A life of healing.

Meet Amy Harper. Yoga Therapist, Healer and Amazing Human Being.

Amy and I met almost four years ago when I meekly walked into my first yoga class in far too many years, unsure and a little embarrassed. In a matter of seconds, Amy spotted me, smiled so warmly that any inhibitions I had simply melted away. She then approached me and assured me that I would be fine – just follow what she does, and listen to my body.

Wait, what? Listen to my body? Aren’t you going to tell my body what to do?

By the end of the first session, after I stumbled through it, I knew – I just knew – that I had found “my place.” My church, if you will. I’ve been a loyal devotee ever since.

I look forward to Amy’s morning classes, and to seeing her sweet, kind smile greet each of us as we wander into the studio.

She has become to me, and to many of us, so much more than a yoga instructor. Besides calling her my friend now, she is, in fact, a guide.

I have learned so much from Amy, most especially during last year’s big change in my life (whisper: “retirement”).

Truly, she is a guide, a healer, a doula to some. Special to us all.

Meet Amy.

How did you first come to yoga?

I was into extreme sports many years ago. I had a bad Waverunner accident and literally broke my back. Being out of circulation for so long, I became depressed, so my physical therapist recommended yoga, and I gave it a try. I thought the first two classes I took were so boring, but I kept at it (in typical Amy fashion – I was out to conquer it) and after a few more, I felt less of an edge in myself. As I kept at it, I could see and feel clearly how it was making a difference in my life and in my family’s life. From then on, I was in love. And I’ve never looked back.

How did you get into yoga therapy?

Well, I saw people getting hurt in yoga, and it triggered something in me. Yoga therapy helped me so much and I wanted to do the same thing for people who were suffering from an injury, a trauma or significant change in their life. It just felt like the most natural next step for me, so I took the training and became a certified yoga therapist.

Can you describe for me what a yoga therapist does?

Sure. The simplest description is that rather than focusing on yoga methods and practices, yoga therapists fundamentally focus on their clients’ needs. Through listening, questioning, observing, and appropriately touching, therapists look for ways to help their client manage or reduce their symptoms, improve their function, and help with their attitude as it relates to their health.

You take your yoga therapy practice to a different level. Please share with my readers how you approach your practice?

I like to take yoga therapy to a broader level in order to incorporate the whole person. Something I like to call the Five Rooms approach. The Five Rooms of the Self are the Physical, Energetic, Emotional, Spiritual, and Mental. Think in terms of Feng Shui, which is the ancient Chinese system of harmonizing the energies in any space – home, garden, office.   I use the principle of finding balance in our personal Five Rooms, utilizing different tools or methods for each, such as:

• Physical – movement, yoga, diet and lifestyle
• Energetic – breathing techniques, essential oils, mantras, sound, music
• Emotional – process emotions, relationships, creativity, intentions, purpose
• Spiritual – spirituality, meditation/prayer/stillness, nature
• Mental – self-talk, thoughts, identifying and dealing with stressors, journaling

Using the Five Rooms approach allows both myself and my clients to take into account all aspects of themselves and their lives in order to hone in on those parts that are out of balance and wreaking havoc on their health and in their lives.

In your work with midlife women (and men), are there similar self-limiting obstacles that seem to keep them stuck?

Yes, you know we all have an inner compass that keeps us on our own track, helps us find our way in the world. My clients usually come to me when they know they’re out of balance but can’t find their way back. Oftentimes they’ve tried many things, other programs, that didn’t give them the results they were seeking so they decided to give yoga therapy a try – what they often consider a last resort.

Also, especially as we get older, there’s a sense of losing time and wanting to break old patterns that they think might’ve held them back for years.

Of course, there are other issues that bring them to me, like:

• Chronic pain
• Cancer
• Insomnia
• Menopause
• Life changes – trauma, job change, divorce

The bottom line is that they know something is “off” and they just want to feel better, to find a purpose, a community.

I love that. Wanting to find purpose and community. Sounds like something we all need and want. Right?

Oh absolutely! Especially as we get older, we really need to have our own sense of purpose and to feel a part of a community. Life nowadays can be so isolating, and only connecting online can exacerbate the feeling of loneliness that so many older people are experiencing. I always think about those images of elders in an Italian village sitting around the piazza visiting, watching children playing, seeing people come and go. While it seems a rather simple, innocuous activity, it gives them a sense of community, a spirit of belonging. There’s such peace in that.

Everyday busy-ness can get the better of us sometimes. I’ve heard you say “find your joy.” What do you mean by that?

You’re right. Our everyday lives can be overwhelming or underwhelming sometimes. When I say “find your joy,” I mean do the small, seemingly insignificant things that you’ve forgotten perhaps – things that bring you joy for a moment, like:

• Dance around the house listening to some favorite music
• Make soup or whatever brings you comfort
• Walk the dog, or snuggle with the cat
• Watch some comedy
• Journal, with crayons or colorful pencils – draw, paint, cut out pretty pictures
• Buy some flowers for yourself
• Take a child to the park and play
• Have a bath with candles and Epsom salts
• Read a book just for fun
• Utilize essential oils to lift your spirits
• Get out in nature

Just find something that pleases only you, and do it! It’s an act of self-love, which we all need more of.

How do you work with your clients?

Once I assess the client’s needs and motivations for seeking out my help, I will put a flexible course of action together. Client sessions are usually 1:1, during which I’ll utilize different tools to address their issues. I also give them homework to do on their own, so that the downtime between sessions is productive and they feel ownership of the process.

In addition to 1:1 client work, I offer workshops for small groups of women who might be looking to again find their center at a new age or place in life, reignite their passions, or to begin again after a significant change in their life. 

If you would like to learn more about Amy and her offerings (and I highly recommend it), go to amyharpercoaching.com.

Thank you, Amy, for sharing your important work with us.  See ya tomorrow.

Till next time. Namaste.

Judy