Many therapists over the years have asked me how I bring yoga practices into therapy sessions without interrupting the flow of the work. The most common questions I hear are: How do you know when to bring yoga in? And what practices do you choose? Most days, I have one or two practices in mind that I know may support many of my clients that week. Sometimes clients will even ask about my “practice of the week,” which makes the integration feel very natural.
Other times, I simply check in with my intuition and have an inner knowing about what might support a client with the challenge they are facing.
This week, I experienced a beautiful reminder that sometimes yoga doesn’t need to be invited in — it finds its own way into the room.
I was working with a client using Brainspotting. For those who aren’t familiar, Brainspotting uses the client’s visual field to connect with places where their eyes naturally want to go while staying in mindful awareness. This allows whatever is held in the deeper parts of the brain and body to emerge, process, and heal while the client practices curiosity and observation.During this session, my client was looking into my virtual space and her eyes landed on a small statue of a woman practicing Tree Pose. I keep the statue supported by a yoga bolster and pillow in my office.
With Brainspotting, the object a client looks at is often less important than what is happening internally for them. But for this client, Tree Pose represented something she deeply longed for: balance.
She shared that she felt incredibly out of balance in her life. She didn’t feel steady, grounded, or fully connected to herself. She remembered loving Tree Pose in the past because it helped her return to herself.
As we processed the difficult experience she was working through, yoga had already entered the room. So I offered to close our session with Tree Pose. I invited her to imagine creating branches with her arms. Could she allow the wind to move through her tree? Could she stay rooted and steady through the storms of life?
I invited her to try Tree Pose on the other side and notice whether one side felt more balanced than the other. Then I modeled a “happy tree” by gently wiggling all of my leaves (my fingers), which brought some laughter and lightness into the end of the session.
This experience reminded me — especially as a clinical supervisor — how important it is to be mindful of the spaces we create for virtual sessions.Our environment communicates messages to clients. I intentionally keep my space yoga- and holistic-friendly because I want clients to know that these tools are welcome here. Sometimes yoga enters the therapy room through a movement practice, and sometimes it enters through the objects we surround ourselves with that invite curiosity and conversation.
Have you ever had yoga find its way into your therapy room? A moment where the body, breath, or movement naturally became part of the healing process?
I’d love to hear about your experience. Feel free to reply.
