Yoga for Stress Management with Courtney Butler-Robinson
You can’t deny it – we live in a stressful world. Everyone knows yoga is useful when it comes to stress management, but Courtney Butler-Robinson has focused her practice exclusively around dealing with stress and more specifically, heart health.
Courtney has had a long and illustrious career in the field of yoga. She’s been practicing for nearly 40 years, training yoga teachers for 20, and a certified yoga therapist for over 10 years (including being one of the first yoga therapists to be recognized by the International Association of Yoga Therapists). She is the owner and director of Balance Yoga and Wellness, a registered yoga school, and works as a stress management specialist, particularly in relation to reversing heart disease.
Stress is something everyone deals with, but Courtney highlights its connection to heart disease, and how her part in Dr. Dean Ornish’s lifestyle medicine practice is helping to heal patients. She provides insight into how yoga can be a part of the medical world, and why love, support, gratitude, and joy are some of the key ingredients to a long and healthy life.
If you’ve always wondered how to reach the medical world through your yoga teaching, or how to incorporate stress management in your yoga training, this episode is definitely one you need hear.
Key Takeaways:
[1:04] One lucky listener stands a chance to win a prize this week!
[3:45] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode – Courtney Butler-Robinson.
[6:15] How did Courtney’s yoga journey start? When did she get into yoga, and what brought her to it?
[7:39] What pushed Courtney to start working in yoga for stress management?
“We actually reverse disease without any kind of major medical intervention. It’s diet, exercise, yoga, meditation and love and support.” ~Courtney Butler-Robinson
[9:49] Courtney shares a little about the work that Dr. Dean Ornish does.
[12:31] How is Courtney’s class different from the average yoga class in its approach towards stress management?
[16:03] Courtney describes a typical day in the life of one of her clients.
[17:45] What are some of the most common issues people are dealing with when they come to see Courtney?
[20:16] What does a “prescription” entail? Courtney outlines some of the differences between her current work and her work in private practice.
[22:33] Courtney gives some recommendations when it comes to keeping your heart healthy.
“Movement helps to increase artery flexibility. It helps reduce lymphatic congestion in your system. … Keep moving!” ~Courtney Butler-Robinson
[25:25] Courtney highlights the importance of gratitude in heart health.
[28:06] What has Courtney learned through her 10 years of training teachers?
[31:19] How can yoga teachers move into the medical side of things?
[33:49] Courtney has some advice for yoga teachers with students looking to improve their heart health or reduce stress in their lives.
[35:58] Shannon and Courtney discuss whether overall stress and anxiety levels are going up in society.
[41:16] Find out more about Courtney, the work she does and more through her website, and on social media.
[42:12] Courtney’s book, The Mud and the Lotus, is a guide and a workbook for yoga teachers.
[48:58] Shannon shares how she connected with Courtney, and how you can use this method to connect with others.
[53:10] What is your biggest takeaway from this episode? Shannon would love to hear from you!
“I would just encourage people to find who you are as a yoga teacher, and to be that. And to have confidence in that, because there are the people out there that need what you have to offer.” ~Courtney Butler-Robinson
Links:
The Mud and the Lotus, by Courtney Butler-Robinson
Courtney Butler-Robinson on Facebook
Courtney Butler-Robinson on Instagram
Courtney Butler-Robinson on YouTube
Ep 088: Creating Professional Yoga Videos with Kira Sloane
Dr. Dean Ornish – Lifestyle Medicine
Learn more about Relaxation Response
Learn more about Oxytocin and the Heart
Learn more about the Elizabeth Blackburn Studies
Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity
Thank you for this episode. <3 I'm beginning my Yoga for Stress and Anxiety class tonight at Back in Balance Yoga (I had to laugh at the similar studio names). I am a trauma-informed yoga trained instructor, and while the setup is slightly different, I enjoyed hearing the similarities. Thanks again.
Oh that is so neat Jessica! It does sound really similar to Courtney’s business name. Thanks for your comment.
Thank you so much for listening. I appreciate you taking the time.
As a yoga teacher who also works in a cardiology office , this really hit home ! I’ve always wanted to be able to bridge the gap of yoga and heart patients ! I really Hope I can learn about stress management yoga and incorporate this for my patients.
Thank you
This is wonderful Olivia. Thanks for sharing — it sounds like your work is really in line with what Courtney offers.
Thank you Olivia for listening. I am so glad this helped you. Please follow my website for more info. I post video’s on You Tube often with information.
Such a great episode! I’d love to win the book to learn even more! Thanks ladies, awesome work!
Thanks Greg! You are now in the draw to win the book. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Thank you so much for tuning in.
The one consistent request in all my classes is to help deal with people’s stress in their lives. From different schedules to the many demands, people are feeling the pressures of the world today.
Yes, please add me to your prize list, that would be great.
Thank you Linda for listening.
You are on the list of entries for the draw, Linda. We are doing that Monday! Thanks for sharing yoga with your students who are feeling the stress of everyday life.
Thank you for sharing. I recently completed my 200 hr YTT and I’m trying to introduce yoga to my coworkers at my local PD. They need it for so many reasons, stress management a major one.
Everything crossed in Garudasana that I win the manual!
My husband is a police officer and our first responders and military do need the SM. It can be a great antidote to being on high alert all the time.
Thanks Kerry — love the “everything crossed in Garudasana” 🙂
I absolutely cannot wait to listen to this episode! As someone who works with clients who have anxiety, I’m sure there will be plenty of overlap. I’m very excited to listen!
👂😻😻😻👂
I hope you enjoy the episode!
Did you have a listen Chris? I would love to hear your thoughts since you already work with students dealing with anxiety.
What a timely episode as I start to integrate my yoga teacher training in to my work as a physiotherapist, particularly those with chronic illness/disease. Thank you for sharing
Thank you for taking the time to listen.
So glad this has been a helpful episode Stephanie. I am curious to hear an update on how things are going as you bring yoga and physio together.
How exciting I’m reading How to Heal your Drained Brain, and it really helps me understand the intense role of “fight or flight”. What a great podcast. I am really enjoying everything The Connected Yoga Teacher is offering. Thanks!
Thank you for listening. I am so glad you are enjoying it. I will look for that book!
I haven’t heard of that book Adrienne! I am going to check it out now. Thanks for your comment.
I started to listen to this podcast Shannon and about 15 mins into it it stopped playing. I did not hear any of the Courtney interview. Is there something I missed or did incorrectly?
Thank you.
I hope you are able to listen, thank you for reaching out.
Hi Lupe. My guess (if it was via phone) is that it didn’t download properly. I hope you were able to re-download it to have a listen. You can also listen right from this page. Let me know if it still doesn’t work.
Love this topic, so many individuals are dealing with stress and the repurcussion of chronice stress. My father has suffered with Heart disease and 2 years ago he flat lined on the ice hockey rink. Fortunately he was playing with a nurse practitioner who used the AED and got his heart going again. Although I can’t convince him to try Yoga. This might be the answer. Thank you Shannon for all of your amazing work.
You can go to Ornish.com and find info that might help convince him. If he is near one it is life changing. Insurance usually covers it as well. Good luck to you and I hope he has a long and healthy life.
Wow Heather — what a story. Your Dad is really lucky and you are right — some yoga may be very helpful. Even if it is just tiny bits for now. I am excited to learn how much gratitude can help us to live longer!
Thank you so much for this episode. I’m beginning to combine teaching yoga with a mental wellness practice by offering workshops, working with a therapist and running classes in the mental health unit of a hospital. Is still in its infancy, so this episode was very inspirational. I did have a question: Courtney spoke about the cost of her services being covered by health plans in her state. I’m sure this makes her services more accessible. Is there a way for a mental health yoga program to be covered by OHIP or private benefits in Canada? Would that require a specific type of yoga certification or a designation like psychologist/psychotherapist/social worker etc.?
Often if you are already in the medical field as a licensed clinician it is easier to find a way to fit yoga into what you are doing. If you are not then I would continue to build relationships with the medical community. There is often funding available in many hospitals and wellness facilities for “programming”. Yoga or what we call Stress Management is part of an overall program in our case. Many hospitals are offering yoga and meditation now so I know there is a way. It’s just slow going.
Hi Anna and thanks for your comment, for the work that you are doing and for your question. I am not sure of how to have our OHIP cover yoga. I know there are some teachers who work very closely with a medical team though, so it is possible. Hopefully, it becomes more and more as we learn how much yoga can offer to our mental wellness.
Thank you! As a health care provider and a yoga lover I am always trying to relay the benefits of yoga to my clients to help them reduce stress and calm the nervous system.
Thank you for your time and so glad you enjoyed it.
Hi!
I am only 1/2 way into the episode and I cannot wait to finish listening.
My 2 take aways from the conversation (so far): 1. The importance of gratitude and heart health. 2. Women with a stress management practice had longer life span (Elizabeth Blackburn study). These are 2 things that I try and incorporate in my life. It’s great to learn there is science behind it!
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing. I had been thinking about this stress management for my yoga and I’m so grateful to have resources like you.
That makes my heart happy. Thank you!
I want to thank everyone for their time listening. I love the podcast and actually require my students to listen to many of the episodes for added information for their non contact hours. This podcast is truly a blessing.
Thank you for this episode. Stress is a major issue for everyone. Yoga is a wonderful tool for dealing with stress. Most people don’t understand what stress does to their body and their health. I plan on incorporating some of Courtney’s suggestions into my teaching. I was lstening to this podcast while driving home. The discussion was so interesting that I drove past my street into the center of town.
🙂 Thank you so much. I am glad you found it helpful.
I get so excited when I hear about yoga combining with western medicine for optimal health. As a type 1 diabetic, my 25 years of yoga practice has proven to be an important element in my health care routine. I love how you talk about differentiating within the scope of meditation/imagery/progressive relaxation/mindfulness techniques.. I would love to study this piece more! Thank you!
Staci, Thank you. I am offering Yoga for Health Care workshops, and hope to offer those either around the country or beyond. For content now I will be adding videos to my You Tube Channel often to help teachers in this field. Simply put in your search bar Courtney Butler Robinson Yoga on You Tube and I should come up or visit my website “offerings” for tons of free content. Thank you to Shannon for giving me the availability to share this information with others.
My first comment was blocked because I was suspected of being a bot? So I will try to convey my intention in my last post.
Wow! I loved this episode- and am still digesting all of the information! It is a dream of mine to work alongside medical professionals to improve the quality of life of students’. I loved the ideas of how to make this a reality and that the things I am currently doing are taking me in the right direction. I also love Courtney using the term “Bonus Kids” – I am totally using that going forward. Thank you Courtney and Shannon for your words and time! Namaste.
Congratulations Dominique! You have won Courtney’s book by leaving a comment here. I will get it in the mail to you soon. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts (again). I also love the term bonus kids! So happy to see you connecting with so much that Courtney shared.
Woo Hoo! I sent an email that I am happy to do a 30 minute call or if you want to email me to chat or ask questions I’m happy to do that (no charge). Thank you for taking the time to listen and thanks to Shannon for her work in promoting all that is good in Yoga!
Dominique so glad you found affirmation that you are on the right track. Nearly twenty years ago my goal was to see yoga covered by insurance. Now in some cases that is happening. Keep on keeping on! Thanks for listening and commenting.
Wonderful episode! Great tips and advice, as well as reinforcement of what I do myself in my own practice and classes I offer. Thanks so much!
I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for another great episode. I always have to listen with a notebook in hand. With my clients I try to cultivate an environment where they don’t worry what the pose should look, but rather finding an intuitive movement that feels good in their body. Moving softly and finding more ease.
Love that. I agree 100%. Thank you for listening.
This a valuable content. Shannon I am always enlightened with your interviews. Courtney you have a heart to teach and am looking forward to using your teachings in my own work. Thank you both!
Oh thank you. I appreciate your sweet comments.
What a great episode.
Thanks to both of you.
Thank you so much for listening and commenting.
One actionable step I would take today based on this podcast is to be more intentional about carving out time every day for meditation and pranayama. I really needed the reminder. Thank you, Shannon & Courtney.
Thank you so much for listening and I am so glad this spoke to you.
Really enjoyed this episode. Courtney offered so many gems along with lots of validation on just how therapeutic yoga is. My comment to be entered for an opportunity to win her book is: listening in to Shannon and Courtney was like experiencing some much needed pranayama! Thank you😊
It makes my heart full to read this. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing your gems of wisdom! Enjoyed the interview!
Thank you for taking time out of your day to tune it. I appreciate you.
Loved this podcast and love you, Courtney. This was an amazing exploration into the methods and benefits of yoga for stress management. I’m so proud to be your student!
Thank you Susan. Love you and I’m lucky to have you in the school. I hope we have many years of friendship. Thank you for being a student and a mentor to the newer students.
Thank you for sharing all this information! Your podcasts are always so helpful and actionable!
As a RN and yoga instructor, I found this very helpful when thinking of ways to combine the knowledge from both practices. I love the articles and evidence based practice also!!
Thank you!!!!
I so appreciate you listening Lynda and I am glad you enjoyed it.