Free Download! Yoga, Healing and Transformation--It’s Not About the Pose

Within the Western model of healing, we’re used to thinking about healing within the so-called magic bullet paradigm: There’s one pill, one remedy, one cure to take care of every malady you suffer from.

When it comes to deriving the healing benefits of yoga, we have a tendency in our Western culture to take this approach to yoga practice as well. Think about articles promising us, for example, the five magical yoga poses to ‘cure’ insomnia, combat belly fat, reduce symptoms of diabetes, or whatever ails us.

In this interview, Susi Hately, founder of Functional Synergy, notes that yoga and healing really have nothing to do with the poses or a specific sequence of poses. Different people have different needs, and what is a great sequence of poses for one person may not be useful for someone else, even if they suffer from the same health issues.  

Ultimately, yoga helps healing and transformation by developing a growing sense of awareness of our body, our emotional reactions, and by helping us get grounded in a source of relaxation, Susi notes. Yoga heals by helping us get unstuck and become more balanced and connected to our body, mind and soul.

If yoga is an individualized technique and there is no one-size-fits-all in our selection of postures and approach to practice—which are the universal principles we can apply to help people heal and restore greater balance? Susi shares some of her insights into the elements of practice—be it a movement, meditation, mantra or stillness practice—that can help us deepen our practice and connect with the healing intelligence of our own body.

Above all, she notes, the key is stay in touch with what you feel.

Within the Western model of healing, we’re used to thinking about healing within the so-called magic bullet paradigm: There’s one pill, one remedy, one cure to take care of every malady you suffer from.

When it comes to deriving the healing benefits of yoga, we have a tendency in our Western culture to take this approach to yoga practice as well. Think about articles promising us, for example, the five magical yoga poses to ‘cure’ insomnia, combat belly fat, reduce symptoms of diabetes, or whatever ails us.

However, in this interview, Susi Hately, founder of Functional Synergy, notes that yoga and healing really have nothing to do with the poses or a specific sequence of poses. Different people have different needs, and what is a great sequence of poses for one person may not be useful for someone else, even if they suffer from the same health issues.  

Ultimately, yoga helps healing and transformation by developing a growing sense of awareness of our body, our emotional reactions, and by helping us get grounded in a source of relaxation, Susi notes. Yoga heals by helping us get unstuck and become more balanced and connected to our body, mind and soul.

If yoga is an individualized technique and there is no one-size-fits-all in our selection of postures and approach to practice—which are the universal principles we can apply to help people heal and restore greater balance? Susi shares some of her insights into the elements of practice—be it a movement, meditation, mantra or stillness practice—that can help us deepen our practice and connect with the healing intelligence of our own body.

Above all, she notes, the key is stay in touch with what you feel.

Also check out Susi’s course on YogaUOnline: Twists 'n More: Benefits, Kinesiology, and Precautions for Twisting Postures