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In House: Maria Alfaro on Neurogenic Yoga

Neurogenic Yoga - Art of Living Retreat Center

I’ve been practicing yoga since 1986, and teaching it since 1997. I co-created Neurogenic Yoga™ in 2012, in collaboration with my yoga partner, Jennica Mills. Since then, I’ve taught hundreds of workshops in different states in the US, in Canada, in Europe, in Asia, and in the Middle East.

 

What is Neurogenic Yoga™?

I often get asked what this type of yoga is about. Well, first of all, Neurogenic Yoga™ is not a new “style” of yoga: it is a new approach to the practice of yoga which combines ANY yoga style that you like to practice (from restorative to very vigorous and everything in between) with the gentle neurophysiological body response called Neurogenic Tremors.

 

Those gentle involuntary tremors are our nervous system’s way to release pent-up tension and contractions caused by traumatic events and the stress of everyday life. Such tremors are natural for the body, and our body actually loves them, but our rational mind tends to repress them because it interprets them as a sign of weakness or disease and it doesn’t feel comfortable with them.

 

How does it work?

And so we start numbing this natural response at a very early age. But you’ve probably experienced it at least a few times in your life: maybe you were nervous about doing a speech, maybe you found yourself in a dangerous situation, maybe you were pulled over by the police or you had an accident or witnessed one. And, suddenly, you felt a vibration somewhere in your body that you immediately repressed.

 

Neurogenic Yoga helps re-activate this natural neurophysiological response in the body in a safe environment, often with great results both at the physical and emotional level. A lot of our problems are caused or worsened by stress and, by diminishing our level of stress and contraction, many aspect of our lives appear to improve. People report experiencing better sleep, less pain, less anxiety, more energy, increased flexibility, and more.

 

An effort towards worldwide healing

Neurogenic Yoga is a sister method of TRE® (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises®), which was created in the 80’s by an American bio-energetic therapist, Dr. David Berceli. Dr. Berceli worked for two decades with traumatized populations in the Middle East and in Africa and taught hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Presently TRE is taught in over 60 countries and I am honored, as a TRE Certification Trainer for almost a decade, to have been instrumental in introducing it to some of these countries, such as Belgium, Holland, Jordan and Palestine.

 

Wherever I go, people seem to appreciate this gentle approach towards a healthier and happier life.

I am very excited about teaching at the Art of Living Retreat Center.

 

Maria Alfaro
Maria is a senior TRE® (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises®) Certification Trainer and the co-creator of Neurogenic Yoga™, a sister method of TRE®. Maria believes that TRE® and Neurogenic Yoga™ are extraordinary tools for healing ourselves and the planet and that each person can benefit from them in a deep way. You can learn more at NeurogenicYoga.com.

 

Join Maria at the Art of Living Retreat Center.

 


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