12 - Yoga Therapy for Pain with Sarah Garden
In episode twelve, we speak to yoga therapist Sarah Garden about how yoga can be a tool to manage or treat chronic pain. Sarah discusses how yoga can make a difference in dealing with chronic pain due to your brain’s neuroplasticity, how the ARMS model can be helpful, and what it’s like working as a yoga therapist in Saskatchewan. Join us and learn about the importance of paying attention to what’s going on in your body and how you might be able to change your relationship with your pain.
In episode twelve, we dive into the topic of yoga and how yoga techniques can help deal with chronic pain with certified yoga therapist, Sarah Garden. Sarah has more than twenty years of experience helping people with all kinds of chronic illnesses relate to their bodies and their feelings, but current focus is on chronic pain. Sarah is a Director of Yoga at Bodhi Tree Yoga in Regina and also works at the Regina Chronic Pain Care Clinic.
An important aspect of Sarah’s yoga therapy work is the concept of neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change and adapt both its structure and its function in response to experiences and as a result of change over the course of your life. Sarah discusses how the body and mind learn and adapt to dealing with pain, and how those same pathways can be used to teach yourself how to change those feelings of pain.
Sarah also goes into detail about the techniques she uses to teach these changes. She discusses her ARMS technique, which helps you to be aware of what’s happening in your body, to regulate the responses you have to your body’s feelings, to learn how to incorporate movement and mobility, and to eventually build your strength and coordination. She goes on to give some tips on how to work on this by yourself if you are unable to work with a yoga therapist.
We also discuss how Sarah came to work on chronic pain and the meaning that Saskatchewan has for her in her own journey of dealing with chronic pain, as she is committed to help the people who need it, including people who have unequal access to pain care.
Any questions about Sarah’s work or the techniques she uses can be directed to her at sarah@bodhitreeyoga.com
If you have any questions about today’s episode, or would like more resources on any of the topics covered, please email us at info@saskpain.ca