#53 Kyla Pearce, PhD, MPH, E-RYT 200: LoveYourBrain *free* programs offering Yoga for Traumatic Brain Injury

Yoga was one of the key tools Olympic-hopeful snowboarder Kevin Pearce found to reorient to himself as able, connected and calm after his severe head injury on a practice run in January 2012 left him comatose for weeks. Despite high-tech and caring medical attention, devoted family support and extensive neurorehabilitation, Kevin's identity remained rooted in his life as a professional athlete and snowboarder for years after his accident. After traumatic brain injury (TBI), however, we may not return to our 'former' self and the struggle to find our new self, identity and value is a worth search. In response to the benefits Yoga inspired for Kevin & his family, they founded and run the LoveYourBrain Foundation which develops research-based, practical and FREE, accessible programming offering Yoga back to the TBI community. Kyla Pearce (Kevin's sister-in-law), Yoga professional and PhD/Post-Doc trained researcher serves as Senior Director of Programs for LoveYourBrain. In this episode, she reviews their three types of programs (Retreats, Yoga, and Mindset Online), the research behind them and the principles and values that drive them. "Yoga is a about coming home to yourself" which can be mobility, community-building, stress coping, relaxation, athleticism in strength and balance and/or simple curiosity about self. These programs have been offered at 65 Yoga studios and 25 hospital/neuro-rehabilitiation facilities across the US and Canada. In total, just about 10,000 individuals with TBI have been served with LoveYourBrain programs. All programs are designed based on the science of resilience, including the growth vs fixed mindset discussed by research Carol Dweck of Stanford and the 10 principles of resiliency by MDs Dennis Charney & Steven Southwick of Mt Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York. Programs focus on reframing the difficulties of the TBI experience as a springboard to greater connection to self and potential as a human. It's resiliency over recovery and it's an inspiring program to learn about. Please engage with them at whatever levels best serves you personally and share widely as their in-person programs begin to ramp back up with the (fingers-crossed) quieting of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Resources: 

https://www.loveyourbrain.com/

More about Carol Dweck: https://profiles.stanford.edu/carol-dweck?tab=publications

More about the 10 principles of resiliency from Drs Dennis Charney & Steven Southwick: https://icahn.mssm.edu/files/ISMMS/Assets/About%20the%20School/Leadership/CRTV-3841-ICAHN_Charney_10StepPrescription_Resilience_Infographic_Nov_20.pdf