Setting Boundaries
As Yoga Therapists, therapeutic yoga teachers, or integrative practitioners, our work is dependent on building trust with the people we serve. Part of building trust is gaining clarity on your own - and others’ - boundaries.
What is a boundary?
The Oxford English dictionary defines a boundary as:
bound·a·ry
/ˈbound(ə)rē/
noun
a line that marks the limits of an area; a dividing line.
2. a limit of a subject or sphere of activity.
In the concept of therapeutic healing work, a boundary is also a verb: it is an action taken to protect sacred space.
What are some of the boundaries that are essential to preserving this healing space?
Time
Our time is not separate from our life (credit to my teacher Max Strom for articulating and reinforcing this truth).
Honoring the boundary of time includes:
establishing clear start and stop times for classes, trainings, and sessions
ensuring that our time is well spent during the sessions by remaining distraction-free and focused
having a clear policy around cancellations and rescheduling sessions
Energy
Our energy is a limited resource and using it wisely is an aspect of yoga-in-practice (pop quiz Wisdom Method folks - which yama is this?)
Honoring the boundary of energy includes:
checking in with your client about their own energy levels each session
checking in with yourself about your own energy levels (and capacity to give) each day
being clear about money and financial arrangments — money is a form of energy that supports us in the practical world
Touch
Unless you are a practitioner licensed to touch, the use of touch is ill-advised in most therapeutic yoga and yoga therapy sessions. Some Yoga Therapists and therapeutic yoga teachers use touch and their clients benefit: but for those of us who work in a trauma-informed space, or with survivors of intimate partner violence, domestic violence, or sexual trauma, touch is contraindicated.
Honoring the boundary of touch includes:
respecting the client’s physical boundaries at all time
always asking permission before touching — even if the client has previously consented to touch
informing yourself about the deeper reasons why touch is contraindicated for trauma survivors
