Janine Naman is a versatile, compassionate and intuitive guide. Helping clients understand their mind-body connection with transformational practices that empowers them to find balance and wholeness.
Janine brings wellness to life with her embodied knowledge of anatomy and movement. Discover your true fundamental healing potential and understand ways to manage physical, mental and spiritual challenges. Learn practices that can alleviate suffering on all levels and restore your body’s natural balance through this holistic approach.
Having studied since 2002, Janine has guided thousands of classes and private sessions. She holds multiple certifications along with the numerous accolades received throughout her career. Her mission is to help people elevate their life and master the relationship between mind, body, and spirit.
Certified Yoga Therapist, Emotional Freedom Technique/Tapping Practitioner, Reiki Master, Spiritual Coach, Energy worker, Chi Gong instructor, Advanced Yoga Instructor and Author
Janine Naman, Holistic Therapy
Why did you get into the health and wellness field?
Even though I was still young, I was unhealthy, had chronic pain, and suffered from complicated grief after a series of deaths in my family. My mind, body and spirit felt broken, and I fell into a deep depression. Deep inside, I knew I had to move my body to get better, but everything hurt and was too exhausting to perform. My husband suggested I try the yoga class at our local gym to see if that would work. Immediately after the first class, he said he saw a spark in my eye again, and I felt somehow lighter, like there was new space in my mind for something different than constant sadness. I kept going and fell in love with the practice and felt my life change. I didn't start to help people but realized that perhaps I could use my experiences to help others. I soon enrolled in an intense, six-week yoga instructor program in 2004, having no idea how much my life path would change.
You hold multiple certificates in different modalities why?
After teaching thousands of classes, I started noticing a pattern with my students; they often approached me seeking help with their injuries, mental health and other medical conditions. I felt limited in my abilities and knew I was not qualified to give advice or recommendations for specific concerns. By this time I had fallen in love with helping people, so I decided to expand my training to better my understanding of the body, mind and spirit to serve others. My experiences taught me that everyone connects with something different that makes them feel heard. Some people need more help with mental health, others physical or spiritual. Even though my modalities differ, I always think in terms of wholeness. My ultimate goal is to be a guide for the body, mind and spirit to find harmony and balance. I remind clients they are already whole, already enough and that their body, mind and spirit have wisdom, intelligence and healing potential, no matter where they are in their journey.
You are trained in Yoga and Yoga Therapy; what is the difference?
Let me start by saying all Yoga can improve our health and is a healing practice. The difference is in training, who the methods would be for, and what part of society we serve.
Yoga Training: To become a yoga teacher, you must undergo at least 200 hours of certified training and can advance to 500-hour training to further your practice. The Yoga Alliance is the governing institute that upholds standards and ethics. The types of physical Yoga can widely vary from Hatha, Kundalini, Yin, Ashtanga, Iyengar Anusara, or Kripalu. Emphasis on postures, breath practices, and the mind-body connection can involve chanting, mantra, and meditation and are usually held in group classes.
The practices are geared more towards the general public, who is comfortable with the movement and has some physical fitness. These styles of Yoga are transformative and have many health benefits but do not necessarily address individual needs or demographics.
Yoga Therapy: All yoga therapists are yoga teachers; as a prerequisite to becoming a yoga therapist, a 200-hour certificate with a least 100 hours of teaching over a least a year. Training must be done with an accredited school and can vary from 800 to 1000 of training with submitted hours of contact for individuals and/or groups sessions. The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) is the governing house by which certification strands of teaching and ethics are upheld.
An understanding of Yoga philosophy and a thorough knowledge of Physiology, functional anatomy and pathologies is required. We use evidence-based yogic practices to treat specific health conditions, physical, mental or spiritual. Training includes an understanding of contraindications and modifications of postures to suit individuals. We learn how to create a therapeutic relationship with clients that provides personalized assessment and goal setting. Interaction with medical professionals: yoga therapists do not diagnose but are integral team players (practitioners) in a patient's healing journey.
Who would benefit from Yoga Therapy?
If you are struggling to move comfortably, fearful of getting hurt, unable to get on and off the floor easily, or suffer from pain or general malaise. You're stiff, recovering from an injury, suffering from dysfunction of the body's organ systems, stressed out, anxious, or depressed. If you want help connecting to your innate spiritual essence and your subtle body and want to expand vitality and self-awareness, then Yoga Therapy is right for you. We guide safe, effective movements to re-patterning dysfunction and pain through education and embodiment, to allow the body to find optimal alignment and physical balance for homeostasis. Easing the mind, conscious breath regulation, calming the nervous system, meditative practices, visualizations, mantra, increasing energy (prana) flow, vocal sounds, lifestyle changes, and home study. Learn to relax, slow down, and let go of what is no longer serving you. Create a sense of embodiment and wholeness—making the healing process comprehensive and specific to you and your transformation.
Is Yoga Therapy proven?
Yoga is not a cure-all for physical or mental problems. Still, a growing body of research confirms Yoga Therapy's promise to offer relief from the suffering of several chronic and debilitating conditions. Since 1989, the International Association of Yoga Therapy (IAYT) has made significant strides in its mission to establish Yoga Therapy as a respected and recognized holistic therapy. A substantial body of clinical research now documents Yoga's proven benefits for various health conditions, with over 60 clinical studies done. Also, the IAYT hosts an annual research conference, the Symposium on Yoga Research, and publishes a peer-reviewed, Medline-indexed journal, the International Journal of Yoga Therapy."
Currently, Yoga Therapy is being used in Hospital and clinical settings across the USA as a viable treatment. It is offered as higher education in university curricula, such as a master's program at the University of Maryland. Even here in Canada, the momentum is climbing; a growing number of healthcare practitioners are turning to ancient practices to help their patients feel better.
What is a session like from the patient’s point of view?
Comfortable, safe, feeling heard and not feeling judged is of the utmost importance to me. I want my clients to feel empowered. The interview process is extensive; not only do I assess the physical aspect of their primary health concern, but I also evaluate their emotional intelligence, prana levels (energy), and ways of moving and speaking. I ask about daily habits, what they eat/drink, bathroom habits, sleeping patterns, thought patterns (negative or positive thinking), and if they feel connected to something greater than themselves. It can be surprising to clients the different kinds of questions I ask. In my mind, I am painting a picture of the relationship of things, knowing everything affects everything, so I am trying to see the mind, body and spiritual aspects of their complaint.
I base my question on the Koshic model, the states we humans have many, sheaths or aspects, each forming a different layer in human consciousness. The layers range from the soft and subtle emotional elements to the physical, dense system each affecting one another and interweaving to create a multidimensional human, Janine likens the Kosha system to a light bulb with five lamp shades over top of it. The bulb at the centre is the soul, while each shade represents the body, mind and emotions. While the divine light radiates through each shade, the different layers intermingle with each other to improve the quality and quantity of brightness shining through.
The outermost layer is the physical layer called Annamaya Kosha, which is the gateway to a deeper understanding of self. Dietary and lifestyle habits and awareness of the physical self polishes this Kosha. Next is the prana (breath) layer called Pranamaya Kosha. It is made of prana energy, responsible for breathing, electrical impulses, hormone secretions, and our endocrine, digestive, immune, and cardiovascular systems. Manomaya Kosha is the layer that controls thoughts and emotions. It uses the five senses to govern perception, instinctual consciousness, and emotional responses to negative and positive experiences, behaviours and habits. Vijanamaya Kosha is the wisdom layer responsible for morals, ego, ethics, and inner growth. It controls our ability to look at ourselves and the big picture by stepping away from the conditioned responsive mind. The final layer closest to the soul is Anandamaya Kosha, the most subtle, blissful layer. It perceives unity and acknowledges that there is something great within you. The words “I understand” are used in this layer as the person recognizes that there is so much more than just a material world. Working with each Kosha creates a clear healing pathway for each individual's needs. It improves the person's total health and wellness by reducing symptoms, restoring balance, increasing vitality and enhancing thought patterns. No matter the aliment using the Koshic system brings a better understanding of self.
What has been your favourite aspect of this work?
I believe in a symbiotic relationship with my clients; after all, it is not me doing the healing; I am only a guide. I have seen remarkable transformations when we work together (the client steps up to the plate). I remain open to different concepts, ideas and lessons, knowing everyone has wisdom and expertise because of their life circumstances. It never ceases to amaze me how resilient we humans can be; given the right circumstance, we can bounce back from just about anything. I love witnessing people befriend their bodies, and feel wholeness and connection.
What services do you currently offer?
Online Yoga and Chi Gong classes
Online private Yoga Therapy sessions
Online private EFT (Tapping) session
Online Energy Balancing sessions
