By Shivani Ashley Wells, PRYT.

If you’ve got stress, you are not alone. The American Psychology Association recently reported that 80% of Americans feel stressed by the economy, 60% feel angry about it, and 52% are having trouble sleeping. Physical and emotional symptoms due to stress appear to be increasing. So, what exactly is stress and how does it affect your life? Defined, stress is a specific response by the body, which disturbs or interferes with one’s normal physiological equilibrium. Sleeplessness, feelings of irritability or anger, lack of interest or motivation, depression, sadness, headaches, muscular tension, and diseases and disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), cancer, heart disease, asthma, fibromyalgia, chronic pain and chronic fatigue are all stress-related health concerns.

Contrary to popular opinion, all stress is not necessarily bad. In fact, it’s normal, and we all experience it. Stress is integral to our growth and to some extent we need stress, just as trees need the stress of wind to build strong trunks and branches. We do know however, that regardless of the cause, un-managed stress (or rather, un-processed stress stored in the body) can result in serious health concerns, less peace of mind, and less enjoyment of life. So what becomes important is not how to rid ourselves of stress, but rather how to relate to it!

Many people have found tremendous relief from stress by exploring their relationships between their body, thoughts, feelings and life, within Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy (PRYT) sessions. Your body has, of course, been with you during each significant event in your life and is responsible for expressing, filtering and processing those experiences, both traumatic and joyful. PRYT is based in the belief that our bodies hold memory and emotion, just like our brains do, and that the source of chronic pain, stress and even depression can be the result of blocked or unresolved emotions stored in the body. To help bring these memories and emotions to light, PRYT artfully combines elements of Yoga, such as gentle assisted postures and meditation, with elements of body-mind psychology, such as client-centered dialogue. Clients find clarity around their life situations, and are empowered to take practical steps towards living the life they truly want.

Important to the process of cultivating a healthier relationship with stress is noticing how one meets themselves at an “edge”, the physical or emotional place between too much and too little intensity. Michael Lee, who founded Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy in 1986, said in this book Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy-A Bridge from Body to Soul, “Unless you find your edge, there is no growth, no learning and no change. Too far back from the edge is boredom and atrophy. Too far out from the edge is self destruction.” Undoubtedly, how one chooses to meet their edges during a Phoenix Rising session, is how they meet the edges in their life. Chronic stress, with both physical and psychological symptoms, can be the result of constantly pushing past an edge, without the know-how to make positive and healthier choices, or even the knowledge that one has the power to do so. The concept of “edge” is what inspired the name for this holistic healing art. Going through a metaphysical transformation of death and rebirth, like a phoenix bird rising from its ashes, is a metaphor for the change we can experience in order to create the life we want.

What sets Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy apart from most other therapeutic approaches, including other methods of yoga therapy or psychotherapy, is that it is non-diagnostic and non-prescriptive. In other words, the practitioner doesn’t asses or interpret the client’s experience or offer advice. Rather, the practitioner invites the client to explore whatever is happening in the present moment, whether that be exploring ones relationship with life stress or life transition, or simply exploring whatever thoughts, feelings or memories arise in the moment. The session ends with an opportunity for the client to reflect on the bigger life picture of what came up during the session and then open to his/her own inner-guide around what the next steps are. This empowering approach makes Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy a profound compliment to both psychotherapy and physical therapy, and an integral part of the process of whole healing and stress-relief. Research over the past 4 years has found a 55% reduction of stress-related symptoms in participants of group PRYT programs.

Psychotherapists refer clients to Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy who have become “stuck”, or need to explore psychosomatic issues. Clients who have experienced abuse and disassociate have found yoga therapy especially valuable. Body workers and energy workers, such as massage therapists and Reiki practitioners; refer clients who would benefit from verbalizing the thoughts and feelings they experience during sessions. Chiropractors and Physical Therapists (Physiotherapists) refer clients who are interested in exploring the connection between their injuries and their emotions. However, you don’t need a referral to experience this empowering work! Anyone with a desire to find clarity, to de-stress, and to enhance their well-being can benefit.

Shivani Ashley Wells is a Certified Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist at Harmony Family Wellness Center. She works one-on-one with clients and will be offering a 6-8 week PRYT group program called “Redefining Stress” in the Fall. Shivani also serves as a mentor to practitioners-in-training with the Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy school in Vermont. Visit her site at www.shivaniwells.wordpress.com