Pam Novotny
Pam is an accomplished writer and developmental editor who came to the practice of Kaiut Yoga because of problems with her ankle. She had undergone ankle replacement surgery and had complications which required two additional surgeries within the same year. She lost a great deal of functionality in her ankle both as a result of her surgeries and as a result of spending several years off her feet during her recovery. She was afraid to engage in many activities fearing that she would be incapable of doing much because her ankle had become so weak. A friend recommended she try Kaiut Yoga. Pam was initially skeptical of her ability to do any type of yoga, but with her friend’s encouragement, she did attend a Kaiut Yoga class and found that not only was she capable of doing the class, she was amazed at how good it felt. She has been coming to class ever since.
“Things happened for me pretty quickly with doing this yoga. One thing was that it woke up the rest of my body. That was when I really understood that I had been paying attention to my ankle for two years pretty exclusively and that’s all I felt. But within a week or so of doing this yoga it’s like my whole body said: “Oh, we’re still here. Thank you for paying attention!“ It was amazing. In some ways I do this practice because of/in spite of my ankle…but really it just brings me such joy to use my whole body in this gentle but also profound way.”
“I’ve done a ton of physical therapy. You know, I did all the things, but still it just was a very unbalanced body and a body filled with fear and trauma. I don’t have that now. I really don’t. As time goes by I see other things unfolding in my life as a result, because when you’re full of physical fear and trauma it’s hard to do much of anything else. It limits you in so many ways. This practice has really opened up my life.”
Jim Fugett
Jim is a general contractor and dedicated outdoorsman who started coming to Kaiut Yoga classes at the barn in late June when his wife Mary brought him to class on her birthday. Although it was Jim’s birthday present to Mary to come to class on her birthday, coming to class ever since has been a birthday present to himself because he has found such great physical and mental healing from this practice.
“Over the past nine years I’ve had six orthopedic surgeries, the last one being a hip replacement. As a consequence of all of those surgeries I’ve had a lot of physical therapy … which I greatly benefited from, but I’ve benefited from this yoga practice more than any PT that I’ve done because it’s been such a self-healing, a healing that works for me and a healing that I understand…. On the very first day I came to the barn I walked out saying: “Holy cow, that was big, that was really big!” I couldn’t believe it!”
Gloria O’Bryan
Gloria and Wendy first met a number of years ago when Gloria was a labor and delivery nurse at Boulder Community Hospital where Wendy practiced pediatrics. They reacquainted this year when Gloria showed up to take Wendy’s class. Now retired from nursing, Gloria has started her own canning business, La Cruz Specialty Foods, specializing in a variety of homemade salsas. She has also continued on her path of service as a volunteer with Boulder Food Rescue.
Since attending her first Kaiut Yoga class at the beginning of 2019, Gloria has become a dedicated student at the barn, attending classes four and sometimes five days per week. She reports having benefited greatly from her Kaiut Yoga practice. Here’s what she has to say about the changes she has experienced:
“I have arthritis in both knees and I’m in line to have two total knee replacements. When I started doing this practice I was having pain in my knees but not anymore. I can honestly say I do not need surgery right now. My joints just feel terrific. I’ve also had two thumb surgeries and I’ve developed a lot of strength in the joints in my thumbs as well as my arms from working with the strap in class. It’s amazing what’s possible with Kaiut Yoga!”
Nada Diachenko and Whit Carman
Nada and Whit met when they were both working as professional dancers in New York and have been together ever since. Whit is now retired after leaving the dance world for a 30 year career sitting in front of a computer. Nada is a professor of theater and dance at the University of Colorado and a movement therapist specializing in the Alexander Technique.
One of Whit’s goals in retiring was to be able to dance again. He credits Kaiut Yoga with enabling him to get back to dancing, “just for the joy of moving my body through space”. Nada has had a very long dance career and has “put a lot of miles on the body” resulting in having had both knees replaced. She explored other types of yoga periodically in the past but found some of the poses too extreme. When she heard Kaiut Yoga described as a practice of going to the edge but not forcing past the edge, she decided to give it a try. “The permission, the space, to work my body, which I know really well, and being able to pull back when I need to or now I can go, it’s helped to not only get greater recovery in my knees… I’m doing stuff now that I haven’t done in years… I’m getting my dancing body back…at age 73!”
Great to have you both in class Nada and Whit. Keep on dancing!
Barbralu Cohen
Barbralu is a journalist by profession and a regular in classes at the barn. Here’s what she has to say about Kaiut Yoga:
“Kaiut is unlike any other yoga I have done. Celebrating at my 70th birthday this month, I know that for all the other activities I do—lots of biking, walking, strength work outs, gardening, water jogging—Kaiut is keeping me limber, flexible, strong and pain free. When I leave the mat after a practice, I feel like I’m in my body, walking on my feet, in a way I’ve never experienced. I know I’ve done something good for myself and for my goal of aging as gracefully and healthily as I can.”
Jane Cohen
When Jane first started taking Kaiut Yoga classes at the barn, she felt very self-conscious, comparing herself to others in the class and feeling like she was the stiffest person in the room. In order to continue practicing yoga, she recalls having to find peace within with where she was.
“I really wanted to continue and didn’t want my ego to be in the way of doing that.“ As a psychotherapist working with parents who have lost a child, she is often giving this same message to grieving parents: “It’s OK to be with where you are.”
Jane has been studying the harmonium, a classical Indian musical instrument which is played sitting cross legged on the floor. When she first started playing, she experienced a lot of back pain, but after coming regularly to class she has noticed that she can sit comfortably on the floor and play without any pain.
Jane is also now proud to report that she is no longer the stiffest person in the room — and we are thrilled that she is in the room!
Tamar Stone
Tamar loves the practice of Kaiut Yoga and has found that her body craves practicing when she is not able to attend class. Her body has been very important to her, both because of her own physical issues, and because of the central role the body plays in her work as an internationally recognized psychotherapist and consultant. She is currently writing a book with the subtitle My Body as a Path to Presence.
“Landing in my body is giving me a sense of presence more than anything else. I know the answer isn’t out there. It’s to be as present as I can be in this body in this moment.”
Bob Styer
Bob started coming to classes at the barn at the encouragement of his neighbor. He had been feeling the impacts of the aging process on his body for some time and was recovering from a recent back surgery due to chronic back pain. Although Bob was not familiar with the Kaiut Yoga method, he was looking for a way to engage both his mind and his body in his healing process. Bob quickly became a regular student at the barn, attending classes nearly every day — with impressive results to show for his efforts! Bob appreciates the emphasis in Kaiut Yoga on using the synergy of mind and body working together to approach places of restriction in the body with kindness. His favorite teaching cue is: “Keep it!” which inspires him to nurture the edges of his restrictions which he has come to understand are the places where the real healing actually takes place.
“Keep it!” Bob! It is a pleasure to have you in class!