Photo by Miguel Guzman at Sedona Yoga Festival’s “Yoga for PTSD”

By Erin Byron

I am pumped about the Yoga for PTSD track at Sedona Yoga Festival.

That may be a weird thing to say because, let’s face it, trauma/PTSD is a difficult subject.

The SYF approach to the topic makes the whole thing easier. Compassionate community, inspiration, and the range of ideas uplift you. It was fascinating for me to experience a deep sense of well-being while at the same time reflecting upon terrible things.

This is a rare kind of magic. The ability to move through darkness feeling calm and heartened is so healing. That’s the tone SYF sets. “It’s okay,” Marc told us during the Yoga for PTSD intros. And the opposite? “That’s okay, too.”

Photo by Miguel Guzman at the “Yoga for PTSD” track, at Sedona Yoga Festival

For those living with the frustrating and sometimes debilitating symptoms of trauma, the Yoga for PTSD track proves that we are not alone and gives us the chance to connect with friendly, like-minded others.

In so doing, there is a softening in our hearts. Somehow the atrocities we suffered or have been witness to spin a thread of connection between us. Connection is the key to healing trauma. Education, tools, and practices aside, SYF brings us this opportunity to rest in like-minded community

Yoga teachers, yoga therapists, and other service providers have the chance to build our toolbox, gaining new insights and techniques. The quality trauma education deepens our range and refinement in applying to the skills and practices we already use. The Yoga for Trauma track is a complete 20-hour certification offering a broad range of ways yoga benefits trauma survivors.

At the “Yoga for PTSD” track at Sedona Yoga Festival.

Want to develop resilience in a high-stress environment? A very special place is held for first responders, too. SYF Founder Marc Titus speaks openly of his experiences as a wildland firefighter and someone living with PTSD. Many first responders join the Yoga for PTSD track of the festival – some more than once!

It’s worth repeating attendance. The presentations change each year. Research on the impacts and best practices for PTSD is continually evolving. The attendees are continually evolving, too! Different people try it out each year while some people return again and again. Each Yoga for Trauma track is unique and rewarding.

Photo by Miguel Guzman, at the “Yoga for PTSD” track at Sedona Yoga Festival

Every year is different and we are different year-by-year, too. We gain new insight and learning more deeply each time we revisit the intention of healing trauma. For your own recovery and for those you love who are living with the aftermath of trauma, know that there are simple, concrete ways you can be part of the solution.

I am so looking forward to sharing ideas and receiving new perspectives at Sedona Yoga Festival’s Yoga for PTSD training this year!

Ever notice how pets stretch upon waking? And, remember when our basic instinct was to stretch – reaching for the sky with extended arms, along with a big yawn before getting out of bed? The natural instinct to stretch seems to take a turn as humans grow. Sleeping positions and stretching before getting out of bed should be a waking ritual. Natural waking instincts are ways the brain connects to the stiffness we feel from fascia laying dormant, when we sleep. 

Stretching in the morning is an organic way for the body to prepare the joints fluids and muscles to begin to move and fire up. The breath is helpful as well- a way to bring natural heat to the equation. A good night’s sleep mostly depends on conditions, such as the correct bed, and the sleeping positions. Side sleeping along with using lots of pillows under the head and shoulders, could misalign bones and muscles over time. Statistics remain high as back pain is linked to eighty percent of those who sleep improperly. Poor sleeping habits can change our posture, which invites pain. Taking a moment in the morning to return to the ritual of simply giving yourself a nice long stretch each morning, can go a long way. Take it from our four legged friends when waking, let it start with a big stretch before dashing out.

Note: The following was edited from a recorded transcript of the beginning of channeling session. To read the complete, unedited transcripts, see the link below.

Everybody has the ability to connect with Divine energy on some level. Some people do it through clairsentience (the ability to feel energy or vibration or spirit.) Some people do it clairvoyantly which is the ability to see energy or vibration or spirit. And then some people do it as clairaudient which is the ability to hear energy or vibration or spirit—and that’s what I do.

I developed clairaudience over a ten or fifteen year period. But what I always say to people is, there’s nothing special about me. Anything I’m doing anybody could do; it’s just whether or not you want to put the time into practicing it because that’s what makes the difference. Concert pianists for example do this, because they’ve put a lot of time, intention and attention into learning that skill. Communication with spirit is no different.

Anyone can develop these skills who is willing to put in the time, energy, attention and intention into the process. So, that’s what I do. I hear spirit. When I’m doing a channeling session, sometimes I get actual words from the Ascended Masters; sometimes I get blocks of thought or concepts that I have to break into words—so sometimes there’s a little fumbling on my part trying to get the right word or the right phrase so that the correct meaning is conveyed, and it’s because they’ve given me a concept instead of exact words.

Whenever we do this we start by putting a field of protection around ourselves, and I’ll lead the group through this. We do that because we want to have the intention to communicate with the highest of energies.

When I was learning to channel many years ago, a dear friend of mine said to me (And it’s always stuck with me) “Just because someone is dead, doesn’t mean that they’re smart.”

If I’m talking to energies that are on the other side, I want to make sure I’m only speaking with the highest of energies, the ascended beings, rather than just anybody. So that’s why we put the circle of protection around ourselves and that’s why we’re very clear about the beings we want to communicate with because again we want ascended energies to communicate with us.

To start the session, what we do typically is open it up for whomever the beings are that join us —we open it up to them to speak. And then they generally talk for whatever it takes for them to deliver their message for the day, and then we open it up for the group for questions. Anybody is free to ask any questions that they want and I’ll do my best to get clear answers. And then if we have time—if questions are done and everyone’s feeling complete, if we have time we do a brief meditation where everyone goes into a short meditation and tries to connect with those energies for themselves. That’s how this session tends to work, and then we go from there, so I would invite everyone to get very comfortable. I would invite you to either—whatever is comfortable for you—sitting up, lying down, whatever feels best. And just taking a few deep breathes. A deep inhale and with each inhale we’re affirming that we’re breathing in Divine energy. And a deep exhale and with each exhale we’re affirming that we’re releasing any energy that we don’t need— any stress, any tension, anything that has been burdening us. We intentionally release it with each exhale. Once again, deep inhale, and again, a deep exhale. As we relax and as we open ourselves to Divine energies, we try and recall a time in our lives when we felt love, when we felt peaceful and loving, when we felt totally one with nature, with our surroundings, with other humans, with all of the world, when we felt complete and at peace, when we felt this oneness. Perhaps it was when we were walking in the rain, when we were watching a sunset, when we were holding a child or enjoying a pet, whatever it is we call to ourselves to our hearts, to our minds, that feeling of peace and love. And we use that feeling of peace and love now as our connecting point with Divine. We repeat our favorite prayer three times.

To see the rest of this transcript visit: https://www.healingpaq.org/channeling-list