Yoga Therapy

 

“Every day I am privileged to assist people in their personal transformations.”

What drew you to your healing discipline at MUIH?

I knew I wanted to deepen my study of therapeutic applications of yoga, and the rigor of a formal academic course appealed to me — that approach seemed to me to do justice to the great depth possible in the yoga field. I also have the good fortune to live and work near the school!

Why did you choose MUIH for your academic program?

MUIH was the only U.S. institution offering a master’s degree in yoga therapy, so I knew that the university had a vision for my field. I was interested in pursuing a non-lineage-based, scientifically-grounded program in a forward-looking organization.

Describe your path since graduating:

Since graduating I have increased the size of my private yoga therapy practice and added small-group therapeutic classes tailored to specific concerns.

My regular yoga and pilates teaching has also been transformed; as instructors of course we all hope that our classes provide our students with therapeutic benefits, but I am confident in being able to identify clients’ needs and reliably create that experience for them.

What has been your most exciting or fulfilling professional experience to date?

Every day I am privileged to assist people in their personal transformations. For some this has meant learning a new physical skill or overcoming a limitation they thought they’d have forever; I’ve been able to offer others tools to reduce their own suffering in dramatic, tangible ways.

What would you like to do next, professionally speaking?

I’ve learned to enjoy the journey and recognize that its path is ever-changing. When I was a professional editor and speaker I never dreamt that I’d find such fulfillment as a yoga therapist! My goal is to bring yoga’s therapeutic promise to as many individuals as possible, helping to change, one person at a time, the patterns that keep us stuck and alienated from one another.

Laurie Hyland Robertson completed MUIH’s Master of Science in Yoga Therapy in 2015. View her website at www.wholeyoga.net.