Elaine Oyang Yoga Therapy

Elaine Oyang Yoga Therapy I help people with chronic pain live more slowly, manage pain, and rise above their symptoms

We were taught to function on a 24-hr rhythm. We have forgotten about our 28-day one.Ancient traditions call it the moon...
04/22/2026

We were taught to function on a 24-hr rhythm. We have forgotten about our 28-day one.

Ancient traditions call it the moon/lunar cycles. Science calls it the infradian rhythm.

It’s a rhythm that all menstruating people follow internally in addition to the 24-hr circadian rhythm.

We wake, eat, work, and sleep according to the circadian rhythm. And it’s now time that we also align ourselves with our 28-day lunar cycles.

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Join the workshop this Sunday (April 26) where I’ll be guiding you through:
🌖 how your energy shifts throughout the month
🌗 how to align your routines (work, food, exercise)
🌘 so that you stop working against your body’s wisdom

Comment “cycle” and I’ll send the details 🌑🌕

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I learned the hard way that my energy isn’t meant to be the same everyday or every week.That when I try to override duri...
04/21/2026

I learned the hard way that my energy isn’t meant to be the same everyday or every week.

That when I try to override during the times when I’m literally bleeding and my body is asking me to slow down, my body would respond with more PMS symptoms.

A huuugeee change occurred when I altered my yoga practices based on the phases I am in, and when I started giving myself more grace as I get close to, and during, the bleeding phase.

There is a deeper, 28-day rhythm that influences us all, but in particular menstruating people.

There are times your body is meant to create, connect, and move. And times it’s asking you to slow down, turn inward, and rest. When we ignore that, we end up exhausted and disconnected from ourselves.

Even if your cycle is shifting or changing, these rhythms don’t fully disappear.

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I’m teaching a workshop on how to reconnect with your inner rhythms and work WITH your body, rather than against.

Whether you’re currently menstruating or past those years, this is knowledge I wish I had when I was younger. Perhaps it’s something you can also pass along.

Comment “cycle” and I’ll send you the link to sign up 💛

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04/05/2026

In my early 20s, I used to double over in pain with the onset of my menstrual cycle.

I learned a couple of years later, having this amount of cramping and pain at the onset of my period was common, but not normal.

My own turning point came through Ayurveda — and through learning that my body had its own inner rhythm I had never been introduced to.

When I finally understood my own cycle — and began shaping how I practiced yoga, structured my weeks, and nourished my body accordingly — my PMS symptoms gradually subsided over time.

This month, we explore our Rooted Rhythms — a return to living in sync with our cycle. It’s the theme woven through all classes this month.

Whether you are in your bleeding years, navigating a transition, or beyond them entirely, this is an invitation to explore whatever season you are currently navigating internally.

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If this resonates, I’d love to have you in the room. Drop into a full livestream class, or start with something shorter in the Library, with curated practices for every season and available whenever you’re ready.

Just comment “link” and I’ll send you the links to these classes! 🤍

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04/02/2026

As a new mom, there is no perfect moment for “me time.” And I’m done waiting for one.

I used to set up my environment perfectly before every practice. The right space, the right energy, the right amount of quiet.

With a toddler now, some days I can sneak in alone time before anyone else wakes up. Other days she’s with me, on top of me, under me, or if I’m really lucky, sitting quietly with one of my yoga books.

Is it my ideal situation? Honestly, no.

But here’s what I’ve learned: the practice was never about the conditions.

It doesn’t need the brand-name mat or the matching set. Those are nice. But they were never the point.

Real self-care doesn’t ask for perfect conditions. It’s simply asking you to put yourself first for a few moments, even if there’s someone else in the room.

The real practice is this: can you find stillness when nothing around you is still?

She used to feel like a distraction. Now she feels like the lesson. She IS my practice.

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This is what I always advocate for my clients.

Show up in PJ’s? Absolutely, let me join you.

Fell asleep during class? Excellent.

Dog barking, unexpected visitor, phone ringing? Tend to that, and we can resume.

Allow your yoga and self-care to meet you where you are, instead of forcing yourself into them.

Five minutes. That’s all you need.

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03/26/2026

You’re not doing anything wrong when you can’t find comfort in a seated cross-legged position on the floor.

The angles of the position in and of itself are set up so that you do have to use spinal effort to sit upright…and even more so if there’s spinal and pelvic limitations (which most modern humans do).

Rather than trying to fight our own body into comfort, here’s an alternative to provide the support for comfort.

By elevating your hips so that your knees are slightly lower than your hips, your pelvis and spine line up so that you can find more ease in the position. Add some support under your knees and you’re golden. 👌

Give it a try and let me know what you think 🙂

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(This video clip is vintage at *almost* 9 years old 🤣)

Follow for yoga therapy that helps you feel at home in your body and confident in moving again.

Privates and small group classes

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03/17/2026

6. Pranayama (breath practices) - mainstream breathwork practices often highlight more fiery approaches. Yet in a society where there’s so much fire already, we need the opposite. Practices like candra bhedana are great for downshifting the nervous system.

7. Upavistha konasana (seated wide-legged forward Ben’s) - instead of maximizing the stretch, I opt for stability and containment to prevent overstraining and destabilizing the SI joint.

8. Supta Buddha konasana (Reclined bound angle) - again, support for the thighs rather than stretching the internal pelvic ligaments to the max is a better alternative for an already less stabile female pelvis. Most destabilizing and potentially damaging is putting sandbags on your inner thighs to force the knees down!

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What do you think? Have you tried these alternatives for your body before?

I teach these more universally-accessible and softer approaches for my private clients and in my classes at

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Disclamer: I have full respect to the teachings and traditions of yoga. The yoga asanas that we see and know of today are fairly modern innovations, and nothing like the yoga of thousands of years ago (which, by the way, are mostly meditative and cleansing practices for enunciates). With that being said, the modifications I offer are adaptations to modern times when there are many more yoga practitioners who are not men. These are modifications I have adapted for my personal practice over the years to keep my body injury free, so that I can continue an asana practice today.

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therapy

03/16/2026

For most of history, yoga has been taught and passed down through men. Naturally, some yoga asanas and philosophical teachings may not apply very suitably for women.

Here are some modifications I make for the female body:

1. Tasasana (Mountain Pose) - female pelvis are naturally wider, hence a more stable stance are feet slightly apart.

2. Virabhadrasana (Warrior) - with a wider pelvis, placing the feet about hip-distance apart provide more stability in any warrior or lunge stances, as opposed to feet in line

3. Uttanasana (Forward bend) - ligaments are more lax in female body, therefore keeping knees slightly bent or not overstretching in forward bends, for example, will keep joints safer

4. Trikonasana (Triangle) - similar to point no.2 and no.3, wider and more lax joints in the pelvis mean a wider stance and more support (as shown with using a block)

5. Sukhasana (Easy Pose) - yes I’m going to repeat again that the female pelvis likes stability and support, not overstrain and overstretch. This variation of seated cross legged position is not only more universally accessible and much more comfortable, but it also keeps pelvis supported and spine aligned without much effort. Because as the yoga sutras states, an asana should be stable and easeful.

I use all of these modifications in my personal practices, with my private clients, and classes inside

Stay tuned for Part 2! 💛

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Disclamer: I have full respect to the teachings and traditions of yoga. The yoga asanas that we see and know of today are fairly modern innovations, and nothing like the yoga of thousands of years ago (which, by the way, are mostly meditative and cleansing practices for enunciates). With that being said, the modifications I offer are adaptations to modern times when there are many more yoga practitioners who are not men. These are modifications I have adapted for my personal practice over the years to keep my body injury free, so that I can continue an asana practice today.

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02/11/2026

Because , for the majority, it is difficult to find neutral and decompressed alignment for the spine when we’re upright.

Because the rigidity of our spine reflects the rigidity of our nervous system.

Because this pose brings our entire body closer to the earth and earth elements — aspects of grounding and anchoring.

Because lying down with legs supported on a chair allows for a deeper release (not stretch) for the pelvis.

Because this gives us a visceral sense of our entire body being held and supported.

Of course, individuals may vary. Trauma victims and those with high anxiety may not find this pose soothing, safe, or grounding.

This is where 1:1 yoga therapy sessions are helpful — in designing a practice to meet you and your nervous system where it’s at.

Not for someone else. Not for an entire class of students.

You.

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Follow for more on 1:1 yoga therapy for chronic tension 💛

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I wrote this for as I thought it is a brilliant idea to not only reflect on my growth, but to also offer comforting wor...
12/29/2025

I wrote this for as I thought it is a brilliant idea to not only reflect on my growth, but to also offer comforting words and inspirations for those going through tough teenage years.

I considered for a long time whether to share this publicly or not. In the end, I feel like this could serve as a reflective message beyond school students.

Perhaps you’re on this journey too, as I continuously am.

Thank you for the movement — I cannot wait to be virtual pen pals with your students.

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12/12/2025

You don’t need to finish the year strong.

It’s easy to get swept up in the pressure of it. I have found myself cooking in that pressure all month long.

But today, I’m choosing instead to finish the year grounded, regulated, and rested.

January 1 is still deep winter. Your mind might be pulled to make resolutions, but your body will want to stay dormant for a little while longer.

And that’s perfectly fine and normal and acceptable.

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Slow music, soft lights. December is for pausing, not rushing. Yes, enjoy the festivities, but also know when to pause, ...
12/01/2025

Slow music, soft lights. December is for pausing, not rushing.

Yes, enjoy the festivities, but also know when to pause, savor, and rest.

This is real self-care, a true form of self-nurture, when your calendar reflects (as closely as possible, give or take) your energy levels.

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