By Margie (Maitreyi) Wilsman

My student Anna came to her first yoga therapy session wearing a fentanyl patch.

This was to treat acute pain in her middle back, behind her heart and under her shoulder blades.

She continued wearing the patches on and off during twice-weekly Svaroopa^® yoga classes and Embodyment^® Yoga Therapy sessions, which included Overlap Healing.

Anna could rarely feel her lower body. After students do the first side of a pose in class, I also ask, “What differences do you notice between sides?” Anna’s usual response was “I can’t really tell any differences.”

Upper spine poses often led to a spasm in her upper back. She learned to come out of an upper spine pose early when she felt a spasm coming on. Yet Anna attended classes regularly and came to private yoga therapy sessions.

In time, a yoga miracle happened for her. She began staying in upper spine poses for the full time. She no longer winced. When I inquired about these changes, she said that she was no longer wearing pain medication patches. In upper spine poses, Anna no longer experienced spasms.

In classes now, Anna is aware of changes in her body during poses and afterwards. This new awareness of her body is also evident in Embodyment^® Yoga Therapy. Plus she has the ability to express aloud her understanding of the benefits of self-adjustments that I teach.

And she asks questions. Recently, for example, during my demonstration of a new pose, she asked about the purpose of abs activation: “In this pose you said to activate our abs.  Is this to prevent using back muscles so I can use my legs effectively instead?”

I invited Anna to repeat her question. I wanted other students to hear the reason she’s aware of the importance of using abs instead of spinal muscles. The other students did not know Anna’s history of severe back pain. Her story of how Svaroopa^® yoga released the tensions in her spine, so she no longer needs pain medication, amazed them. They “got” the importance of abs activation and spinal decompression!

Gurudevi alerts us that it takes time for us to live in our body instead of in our pain and in our mind. It takes time to experience the experiences provided by poses and yoga therapy. Anna is testimony to the truth of this adage. 

Anna is committed to consistent classes. To arrive at our studio out in the country, Anna drives 20 miles through all Wisconsin weather conditions on heavily traveled highways. Clearly, Gurudevi’s perennial guidance to do more yoga created miracles for Anna.