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What
is Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy?
Phoenix Rising is an inspirational form of mind-body therapy in which you are encouraged to explore your own inner landscape and experience how your emotional life manifests in and through your body. The therapist does not interpret or advise but acts as a compassionate witness, creating a space in which you are able to access your own innate wisdom. You
don’t need to be fit or flexible to receive this work, or to have any experience of yoga. However,
if you do already have a yoga practice, Phoenix Rising is a great way
to work more deeply into postures and explore your physical
and emotional edge.
History
Phoenix
Rising was created in the early 1980s by Michael Lee, an Australian
then living at Kripalu yoga ashram in Massachusetts, USA.
Through working on himself and assisting others to move more
deeply into their own yoga practice, Michael came to realise
that profound emotional and physical release could be facilitated
by the supportive presence of a partner. From this experience,
he began to evolve Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy. The first training programme
for practitioners took place in 1987, and today the Phoenix
Rising Yoga Therapy Center, now
based in Vermont, trains about 60 new practitioners every
year, from the US and from countries around the world.
What
happens in a session
Phoenix
Rising sessions are one-to-one and last about an 90 minutes.
Having a session is more like receiving bodywork and attending a therapy session at the same time than attending a yoga class. The practitioner will move your body into supported yoga postures and use simple dialogue techniques (derived from person-centred
therapy) to enable you to let go of physical and emotional tensions,
release energetic blocks, and experience a deeper sense of connection and self-awareness.
In Phoenix Rising, the practitioner acts as a guide, but you
are in charge of what happens. You won’t be asked to
enter into any dialogue or postures that don’t feel
right for you.
What is it useful for?
Phoenix Rising can be used for for stress relief, deep relaxation,
physical and emotional release, personal growth and emotional
healing. It can help with a wide range of problems, including
addictions, eating disorders, questions of identity, abusive
experiences, grief, loss and life crises. Although it isn’t
designed to be a physical ‘fix’, it can also sometimes
help in recovery from injuries and relief of pain.
Places and costs
Sessions are currently available at the following times and
places, and can be booked by contacting
me.
Woolwich,
in my own yoga space, a 15-minute
walk from Woolwich Arsenal mainline, at various times in
the week by arrangement.
Cost £50 (£40 concessions).
In
your own home. It is sometimes possible for me to come
to you. The fee depends on where you live and when you are
available – please enquire
for details.
When you book and pay for six Phoenix Rising sessions, you receive a fee reduction of 10 per cent.
FAQS ABOUT PHOENIX RISING
•
Can I do Phoenix Rising in a class?
No, sessions are one-to-one. Phoenix Rising is a therapy in
which you are supported in discovering information and emotions
held in your body, rather than a lesson in which you are taught
how to do yoga postures. However, I do sometimes offer group
workshops in which you can learn more about this work and
find out what it feels like to give and receive Phoenix Rising
assists. Contact
me if you’d like to be informed about the next workshop.
• Do I need to have done yoga before to receive
a session?
No, yoga experience is not necessary. However, if you do have
a yoga practice, you will find is is enriched and
deepened by Phoenix Rising sessions.
• Do I need to be fit to receive a session?
No. Phoenix Rising is tailored to individual needs and is suitable
for those whose level of fitness is currently poor as well as those who are fit.
•
Can I receive Phoenix Rising if I have injuries, disabilities
or health problems?
Most physical conditions can be accommodated.
However, please mention any such issues when you contact me,
so that I can make sure Phoenix Rising is right for you. If
you go on to book a session, we will discuss your health and
other needs in more detail before we begin work.
• Can I receive Phoenix Rising if I suffer from mental
illness?
In most cases, yes. However, there are a few forms of mental
illness that are not helped by this form of work. If you have
a mental health problem and would like to book a session,
please contact me to talk things through first.
• I have an injury – can Phoenix Rising help?
Phoenix Rising is about working with the emotional content
of the body, so if you are simply looking to make an injury
better in the functional sense, physiotherapy, osteopathy
or a more structurally oriented modality of yoga therapy is probably
more suitable for you. Having
said that, all injuries have an emotional as well as a mechanical
component, so Phoenix Rising sessions do sometimes result
in improvement to injuries, although that isn’t the primary
purpose of this work.
• Part of my body is very tight, and I think it's
due to blocked energy – can Phoenix Rising help?
Yes, Phoenix Rising is effective for exploring physical limitations
from an energetic point of view.
•
I’m interested in becoming a Phoenix Rising practitioner.
How do I go about it?
Professional training takes place at the Phoenix
Rising Yoga Therapy Center in Vermont, USA. The training is
partly residential and partly by distance learning. It is not currently possible to train professionally in the UK.
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