ma·ven
/ˈmāvən/
noun: an expert or connoisseur
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Joanne Spence
B.S.W. M.A. Certified Yoga Therapist
Welcome to my website. I am so glad you stopped by. Mine is an unlikely story. If my offerings look surprisingly simple, it is because they are - I'd like to share how gentle movement and breathing practices have changed my life physically, mentally, and spiritually. I would like to show you how yoga and contemplative practices can be part of your everyday life. I sometimes call my practices my non-drug intervention! I have written about these practices in Trauma-Informed Yoga: A Toolbox for Therapists: 47 Practices to Calm, Balance, and Restore the Nervous System (PESI, 2021). If you have a history of - or current challenges with - trauma, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, ADHD, or insomnia, let me show you how yoga can help heal your body and unwind your mind in simple, practical ways that are accessible to anyone who can breathe (read - you do NOT have to be flexible to do yoga - not my yoga, anyway; I promise). If you would like to know why I do this and the details of how it has changed my life, you can read more in the "Backstory." Then call, text, or email me for an appointment.
Books
Although many forms of trauma treatment rely solely on talk therapy as a means of healing, we cannot talk out every issue related to trauma. Indeed, trauma is stored in the body and the brain and must be treated as such.
Designed with both mental health clinicians and clients in mind, Trauma-Informed Yoga offers 47 short, simple practices that regulate the autonomic nervous system, calm the racing mind, and center those of us living chaotic 21st century lives.
Drawing from over 20 years of teaching and clinical practice, Spence masterfully weaves together the ancient wisdom of yoga with modern neuroscience and clinical practice in an accessible and compassionate manner.
This how-to toolbox will arm you with knowledge and with powerful, yet simple, mind-body activities that reduce suffering and increase well-being.
Social work and yoga: The evolution of practice from talking to moving
Australian Social Work, V. 74, Issue. 2 (2021)
Yoga in schools: Some guidelines for the delivery of district-wide yoga education
Journal of Yoga Service, (1)1: 53-59
The impact of breathing and music interventions on stress levels of patients and visitors in a psychiatric emergency room
The Arts in Psychotherapy Journal, 40(3): 347-351
Resources
LifeForce Yoga: An evidence-based mood regulation protocol that supports those with anxiety, depression, and PTSD using accessible yoga tools (www.yogafordepression.com)
Subtle Yoga: Provides holistic education and training for yoga professionals and health care providers (www.subtleyoga.com)
Functional Synergy: Trains yoga teachers how to have functional, pain-free movement with yoga therapy (www.functionalsynergy.com)
Yoga Roots on Location: Trains yoga teachers and leads embodied antiracist organizing through Raja yoga (www. yogarootsonlocation.com)
Yoga Tune-Up: Uses a fitness therapy format designed to eradicate pain, improve posture, and enhance performance through a unique blend of corrective exercises, self-message, and yoga (www.tuneupfitness.com)
Yogafit: Emphasizes sports science and alignment principles, as well as the ancient traditions of yoga (www.yogafit.com)
YogaU: Online Yoga Education for Everybody (www.yogauonline.com)
Click here to order at Hearts and Minds Bookstore.
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Articles
Contact Me
When you contact me for an in-person or Zoom appointment via this form, you will get a real live caring person - me! I will get back to you within 2-3 business days. I so appreciate hearing from people who are enjoying my books. If you feel led, do leave a short review on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble. It helps more than you can know.