It has nothing to do with anatomy, meditation, or biomechanics, nor is it knowing all the yoga techniques, stretches, processes, or templates. It isn’t contraindications around exercises or techniques that are good or not, it is the ability to truly see what’s going on in a client or yourself. It is the art of observation.

When pain is present it can cloud our inner wisdom. When we make decisions in spite of pain, these decisions are laced with anticipation and uncertainty and don’t come from a real sense of confidence. But pain doesn’t have to be a part of your experience.

You can’t just think your way to healing, you have to feel your way there. This is something so many people miss, but naming and acknowledging your feelings will enable you to change habitual patterns and make progress in your recovery.

There is a commonly used line in the fitness and wellness industries: listen to your body. The line comes from a good place; it’s meant to be helpful to clients. But what I find more often is that it is doing a disservice because clients don’t know how to listen to their bodies.