Sensing OT

The most difficult part about leading a group by myself, rather than with a co-facilitator, is remembering to follow all of the points outlined on my group protocol. Almost immediately after I concluded the group, I realized I missed a few crucial points. During the introduction, I thoroughly explained the purpose, expectations, and time frame. Unfortunately, I was so excited to jump into the yoga that I missed a crucial aspect: the ice breaker. During the activity, I wish I would have spent time demonstrating the correct posture, alignment and how to properly hold each pose. I had expected the sun salutation to take more time than it did, so I decided against going through this. I also think the group members could have performed the sequence a few more times, but all the evidence I read said that the sun salutation should be performed two to five times for beginners. I think the activity could have been more beneficial if we would have had the opportunity to flow through it more an...

I am about to introduce to you to a few of my greatest passions. Yoga, occupational therapy, and taking pictures of myself.  Before you begin reading, it is important to understand these pictures were taken for my own enjoyment and nothing more ( fine  and for instagram likes). My alignment and posture is not always perfect. Please acknowledge that many times I was mid-movement as these pictures were taken. The purpose of the pictures is reference.  I am not a yoga teacher nor do I claim to be.  I am a yogi and I still have a lot of work to do in my own practice, but I have come a long way from where I started. If your goal is to learn all about correct postures and proper alignment, please refer to the reference list at the bottom of the page. The names of the poses are not the formal names nor universal names. Remember, the purpose of this practice is therapeutic healing, whether that be mental or physical. We aim for correct alignment in order to pr...

Group Meditation  Journal: A "Collective Effort to Make Yourself Feel Better": The Group Process in Mindfulness-Based Interventions  Mindfulness based interventions (MBI) can be used to support people managing chronic pain, emotional distress, self management, and support people in care-giving roles. Multiple studies have found the group process positively impacts the experience of learning mindfulness, primarily during the initial weeks. This positive experience is facilitated through supporting learning, reducing stigma, and decreasing isolation. MBI in groups also creates a sense of accountability and a culture that values a sense of belong to the group, cohesion, and friendship.  During this study, the participants expressed feeling less alone by developing a sense of belonging and connection with the group, which fostered the understanding of suffering as universal. They further found it supportive and motivating when group members shared each other's su...

Merriam-Webster’s definition of collaborate is to work jointly with others or together, especially in an intellectual endeavor. Thesaurus.com lists synonyms of collaborate as cooperate, participate, coproduce, join together , team up , and work with. The word “collaboration” produced 2,551 search results on AOTA’s website. The word “collaborate” produces 359 research articles on AJOT’s website. Collaboration is when two people work together to achieve a goal. Occupational therapists have to opportunity to collaborate with clients in a way that produces change and motivation. One of the core concepts of occupational therapy is the client-centered approach, in which the client and their family are active participants throughout the therapeutic process. In other words the OT, the client, and the family must collaborate. In order to be a successful occupational therapist, we must learn how to collaborate with our clients, their families, and members of the interdisci...