Welcome to our Yoga Kula dedicated to Caregivers. A “Kula” is a Sanskrit term pronounced (Koo-Lah) that simply means “community of the heart," a group coming together with the intention of creating community.
Let me be the first to thank you for being here and for your selfless act of love and kindness. Take a moment and give yourself some recognition for taking this time to take care of you.
My name is Jennifer Henius and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Registered Yoga Teacher (200hr Hatha), the wife of a Marine, a Caregiver Advocate and a national leader in Caregiver health policy. I spent many years as a clinician and a healthcare administrator providing services and supports to Veterans and their families. I had the privilege of spending the last decade working with an incredible team to implement the largest and most comprehensive Caregiver Support Program in the United States at the Department of Veteran Affairs. This pioneering program provided unprecedented benefits and services to Caregivers of our nation’s most vulnerable Veterans. These Caregivers fight the battle on the home-front and their sacrifice and steadfast commitment to care for our nation's heroes is both humbling and inspiring.
All Caregivers are welcome here. Whether you are family member or friend caring for a loved one in need of personal care, a mother caring for your child with special needs, a son or daughter caring for your aging parent or grandparent, or a Caregiver of a disabled service member or Veteran, this is the place for you. Research has shown that there are many benefits to yoga and meditation that can offer life changing benefits to Caregivers including reduced stress, anxiety and depression, improved physical health, increased well-being, and enhanced sleep among them.
Yoga is for everyBody of all shapes, sizes, age and ability. If you can breathe, you can do yoga! Caregivers are so caught up in their daily demands that they forget to slow down and take time to breathe. Feelings of guilt, overwhelm and exhaustion are common among Caregivers and they tend to put off their own needs. It is important that you make time for self-care and nurturing so that you can restore the mind, body and spirit to recharge and maintain balance of the Self. It’s not selfish to take time for you, it too is an act of love. When you fill your own cup, you have more to give to others.
Prioritizing self-care to stay well and healthy is like putting on your own oxygen mask first before assisting others. Attending to your health and well-being must be among your highest priorities as your loved one is counting on you to care for yourself.
I invite you to give yourself a break, try to leave the guilt behind, take in a deep inhale and exhale let it go even if for just a few minutes. You owe it to yourself to get the support you need to navigate your caregiving journey while cultivating life balance as best you can. I am so glad you are here, you are taking the first step!
May the power of loving kindness sustain you, May you be safe and free from harm, May you be healthy and pain free, May you accept things as they are, May you live with ease, May you find peace.
Namasté.
*Namasté is a Sanskrit greeting or salutation pronounced NAH-Muh-Stay that simply means the divine light in me honors the same divine light within you.
