The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
175: Coping During a Crisis with Diane Liska
Description:
Since the start of 2020, so many things have happened, including the COVID-19 global pandemic. Physical distancing is being enforced in many places, many businesses have been shuttered, and many of our yoga businesses have been impacted in one way or another. We may be feeling like we're in a state of crisis, and we may not know how best to cope in this time. Diane Liska returns to the podcast to share with us some strategies for coping during a crisis.
Diane is a Registered Psychotherapist with over 10 years of experience in the mental health field, specializing in the areas of trauma, attachment and neuroscience. She focuses on combining her expertise in yoga and psychotherapy to help clients navigate personal challenges and connect with their inner resources. Diane runs a private practice in Canada offering her Yoga-Informed Psychotherapy and regularly provides consultation and education services to healing professionals.
How does a being in a crisis affect our minds and bodies? Diane explains more about the brain science behind it, and some techniques on how we can effectively manage the stress and strain that comes with being in crisis-mode. We dig into how specifically the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting us, and how we can look at opening and creating that safe space for our students.
This episode is full of great tips and strategies to help you navigate any crisis or time of great stress, so be sure to tune in.
Key Takeaways:
[6:44] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Diane Liska.
[9:13] What does Diane do and who does she do it for?
[9:51] How would Diane describe our collective experience right now with the COVID-19 pandemic?
[11:50] As yoga teachers, how can we cope so that we can serve our students?
[13:30] Diane shares more about the different states our brain can be in.
[19:12] Diane explains more about the "resources" people might need to create a felt sense of safety.
[21:27] Each of our scenarios is unique, but there is also collective connection in these circumstances.
[23:18] The next tier of safety has to do with relationships and feeling loved or connected.
[25:01] How is the prefrontal cortex coping with the current situation?
[29:30] What are some practices that are working in terms of addressing younger wounds?
[31:22] Why are we feeling so much more on edge in the current situation, and what might we do to address that?
[34:49] Shannon shares her experience in dealing with a crisis situation.
[38:39] What is Diane's advice for people who are looking at creating safe spaces?
[42:55] How can we deal with some of the restlessness that we might feel, and how can we address it when we see it in others?
[48:00] Get in touch with Diane to find out how you can work with her further.
[48:34] Shannon shares her reflections from this session with Diane.
Links:
Gratitude to our Sponsor Schedulicity
Quotes from this episode:
"We need to take care of ourselves first." - Diane
"It is important to be able to try and identify, What is it that's making me feel or causing me to feel unsafe right now." - Diane
"There is a whole lot of very real stress going on right now in current circumstances." - Diane
"It's just essential to try and lead with compassion for everyone and their experience, because everyone is struggling in their own unique way." - Diane