Bushwhacking New Pathways; Therapeutic Considerations for the MS Population

Robin Rothenberg is the program director and founder of Essential Yoga Therapy, an IAYT Accredited Training Program. Robin served as Chair of the Accreditation Committee for the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) until '07, and remains on the Advisory Council. She is considered one of the foremost experts in the area of yoga therapy for lower back pain and annually teaches her Essential Low Back Training Program based on her book by the same name and the NIH-protocol she co-designed. Her ability to speak articulately to the way in which yoga impacts the nervous system, mind and emotions has led to her presenting at both NAMA (National Ayurvedic & Medical Association) and SYTAR on the subjects of anxiety and stress. In 2010 she was commissioned by a hospital outside to Seattle to develop a program for MS which has grown to be highly successful. Robin has spent the last three years deeply studying the impact of breath on our physiologic health and mind. She is writing a book, "Restoring Prana: A therapeutic Guide to Pranayama and Healing Through the Breath ", Singing Dragon publishers, due out in spring 2019. The breath informs all of her therapeutic work and is particularly critical in her work with those living with inflammatory, chronic pain and auto-immune conditions.

Her passion for yoga inspired her to share yoga with a few friends in the basement of one of whom eventually lost her battle with cancer. She soon realized her love of yoga could only be surpassed by the desire to share it with others & the joy of seeing them benefit from yoga on many levels.

In 2002 just after delivering a stillborn boy Helene embarked on a 200hr YTT Certification Course. During 2003 she continued the training at same time began teaching yoga at the St. Lazare Community Center. Helene continues to teach regular yoga classes with a therapeutic approach, offers Private Yoga Therapy Sessions & mentors a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training. Winter of 2018 she will introduce an Advanced Yoga Teacher Training focusing on Therapeutics.

Helene is also co-founder of this international conference bringing health care professionals & yoga therapist together with the mission of integrating yoga into the Canadian health care system.