Kathleen Pratt Yoga

If you're feeling stressed, you're not alone! What's happening in the world around me is distressing & hard to fathom. Combined with difficulty & struggle in my personal life, it can all feel like too much. I use mind-body practices to help me stay grounded during these times and I want to share them with you! There's still time to sign up for my Nourish Your Nervous System online series starting on Tuesday! It's pay-what-you-can & a replay is available if you can't attend live (1:00 to 2:30 p.m. EST). https://www.kathleenpratt.ca/private-and-group-offerings/84-nourish-your-nervous-system-mind-body-practices-to-reduce-stress-and-restore-balance

Chronic stress messes with our nervous system and can not only harm our own health & well-being, but also our relationships. We may be anxious, withdrawn, irritable, overreactive or misinterpret the actions of others. When we recognize that a ramped up nervous system is the cause, we can take steps to give it what it needs. Learn simple, effective ways to do this in my upcoming program Nourish Your Nervous System.
https://pelvichealthprofessionals.com/nourish-your-nervous-system/

Sometimes, the nicest Valentine's bouquet I can receive is the one I chose myself 💐 I didn't want to wait & it is everything I hoped for 🥰 It doesn't matter if you're partnered or single, now is a good time to treat yourself with loving kindness 🌹

I'm thrilled to announce my new partnership with Pelvic Health Professionals and !

Nourish Your Nervous System is a six-week online program designed to reduce stress and foster resilience. This program is my opportunity to share years of learning about the nervous system and what works to help it function optimally.

Experience a variety of simple and effective mind-body practices, including gentle movement, breathing, and mindfulness to restore balance and promote recovery. You will be able to apply these practices to your own life and multiply the benefits by sharing them with others!

Tuesdays, starting March 5, 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm EST. Attend live or watch the replay! This series is pay what you can as an offering to the community.

Details and registration: https://pelvichealthprofessionals.com/nourish-your-nervous-system/

Nourish Your Nervous System - Pelvic Health Professionals Nourish Your Nervous System: Mind-Body Practices to Reduce Stress and Restore Balance | 6-Class Yoga Series with Kathleen Pratt

Do you know or support someone with pelvic cancer? This upcoming series from Pelvic Health Professionals is pay-what-you-can. Please share!

We have some super exciting news to share with you.
The Yoga During a Pelvic Cancer Diagnosis with Tyla Arnason that begins January 10, 2024, is now pay-what-you-can!

We want to help out the cancer community AND anyone supporting them.

If you could see me now -- I am doing a happy dance in my chair -- so excited that this is possible thanks to Tyla and our Pelvic Health Professionals community.

Please invite everyone!

This yoga series is for anyone facing a cancer diagnosis
(past or present) AND anyone who is working with or supporting this population.

If you are registering for the series and wondering how much to pay -- that's totally up to you.

If you are in a place where you can pay more right now -- that will help to support those who cannot.

Included:
1 x 60-minute information session (replay)
6 x 75-minute Yoga Classes (live + replay)
guided by yoga therapist, Tyla Arnason
1-Year unlimited access to all recordings

Register and find out more here -- https://pelvichealthprofessionals.com/yoga-pelvic-cancer/

How full is your cup right now? 'Tis the season for depletion! Get tips to support your mental health this holiday in my December newsletter.

https://mailchi.mp/af145bdb89bd/winter-2023-tis-the-season-for-depletion

https://youtu.be/nUUKR4My6HE?si=rY_EWG69lpFNFHKe

https://youtu.be/nUUKR4My6HE?si=HbhBtO-OtYvb8L6l

Mountain Pose Embody the strength and stability of a mountain with this simple practice! May be done standing or seated in a chair with feet flat on the floor (or elevated...

Joint hypermobility affects many people, is largely unrecognized, and can have a big impact on a person’s life. Symptoms can affect every bodily system, including pain/injury in joints or muscles, fatigue, digestive issues, pelvic health issues and more. Joint hypermobility is also linked with structural differences in the brain and nervous system. Learn more and find out how and why yoga needs to be modified for people with hypermobility in my current newsletter: http://www.kathleenpratt.ca/blog-and-resources/83-hypermobility-is-more-than-just-a-bendy-body

My June newsletter was not the article I planned to write, but I felt compelled to share my reflections and learnings related to the impact of Canadian wildfires. With poor air quality moving into the Kingston area overnight, I thought some of you might be able to use these tips for coping with wildfire smoke.

Coping with Canadian Wildfires 🔥

Have you had your share of desserts over the past few years? I have! There may be a good reason for that: DESSERTS is STRESSED spelled backwards! 🍰
A snippet from presentation to residents and guests at the 55+ Vibrant Lifestyle event on Saturday at Atria Kingsdale Chateau.
Thank you to Sheri & Shari at Senior Transitions and Encore for organizing & Atria Kingsdale Chateau for hosting a fabulous day! 💐

I invite you to attend this uplifting event this coming Saturday! Please come participate in my presentation at 10:30 a.m., A Mind-Body Practice for Stress Relief. Experience first-hand the stress-relieving effects of gentle seated movement, breathing techniques, and mindfulness. Restore your body, mind, and nervous system with simple techniques that combine ancient wisdom and modern science.

Speakers will be presenting on topics of interest every half hour starting at 10:00 a.m. Afterwards, visit local businesses offering a range of goods and services. There will be fun activities and door prizes! Bring a friend and share the joy!

This event is a fundraiser for a local grandmother who has become primary caregiver for her three grandchildren and as a result, is experiencing financial challenges.

Free tickets and details are available on Eventbrite.
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/55-vibrant-lifestyle-event-w-speakers-tickets-611566992337?aff=erelpanelorg

I'm excited to be taking part in this fabulous event! I hope you'll join me for my session at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday May 27th & visit all the great vendors afterwards!

Kathleen Pratt is speaking at 1030 am on May 27th at our 55+ Lifestyle Event being held inside the Kingsdale Chateau at 520 Kingsdale Avenue in Kingston

A Mind-Body Practice for Stress Relief

Experience first-hand the stress-relieving effects of gentle seated movement, breathing techniques, and mindfulness. Restore your body, mind, and nervous system with simple techniques that combine ancient wisdom and modern science

Kathleen Pratt is a social worker and yoga teacher. She offers trauma-sensitive yoga and mindfulness for individuals, couples, and small groups in Kingston and online across North America

http://www.kathleenpratt.ca/

To learn about all the speakers and event details please use this link:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/55-vibrant-lifestyle-event-w-speakers-tickets-611566992337

I'm still here .... just not as present on social media as I take cues from nature to direct my energy towards my clients, new projects and my raison d'etre! Feel free to contact me directly through my website by email or phone or sign up for my newsletter for updates.

As I write this, a baby mourning dove is about to hatch in a nest in my gutter! I revelled in blooming hyacinths & spouting tulips and peonies on my walk this morning. I will be harvesting green onions from my garden for tonight's supper. The rain and sun promise more growth in the coming days. I hope you are enjoying the abundance of spring as much as I am 🐦🐝🪺🌞🌱🌈

Synchronizing breath with movement is a rapid & effective way to calm the nervous system. This is a sample of one of many practices I'll offer in my upcoming 'Befriend Your Nervous System' program starting April 13th.
If you try this technique, please let me know how it goes in the comments!

Register at http://www.kathleenpratt.ca/private-and-group-offerings/80-befriend-your-nervous-system

Sync breath with movement to calm down A quick practice synchronizing breath and hand movements to calm the nervous system. Video Di...

You know that saying "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't?" There isn't a pill or supplement that will cure stress. Advertisers would like me to believe otherwise (this ad was in my local paper). We don't want to prevent or cure stress, anyhow. Some level of stress is positive, motivating and helps build resilience. However, if stress gets too much, it takes a toll on the body, mind, spirit and relationships. To manage stress well, we need to address it where it occurs: in the nervous system. By learning how to recognize and take action to tend to our nervous system, you can limit the harmful effects of stress. Check out my upcoming program “Befriend Your Nervous System” to find out how! http://www.kathleenpratt.ca/private-and-group-offerings/80-befriend-your-nervous-system

Possibly, if you live in Ontario! Check if your extended health insurance covers services from a registered social worker. I can provide an itemized receipt for group sessions if needed. Ontario residents can claim social work services as a medical expense for income tax.

Is stress showing up in your body with physical symptoms? Stress activates hormones & chemicals (e.g. cortisol, adrenaline) to help us fight or flee danger. When stress continues over a longer period of time, these chemicals start to affect entire systems in the body, including the immune system, digestive system, cardiovascular system and nervous system.
Learn how to reduce the harmful effects of stress and help the body heal with my upcoming program "Befriend Your Nervous System". Details & registration at: http://www.kathleenpratt.ca/private-and-group-offerings/80-befriend-your-nervous-system


References:
https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-and-the-body
https://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/stress-and-allergies

This beautiful acknowledgement from V. Ophelia Rigault made my weekend 🥰 From a woman I deeply admire and respect, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to jointly offer a Yoga for Grief program that is close to both our hearts 🫶

Day 18: International Women’s Month
Meet Kathleen Pratt, of Kathleen Pratt Yoga. She is Trauma-Sensitive Certified Yoga Instructor, and Registered Social Worker.

Kathleen (she/her) lives in Kingston, Ontario and she helps people reduce stress and tend to their nervous system by using mind-body practices that are grounded in ancient wisdom and modern science.

Her research-informed practice incorporates modern neuroscience and mind-body techniques such as somatic experiencing, applied polyvagal theory, somatic psychology, relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and compassion-based approaches.

Kathleen does not practice psychotherapy. She does provide a brave and safe environment for true beginners; including people who believe they can't do yoga, had a negative experience in the past, or feel intimidated attending a public yoga class.

Kathleen has taken her personal experiences of when she started yoga to create a unique and empowering practice called "Yoga 4 the Rest of Us with Kathleen"!

I’ve had the honour with working with Kathleen when we provided accessible and equitable yoga community classes for the Canadian Mental Health Association in Kingston, ON.

The quote from Brené Brown that sums up Katleen is "Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity."

Happy International Women's Month!

Day 18: International Women’s Month
Meet Kathleen Pratt, of Kathleen Pratt Yoga. She is Trauma-Sensitive Certified Yoga Instructor, and Registered Social Worker.

Kathleen (she/her) lives in Kingston, Ontario and she helps people reduce stress and tend to their nervous system by using mind-body practices that are grounded in ancient wisdom and modern science.

Her research-informed practice incorporates modern neuroscience and mind-body techniques such as somatic experiencing, applied polyvagal theory, somatic psychology, relaxation techniques, guided imagery, and compassion-based approaches.

Kathleen does not practice psychotherapy. She does provide a brave and safe environment for true beginners; including people who believe they can't do yoga, had a negative experience in the past, or feel intimidated attending a public yoga class.

Kathleen has taken her personal experiences of when she started yoga to create a unique and empowering practice called "Yoga 4 the Rest of Us with Kathleen"!

I’ve had the honour with working with Kathleen when we provided accessible and equitable yoga community classes for the Canadian Mental Health Association in Kingston, ON.

The quote from Brené Brown that sums up Katleen is "Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity."

Happy International Women's Month!

How can taking charge of your stress have a lasting positive effect on the people you care about? When you tend to the stress that's living in your own nervous system & body, you change your relationship to yourself, to your family and friends, coworkers, community, and the wider world. My new online program "Befriend Your Nervous System" offers practical tools you can use to reduce stress, prevent its harmful effects, and restore your well-being. Please visit link for details and registration form: http://www.kathleenpratt.ca/private-and-group-offerings/80-befriend-your-nervous-system

Happy Social Work Week! I'm proud to be one of Ontario’s 22,000+ - the largest providers of supports in the province – Now, as much as ever, Social Workers are essential to access for all Ontarians. oasw.org/SocialWorkWeek

I have been learning about The Trauma of Racism in a program by NICABM. Although racism and its devastating effects have existed for generations, racial trauma is a recent concept. Racial trauma describes the traumatic stress caused by racism towards Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC). It includes the current systemic, direct, and indirect effects of racism as well as the painful and enduring effects of intergenerational trauma. Racial trauma is an especially difficult and complex type of trauma because it does not only exist in the past but is ongoing in the present with no definitive end.

Historically, mental health services have failed BIPOC individuals and communities by pathologizing symptoms of racial trauma and imposing Eurocentric diagnoses and interventions. This has lead to retraumatization, mistrust, and barriers to accessing care.

February is Black History Month. Today, I’m recognizing and celebrate BIPOC mental health professionals who are front-line in the work of collective healing. They are transforming mental health services to be culturally relevant and educating helping professionals like me to avoid perpetuating mistrust and re-traumatization of BIPOC clients.

Please visit the organizations and people listed below who are making history, and please add to the honour roll in the comments! (note: Canadian resources are listed first)


https://www.womenofcolourremakewellness.com/bipoc-therapists-

- Support Network for Indigenous Women & Women of Colour
https://www.sniwwoc.ca/bipoc-therapists

@ healing_in_colour
https://www.healingincolour.com/

V. Ophelia Rigault
https://vopheliarigault.com/


https://blacktherapistsrock.com/



(Dr. g)
menakem
https://www.resmaa.com/




https://www.michellecjohnson.com/



Dr. Thema

Original post edited February 22, 2023 in response to an important comment I received. Racial trauma is not only a concept, it is a reality for many people.

Day 5 in my "5-5-5 series: 5 restorative breath practices over 5 days in 5 minutes or less!

This breathing exercise helps coordinate the movement of the pelvic floor and respiratory diaphragms. It is known for its capacity to optimize functioning of pelvic muscles. It is a form of diaphragmatic breathing that helps downregulate the nervous system.

https://youtu.be/_p3TWRz0cJo