Episode 158 ENCORE The Best Of HCP | Trauma-Informed Yoga: Interview With Kristine Weber

The Holistic Counseling Podcast

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What are some of the scientifically proven benefits of yoga? Why is it important to find the correct yoga instructor for you and your mental health needs? Can you practice yoga in session with your client?

MEET Kristine Weber

Kristine Weber, MA, C-IAYT, eRYT500 is a leading world authority on the neuroscientific benefits of slow, mindful yoga and an advocate for the use of these practices as an integral part of the solution to the healthcare crisis.

She is leading the charge to get slow, mindful practices to people who desperately need them through her Subtle® Yoga Revolution series of online courses and training for yoga teachers – which have been praised by thousands all over the world. She has been training mental health professionals to use yoga in their clinical practices for over a decade at the Mountain Area Health Education Center which is associated with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Find out more at Subtle Yoga and connect with Kristine on, Instagram, and Facebook

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IN THIS PODCAST:

• Benefits of yoga for anxiety and depression
• Yoga as a whole is not defined by one teacher
• Benefits of clinician self-care with yoga for clients

Benefits Of Yoga For Anxiety & Depression

The German researcher Holger Kramer has conducted numerous meta-analyses and reviews of the benefits of yoga through a scientific lens to prove its effectiveness to the Western world.

[Holger Kramer conducted] systematic reviews on looking at yoga for depression, for anxiety, for mental health in general, for addiction recovery … one of the things he says in one study is the best yoga is the kind of yoga that you’ll do. (Kristine Weber)

It has been concluded that slow, mindful yoga is one of the best treatments for depression.

The world is beginning to move towards an evidence-informed practice of proving the efficiency of new treatments, which is necessary, but the yoga world does need to push more for more research credibility.

There are still many people who discredit the benefits of yoga, but that is simply because science needs to find the correct tools on how to prove yoga’s benefits.

Yoga As A Whole Is Not Defined By One Teacher

Many people have been put off by yoga or discredit the entire practice of yoga when they encounter a misinformed or brash instructor. It takes many hours of teaching a certain kind of person to lead a yoga class with patience and calmness.

One cannot bring aggression or tension into the yoga space. The yoga space is the place where those things are worked out of the body, and it is not possible to relieve tension with even more tension.

First of all, there is tons of good yoga going on out there, even if the teacher hasn’t been trained in trauma-informed practices they could still be really good. It’s more about going to classes and finding who you feel like is safe … and then refer [them]. (Kristine Weber)

For trauma-informed yoga practices, it is vital for yoga instructors that assist patients with anxiety and depression to be correctly trained. It is also important for doctors who refer patients to yoga instructors to know who they are sending patients to, and if this instructor will be good for guiding them on their treatment.

Benefits Of Clinician Self-Care With Yoga For Clients

There is certainly a parallel process going on … what we hear over and over again is clinicians saying to us “I can’t believe how good I feel when I do some yoga with my client” because we recommend that. We don’t recommend that you just sit there [and instruct]. (Kristine Weber)

As the clinician it is sometimes better for the client, and for you, to practice yoga in-session with your client. This creates not only a deeper connection between you and the client, but it creates a shared space of accountability.

You can encourage the client to let go and be an active part of their healing by being an active member alongside them.

You can use two to five minutes – brief interventions – at the beginning of the session, maybe another five in the middle of the session when there has been some traumatic sharing, and then another few minutes to close the session.

In the clinician and mental health profession, self-care – as a counselor and general care provider – is imperative.

Can you make your self-care as daily and as important as brushing your teeth?

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Resources Mentioned And Useful Links:

Find out more at Subtle Yoga and connect with Kristine on, Instagram, and Facebook

Do You Want To Flourish in 2024? Join Visioning a Bright New Year: A guided journey (it's just $7).