About Linda Lang and Therapeutic Yoga
Linda Lang has brought yoga into the greater Washington community since 1999. During that time her work has been recognized and recommended by Shady Grove Adventist Hospital's Wellness Program and the Center for Integrative Medicine at the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
As Clinical Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at
The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, she is a frequent lecturer at GWU's Medical School on subjects of therapeutic applications of yoga and meditation, student and community wellness, personal and professional development and leadership. Her dedication as a practicum preceptor and mentor is highly regarded.
Linda is certified in the medical arena of Cardiac Yoga and presents classes, workshops and seminars throughout the year. She has taught at The Center for Holistic Psychiatry, the Discovery Channel,Family Services, Inc., an affiliate of Sheppard
& Enoch Pratt Foundation; many non-profit organizations and numerous public and private educational institutions and corporations.
With more than 1000 hours of training, she holds the professional designation with the national Yoga Alliance as E-RYT ~ for "teachers with significant teaching experience who want to train teachers or conduct continuing education." Given this expertise, Linda joined the
International Association of Yoga Therapists.
In
addition to teaching, Linda is engaged in research projects
demonstrating the benefits of yoga as a life style choice, as personal
and professional skill development and as a palliative modality. She coordinates workshops and presentations for therapeutic practitioners, medical students and members of the medical community to learn more about research and ways to integrate yoga into clinical settings.
As a result of her desire to bring like-minded professionals together, she is a member of the Advisory Committee of Life in Yoga.
She belongs to Peaceable Dragon, a consortium of teachers and students exploring Yoga, Qi Gong, Taijiquan (Tai Chi), Aikido, meditation and other internal arts.
Linda has studied yoga extensively with John Friend, as well as Doug Keller, Martin Kirk, Betsey Downing, Yoganand Michael Carroll, Desiree Rambaugh and Todd Norian; Sally Kempton and Richard Miller have been influential in her study of meditation and yoga nidra.
Linda is a dedicated teacher with a comprehensive perspective.
It’s really quite perfect: Linda's training is in yoga for cardiac
patients and the Anusara® method, which is a heart-oriented school of teaching emphasizing total competency and professionalism, alignment, caring and compassion, accommodation and modification, therapeutics and hands-on adjustments.
Therapeutic Yoga
Yoga is the epitome of integrative, comprehensive health care.
Therapeutic
Yoga
is a complement to the classical approach to teaching yoga, much like an additional doorway. It has been added to the
basic offerings because it is a separate and distinct opportunity to
focus inward, to create a practice for people with challenging lives,
living under difficult conditions, perhaps experiencing physical
restrictions or adapting to degenerative disease. The door is always open to this work, this practice, this way of life...
The healing
quality of yoga is impressive and often immediate for a practitioner,
regardless of their level of experience. This is fascinating, and has
inspired a dedication to teach people how to make the most of every day to create and maintain optimal well-being. It is
a pro-active practice, prevention at its best.
This is why I collaborate with medical advisers, health professionals and rehabilitation specialists to offer comprehensive teachings that are
targeted and effective. As a result, we integrate our modalities and work together to help people cope with injuries and
illness, pain, emotional adjustments, challenges of aging, limiting conditions and life-style changes.
You can practice with me in downtown Washington and the Maryland suburbs. I also offer services through the Center for Integrative Medicine, and train medical and public health students at GWU.
What makes yoga a healing art?
It is fair to say that the physical aspects of yoga, when practiced
with proper alignment and coordinated breath work, are therapeutic: the
yoga strengthens muscles, aligns the spine, creates greater range of
motion and flexibility, prevents and reverses many symptoms of degenerative conditions including osteoporosis and diabetes.
Its physiological benefits regulate blood pressure, help balance the
endocrine system, enhance fertility, improve stress management,
contribute to the innate capacity of the body to fight illness and infection,
reducing headaches, pulmonary disorders, abdominal distress and painful
joints.
Yoga affects our bio-chemistry and can create a sense of lightness and
optimism, alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety that lead to
eating and sleep disorders.
While every yoga class can be experienced as having therapeutic value,
therapeutic classes are created with the mission of reducing pain and
discomfort while increasing enthusiasm for life. Classes with a
therapeutic emphasis are focused on a student's physical condition and
capabilities. By honoring the individual, the teacher builds upon their
strengths to help them blossom within what they perceive to be
limitations. People then learn to see their potential and the power of
limits rather than feeling trapped, stuck or hopelessly "less than"
they were before.
Therein resides the healing art of the practice.
Yoga therapeutics are effective for relieving:
Therapeutic aspects of yoga allow us to:
- gain acceptance of "what is," recognize & appreciate our strengths, rather than emphasize our perceived weakness
- honor limitations and find our personal power
- honor our condition, disease or disability without over-identifying with it
- recognize and use specific actions to manage and alleviate pain and discomfort
The benefits are profound:
* creates inner & outer strength and
stability
* redefines personal capabilities & potential
* enhances balance and
controlled movement
* improves flexibility
of the spine & bone health
* deepens relaxation, quiets the mind
* initiates internal processes that inspire healing
This therapeutic focus is to promote a refined understanding of the innate intelligence of the body
and its ability to repair, restore, recover and
heal itself. Physical, psychological and emotional benefits are the result of a dedicated
personal practice, a practice that can be enhanced and enriched by a spiritual perspective.
A focus on therapeutic aspects of yoga is:
Informative.
We learn to listen to our bodies and see our selves as we are. The more
we understand about anatomy and biological processes, the more mindful
we can be about the process of healing.
If you can feel it, you can heal it.
Practical. We can learn asana, pranayama and meditation to promote healing, reduce negative energy, remove obstacles, relieve stress.
Inspirational. This is Effective, IT WORKS.
