How YOGA should boost my dance and therapy

So

As many of you may be aware I am currently interviewing and awaiting starting a masters program in psychotherapy to become a trained therapist- well duuh. As part of our reading we looked into Person Centered Expressive Therapy, with key featuring on Carl and Natalie Rogers. Carl, the father, began the approach and then later his daughter Natalie took over but instead of doing everything exactly the same she noted that she will never be her father.

Every one has their own unique: skills, interests and understandings and all of these can from our own personalized fusion. She for example was putting Jungian psychology into the mix and was looking at ideas from Japan.

Even in the interview , i stated that from this I took that i can learn as much about other therapists as i want but i need to discover my blend and what I have in the bag. My journey into yoga is my entry point into therapy and a clear bridge i see between the two. It doesn't mean i will forever use it or be limited to but I can take some of the Hindu philosophy over into therapy sessions, like I have already started bringing in meditation in classes.

Why Yoga?

As much as i have done body conditioning and stretching I haven't focused primarily in yoga throughout my dancing life. The idea just kind of hit me one day.

Yes we have begun yoga in University and I really enjoyed that first session. We have had yoga classes in Malta as part of the arts festival and again I was shown my weakness and tight areas. Breathing techniques came to me throughout my time volunteering and in personal therapy sessions as a relaxation. I began trying meditation in Malta that didn't last more than two weeks.

So why all of this now? Well to be honest it just felt right.

Yoga has become very popular but I feel we are on the dying end of the trend- so many people would think why would I pick it. As much as i may freelance with it and teach some classes, my primary focus is to take the ancient teaching of understanding our mind, body and becoming unified between these two and joining us to the outside world into sessions of healing. The topics around yoga have always been a personal interest. The varying breathing techniques, meditations, stretches, strengthening are slight variations to those we are taught as a dancer- and we can always develop from a growth of knowledge. It will help upkeep my body for performance, my mind for therapy and the growling and emotional task of getting that qualification as well as be a new aspect I can incorporate to keep sessions engaging and interesting.

Why now?

I am in the final year of my degree- supposedly the most busy.

I have found since my ERASMUS year my contact hours have decreased and I am quite efficient on getting tasks done at home that I am trying to spread out the work load evenly through out the year. The yoga course being about independent learning, works for this case and I can revise flexibility around the degree.

Having less hours at Aintree, is showing where I have more time. The course is only an extra 1-2 hours a day of work and with me booking so early I have more months before the exams and coursework deadlines in May. So i have time.

I am also a person that strives for more. Graduating with a degree is amazing BUT if I can graduate with a degree and another qualification I am only being more time efficient by doing it in one instead of over time- allowing me to open more doors instead of being at a stand still. Whilst I had the money for it I may as well buy all the courses now before I start saving for my studio and future home.

The course won't affect my final Degree grade, and is also a perfect bridge moving from the straight dance world into psychotherapy. I will be going into my potential masters with this knowledge and another 'brain' to put on in theory and practical senses I have another skill to fall back on and improvise with.

BRING ON GRADUATION