Yoga Therapy

This modality is rooted in the principles that our bodies are our pathways to personal and
collective freedom and tending to the body as whole and sacred is a radical practice.

YogA THERAPY OVERVIEW

Healing rooted in ancestral wisdom, tenderness, and rest 

Yoga Therapy is the process of applying yogic principles and practices therapeutically. Underpinning yoga therapy are the comprehensive kosha and dosha models (see below), which support with understanding discomfort or suffering in the body in a comprehensive way. Yoga therapists use tools such as philosophical texts, movement, breathing techniques, meditations, chanting, visualizations, intuitive writing, poetry, and nature-rooted wisdom to cultivate balance and promote healing.

SOURCE: AdobeStock

My approach to healing is an act of resistance.

At the heart of my personal approach to yoga therapy is a commitment to disrupt colonial and capitalist ways of understanding, approaching, and being in the body. I am not interested in 'tips' or 'lifestyles' that attempt to discipline, shrink, deplete, fix, contort, manipulate, optimize, and/or otherwise control the body. My starting point is an embodied knowing that our bodies and all bodies, just as they are, are sacred, wise, and creative. I also believe that experiences of play, joy, awe, grief, and love are gateways to healing. Healing isn't something we do. Healing is an ongoing becoming.

Difference between Yoga Therapy and Physical Therapy or Psychotherapy?

Yoga therapy can be complementary to these western modalities. The biggest difference is that yoga therapists are trained to understand how an individual’s physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual spheres are interconnected. Whereas a physical therapist might only focus on your spine or hamstrings if you have back pain, a yoga therapist may also explore how the way you breathe might be leading to your discomfort. Whereas a psychotherapist may be invaluable in supporting you with a particularly painful or traumatic experience, a yoga therapist may also explore how these experiences may be contributing to physical imbalances such as frequent headaches and digestive issues. Lastly, because western practitioners are often working within the healthcare system, they may not be available or have the energy to offer a significant amount of time or follow-up support in which case a yoga therapist can be a wonderful supplement resource. 

Difference between Yoga Therapy and Yoga Class?

Unlike yoga classes which are offered in a group setting, yoga therapy is an individualized process. Yoga therapy is also different from a yoga class in that it is designed and adapted to the needs of the individual. Below is a chart from the Breathing Deeply School on when to see a yoga therapist versus a yoga teacher.

SOURCE: Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy

If you’d like to learn more about how yoga therapy can support your journey, please reach out to schedule a consultation. 

Book a free consultation

Below are the types of conditions with which I am able to support:

Please note that my understanding of and approach to these 'conditions' uses a lens that recognizes that our bodies are always interacting with, absorbing, and responding to our environments and hold in them ancestral memories. I take into account how racism, misogyny, toxic workplaces, chronic stress, ancestral and childhood experiences, etc., cause or contribute to the experiences we have in our bodies.

When you partner with me, we explore and tend, to the extent possible, to both your immediate suffering and its multiple causes. We also explore somatic ways of being in our bodies that allow us to see and experience them as relational, situated in particular times, locations, and geographies, and as sources of knowledge, memory, learning, divinity, and unconscious processes.

Addiction
Anger (which feels overwhelming)
Anxiety
Arthritis
Autoimmune conditions
Chronic fatigue
Chronic pain
Constipation/irritable bowel syndrome/GI issues
Depression
Endometriosis
General low energy/ability to concentrate
General negative thoughts/state of mind

Grief
High/low blood pressure
Hip discomfort/pain
Indecisiveness/difficulty trusting oneself
Insomnia/other sleep issues
Imposter syndrome
Knee discomfort/pain
Lower back discomfort/pain
Neck discomfort/pain
Perimenopause/Menopause
Shoulder discomfort/pain
Trauma

  • “I love working with Hiba!!!! She is a trusted and demonstrated healer, guide, and friend! She is also very adaptive and responsive with however you show up in the space.”

  • “I am so grateful for Hiba's welcoming, accepting and loving style, her thoughtful and helpful meditations, the magnificent collection of poetry she shared and the connected writing prompts. I often struggle to stay focused in meditations but I found these to be very accessible, open, gentle and reassuring.”

  • “I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from and practice with Hiba. I've taken classes with Hiba over the years and her grounded, caring teaching is what brought me back to my yoga practice.”

  • “Hiba is a nurturing and knowledgeable teacher! I have attended her group sessions multiple times, and I have enjoyed every session.”

  • “Hiba’s ability to hold space with compassion and depth is unparalleled. She seamlessly weaves together somatic practices, journaling, breathwork, and more, creating powerful environments for centering, healing, and awareness. Both my church and nonprofit have been deeply impacted by her calming presence and thoughtful facilitation—it’s truly a joy to work with her.”

  • “I'm grateful for these offerings and [recommend] them to a few friends and family. Hiba is a great facilitator.“

  • “I am so grateful for Hiba's welcoming, accepting and loving style, her thoughtful and helpful meditations, the magnificent collection of poetry she share[s] and the connected writing prompts. I often struggle to stay focused in meditations but I found [hers] to be very accessible, open, gentle and reassuring.”

  • “Hiba’s approach as an instructor is a warm invitation that builds on a solid yoga foundation for all levels and encourages each person to slow down to be in tune with what your body needs to feel supported. Hiba also cultivates community by including time for all of us to connect as people and share wisdom on contentment and gratitude.”

  • “After each of the six meditation practice sessions with Hiba, I felt a lightness or absence of the burden I carried into the gatherings. During one session in particular, I felt a mind-body connection unlike anything I'd experienced in many years. Hiba provided a warm, safe, curing environment. Her voice and words during breathing exercises were deeply touching and healing.”

  • “Before my practices with Hiba, I was afraid to feel my emotions and trust my body to hold all that it has experienced in this 43-year-old life. (un)jaan creates a container for me to face myself fearlessly, and I am eternally grateful.”

  • “Hiba worked with me 1-1 and was an incredible support. She listened deeply, offered me space to process, and provided me with a weekly practice that included meditation and gentle movement. I turned a huge corner after our work together and I will forever be appreciative for her thoughtful and intentional work.”

How it works

  • Getting to know each other

    We will schedule an initial complimentary 30-minute phone call to learn more about each other and discuss your goals.


    FREE

  • Intake meeting

    Based on our conversation, I will determine if/how I can support you. If I believe I can be of help, we will schedule a 60-90 minute intake meeting.

    $45-$65 (sliding scale, installments available)

  • Customized plan

    After the intake meeting, I will put together a proposal and working agreement for you to review. I will share an accessible blend of movement, meditation, breath work, reflection, and/or nutrition practices for you to incorporate into your routine, along with suggestions for how frequently we should connect and check in.

  • Moving forward

    You will review my proposal, and if in agreement, confirm that you'd like to work together.

  • Engagement begins

    We will begin! Together, we will determine the exact duration of our engagement based on your goals. All meetings will be held virtually via Zoom.