Private Online Therapeutic Yoga

Shanti Yoga Therapy offers private, one-on-one online yoga therapy sessions grounded in nervous system regulation and somatic movement, designed for individuals living with chronic pain, stress, illness or injury. Each session is built around your physical and emotional needs and delivered live, one-on-one — never pre-recorded.

Shanti Yoga Therapy combines the clinical practice of yoga therapy, Polyvagal-informed nervous system regulation and somatic movement with yogic philosophy to help you find balance, reduce stress and heal from chronic conditions. Our work focuses on guiding you out of survival mode and into a state of safety and calm, so deep restoration can occur.

Whether you’re living with chronic back or hip pain, anxiety, depression or burnout, yoga therapy offers evidence-informed, somatic practices to restore mind-body balance. Every thought, emotion and experience is processed through the nervous system — when stress patterns go unresolved, they often show up as physical pain, illness or emotional overwhelm.

Sessions are personalized around your goals and weave together:

• Gentle, somatic and restorative therapeutic yoga postures
• Breathwork (pranayama) to reset the nervous system
• Meditation, mindfulness and guided imagery
• Yogic philosophy and Ayurvedic principles for whole-person wellbeing
• Compassionate tools to build resilience and presence in everyday life

These somatic, Polyvagal-informed practices gradually retrain the nervous system, supporting new patterns of response over time through neuroplasticity, helping you move from reactivity and stress toward mindfulness, balance and calm. Sessions are safe to practice while healing from injury, in the midst of grief, chronic fatigue or chronic stress.

When we live with chronic stress, anxiety or pain, the nervous system often becomes stuck in survival mode. This constant state of fight-or-flight can lead to fatigue, muscle tension, poor sleep and even chronic illness. Therapeutic yoga helps reset this baseline — guiding the body out of the stress response and into the relaxation response, where healing can begin. In your custom private session, you’ll learn how to use:

• Restorative, somatic yoga postures: to relieve neck, shoulder, back and hip pain and joint stiffness
• Mindful breathing techniques (pranayama): to calm the nervous system and improve circulation, and oxygen flow
• Meditation and guided imagery: to quiet the mind and reduce anxiety, including Yoga Nidra and mantra
• Mudra and somatic body-awareness practices: traditional hand positions and slow, internally-focused movement that support focus, calm and emotional release
• Optional distance Reiki: a gentle, optional relaxation practice some clients choose to add to their session

With regular practice, therapeutic yoga supports the body in releasing long-held stress patterns, creating space for improvement on every level — physical, mental and emotional. Clients often report better sleep, improved flexibility, reduced pain and a greater sense of calm.

Online sessions make these practices accessible from home, giving you practical tools to manage stress, support recovery and build long-term wellbeing.

Yoga therapy is an evidence-informed, somatic approach to nervous system regulation and long-term health. Benefits include:

• Relief from chronic stress, anxiety and trauma patterns
• Reduction in neck, shoulder, back and hip tension
• Improved sleep, mood and energy levels
• Enhanced mind-body connection and emotional resilience

Greater capacity to face life’s challenges with calm, measured presence—responding thoughtfully instead of reacting on autopilot. With regular practice, you’ll begin to notice and shift long-held patterns of stress, cultivate inner awareness and support your body’s own capacity to heal.

Private sessions are a good fit if you recognize yourself in any of these:

• You’re living with chronic pain, illness or injury and haven’t found lasting relief through conventional treatment alone
• You’re managing stress, anxiety or burnout and want tools that actually calm your nervous system, not just distract from it
• You’ve looked for a yoga therapist near you or online and want a gentle, restorative practice tailored to your body, not a one-size-fits-all class
• You want more than a workout — you’re seeking holistic, individualized care that treats the whole picture
• You’re ready to commit to your health and wellbeing, even if that means starting small
• You have a quiet, distraction-free space and basic props (or household alternatives) to practice at home
• You’re open to trying a new approach, especially if what you’ve tried so far hasn’t given you the relief you’re looking for

Yoga therapy is a sustainable path to wellness working with your own personal rate of healing, never forcing or pushing too hard. Just as you might work with a physical therapist, nutritionist or counselor, yoga therapy complements other healthcare practices and deepens your ability to heal from within.

Together, we’ll create a customized treatment plan that addresses your specific concerns and goals. With consistent practice, you’ll gain tools that bring relief, balance and peace into daily life.

Unlike studio yoga classes, private therapeutic yoga sessions are fully personalized. You’ll receive undivided attention, with practices designed around your specific needs and health concerns. Sessions are confidential and accessible online through a link emailed or texted at the time of your session, scheduled at these times:

• Tuesdays: 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM ET
• Wednesdays: 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM ET
• Thursdays: 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM ET

Through this process, you’ll learn how to:

• Relieve pain through gentle, restorative yoga and targeted stretching
• Calm the nervous system with breathwork (pranayama)
• Support mental clarity with meditation and guided imagery
• Release emotional tension using Yoga Nidra, mudra and mantra practices
• Integrate yogic philosophy and mindfulness into daily life
• Explore the optional addition of distance Reiki and relaxation-based energy practices

After booking your first session, you’ll receive a copy of your HIPAA-compliant, confidential intake form to complete beforehand. The intake session includes:

• Review of your HIPAA-compliant intake form, questions and concerns
• Assessments of posture, breath, movement and overall wellbeing
• A discussion of your physical, mental-emotional and personal health goals
• Creation of your personalized therapeutic yoga plan
• If time allows, beginning your personalized practice and deep relaxation

Consistent, one-on-one online yoga therapy is where lasting change happens. Together, we’ll build a rhythm of weekly or biweekly private sessions tailored to your goals, budget and progress — refining your practice, tracking what’s working and updating your plan as we go.

Ongoing sessions are booked at the time of your session.

Prepay for a 5-session package of private online yoga therapy and save: $105 per session (regularly $110), for a total of $525 (plus CT sales tax). It’s a simple way to commit to a consistent practice and make ongoing yoga therapy more accessible over time.

To make the most of your private online yoga therapy sessions, it helps to set yourself up with the right space and tools. Preparing ahead ensures you can relax fully, follow guidance with ease and build consistency in your at-home practice.

Essentials for your session:

• A quiet, comfortable space free from distractions
• A strong internet connection for uninterrupted online private therapeutic yoga sessions
• A willingness to practice at home between sessions for the best results

Recommended yoga props (or household alternatives):

• 1 bolster (or 2 large pillows)
• 2 blankets (or towels)
• 2 yoga blocks (or sturdy books)
• 1 yoga mat (for comfort and stability)
• 1 yoga strap (or belt/robe tie)

These props support safe alignment, deeper relaxation, injury prevention and effective modifications, especially for neck, back or hip pain, anxiety or chronic stress.

Alongside movement, breathwork and meditation, your private sessions may also include Yoga Nidra, mantra, mudra and optional distance Reiki. These practices are simple, accessible and can be woven into your sessions and daily life.

Asana simply means posture or pose—the physical practice most people associate with yoga. In therapeutic yoga sessions with me, asana looks different from a typical class: postures are slow, supported and adapted specifically to your body, often held longer and with more support (blankets, bolsters, blocks) than in a general fitness setting. The goal isn’t flexibility or strength for its own sake—it’s using gentle, sustained movement to release tension, support the nervous system and rebuild trust in your body.

• Relieves tension and stiffness in commonly affected areas: neck, shoulders, back and hips
• Supports joint mobility and circulation without strain
• Builds somatic body awareness through slow, supported movement
• Adapted specifically to your condition, injury or physical limitation
• Accessible regardless of flexibility, age or prior yoga experience

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment. In sessions, mindfulness is woven into movement, breath and meditation, helping you notice sensation, thought and emotion as they arise rather than getting swept up in them. Over time, this builds a different relationship with stress, pain and difficult emotions — one rooted in awareness rather than reactivity.

• Reduces rumination and anxious, repetitive thinking
• Supports emotional regulation and a calmer response to stress
• Increases body awareness, helpful for pain management
• Builds a sustainable, portable skill you can use outside of sessions

Yoga Nidra, or “yogic sleep,” is a guided meditation that brings the body into deep relaxation while keeping the mind gently aware. It moves you into a state between wakefulness and sleep, where the nervous system can fully relax and reset—what Polyvagal Theory describes as a ventral vagal state of safety and connection. Clients often find it especially helpful for:

• Stress relief and nervous system balance, by activating the parasympathetic nervous system
• Improved sleep quality, particularly for insomnia and restless nights
• Emotional regulation and greater calm and resilience
• Enhanced mental clarity and focus, by quieting mental chatter
• Accessibility – no experience or flexibility required; simply lie down or sit, listen and relax

A mantra is a word, phrase or syllable repeated during meditation to focus the mind. The word comes from Sanskrit: man (mind) and tra (tool) — literally, “a tool for the mind.” In sessions, mantras are chosen based on your goals and may be spoken aloud, whispered or silently repeated to help you:

• Calm the nervous system through sound and steady rhythm
• Improve concentration by centering the mind on a single focus
• Support emotional regulation and a greater sense of inner peace
• Build mindfulness and presence by anchoring awareness to sound and breath
• Strengthen meditation practice with a steady point of focus

Common examples include Om (a traditional sound of stillness), Om Shanti (peace), or traditional chakra seed sounds such as Lam, Vam and Ram. Many mantras carry traditional spiritual significance and can add depth and meaning to your practice; they’re easy to learn and can be combined with breathwork, restorative postures or guided meditation.

Custom mantras are also available, built around specific health affirmations tailored to your goals — phrases that support pain relief, sleep, self-compassion or emotional resilience, for example. If a traditional mantra doesn’t resonate, an equally effective practice is as simple as silently repeating the words “inhale” and “exhale” in sync with your breath. This anchors the mind to the body in real time, with no new words or language to learn.

Mudras are symbolic hand positions used in restorative yoga, breathwork and meditation as a form of somatic body awareness—small, intentional movements that support focus and a felt sense of calm. They’re a simple, portable tool you can use anytime, even outside of sessions. Traditional and commonly reported benefits include:

• Support for relaxation – many people find certain hand positions calming and grounding
• Enhanced meditation and focus, by giving the mind a steady point of attention
• Accessibility – practiced anywhere: sitting at a desk, lying in bed or during meditation

Examples include Gyan Mudra (thumb and index finger touching), traditionally associated with calm and mental clarity, and Prana Mudra (touching the tips of the thumb, ring and little fingers), traditionally associated with vitality and grounding. We’ll explore which mudras best support your goals so you can integrate them into daily life.

Reiki (pronounced ray-kee) is a gentle, non-invasive Japanese relaxation practice with roots in energy-work traditions.

Distance Reiki offers the same calming format without being in the same physical location.

It’s completely optional: some clients enjoy combining it with yoga therapy for a deeper sense of relaxation, while others prefer to focus solely on movement, breathwork and meditation. Each session is shaped around your comfort level and goals.

Is Reiki right for me?
Reiki is gentle and non-invasive, and may be a supportive addition if you’re managing anxiety, chronic pain, fatigue or emotional overwhelm. No prior experience with yoga or meditation is needed.

Do I have to include Reiki in my session?
Not at all. It’s entirely optional, and your session is always designed around what feels most supportive to you.

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