Most of us think of pretzel-like shapes when we think of yoga, but teachers training for an upcoming adaptive-yoga course had to take on a different challenge — teaching the muscle engagement required for downward-facing dog pose while sitting in a chair.
The techniques teachers learned in recent sessions at The River Power Vinyasa Yoga, in the Golden Triangle, equipped them to teach a community just beginning to dip their toes into yoga — those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The teachers are preparing for a free six-week series for TBI survivors offered by the River beginning in September.
Organized by Love Your Brain Foundation, the workshop is the first one of its kind in the Denver area. Former pro snowboarder Kevin Pearce created the organization to promote community and foster resilience after he . Kevin hit his head on a 22-foot wall of the halfpipe he was training in and spent six weeks doing physical therapy at Craig Hospital shortly after.
“When Kevin was recovering, we realized the lack of support for people recovering from a TBI,” said Adam Pearce, Kevin’s older brother and co-founder of Love Your Brain Foundation. “One of the most common outcomes of a TBI is isolation, which leads to depression. We heard so many stories of people and their families without the resources to help them move forward.”
As part of his recovery, Kevin attended a yoga class. He needed to wear special eyeglasses to see clearly on the drive there, but realized he didn’t need them on the drive back after the class. He quickly realized yoga has the potential to transform people’s healing processes, both physically and through its communal aspect. This led to the creation of a specialized yoga and meditation program within Love Your Brain.
Studying TBI
Traumatic brain injuries occur when a sudden trauma damages the brain. This happens when the head violently hits an object, or when something pierces the skull and brain tissue. Symptoms of TBIs include loss of consciousness, slurred speech, headaches, loss of coordination and increased confusion. Often, balance is an issue for those with TBI.
Since researchers have not extensively explored the link between yoga and TBIs, Love Your Brain partnered with Dartmouth University to conduct a pilot study that tried to distill which aspects of yoga are most important for people with TBIs. The organization officially launched its curriculum in November 2015, based on their findings from the pilot study.
Over the last two years, Love Your Brain fine-tuned the program presented in July. The current curriculum integrates breathing exercises, physical yoga, guided meditation and discussion.
Colorado, which ranks 13th in the country of hospitalizations due to a TBI according to the Traumatic Brain Injury National Data Center, will be the fifth state to offer Love Your Brain’s yoga curriculum.
The organization chose the River to partner with because it already offers a broader adaptive yoga program. Before the training session for teachers, Love Your Brain held a screening of “The Crash Reel,” a documentary about Kevin’s career and injury to educate the community about TBIs.
“One thing with TBI is it leads to a lot of lifelong changes, so itap very important not to try to get back to where you were before the injury, but rather to build resilience,” said Kyla Pearce, the director of program design and evaluation for the yoga program, and Kevin’s sister-in-law. “Whatap really important is facing your fears and finding mental flexibility and optimism.”
Kyla said attendees of the specialized yoga classes reported that their stress and concentration levels improved, their irritability and anxiety levels fell and they felt more optimistic.
“On a physiological level, yoga is used to calm the central nervous system — it gets you out of fight or flight and into rest and digest,” said Katy Rowe, the studio manager and general adaptive yoga teacher at the River. “You’re literally rebuilding neural engrams. You’re retraining your brain.”
Rowe usually works with people with multiple sclerosis and car accident survivors, but she said she’s excited to specialize in a new form of adaptive yoga.
But the most unique aspect of the yoga program is the discussion, according to Kyla, is that it allows people to “connect and share with each other in a really positive space.”
Gavin Attwood, the CEO of the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado, called yoga an “emerging therapy” for TBI survivors. Even though there’s not a lot of hard research to prove that itap helpful, he said, many people the Brain Injury Alliance work with have reported benefits from doing yoga. Researchers are beginning to look into the link, he said. “One of the most important ways TBI survivors have benefited in is balance — with a brain injury, your balance can suffer,” he said.
“Yoga forces you to concentrate on your balance,” he said. “There’s a lot of your brain in it.”
Rowe said when the studio is not offering the six-week series, those with TBI can attend adaptive yoga classes, which include deep stretching and meditation sessions. Even though there are a few studios in Denver that currently offer adaptive yoga classes, there is room for growth, according to Rowe.
“Adaptive yoga is something that we’re super passionate about, but we definitely have more space and more resources that we would love to utilize to get yoga out to those folks,” Rowe said. “People don’t really think about yoga and the brain. I didn’t — it just didn’t cross my mind until it was in my field of vision. But I think this partnership will really change the way we view adaptive yoga in general.”
Where to find adaptive yoga in Denver:
Love Your Brain yoga series. Sep. 7-Oct. 12. Wednesdays from 2:30-4 p.m. The River Power Vinyasa Yoga. 1212 Delaware St. Visit loveyourbrain.com or call the River at 720-381-6070 for more info or to sign up.
The River Power Vinyasa Yoga adaptive classes. Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Sundays at 12 p.m. $10 drop-in.
Samadhi Center for Yoga adaptive classes. Thursdays from 1:30-3 p.m. Uptown location at 639 E. 19th Ave. Visit samadhiyoga.net or call Samadhi Yoga at 303-860-9642 to register or for more info and locations. http://samadhiyoga.net/
Mudra Yoga Studio therapeutic yoga. Fridays from 10:15-11:30 a.m. Classes cost $8. 560 S. Holly St. Visit mudrayogastudio.net or call 303-388-8501 to register or for more info. http://mudrayogastudio.com/
Multiple sclerosis yoga in Washington Park. Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m. Classes are free and held in the Washington Park Recreation Center. 701 S. Franklin St. Call 720-865-3400 to register or for more info.
Seated yoga at Cook Park Recreation Center. Classes focus more on breathing and philosophy with limited movement. Wednesdays from 10:45-11:45 a.m. $5 for adults and $3 for seniors. 7100 Cherry Creek S. Dr. Call 720-865-0610 to register or for more info.
Laughter, yoga and fitness at Eisenhower Recreation Center. Tuesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. $20 for a six-week session. 4300 E. Dartmouth Ave. Call 720-865-0730 to register or for more info.
Gentle yoga for health conditions at the Recreation Center at Westridge. Tuesdays from 5:30-6:45 p.m. $45-52 for a four-week monthly session. 9650 Foothills Canyon Blvd. in Highlands Ranch. Call 303-791-2500 to register or for more info.
