focus, savor the good, and identify what help might be needed).⁠ ⁠ Like I said: simple but not meaningless :)⁠
    Tight hamstrings--like really tight?⁠ ⁠ A lot Tight hamstrings--like really tight?⁠ ⁠ A lot of the traditional hamstring stretches can make it difficult to maintain good spinal position AND get a stretch without pain. ⁠ ⁠ Here's one solution:⁠ ⁠ 👉Sit down in the doorway.⁠ Prop one leg up on the wall and let the other leg go through the open door.⁠ ⁠ 👉Scoot your butt closer or further away from the wall so that you feel a mild to moderate stretch in the middle of the back of the thigh--not at the back of the knee--that is where the tendons attach the muscle to the shin bone, and tendons aren't meant to be stretchy. They are meant for tensile strength and stability, not much for flexibility. ⁠ ⁠ 👉You want to feel the stretch in the mid back of the thigh--right in the belly of the hamstrings. Keeping a slight or a more generous bend in the knee will help that.⁠ ⁠ This client was recovering from a herniated disc, so rounding at the low back, which happens frequently in hamstrings stretches would have re-herniated his disc 😖 Having the back resting on the floor, ensures no strain to the back or the disc with stretching 👌⁠ ⁠ ✅Hamstring stretch accomplished ⁠ ✅No increase in pain⁠ ✅Spine safe and uncompromised⁠ ⁠ This is the kind of stuff we learn in Lead with Compassion Yoga Teacher Training--how to keep students and clients safe and still allow them to accomplish their goals. ⁠ ⁠ Training hosted by UNC Program on Integrative Medicine @uncpmr See info on training in the link in bio. Training starts in September--not so far away!!
    Looking Forward to Tomorrow Exercise⁠ ⁠ Not ev Looking Forward to Tomorrow Exercise⁠ ⁠ Not everyone comes to our training looking to learn physical postures. They come for the entire scope of yoga. They come for self-care. They arrive looking to learn about themselves and to live with more integrity.⁠ ⁠ So, we like to fill our student's toolkits with all sorts of resources for the mind/body/spirit. This exercise is known as an "optimism intervention"...an example of these types of tools that we introduce in the training. ⁠ ⁠ Looking Forward to Tomorrow is based on the work of Dina Nir.⁠ ⁠ List three things you are looking forward to about tomorrow.⁠ ⁠ Write them down.⁠ ⁠ Choose one to describe as fully as you can to someone else (or in your own journal).⁠ ⁠ Why do this? It helps turns the mind towards the positive, an especially useful tool for those experiencing burnout or compassion fatigue. ⁠
    Anyone means anyone.⁠ ⁠ The Community Care Fun Anyone means anyone.⁠ ⁠ The Community Care Fund is a catalyst to increase the proportion of underrepresented individuals within the yoga community. We welcome diversity of heritage and narrative in all of our trainings.⁠ ⁠ Applications are rolling (check our website for more details!).
    Last day of "Early Bird" pricing for registration Last day of "Early Bird" pricing for registration for our Yoga Teacher Training hosted by UNC's Program on Integrative Medicine @uncpmr ⁠ Commit now to reserve your spot and save some💰⁠ ⁠ More info and application in the link in our bio 🕊️🦆🦅🦢
    Who takes our training?!⁠ ⁠ People like Mike.⁠ ⁠ Mike is a geologist with an interest in staying healthy as he ages. ⁠ ⁠ What does he do with what he learned in Lead With Compassion? He takes it to the Grand Canyon, of course!⁠ ⁠ After this trip, he reported that some of the most meaningful experiences that he had during this trip were of practicing his yoga amid the rocks.⁠ ⁠ Where do you take your yoga?⁠
    Awww...⁠ ⁠ It's fun to explore, like this baby Awww...⁠ ⁠ It's fun to explore, like this baby bunny...⁠ ⁠ To be new and open to discovery. ⁠ To be intrigued and to want to learn more.⁠ ⁠ Everyday that I practice yoga, I learn more about the practice, about my body, about my nervous system, about my breath, about myself.⁠ ⁠ If you want to know more about these things for yourself or to share with your students or clients, consider joining our Lead with Compassion Yoga Teacher Training that starts in September. Hosted by UNC's Program on Integrative Medicine. @uncpmr ⁠ Early Bird pricing ends this Thursday July 15th!
    Join us on Instagram
    Copyright © 2021 Balance Through Movement