Hello Comox Valley, thanks for being so incredibly welcoming

My name is Julie Cook(aka EMYT-Ease of Movement Yoga Therapy) and I am a Yoga Therapist who has just relocated to the area from the beautiful ski town of Kimberley in the Kootenay Mountains.  My entire family moved to Comox Valley last year and I could no longer be that far away from them.  My husband and I arrived March 8th and have been enjoying family time together exploring all the valley has to offer.

While you will also find me coaching part time at Chimo Gymnastics Club and likely flipping around on their trampolines, you will also see me scooting around town doing 'House Calls' for clients/patients in need of support.  (If you're in need of personal/professional references, I have plenty.)  My yoga students and my Yoga Therapy clients from Kimberley were not excited about my departure and yet very happy for my family being priority.  What a great group of humans, I had the pleasure and honour to work with in Kimberley.  

Yoga Therapy is a modality of rehabilitation that is about to take off.  Yoga Therapists take a full mental and physical health history of each client. This is to find out all the different aspects that make up the full spectrum of a client’s background. By doing so they also ensure that the practices are appropriate for the individual’s issues and goals for healing.

In therapeutic yoga, Yoga therapists work mainly one-on-one.  (Group classes can be beneficial as a taste of what can be possible in simple movements and connecting to sensation) Yoga Therapy involves pain-free physical practices and simple movements(asana is complex movement in comparison and may be impeding on the neuromuscular patterning not executed within each person's capacity.  Which is primarily where people acquire injuries in their yoga asana practices), breathing techniques, relaxation and guided meditation. There is sharing of experiences through trauma-sensitive conversations as part of the process too.

Using the proper therapeutic applications, educated and Certified Yoga Therapists by IAYT accredited schools may support many conditions/diseases. This may include musculoskeletal imbalances, chronic conditions/pain, autoimmune diseases, mental health conditions/diseases and cancer. 

Yoga Therapy is a great way to down regulate the nervous system with supporting neuromuscular re-patterning through simple movement, awareness of sensation, attention to proprioception(where you are in space) and interoception(knowing through sensation).  While it is most effective 1:1, It can also be done in a group setting to allow people to experience this with a friend or integrate the possibilities more slowly.  The effectiveness can be quite surprising. 

The in-depth education and practical training also prepares a Yoga Therapist to work in tandem with other professionals in the healthcare field. As the benefits of Yoga Therapy become more widely known and supported by research, it is increasingly being incorporated into treatment plans by Allopathic doctors(MDs), other licensed therapists and Allopathic(western) specialists alike. Yoga Therapy has growing respect as an ideal complement to Allopathic (western) medicine. 

The IAYT, International Association of Yoga Therapists is showing beta testing for licensing has already begun.  Once the standard of board exam testing is fully established, we will be licensed therapists in North America.  This will mean licensing possibly as early as 2025.  Yoga Therapists will then be billable with ICBC, Worksafe and Private Insurance plans.  This is all very exciting.

The integration of therapeutic yoga through the modality of 'Yoga Therapy' (not to be mistaken with yoga class or asana practice) IS happening.  This will support our healthcare system in relieving/managing chronic conditions, chronic pain, prevent symptoms in the early stages before disease sets in, support early and mid stage recovery, potentially support any reversal of disease or management of disease and enhance the quality of life for many people.  Similar to removing the plug off a pressure cooker in the healthcare system.  This is long overdue and very supportive news.

There is a huge capacity for service and community contribution where Yoga Therapy/Yoga Therapists can be found working in hospitals, outpatient clinics, physiotherapy and rehabilitation.  This gap has needed to be filled for a long time to support Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists alike.  This is coming rapidly and with strong support from Allopathic(Western MDs) Doctors and Specialists too.

Please take a look at my website attached to this blog.  www.emyt.yoga  See if there is anything you may find supportive to your healthcare needs.  You will likely see my logo around town and in groups on Facebook. 

You will find me teaching yoga classes soon at The Studio where you can find traditional Bikram Yoga(aka 26&2), Yin Yoga, HIIT, Barre and Vinyasa.  The Studio is a phenomenal place to practice in the warmth where your bones, soft tissue and skin will become more vibrant, youthful and melt into ease.  If there is a fear of the heat, it can be relieved with information and understanding.  Practicing without heat is quite advanced in nature.  Learning to create heat through internal sources from breathing and movement is not a beginner thing at all.  I have been an advanced practitioner and beginner over and over several times in my life.  The heat is a blessing and a great service.  It's a very expensive one that The Studio has so generously provided for beginners, intermediate and advanced practitioners to thrive and grow in as each individual explores into their own practice.  There are tremendous supports surrounding this.  If you ever have any questions about it please feel free to text me on my cell listed below.  I'm happy to join you and support you within your growth or learning curve in your practice.  

Again, feel free to reach out to me by text 778-384-9642 or by email julie@emyt.yoga  

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  I look forward to hearing from you.