Yoga Therapy for
Cycle Breakers
Having a complicated relationship with an emotionally immature parent(s) is a lonely and isolating experience. When you’re the only one committed to doing the often hard and uncomfortable work of healing generational cycles of pain and harm, you get labelled as the problem, the black sheep, the difficult one. It can feel like weathering a storm or fighting a war all alone. Add in the cultural messaging that says you’re unconditionally indebted to your parents because of their sacrifices, that you are supposed to be best friends with your mother, that no one will ever love you as much as her and it’s no wonder you’re left feeling sad, frustrated, guilty, resentful, overwhelmed.
I believe being a familial cycle breaker is one of the most courageous things you can do. Though often it feels less like courage and strength and more like:
Anxiety, depression, social anxiety
A harsh inner critic
Feeling not good enough or too much
Overthinking/Rumination
Perfectionism
A constant sense of guilt, shame, inadequacy or unworthiness
Attempting to control everything
Feeling disconnected from yourself and others
Struggling to know, express, and/or prioritize your needs
Feeling apathetic or unfulfilled…like you’re just going through the motions of life
A sense of being disconnected from your body and emotions
Feeling like you don’t belong
Despite what you might been told (and likely have come to believe), you’ve never been the problem. The system is the problem. You see, dysfunctional familial and societal systems rely on the status quo; without it, the system itself would have to change and change is uncomfortable. So when you come along with your sensitivity and unwillingness to go along with how things have always been done, you pose a threat to the existing condition…you get slapped with the label “difficult” and are likely to experience gaslighting.
Your sensitivity, your longing to heal, and forge a more beautiful and loving way forward is your super power. I believe as a cycle breaker, through your own individual healing, you are courageously ushering in a kinder, more beautiful and humane future not just for yourself but for the world. The way you are with other people is a direct reflection, a projection of the way you are with yourself. Thus, when you can break free from cage created in being raised by emotionally immature parents (of anxiety, of harsh self-criticism, of perfectionism, of swinging between not good enough & too much), when you can fully be and express yourself, you also contribute to creating space for others to reclaim their liberation.
Whew, we went deep and meta real quick. I’m here for it and if you are too, allow me to introduce myself…I’m Erin. Cycle Breaker, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Therapist, and Student of the Human Experience. My insatiable curiosity about what it means to be human has led me to explore topics like Psychology, Neuroscience (the function of the nervous system), Anatomy (how our bodies are set-up), Physiology (how our bodies function), Biomechanics (how our bodies move). In my work with Cycle Breakers, I integrate this knowledge with my training as a Yoga Therapist to offer a unique approach to healing.
When I walked into my first yoga class, I was at rock bottom. I had just broken free from a toxic romantic relationship and felt like I had completely lost any semblance of who I was. I entered that first class curious whether yoga might be a form of fitness I would enjoy. Little did I know this was actually the start of a profound healing journey beyond anything I could have imagined. You see, the word yoga means union (connection) and the practice of yoga is meant to lead us to enlightenment (freedom). It’s not about being flexible and you don’t have to aspire to twist yourself up like a pretzel or stand on your head (in fact, for long-term body functionality, I’d recommend not pushing yourself to do either of those things).
Yoga is a practice of reconnecting to your truest self, outside of the conditioning you’ve taken on from your family and society. It’s a practice of reconnecting to something larger than yourself; to the truth of our interconnection with each other and the planet. The practice of yoga, allows you to begin to gently shine a light on your patterns and habitual ways of being and explore different possibilities for how to be in your body and the world.
As a Yoga Therapist, the foundation of my work is the idea that any aspect of your experience is a doorway into healing. Thus, the starting point is coming home to your body, reclaiming the wisdom and power there. The body holds our history, and that history can sometimes be activating thus, I guide you to reconnect in a way that is trauma-sensitive. As we establish this connection, curiosity, compassion, and courage move us forward, guided by your own internal compass. It is this holistic approach grounded in self-agency that makes Yoga Therapy a powerful approach for cycle breakers. Where others have led you to abandon and doubt yourself, I support you to deeply know and trust yourself. From there, a life expressed from within, is where you find freedom.
A short description of the service and how the visitor will benefit from it.
A short description of the service and how the visitor will benefit from it.
A short description of the service and how the visitor will benefit from it.
A short description of the service and how the visitor will benefit from it.
Coming together in community to explore what it means to break cycles and contribute to shaping culture. We’re considering the idea that freedom is found in reconnecting through the body…to ourselves, to each other, to nature, to Spirit, to ancestors.
Metamorphosis Alchemical transformation of the soul These are phrases that I’m sure I once would’ve rolled my eyes at. And
Cycle breakers are attuned to the dysfunctional behaviours & patterns that have played out for generations, whether that’s in their families or the broader world.
For you, this awareness comes coupled with an uncomfortable sense of being stuck, limited, confined; you’re burnt out on maintaining the status quo.
You aspire to do things differently but being a black sheep can leave you feeling overwhelmed, alone, and misunderstood.
The Cycle Breakers Collective launches November 13 with the Somatic Revolution.
This is a free community project built around the idea that freedom can be found in reconnecting through the body…to ourselves, to each other, to Spirit, to ancestors. Within community, we’re gathering to explore what it means to break cycles and create culture within our families and beyond.
The stress of being raised by emotionally immature parents, of having to abandon parts of yourself to earn love and acceptance can manifest in many mental and physical health challenges.
It’s common for cycle breakers to be feel forgotten within the health care system, dismissed or left without effective solutions for conditions that are poorly understood.
In addition to the challenges discussed above, the following are common conditions experience by cycle breakers that I support:
This work is deeply personal and having the right person to walk along side you on your journey is important. Trust is essential and I know that can take time to build. I also know how painful it is to feel stuck and longing to break free. To get you moving forward now, I’ve created a mini-course on cultivating nervous system resilience. Learning to work with (and build capacity within) your nervous system is foundational to Yoga Therapy for Cycle Breakers. If you’d like to take some time to explore my work on your own, I invite you to download.