October 5, 2010

Paula Scopino, E-RYT 500, IAYT, LMT, and  owner and director of Sacred Rivers Yoga, 2934 Main Street, in Glastonbury, CT attended the IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists)Symposium on Yoga Research on October 1-3, 2010, at the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.   This historic meeting was the first comprehensive and widely publicized academic research meeting in the West devoted to Yoga therapy research. Paula also attended a preconference workshop on the basics of yoga research.  It offered a unique opportunity for research trainees, yoga instructors, and therapists to learn the basics of Yoga research, establish connections for possible future research projects, and meet professional researchers and colleagues.

The weekend included Yoga research :oral and poster presentations by leading scientists, ,opportunities to interact and dialogue with active yoga researchers , and a comprehensive preconference workshop on the basics of yoga research.  The symposium for yoga research was a single track academic research meeting that included keynote speakers, Lorenzo Cohen, Dean Ornish, Shirley Telles, and Bessel van der Kolk,.   Oral presentations were invited from other senior researchers.  There were also multiple poster sessions and ample opportunities to interact with other scientists, experts and professionals in the field.

One of the keynote speakers,  Dean Ornish, MD, is the founder of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He has published 30 research papers relevant to yoga lifestyle interventions in : The Journal of the American Medical Association,Lancet, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,Circulation and,The New England Journal of Medicine. His landmark JAMA publication was the first to demonstrate the behavioral reversal of coronary heart disease due to changes in life styles. He served on the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy. His recent research is evaluating the benefits of lifestyle intervention in prostate cancer. Dr. Ornish was broadcast live from the AARP convention in Florida which was attended by 25,000 people. This past August, the Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease was accepted for Medicare Coverage - the first lifestyle program ever!
Dr. Ornish believes that “good science” is not enough.  He realized that the cost structure must be addressed, and so he focused on the reimbursement.  He believes that if it is changed, the system can be changed.

If we connect, love one another, experience happiness, and rediscover that the source of joy is within us, we will thrive. Other presentations included:, Bessel van der Kolk, on:

Trauma, Yoga, and the Neurobiology of Self Regulation,  and Lorenzo Cohen (grandson of Vanda Scaravelli, author of ‘Awakening the Spine’), Incorporating Yoga into Cancer Breast Care: Examples from the Indian, Tibetan, and Chinese Traditions

There were representatives from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, etc. introducing their research papers on specific medical conditions and yoga, contrasting with other alternative complementary therapies as well.

Sacred Rivers Yoga offers Yoga Therapy classes for MS, arthritis, back problems, and more.  In addition, a Yoga Therapy Course is offered to RYT’s and licensed health care professionals in conjunction with their Yoga Alliance 200 and 500 hour teacher training programs.

Sacred Rivers Yoga is pleased to announce that the Health and Wellness Programs department of the MSF (Multiple Sclerosis Foundation) has approved additional funding for their yoga therapy classes to benefit people diagnosed with MS. The funding will cover a four month period.  Sacred Rivers Yoga, located at 2934 Main Street in Glastonbury, offers yoga therapy on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 10:45 am. Other classes on the schedule may be appropriate as well. For more information, or to register, please call the studio at 860.657.9545 or email them at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Sacred Rivers Yoga, located at 2934 Main Street in Glastonbury, will be offering free yoga classes beginning in January to veterans combating post traumatic stress disorder. One of the benefits of Yoga practice is that it can aid in toning down maladaptive nervous system arousal. This helps in reducing perceived stress. Because of this effect Yoga could be helpful especially in patients suffering from PTSD. “One randomized study followed a group of disabled Australian Vietnam veterans who were diagnosed with severe PTSD. A group of patients underwent a five day course which taught them "breathing techniques, yoga asanas, education about stress reduction, and guided meditation" and a control group received no education. By six weeks into the study the group that had received the education on yoga had decreased from moderate to severe PTSD scores to mild to moderate PTSD scores while the control group scores remained the same. Recently the United States Army has committed to spend $4 million dollars in research to find ways to aid veterans suffering from PTSD.” {Sheryl Walters} This research will include looking into such things as "spiritual ministry, transcendental meditation, [and] Yoga" and "bioenergies such as Qi gong, Reiki, [and] distant healing." Yoga has been shown to reduce stress hormones like cortisol. Yoga appears to be a natural and safe way for people suffering from PTSD and other stress and anxiety related disorders to help reduce symptoms allowing them to live more normal lives. For more information on the classes being offered at Sacred Rivers, please call 860.657.9545 or email them at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .