YOGA THERAPEUTICS
Resolve pain, restore function & build strength

As a RYT500hr certified yoga teacher and a 300hr certified Yoga Medicine ® Therapeutic Specialist I offer private in person or online therapeutic programmes to students with ongoing conditions, injury recovery and injury prevention.

WHAT IS YOGA THERAPEUTICS?
Yoga Therapeutics uses a range of techniques and practises to create a prescriptive programme to support all aspects of physical and mental health. Each individualised programme includes a combination of movement practices, myofascial release, breath work and relaxation. It also looks at posture awareness in standing, sitting, while moving and balancing to help prevent recurrence of injuries or other issues arising. I work closely with students to support their progress as they integrate these holistic whole body practises into their everyday life to maintain and optimise their future health.

THE BENEFITS OF YOGA THERAPEUTICS
If you suffer from any of the following Yoga Therapeutics can help you:

- Chronic pain.
- Back pain.
- Neck & shoulder pain.
- Injury rehabilitation.
- Injury prevention.
- Sports performance.
- Balance & coordination.
- Poor posture.
- Stress & anxiety.
- Sleep management.
- Headaches & migraines.
- Menstrual & menopause symptoms.
- Supports nervous, respiratory, digestive, immune and circulatory system conditions.

THERAPEUTIC CLASS ENQUIRY

YOGA THERAPEUTICS V’S PHYSIOTHERAPY
Yoga Therapeutics and Physiotherapy are complementary and have a shared goal of helping you on your road to full health. Physiotherapy focuses on the physical body whereas Yoga Therapeutics looks at the body and mind. While physiotherapy is your first port of call if you have an acute injury, studies have shown that a combination of Physiotherapy and Yoga Therapeutics significantly improves the recovery outcome.

HOW DOES YOGA THERAPEUTICS WORK?
The process starts with an intake evaluation to identify areas of concern and set goals. An individualised therapeutic programme is then created from this intake information. This prescriptive programme is built specifically for your needs and is checked regularly to ensure you are getting the best out of it. Each session includes a private class and a small home self practice to continue your progress between sessions.

EXPLORING YOGA THERAPEUTICS IN YOUR PRACTICE
While Yoga Therapeutics are delivered as a one to one personalised programme this sequence, dealing with stress, gives you a small sample of my Yoga Therapeutics multi faceted approach. It uses movement practices, myofascial release, breath work and relaxation. You will start off with myofascial release or MFR on your feet, as detailed below, then you will move through a series of gentle mini flows, linking breath with movement, to ease physical and mental tension. You can repeat the standing flow on row three as many times as you like to lengthen your practice or you can leave it out for a more soothing grounding practice. You will end with a lovely restorative twist and a supported Savasana, with the option of a 4 inhale, 6 exhale, stress reduction breath work.

ALIGNMENT CUES
There is no specific peak pose in this sequence. Move slowly with the breath cues and be guided by your energy levels. Spend longer in the movement or in the relaxation part of the practice depending on what you need. Yoga Therapeutics is all about focusing on what is best for you as an individual.

Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

Use the breath guide in the sequence to help you link breath with movement in the flow. Inhale is indicated with a ‘+’, exhale is a ‘-”.
If there are specific poses that you would like to stay longer in, give yourself three deep breaths in those poses, and pick up the next pose with the allocated inhale or exhale as indicated by the sequence.
For a longer practice repeat the standing pose flow in row three.

MFR & RESTORATIVE POSE ALIGNMENT CUES
The props you’ll need for the restorative poses are:
2 x MFR balls - or 2 tennis balls.
1 x bolster - or 2 towels, wrapped around a horizontally rolled pillow and tied to secure.
1 x yoga bricks - or 1 thick similar sized dictionary.
2 x yoga blankets - or any wool, thick cotton or fleece blanket with density.

MFR FEET
Compression - from standing or seated, place 1 x ball at position No.1, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths and move on to No.2. Continue to No.5.
Roll & cross fibre - with the toes on the ground place 1 x ball at No.5, roll the ball across your heel x 5. Place 1 x ball at No.6, roll the ball across the knuckles of your toes x 5. Place 1 x ball at No.6, roll in one direction from toes to heel x 5.
Scribble - roll and scribble across the sole of the foot. Repeat all steps on the other foot.

No.1 - MFR SHOULDERS
Compression - from supine with knees bent, place 2 x balls in the centre of each upper shoulder, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly circle arms overhead and back to the ground x 5.

No.2 - MFR BACK OF SKULL
Lie on your back and place a brick on its lowest high just below the curve at the back of your skull (occipital ridge). Extend your legs out, arms slightly away from your body, palms facing up. Legs slightly apart and feet fall out to the side, soften your shoulder, back of the neck long. Gently roll your head from side to side to ease out tension in the muscles at the back of the skull. Roll your head mid way to your right, pause and make small circles, repeat on the left side. Remove the brick, soften the muscles across your forehead, your temples, the back of your skull. Let the whole body become heavy and melt into the support of the ground.

No.3 - PRONE TWIST
Place your bolster vertically along the top centre of your mat. Sit with your right hip up against the short end of the bolster. Place a folded blanket between your legs. Place your hands either side of the bolster. With an inhale lengthen through the whole spine and on your exhale gently place your front spine along the length of the bolster. Place your right cheek on the folded blanket and let your arms gently hang either side of the bolster. Repeat on the left side.

No.4 - MOUNTAIN BROOK
Half roll a four fold blanket and place it at the top of your mat. Accordion fold the other blanket and place it below your top blanket where your shoulder blades will lie. Place the bolster towards the bottom of your mat where your knees will be. Lie supine on your back, nestle the rolled part of the top blanket in the curve of your neck, place the accordion folded blanket under the lower tips of your shoulder blades and the bolster under the creases of your knees. Legs and arms extended, palms facing up, feet fall out to the side. Feel the rise and fall of the props supporting your back body.

Therapeutic class enquiry

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.
Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

WHAT IS MYOFASCIAL RELEASE?
Studying myofascial release (MFR) with Yoga Medicine® has been a game changer for my overall wellness. We all have areas of habitual tension or sustain repeat injuries. I had some historical posterior hip injuries that I could never completely shift. When I started incorporating regular MFR my hips finally recovered and feel better than they have in years. I now add short MFR practises pre or post yoga and exercise, or at the end of the day to dissolve away tension and help me relax. By using MFR I have noticed a significant reduction in stiffness and feel a body wide awareness of fluid cohesion to my movement. My hope is that this simple introduction to 5 of the basic MFR regions will ignite a curiosity in you to try it and experience the change it can make to your life too.

We all strive for balance between physical strength and mobility so that we can move freely and pain free in our everyday life. To achieve this the body needs to work cohesively as a unit, rather than a collection of individual parts. This partnership needs a go-between to unite everything together. Fascia is the slimy, stringy, fluid-like substance that connects & protects the whole body. It is a flexible and strong continuous body wide web that wraps and permeates every part of the body, including our muscles. It is our internal scaffolding that gives us structure, distributes pressure to prevent wear and tear, allows glide and slide between everything inside us, communicates with the nervous system, helps the immune system fight infection, and makes fibres to repair damaged tissues. In terms of the history of anatomy the fascial system is one of the newer discoveries and the science of the fascia is constantly evolving. But it is very much a system worth taking a bit of time to consider and look after.

Fascia is made up of cells (white blood cells & fibroblasts), fibres (collagen & elastin) and a fluid ground substance (water & hyaluronic acid). The ground substance of the fascia contains a molecule called hyaluronic acid (HA). Its job is to bind to water molecules and create hydration, which is why it is the recent buzz word in the cosmetic industry. When fascia is hydrated it can carry out its ‘connect & protect’ jobs efficiently. When it becomes dehydrated there is increased friction, restricted range of movement, and increased wear and tear on the muscles and joints. The hydration of your fascia can alter with age, overuse, underuse, infection, inflammation and even something as simple as dehydration.

Myofascial release, or MFR, is a therapeutic self massage technique that allows you to optimise this hydration and the health of your muscles and fascia as part of your self care routine. MFR uses different techniques of compression, rolling and shearing using tools such as balls, yoga bricks and foam rollers to refresh and rejuvenate the tissues. Its main uses are to release tightness and relieve pain, but when you start to use it regularly you will see how versatile it is and notice lots more reasons to keep coming back to it.

THE BENEFITS OF MFR
Two of the main benefits of MFR are tissue hydration and pain management. It hydrates the tissues by stimulating HA turnover in the ground substance of the fascia, producing more HA to bind to more water molecules. HA can sometimes bind to itself instead of water, causing densification and reduced function within the fascia. MFR breaks up this densification and allows the HA to bind to the water molecules instead.

The different MRF techniques also stimulate one of the nerve receptors found under the skin in the fascia which triggers our ‘rest & restore’ nervous system response in the whole body – which is why you feel lovely and relaxed after an MFR practice. It manages pain with a combination of this whole body relaxation response and by resetting pain receptors, also found in the fascia, that can sometimes get stuck in a pain detection loop.

MFR gives you a self care tool to manage and alleviate new or chronic pain and recognise your body's physical and mental needs as they arise. It is very adaptable and can be used to relax and down regulate the nervous system during the day if you are feeling stressed or tired, and in the evening to help you relax and prepare for a good night's sleep. So whether you are feeling stiff from sitting for long periods, your muscles are achy from exercise or you are simply trying to switch off after a busy day, MFR is for you.

MFR is used for both therapeutic and preventative measures for:

Muscle & fascia hydration.
Increased glide & slide.
Healthy connective tissue health.
Increased mobility.
Increased circulation.
Better nervous system communication.
Rest and relaxation.
Pain management.
Better body awareness.
Reduced physical & mental tension.
Better tissue repair.
Pre exercise to help prepare the muscles.
Post exercise to help recover the muscles..

WHEN TO INCORPORATE MFR
Relaxation – long or short practice + lighter: MFR down regulates the nervous system and helps you relax anytime of day. You can choose how long you'd like to practise. Use a lighter, gentle pressure to stimulate the ‘rest & restore’ nerve receptors just under the skin.
For pain management & injury recovery – shorter practice + frequently: MFR alleviates pain and speeds up injury recovery. Little and often is best, monitor your response to the treatment and adjust as needed.
Pre yoga – shorter practice + lighter: MFR before yoga increases your range of movement and can be used to warm up parts of the body you are planning on focusing on in your practice.
Post yoga – shorter practice + deeper: MFR after yoga helps you relax after your practice and can be used to refresh parts of the body you have been focusing on in your practice.
Pre sports – shorter practice + lighter: MFR helps prepare the muscles for sports without compromising the strength of the muscles like an excessive pre sport stretching routine would. Roll for shorter periods with a lighter pressure.
Post sports – longer practice + deeper: MFR helps muscles recover after sports and alleviates delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Roll for longer periods and deeper.

EXPLORING MFR + YOGA IN YOUR PRACTICE
Less is more when using MFR. If you are gritting your teeth and ignoring intense discomfort you will hinder the process and it will become counterproductive. You are looking for mild discomfort with the ability to consciously relax the muscles you are working on. Use your exhale to help relax the muscles under the balls. If you hit a tender spot that triggers your muscles to tighten, work indirectly around the area before directly. Avoid bony areas where there is very little muscle to work on and can be very uncomfortable. You will notice that different areas will be more tender than others. Adjust your applied pressure to create an even sensation throughout your practice. In areas where you roll individual sides it is good to lie down between sides to notice the difference. In areas where you do both sides at the same time, take a moment to lie down and sense the effects locally and around the whole body. You might notice the massaged area is more relaxed, less tight; more fluid, less chalkie; more free, less stiff; more neurological feedback, less disconnected.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

30/60 seconds per area.
5 min a day is better than 20 min a week.
Less is more, look for mild discomfort.
Work indirectly before directly on trigger points.
Should never be painful or sharp.
Use two balls instead of one or place a blanket over the balls to reduce the intensity.
Avoid bones, joints, nerves.
Avoid inflammation, bruises, broken skin, varicose veins.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Visit my Instagram to see a quick demo of the MFR techniques.

Below are the MFR techniques I used with the balls in our 5 chosen regions. As you progress from one region to the next lie in Savasana and observe the sensations that arise. Use the illustrated sequence for the ball position and the body position guide:

No.1 - FEET
Compression - from standing or seated, place 1 x ball at position No.1, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths and move on to No.2. Continue to No.5.
Roll & cross fibre - with the toes on the ground place 1 x ball at No.5, roll the ball across your heel x 5. Place 1 x ball at No.6, roll the ball across the knuckles of your toes x 5. Place 1 x ball at No.6, roll in one direction from toes to heel x 5.
Scribble - roll and scribble across the sole of the foot. Repeat all steps on the other foot.

No.2 - SHOULDERS (trapezius & supraspinatus)
Compression - from supine with knees bent, place 2 x balls in the centre of each upper shoulder, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly circle arms overhead and back to the ground x 5.

No.3 - LOWER BACK (quadratus lumborum & erectors)
Compression - from supine with knees bent, place 2 x balls above the back of the hips either side of the spine, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly lift and lower one knee at a time towards your chest x 5.
Roll & cross fibre - roll up and down the lower spine below the ribs.

No.4 - GLUTES (gluteus maximus & piriformis)
Compression - from supine with knees bent, place 2 x balls in the centre of each buttock muscle, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly lift and lower one knee at a time towards your chest x 5. Place your right foot on your left knee and lower and lift your right knee.
Roll & cross fibre - roll around the whole buttocks area.

No.5 - HIPS (gluteus medius)
Compression - from side lying up on your forearm, stack 2 x balls behind your frontal hip bone on your outer hip, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly lift and lower your leg x 5.
Roll & cross fibre - roll up and down on your outer hip.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Yoga Therapeutics stress relief

MFR + yoga