Linda Lang

Experience

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  The Open Door: Yoga & Healing Arts

  Nov 1999 - now

  Yoga, Meditation & Stress Management

  The Open Door is a concept studio for students of all ages and abilities. The concept is simple ~ to make yoga understandable, accessible and rewarding. Therapeutic Yoga of Greater Washington is the public persona of The Open Door...Emphasizing therapeutic yoga, I attract people who are limited by special conditions, injuries or illness. My expertise, training and experience help people recognize "the teacher within," encourages confidence and maps the yogic path to self-healing. Conviction and dedication are important, but convenience is the key to continuity. I find that the practice travels well; so I offer classes in my studio spaces in Cabin John, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, in your home, school or office. You decide what, when, where and with whom ~ then we schedule private, semi-private or group sessions. ******************************* Yoga widens horizons, making it possible to explore and honor limitations, while opening to possibilities. It reinforces a sense of identity, power and responsibility. Yoga allows us to examine issues of readiness, capacity and expectation. Through it, we learn not to injure, over-effort or ignore our bodies, hearts and minds; instead, we learn how to soften, listen, uplift, honor and heal. Show less

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  Therapeutic Yoga of Greater Washington

  Jun 2009 - now

  Program development and workshop presenter; Instructor, mentor, researcher

  TYGW offers symposia and workshops on a variety of subjects including yoga for special conditions and difficult diagnoses; trauma-sensitive yoga; educational standards for yoga therapists; business planning for yoga teachers; networking groups; updates on the rise of yoga within the military; use of yoga in mental health settings; 1:1 teaching.What makes yoga a healing art?It is fair to say that the physical aspects of yoga, when practiced with proper alignment and coordinated breath work, are therapeutic: the yoga strengthens muscles, aligns the spine, creates greater range of motion and flexibility, prevents and reverses symptoms of many degenerative conditions. Its physiological benefits regulate blood pressure, help balance the endocrine system, enhance fertility, improve stress management, contribute to the capacity of the body to fight illness and infection, reducing headaches, pulmonary disorders, abdominal distress and painful joints. Yoga affects our bio-chemistry, and can create a sense of lightness and optimism, alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety that lead to eating and sleep disorders. While every yoga class can be experienced as having therapeutic value, therapeutic classes are created with the mission of reducing pain and discomfort while increasing enthusiasm for life. Classes with a therapeutic emphasis are focused on a person's physical condition and capabilities. By honoring the individual, the teacher builds upon their strengths to help them blossom within what they perceive to be limitations. People then learn to see their potential and the power of limits rather than feeling trapped, stuck or hopelessly "less than" they were before.Therein resides the healing art of the practice. Show less

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  Smithsonian Associates

  Sept 2016 - now

  Director and Program Designer, Yoga as Lifestyle Medicine

  AMAZING AND INSPIRATIONAL: Shining a spotlight on yoga as "lifestyle medicine," a therapeutic partner in modern medicine, is my mission:In February of 2024, I returned to the Smithsonian Associates' programming with a 4 1/2 hour webinar on Yoga as Lifestyle Medicine: A Prescription for Healthy Living. As a result of its popularity, we are creating a series of programs to begin in summer of 2024. The first on The Art of Breathing, was held in August, followed by a new program on the Fine Art of Yogic Awareness, to be held February 13th and 20th, 2025.Background:In October 2020, the Smithsonian Associates sponsored our three day webinar on Embracing Change and Transition through the Yogic Lens. In addition to offering experiential programming (breathwork, movement and meditation techniques) there were guest speaker to address ways to approach, understand and enhance emotional self-regulation, pursue medical advocacy (and appreciate physician burnout), as well as Ayurvedic perspectives. March 25-26 of 2017, the Smithsonian Associates accepted our proposal and offered the first day as part of their annual educational programming. Here's a glimpse of that event:March 25, 2017: YOGA AS LIFESTYLE MEDICINE, with speakers who were visionaries in the field, Loren Fishman, MD, Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, PT and Sat Bir Khalsa, PhD; as well as panelists Robin Carnes, MSW, MBA, C-IAYT; JJ Gormley, M-CAM, C-IAYT E-RYT 500 and Steffany Moonaz, PhD Public Health, C-IAYT. Special guests are Dilip Sarkar, president of IAYT, David Fogel, MD and Mary Pappas-Sandonas, MS, CIYTOn March 26th, the activity remained at the Smithsonian, presented by Therapeutic Yoga of Greater Washington with master classes and intensive trainings with our esteemed presenters and guests, as well as Jane Stelboum from the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation. Show less

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  Yoga As Lifestyle Medicine

  Jan 2021 - now

  Medical Advocacy Consultant

  Medical advocacy requires that each of us take responsibility for our own well-being and medical care. My work is to support you and help you navigate the murky waters of: gaining timely access to healthcare providers, finding and meeting key professionals as you create the team of healthcare providers that you need now, or will need in the future. This includes working with people as they prepare for or work to avoid surgeries, sometimes staying with them during the first night of their hospital experience, and following up through the recovery and rehabilitation processes. Show less