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Frequently
Asked Questions
1. What
distinguishes Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy from other styles of
yoga therapy?
2. Who are the practitioners?
3. What style of Yoga is it based upon?
4. Who is the Founder and staff?
5. How long is the Training and what is the
format?
6. What is covered in the training and what
teaching methods are used?
7. Who are the clients and what can students
expect after graduation?
8. Can I get college credit and/or CEU's?
9. What support can I expect after graduating?
What further opportunities exist?
10. What is the difference between Phoenix
Rising Yoga Therapy and psychotherapy?
11. How does Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy work
with more traditional healthcare services?
1.
What distinguishes Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy from other styles
of yoga therapy?
One of the
key distinguishing features of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy is
that it is based on a purely holistic paradigm - in other
words it works on the principle that each person is unique, with
a unique history, a unique manifestation of energy in body, mind,
and spirit. Given this, the healing process is one of exploration
and discovery taking into account the unique nature of the individual.
It is client
centered and non-prescriptive. This is a very important statement
and one that is pivotal in the training of Phoenix Rising Practitioners.
In other words we don't make a diagnosis and then offer a treatment.
Instead we help the client determine what is happening for them
in their body and in their life and to determine what they might
want to change and the ways to go about it. It does take into
account physical issues as well as mental, emotional and spiritual
- but from the perspective that they are all linked and not
separate. So the statement- "you can fix your sciatica by
doing this posture three times a day" is NOT what you would ever
be likely to hear from a Phoenix Rising practitioner. Its true
there might be postures that are good for sciatica - but the underlying
question is.... "what unique manifestation of life energy led
to the creation of the sciatic condition? And to what extent does
this come form a spiritual or mental dissonance as well as the
physical" And I would be game to bet that for every person in
the world with sciatica the answer to that question is going to
be different from anyone else's answer even though they share
the same basic diagnosis - sciatica. And I believe the same applies
to many other conditions as well.
Phoenix Rising
Yoga therapy is also based on an approach to yoga that focuses
on working from the inside out and paying less attention to "form"
and more attention to "essence." Its not about how good you look
or how well you can perform an asana. Its more about what happens
to you in all aspects of your being while you are engaging the
asana and being able to notice and distinguish the subtleties
in body, mind and spirit - then using this information as awareness
on which to evaluate and possibly change your life.
Phoenix Rising
Practitioners around the world have developed successful practices
and have used the approach to specialize in working with specific
populations/conditions/ and referral sources. Some get referrals
primarily from psychiatrists and psychotherapists, others from
MD's, and others from Chiropractors or massage therapists. Some
work with conditions like Attention Deficit Disorder in children,
some with cancer patients. We have other practitioners who specialize
in the treatment of addiction, one who works with pain management,
others who work with pre and post natal women, and some who work
in the corporate world using the technology to help with the management
of stress.
To me what
is most exciting is that we can adapt the technology of Phoenix
Rising Yoga Therapy to work in all these different arenas and
with different populations WITHOUT selling out to the medical
model approach of diagnosis/prescription/treatment. We are able
to do it by working with people from the inside out and by honoring
them as unique human beings. I believe when this is done, the
healing is much more profound, more lasting, and more meaningful
in terms of the whole of life, rather than just fixing a symptom.
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2.
Who are the practitioners?
Yoga teachers,
psychotherapists, bodyworkers, holistic health practitioners,
and anyone interested in guiding people into the deeper aspects
of self through the body. Certified Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapists
have completed a comprehensive 650-hour program that includes
a period of 8 months supervision with a mentor. They have also
practiced yoga on a daily basis for that time.
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3.
What style of Yoga is it based upon?
Phoenix Rising
draws its essence from Kripalu Yoga, but also draws inspiration
from other traditions and teachers including, Iyengar, Bikram,
Yogananda, and Satyananda. It is compatible with all styles of
hatha yoga.
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4.
Who is the Founder and staff?
Phoenix Rising was developed and founded by Michael
Lee, MA, a recognized educator and therapeutic bodyworker. Michael was a resident and faculty member at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts.
In late 2006 Michael Lee made the decision to focus his time on writing and speaking. He is the author of Turn Stress Into Bliss: The Proven 8-Week Yoga Program for Health, Relaxation and Stress Relief’ and of ‘Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy – Bridge from Body to Soul.’
Karen Hasskarl and Elissa Cobb form the new team of co-directors for Phoenix Rising.
Karen began her study of yoga and meditation as a teenager, entering the field professionally in 1988 as a Certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher. A few years later she began her training in Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy. Karen was initially appointed Program Assistants' manager and, after a few years of working alongside Michael Lee, she stepped from co-teaching to leading programs herself. Karen has provided support and training for over 150 mentors and 900 students.
Elissa Cobb, M.A., A.C.E., A.C.S.M. has been practicing and teaching Yoga and other movement modalities for more than 20 years. She has a Master's Degree in Embodiment Studies and is a Certified Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy Practitioner, Group Facilitator, and Yoga Teacher. She is also an A.C.E. and A.C.S.M. Certified Personal Trainer. Elissa studied with Michael Lee for several years and now leads Phoenix Rising training programs nationwide, she is also an active speaker at mind/body industry conferences. Her first book, 'The Forgotten Body' was published in 2008 by Satya House Publications.
Karen and Elissa are supported by a full staff of part-time and full-time teachers and mentors around the country. All senior teaching staff have a minimum of three years on-the-job training, as well as an extensive background in yoga.
Karen Hasskarl and Elissa Cobb form the new team of co-directors for Phoenix Rising.
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5.
How long is the Training and what is the format?
The program
is divided into three levels. Levels 1 and 2 are each four days
and are held in 14 different locations around North America and
overseas each year. The Level 3 certification program is an eight-month
program that students can complete mostly from home, although
travel to a Midterm Workshop and weekly telephone coaching sessions
with a Mentor are required. Most students complete all three levels
within one calendar year, and some take as long as three years.
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6.
What is covered in the training and what teaching methods are used?
The program
is primarily experiential and based on the belief that we are
already healers. Essentials of the Phoenix Rising method are taught
during Level 1 and 2. Students learn assisted postures, proper
body mechanics, the metaphysical aspects of body psychology, dialogue
techniques, breathing techniques, integration techniques, elements
of professional practice, and contraindications and variations
for working with specific clients.
In
Level 3 the work is fine-tuned and deepened. Students receive
one-to-one coaching from a personal Mentor. The personal as well
as the professional development of the student is a fundamental
part of the entire program.
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7.
Who are the clients and what can students expect after graduation?
Phoenix Rising
offers a reliable, safe, body-oriented process for personal transformation
to those wishing to live their lives more fully. Phoenix Rising
Yoga Therapists enjoy a life of empowering others while continuing
their own growth. Anyone can benefit from this work. Some clients
have been in 12 Step Programs, or other programs and modalities
that have opened them to growth. Many graduates combine their
Phoenix Rising practice with teaching yoga. Others create a full
Phoenix Rising practice and make it their sole profession. One
graduate, in his first year of practice reported earning $50,000
from Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy sessions alone.
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8.
Can I get college credit and/or CEU's?
Yes. Several
graduates of the Phoenix Rising training have received credit
for all or part of their training in both graduate and undergraduate
college courses. Participating colleges include Antioch, Vermont
College of Norwich University, and Lesley College. Ask for details
when you call.
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9.
What support can I expect after graduating? What further opportunities
exist?
Phoenix Rising
offers an extensive short course graduate training program which
includes further training in working with specific populations
such as survivors of early childhood abuse, those in recovery
from addiction, and those with touch sensitivity. Free marketing
workshops are also available to help graduates support the work.
Opportunities also exist for selected graduates to become Mentors,
assist at programs and to be trained to lead workshops.
Phoenix Rising
meets the requirements for schools registered in the State of
Massachusetts and several other states.
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10.
What is the difference between Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy
and psychotherapy?
Phoenix
Rising Yoga Therapy's fundamental principles and theories
are rooted in the ancient science of hatha yoga. It is a
body-oriented modality as opposed to a mind-oriented modality
such as psychotherapy. The Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy practitioner
guides the client using a specific set of carefully developed
techniques to access sensory, emotional, spiritual and historical
personal data which is believed to be stored in the physical
body, specifically the energy body known as the Chakra System.
Contemporary psychotherapy does not fully accept the premise
of the body/mind/spirit triad.
The
practitioner of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy uses open-ended,
non-directive somatic dialogue techniques and techniques
of pranayama (breath control) to support the client's exploration
of the inner experience. Additional techniques of body-scanning,
use of witness consciousness ( a yogic concept of self-observation)
as well as techniques of centering and meditation are integral
aspects of each Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy session. These
techniques, which are the fundamentals of Phoenix Rising
Yoga Therapy, are not techniques which are ordinarily utilized
in the practice of psychotherapy, nor are these techniques
taught in professional schools of psychiatry, social work
or psychology
The
practitioner of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy is trained to
"hold the space" for the client to self-direct the session,
whereas in psychotherapy the therapist plays an active role
in directing the therapy and utilizing interventions. There
is no diagnosis in Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, whereas
clear, accurate diagnosis of psychopathology is the lynch
pin of successful treatment in psychotherapy.
11.
How does Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy work with more traditional
healthcare services?
Students
of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy are encouraged to recruit allied
mental health professionals as a source of referrals for their
clients who may need to seek professional therapy. The training
includes case examples related to when and how to make appropriate
mental health referrals.
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