Therapeutic Yoga Method

Feel free in your body, calm in your mind, and clear in your heart.

Clarity of Heart Yoga is a Therapeutic Yoga studio in Sedona, Arizona. The Therapeutic Yoga Method combines passive and active movements to harmonize and strengthen the body in a systematic and efficient way. Each sequence is designed to counteract the negative effects of a modern lifestyle, helping to restore the body’s natural functionality and alleviate discomfort caused by imbalances from sedentary habits.

Unlike traditional yoga styles, Therapeutic Yoga focuses on the whole-body system — working with muscles, fascia, bones, joints, and the nervous system to improve overall health. This comprehensive method isn't about pushing for deeper stretches or achieving extreme poses. Instead, it focuses on remodeling the body's natural alignment and fluidity, which allows for profound, long-term results in movement, posture, and quality of life.

Our Classes

  • 🟢 Therapeutic Yoga Method Green

    Green classes harmonize and balance the body by holding poses for longer periods of time. These sequences are more meditative in nature and designed to support healing and relaxation, release tension, and deepen the mind-body connection. A series of three green classes per week is the best starting place for anyone working through injuries, restrictions, stiffness, or general aches and pains. These sequences are a combination of passive and active movements. While some standing poses are incorporated, the majority of the work is done on the floor.

  • 🟠 Therapeutic Yoga Method Orange

    Orange classes consist of active, dynamic movements paired with passive poses. These sequences are focused on building strength and improving mobility, making them ideal for those seeking a more invigorating practice. Orange classes incorporate more standing poses with an emphasis on mindful movement and proper alignment. These classes are designed to challenge your endurance while maintaining a therapeutic approach. They provide a balanced session that leaves you feeling strong, refreshed, and energized.

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The Therapeutic Yoga Method activates the body's natural healing intelligence through four key systems:

  • A common myth is that yoga simply stretches muscles. In reality, muscles don’t stretch in the traditional sense; they release. Current research shows that stretching doesn’t permanently elongate muscles but instead helps the nervous system adapt to handle greater muscle extension without triggering pain signals.

    The Therapeutic Yoga Method employs movements and props to apply targeted pressure to specific areas of the body. This pressure helps dissolve restrictions, enhance circulation, and facilitate muscle release, which supports a broader range of motion, improved health, and overall well-being.

  • Fascia is a network of connective tissue that surrounds muscles, bones, and organs, containing a rich supply of sensory nerves. These nerves transmit information about the body's position, movement, and internal state to the brain.

    When the body experiences restrictions, fascia can become dehydrated, inflexible, fragile, and sticky.

    In addition to staying hydrated and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits, practicing Therapeutic Yoga helps remodel fascia, promoting the restoration of its natural fluidity.

  • Our joints and bones thrive under pressure and compression, which are essential for their health. Movement and pressure help distribute synovial fluid, nourishing cartilage and aiding in the removal of metabolic waste.

    Chondrocytes, the cells responsible for maintaining cartilage, benefit from the right balance of pressure. Gentle, controlled pressure applied through Therapeutic Yoga poses helps maintain cartilage health. This is especially important for joints like the knees and hips, where cartilage cushions and absorbs impact.

    The Therapeutic Yoga Method offers low-impact, mindful movements that evenly distribute pressure across joints and bones. This pressure encourages healthy circulation, supports joint lubrication, and helps maintain cartilage integrity, reducing the risk of deterioration.

    By regularly practicing Therapeutic Yoga, you not only build strength and flexibility but also take proactive steps to support joint and bone health, enhance mobility, and manage pain.

  • In modern life, most people are continuously distracted and overwhelmed by information overload. We are often overstimulated and overworked, spending long hours sitting in front of screens.

    A sedentary, high-stress lifestyle can push our nervous system into a state of heightened alertness, known as the sympathetic state, or "fight or flight" mode. When this state remains active for extended periods, the body stays in a chronic state of stress, even without immediate threats.

    This ongoing stress can negatively impact both physical and emotional well-being, leading to digestive problems, disrupted sleep, chronic pain, fatigue, and a weakened immune system.

    Therapeutic Yoga offers a valuable solution to counteract these harmful effects. It helps shift the nervous system from the overactive sympathetic state to the parasympathetic state, or "rest and digest" mode, allowing the body to recover and heal from the toll of chronic stress.

    With consistent, regular practice, Therapeutic Yoga calms the mind and promotes a more resilient, balanced nervous system.

FAQ

  • The Therapeutic Yoga Method has been designed to help you feel your absolute best!

    A large portion of members are between the ages of 50 and 80+, and many have a history of joint pain, major surgeries, or lack of mobility.

    Many members have seen positive results from a consistent, regular practice.

    If you can get up and down off the ground without assistance then you can most likely reap the benefits of Therapeutic Yoga.

    Please note, we are located on the 2nd floor. There are about 20 stairs to get up to the studio.

    Always consult with your doctor or healthcare provider before implementing any new exercise program.

  • 1. There is a special emphasis on joints

    This practice incorporates a selection of poses that gently engage and stretch specific joints where tightness is most common. The Therapeutic Yoga Method uses movements and props to apply pressure to the joints, which increases synovial fluid production for joint lubrication and enhances circulation. By focusing on the intricate dynamics of joints and tissues, Therapeutic Yoga aims to alleviate stiffness, reduce inflammation, and promote overall joint health.

    2. This is a floor based practice

    While we do incorporate standing poses, the majority of the practice is done on the floor. We generally only make one or two transitions from seated to standing during each class, so you’re not constantly getting up and down off the ground. If you're a little slow to get up and down off the floor that is absolutely ok. As long as you can get up and down off the ground without assistance, you’ll be just fine.

    3. There is a big emphasis on relaxation

    In Therapeutic Yoga we do focus on active muscle engagement to strengthen the muscles, but this is not a sweaty practice that will have you breathing heavily. We move slowly and consciously and hold each pose for a significant amount of time. The goal is to give the body enough time to be able to adapt so that you can truly relax and reap the healing benefits.

    4. This practice is designed to regulate the nervous system and calm the mind

    Therapeutic Yoga has the amazing ability to modify the nervous system's patterns. Given the constant bombardment of stimuli and information in our fast paced society, we are all in need of an outlet that helps us to slow down and regulate our nervous system.

    One of the unique benefits of Therapeutic Yoga is that it deepens the mind body connection. It encourages a focused, relaxed concentration. We direct our focus to discover hidden tensions in the body and help them release. This practice promotes improved mental resilience, reduced anxiety, and an enhanced sense of well-being.

    5. Therapeutic Yoga is especially beneficial for those with joint pain, injuries, stiffness, or mobility restrictions.

    Many members of our local Sedona studio have limited mobility, injuries, or chronic pain. Many have also had hip replacements, knee replacements, or other major surgeries. Many have experienced positive results from consistent, regular practice. This yoga works to counteract the harmful effects of modern living such as sitting and standing for long periods of time, in order to keep you healthy, mobile and pain free for as long as possible.

    Freedom in the body and mind is everyone's birthright. The Therapeutic Yoga Method has been designed to help you return to your natural state of health and vitality.

  • Yin and restorative yoga are passive practices that do not emphasize active muscle engagement. Therapeutic Yoga not only stretches but also strengthens by targeting specific muscle groups and joints.

    Strengthening is just as important as flexibility because it helps create balance in the body and supports overall physical health and well-being.

    While flexibility allows for a greater range of motion and can reduce the risk of injury, strength provides stability and support to the joints and muscles, preventing overextension and promoting proper alignment.

    In Therapeutic Yoga, strengthening exercises help build muscle tone, improve posture, and enhance overall functional movement patterns. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals with joint pain, muscle imbalances, or limited mobility, as strengthening exercises help to support and protect vulnerable areas of the body.

    Having a balanced combination of strength and flexibility leads to better body awareness, improved coordination, and increased resilience against injuries or strain. By incorporating both strength-building and flexibility-enhancing practices, Therapeutic Yoga aims to optimize physical function, promote structural integrity, and support long-term health and vitality.

  • Sound healing, when incorporated into Therapeutic Yoga, offers numerous benefits:

    Relaxation: Instruments like crystal bowls induce deep relaxation, complementing the calming nature of Therapeutic Yoga.

    Meditative Focus: Sounds provide a point of concentration, deepening meditation and relaxation during yoga.

    Emotional Release: Both Therapeutic Yoga and sound healing can help to release pent-up emotions.

    Energy Balancing: Sound healing can harmonize the body's energy centers further amplified by Therapeutic Yoga's balancing effects.

    Stress Reduction: The combination of sound healing and Therapeutic Yoga offers a potent remedy against stress.

    Parasympathetic Activation: Both Therapeutic Yoga and sound healing help to activate the "rest and digest" response, promoting the body's natural healing response.

  • Consistency is key! The benefits of Therapeutic Yoga don't just manifest after one class; they build over time. Every moment on the mat, is an investment in your well-being. By remaining engaged and showing up, even on days when it feels challenging, you're nurturing a relationship with yourself that's rooted in love, patience, care and understanding. For best results aim to practice at least 2-4x per week. But remember, practicing once a week is better than not at all, so if you can only get to the studio one time a week it's a victory.

Meet Ayla, studio owner and creator of the Therapeutic Yoga Method

My mission is to share a method of yoga that goes beyond exercise—one that is specifically designed to help people regain natural mobility, move with ease, and remain pain-free for as long as possible.

For many years, I struggled with chronic pain, broken bones, and traumas that left me feeling disconnected and uncertain about how to heal. It wasn’t until I discovered yoga that I truly began to reconnect with myself and find a path forward.

My approach is an integration of over 15 years of learning from diverse mentors and various schools of yoga. Over the years, I have worked with hundreds of people, guiding them toward a practice that meets them exactly where they are and empowers them to reclaim their health and vitality.

The Therapeutic Yoga Method is devoted to supporting physical, mental, and emotional well-being as we age, helping people move better, feel better, and live life with greater ease and freedom.

Visit Us

70 Bell Rock Plaza Suite D

(2nd floor above Hippiebird Life)