 Attachment theory is one of the theories that guides the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School. We take a deep dive into exploring how our experiences in relationships impact the ways we show up in the world.
One of my attachment teachers along the way, Roger Solomon, has said: 💗 Attachment is not about love, it is about security. #micdrop Mary Ainsworth’s research identified that there are four attachment styles, which we are going to explore, together. Starting with Secure Attachment 💗 Secure attachment: When we are in a relationship where we feel safe and secure, we are then able to go off into the world and be independent and do the things that we want to do on our own. Because we know that when the bumps and bruises happen… (because they will…) (because life is hard….) … that we can come back, and that person is going to be there. To collect us. To hold us. Secure attachment is comfort in experiencing both closeness and independence, in the relationship. Consistency in the relationship nurtures our sense of safety and security, in relationships. Reflective prompts, for you: ✨What does security, in relationships, mean to you? ✨What does safety, in relationships, mean to you? ✨What does safety or security feel like, in your body? ✨Perhaps there are times when you have felt safe & secure in a relationship... This might be a therapist, a friend, or someone else... we need only one person to support us in deepening our sense of safety and security. ✨Lean-into those who collect and hold you, when life feels hard. Would love to hear your reflections! These teachings are an integral part of our Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School teacher trainings and our Counselling Team's approach! ♥️ Dr. Melissa Jay
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 Together we are going to dive into attachment theory by being curious about how our connections with others and our experiences in those relationships can impact us, throughout our lives. Attachment theory is NOT focused solely on looking at the relationship between a baby and their caregiver.... attachment is lifelong & our attachment patterns (like all patterns) can shift along the way, based on our experiences, in relationships. These teachings are an integral part of our Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School teacher trainings and our Counselling Team's approach! Our the next couple of months, we will explore: 1. Secure Attachment 2. Anxious Attachment 3. Avoidant Attachment 4. Disorganized Attachment 5. Secure Base 6. Safe Haven 7. Attachment-Based Lens I will prompt reflections on our relationships, past-present-future 💫 A reflective prompt, for you today: What are you most curious about, when it comes to attachment theory? Please share with me, below! ♥️Dr. Melissa Jay   Did you know that BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, People of Colour?
If so, cool 👌🏽 If not, it's true! Did you know that Canmore Counselling & the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School is BIPOC-Owned and led? If so, cool 👌🏽 If not, it's true! Michael & I are both proudly part of the global BIPOC community and honoured to share our gifts! Something has shifted during the pandemic... FINALLY people are amplifying BIPOC businesses, practitioners, professionals & leaders. My heart is trusting that this shift can lead to nurturing and reciprocal relationships This requires a commitment to being the change... most often, BIPOC folks are tokenized or included once, to appear inclusive. Yikes. Nurturing & reciprocal relations takes time. It means dedicating time & space for BIPOC folks to have a say, to be heard, have their wisdom valued & invited back, again and again and again. Reciprocal & ongoing relations are the only way forward. We know that being business owners, practitioners & educators is a huge privilege that we take very seriously. We do a ton of advocacy & consultation, behind-the-scenes, and continue to dedicate ourselves to creating anti-oppressive spaces... Whenever possible, amplifying and empowering those who go unheard due to systemic oppression, racism & marginalization. We are so glad you’re here You are welcome here and we empower you to seek out, learn from & amplify other BIPOC-led businesses & organizations too! Please remember to give shout outs, tags & referrals any time you are inspired or have learned from what is being created & shared by BIPOC folks I have so much more to say... for now, I invite you to share with me anything that might have sparked curiosity or landed for you! With big love, Dr. Melissa Jay Some additional self-reflective prompts: From me: What does decolonization mean to you? From Michael: What does Black History Month mean to you?  We have explored the first 7 limbs of yoga... 1. Yamas (outer ethical codes) 2. Niyamas (the the inner, personal ethical practices) 3. Asana (postures) 4. Pranayama (breath control) 5. Pratyahara (withdraw of senses) & 6. Dharana (Mindfulness) 7. Dhyana (Meditation) & today we explore the 8th limb...
♥️Samadhi ♥️ (Bliss, Unity, Enlightenment) It is hard to describe samadhi because it is an experience! Experiencing the witnesser and the witnessed, as one. Let’s break it down: It is human nature to be caught up in our day-to-day tasks, relationships & responsibilities (hello, email, texts, social!) As we practice being a witness to ourselves, we begin to notice the interconnectedness we experience with others, with nature, with Universal energy. When we merge with the interconnectedness, we release the illusion of separateness and experience unity... Reconnecting us to our innate capacity for love, compassion & kindness. We experience bliss. We are bliss. Patanjali taught that through the practices of Dharana & Dhyana, Samadhi could be considered the culmination of meditation. Practice is all you need Practice is all that is required “Yoga is the journey of the Self, to the Self, through the Self.” ~ The Bhagavad Gita A practice prompt: What practices might support you in experiencing Samadhi? Please share your reflections, if you are called to! ♥️Dr. Melissa Jay  We have explored the first 6th limbs... 1. Yamas (outer ethical codes) 2. Niyamas (the the inner, personal ethical practices) 3. Asana (postures) 4. Pranayama (breath control) 5. Pratyahara (withdraw of senses) 6. Dharana (Mindfulness) & today, the 7th limb...
♥️Dhyana♥️ (Meditation) Nischala Joy Devi described dhyana as ‘the continuous inward flow of consciousness’. What I love about this description is that it points to the continuous flow. When I was learning about yoga and meditation I remember saying 'I could never meditate because my mind is too busy'. Ummmmm... That is exactly why mediation is helpful! Everyone's mind is naturally busy. By practicing meditation, we befriend ourselves by being a witness to our ever changing thoughts, feelings, sensations and, instead, just notice. And then sometime the noticing fades away and there are moments of just being. Just being. Being in the gap. The gap between thoughts. The gap that often feels elusive and yet is available through practice.... Practice being the keyword as with each of the eight limbs of yoga. Practice invites us to show up each day with no memory of the past, no goal for the future, just a commitment to being here, just as we are, in the present moment. Meditation does not require you to sit on the floor cross legged with your eyes closed. That is only one way you might choose to practice. Join me in a practice of a 9-minute mediation: click here Also, Julie & Anne, have beautiful practices available on Simple Habit, a Free App! So grateful to have Julie & Anne as part of our facutly Reflective prompt: How can you support yourself in expanding your practice of dhyana? ♥️ Dr. Melissa Jay  We have explored the first 5 limbs of yoga... 1. Yamas (outer ethical codes) 2. Niyamas (the the inner, personal ethical practices) 3. Asana (postures) 4. Pranayama (breath control) 5. Pratyahara (withdraw of senses) & today we move to the 6th limb...
♥️Dhāraṇā♥️ (Mindfulness / Concentration) Dhāraṇā is the practice of gathering our attention & focusing inward... bringing our attention into the present. While Pratyahara supports in the conscious withdrawal of energy from the senses, Dhāraṇā builds on the practice & supports us in shifting away from the ego. Ego? Yes, ego... the part of us that disconnects us from our purpose, our essence, our Self. When our ego is in the driver's seat, it can lead to reactivity or a heightened sense of self-importance. Telling us: we have to be available all of the time, respond to a text/call/email immediately or perhaps when we have too much on our to-do list. Does this resonate?! Dhāraṇā Reflections: ✨Mindfulness invites us to practice focusing on the present moment. ✨Eckhart Tolle's teachings are dedicated to the practice of Dhāraṇā: "When you make friends with the present moment, you feel at home no matter where you are. When you don't feel at home in the Now, no matter where you go, you will carry unease with you". ~ Eckhart Tolle 3 of my fav Dhāraṇā practices: 1. Mantra Meditation Thanks, @deepakchopra Mantra: Sohum So (Sanskrit for 'I') Hum (Sanskrit for 'AM') Inhale... So Exhale... Hum 2. Checking-In, in this moment: How am I being, in this doing? 3. Removing ALL notifications from your devices. This is a new practice I have been enjoying since logging off on December 24th. It invites me to practice dhāraṇā by being mindful as I log onto my phone or computer. As I mindfully open my email & mindfully engage with social media. Reflective prompt: How do you practice Dhāraṇā? Would love to hear your great practices! ♥️ Dr. Melissa Jay  We have explored the first four limbs of yoga... 1. Yamas (outer ethical codes) 2. Niyamas (the the inner, personal ethical practices) 3. Asana (postures) 4. Pranayama (breath control) & today we move to the 5th limb...
♥️Pratyahara♥️ (Focus & Withdrawal of Senses) Freeing the mind from the nervous system by shifting from our outer senses (seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, & smelling) to our inner landscape of being. Confusing? Yep... This limb is far less tangible than other yoga practices like pranayama & asana. Let's make it tangible! Savasana (final resting pose)! Often savasana is the most challenging posture as it invites us to lay flat, still & to just be. When we give into this posture, our muscles relax, breath slows... supporting connection to deeper layers of ourselves. Yoga Nidra can support this deeply restorative experience too! We are conditioned to do-do-do and think-think-think. Pratyahara is an essential yoga practice. If you are following the @thenapministry you know they are preaching the good stuff... rest as radical resistance! Let's rest. My intention is to unplug as often as possible and honour when it feels right to log-on. Social media can spark joy and keep us connected! That said, it also can lead to stimulation & information overload. I probably have a library worth of saved posts I want to return to, reflect on, with concepts & ideas I want to research... and for now, I will turn inward. May we sit in candle light, watch the snow, be still & practice being. How will you practice pratyahara? ♥️ Dr. Melissa Jay  We have explored the first three limbs of yoga... 1. Yamas (outer ethical codes) 2. Niyamas (the the inner, personal ethical practices) 3. Asana (postures) & today we move to the 4th limb of yoga...
♥️Pranayama♥️ (Breath Control) With practice & loving patience we can create a beautiful relationship with our breath 💨 Let's practice: Take a moment to wiggle around in your seat. Find a bit of comfort. ✨Perhaps you notice your breath. ✨Notice what happens as you inhale. ✨Notice what happens as you exhale. ✨You might want to lengthen your inhale. ✨Perhaps you want to open your mouth as you exhale. Patanjali shared that breath control can be: 💫bahya vritti = internal/inhale 💫abhyantara vritti = external/exhale 💫stambha vritti = stationary/retention A self-reflective question: How do I stay connected to my breath? As we deepen our relationship with our breath we can learn to regulate our breath and relieve our minds of mental chatter... even if just for a few moments Our breath & our mind are interconnected so be playful as you notice how your breathe supports you in slowing and calming your mind ✨ In the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School, we continually practice coming back to our breath... to connect with ourselves & each other ✨ Full of gratitude for one of my teachers, Susanna Barkataki, who inspires me to decolonize yoga by honouring the roots of yoga! Please consider getting yourself Susanna's book. Would love to hear your reflections! ♥️ Dr. Melissa Jay  We have explored the first two limbs of yoga... 1. Yamas (outer ethical codes) & 2. Niyamas (the the inner, personal ethical practices) & today we move to the 3rd limb of yoga...
♥️Asana♥️ (Postures | Forms) Take a moment to reflect on what comes to mind when you think of pictures you have seen of yoga... Likely you’re imagining images of people practicing asana and these images often show people in very complex postures! As we honour ancient wisdom by practicing yoga as more than a physical practice, we enliven our privilege to decolonize yoga by honouring yoga as a deeply integrative system and philosophy. In that, we honour asana as a very important system within a much larger system. I'll unpack this... When we honour how (not if) our body needs to move, we invite ourselves towards an inner steadiness with greater capacity to sit in stillness, mindfulness, and meditation I am grateful for one of my teachers, Susanna Barkataki, who is courageously decolonizing yoga! In the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School, together we explore and practice asana as a way of strengthening our ability to notice our inner landscape, to regulate our nervous system, and, most importantly, in support of the the other seven limbs of yoga which we can take off the mat ✨ Would love to hear your reflections, if you are called to share! ♥️ Dr. Melissa Jay As shared in my previous post, the Niyamas represent our inner spiritual practices, made up of five Niyamas: Saucha, Santosha, Tapas, Svadhyaya, & Ishvara Pranidhana.
♥️Ishvara Pranidhana ♥️ (Devotion) What does devotion mean to you? ✨Feel into this. ✨Perhaps journal. ✨Notice what arises. As I reflect on devotion it brings up words like dedication, purpose, passion, and commitment. By leaning into devotion, we learn to stay connected to compassion I'll unpack this... The practice of devotion can lead us to our highest good. When we are unwell, we do what is needed to feel well again... we rest, seek support, meditate, pray, eat well, etc. Then, once we are well, it is human nature to to leave/forget/toss aside the practices that helped us feel well! This is why sick days don't work. We need to devote ourselves to creating the space we need in order to stay well... when we do, we naturally shine our light into the world 💫 I am grateful for one of my teachers, Susanna Barkataki, who shares another great way to practice devotion is to study sacred texts. I also see devotion happening in the communities that feed our spirits, that support us in looking deeper. What does devotion mean to you? ✨Feel into this. ✨Perhaps journal. ✨Notice what arises. In the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School, together we learn the power of devotion to mind-body-spirit-heart integration as the key to wellness, staying regulated in the face of difficulty, and honouring all that is. We would love to hear your reflections, if you are called to share! ♥️ Dr. Melissa Jay |
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Dr. Melissa Jay is an Indigenous, Nehiyaw-Métis member of the Métis Nation of Alberta. Canmore Counselling is located Châ Ûpchîchîyen Kudebi (translated from Îyârhe Nakoda as “shooting at the willows”), colonially known as Canmore. The physical location of Canmore Counselling & the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology is in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, which is considered Treaty 7 land and home of Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III, and the traditional territory of the Îyârhe Nakoda, including the Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Wesley First Nations, as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Blackfoot Confederacy, including the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations. As an act of reconciliation and commitment to decolonization, we are committed to the TRC's Calls to Action.
At Canmore Counselling, we are also privileged to be yoga students, practitioners, and guides. Our offerings centre on the root of yoga as Indigenous to South Asia, and we are grateful to learn from and amplify the South Asian practitioners and teachers whenever possible. We are grateful for the eight limbs of yoga, as taught by Patanjali. It is a joy to walk alongside our incredible alumni of the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School as they create opportunities for care, connection & curiosity within their communities.
We believe wholeheartedly that community, social justice, decolonization, anti-oppression, and anti-racism are inherent to trauma-informed care. Thank you for being here.
At Canmore Counselling, we are also privileged to be yoga students, practitioners, and guides. Our offerings centre on the root of yoga as Indigenous to South Asia, and we are grateful to learn from and amplify the South Asian practitioners and teachers whenever possible. We are grateful for the eight limbs of yoga, as taught by Patanjali. It is a joy to walk alongside our incredible alumni of the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School as they create opportunities for care, connection & curiosity within their communities.
We believe wholeheartedly that community, social justice, decolonization, anti-oppression, and anti-racism are inherent to trauma-informed care. Thank you for being here.