How a yoga retreat can positively impact your therapy interventions

This pandemic has taken quite a toll on me, my community, and the world at large. So much uncertainty, more questions than answers, and protocols changing weekly, if not daily, at work. Now we have started the school year, there are slow re-openings and assessment centers popping up. It was getting to be a little much for me to handle since there is very little that has been consistent with my work or personal schedule.

When I checked my email and saw a message from a dear friend, who is also an AMAZING yoga instructor, with the subject “BACK to YOU” Yoga Retreat, I was immediately drawn to open it. I have felt a little lost since schools shut down and we shifted to a distance learning model. As I read thru the description of the retreat, all I could think of was, “YES, YES, and YES.” It was a day long retreat which would include yoga, meditation, sound bath, reflection, quiet time, optional pool/jacuzzi, lunch, snacks, and wine. It was located on a private vineyard about 30 minutes from where I live so it was close enough yet far enough away.

The day was just what I needed physically, mentally, and most importantly for my work life. Some of the significant themes that were brought forward were dropping expectations, mindfulness, slowing down, and shifting our perspective about uncertainty/change.

Dropping Expectations

This theme has come up quite a bit in my life over the past couple years. As a physical therapists, we are taught to have expectations for our patients. Expectations and goals have been used interchangeably. I have learned that they are not the same. Goals are objective and measurable. They give us a general direction to head towards when planning our interventions. Expectations are subjective and sets limitations and parameters. Often times emotions are attached to expectations which may affect our clients’ response to treatment.

Having expectations for our clients’ can get in the way of their goals. When I work with my young pre-school age students, things rarely go as planned. If I set my expectation to work on climbing on the playground to increase her coordination and strength and she wants to play in the sand box, she and I may get frustrated or discouraged when I re-direct her to the activities I have planned. As a pediatric therapist I had to learn very quickly to have a plan and let go of the expectation that things would go according to plan.

Mindfulness or intentionality

I’ve heard the word “mindful” or “mindfulness” a lot this year. So much that it has almost lost it’s effectiveness for me. I’ve seen it in quotes, within emails from work, or in many articles/resources for self-care. The definition gets jumbled. After I sat with it a bit and let go my preconceived notions, I found that mindfulness to me is being intentionally aware in the present moment. I’m here and I want to be here and I will actively be here. It’s about being intentionally aware of my feelings, thoughts, emotions, and surrounding. Not passing judgment or trying to understand it.

I found myself zoning out during IEP meetings or trying to think two, three, or four steps ahead during a virtual therapy session that I would miss what was happening. When assessing virtually or in-person I would be thinking about all the 100s of other things I needed to do and miss some important information or connecting with my student or family. Part of it came from stress and overwhelm and we will all have those moments. I had lost some of the joy of assessments when it became more of a task instead of an opportunity to learn about a new student and ways I would be able to positively impact their life.

Once I reminded myself of being intentionally aware and present, things started to shift for me. I felt more engaged, I felt excited to meet a new student during an assessment than another “to do” item for work, and I found life overall more interesting. We are what we consume whether it’s food, thoughts, t.v. shows, social media, and energy from people we surround ourselves with. Let’s be more intentionally aware to bring to live a more fulfilling existence.

Slowing Down

There’s a reason I’ve been told “slow down speed racer,” and not just how I drive. I tend to do everything fast. I walk fast, eat fast, drive fast, switch interests and hobbies fast…it’s just never ending. I learned the hard way to slow down. I got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease near the beginning of my career as a physical therapist. I was working 2 jobs (school-based and early intervention on the side), playing tennis, socializing with friends, worrying about finances, and figuring out if I made enough to move out of my parents and live on my own. After the diagnosis and starting treatment, I had to learn to slow down because my life literally depended on it. Taking a weekend off once in awhile was achievable. Any more than that I felt like I was falling behind, not doing enough, and not being productive. It took several years to find somewhat of balance, which can still be challenging today.

In the school setting I felt the same rush to get as much done during the school day. I would sometimes literally run from classroom to classroom to make sure I’m seeing as many students as possible. My schedule would be packed and I had no time for chit chat or to dive into other concerns staff may have outside the IEP goals. This led to strained relationships with teachers. I had one teacher that I worked with for a few years comment “it seems like you don’t want to be in our class and you’re always running out of here.” That stopped me in my tracks and I took time to re-evaluate how I was serving my classrooms. I was so focused on fulfilling my minutes for the students that I forgot how to be a kind, caring, compassionate human being during who took a few extra minutes to listen and check in. It’s those moments that I cherish the most and I remind myself frequently of how important it is to pause and listen.

Shifting our perspective about uncertainty/change

The 2020-2021 school year brought about so much change, uncertainty, challenge, and innovation. For the first six months I felt like I was holding my breath not knowing what was going to happen next. Once I would implement new protocols or guidance it would change so I felt like not putting much effort if it was going to change so frequently. After awhile I learned to breath. I learned to accept and embrace the change as a way to be innovative, curious, and find learn how to pivot and adapt to change.

This is one area I felt I strived in when I first started in pediatrics. I knew that the intervention I had planned most likely would not go as planned so I had to be ready with my bag of tricks. Students challenged me in ways I never imagined. Sometimes we are bombarded with so many changes at once it can become overwhelming. If we can find a way to shift our perspective about change, we will be better prepared to handle change when it comes our way. Whether it’s in our personal or professional life, the better we equip ourselves now, the better we can survive and thrive in our ever changing world.

I hope you create the time and space to care for yourself. Take what resonates with you and leave behind what doesn’t. For those of you in the school-based world, enjoy your time this summer and rest and recharge for the fall!