Interview with Carol Shwidock, Yoga Therapist (Harmony Yoga Studio, Bedside Yoga DVD)

To find your dharma, your purpose in life, is a gift.
To be able to serve others with this gift is amazing.
~Carol Shwidock

Good morning! I had the pleasure of being introduced to Carol Shwidock, an innovative, Kripalu based Yoga Therapist, Occupational Therapist and fellow actress, after we each appeared in separate plays written by playwright Nina Mansfield. Carol is based in Stamford, CT, and is the sole teacher at a studio she founded called Harmony Yoga.

She is a lovely woman with a soothing voice and gentle, compassionate approach to life, one that was deepened after a serious life event. Carol went through the process of donating a portion of her liver to her husband, who required a second liver transplant in 2011. Carol and her husband's recovery story are amazing. Through yoga, she subsequently healed herself and played a vital role in helping her husband heal as well.

Carol was just a few weeks out of surgery when she developed BEDSIDE YOGA, a series of yoga postures done from, you guessed it, her bed. This is not a rigorous series of asanas. It is very, very gentle.

Below is my email interview with Carol. I hope you are inspired by what you read and if so, please pass it on! You're also entitled to a 10% discount on her Yoga DVDs (both BEDSIDE YOGA and her first DVD, which is called THE ESSENCE OF HARMONY YOGA) just by mentioning this article. If you know anybody who is having a difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, this may just help! I think this kind of DVD can be a great asset to anybody who is struggling to develop a workout habit or working through a mood disorder or dependency.

I was particularly drawn to Carol's story for two reasons. The first is my dear friend survived a liver transplant. She was the recipient, not the doner, but she easily could have benefitted from this kind of practice early on in her recovery. The second is because after my third surgery on my right ankle (soccer induced injuries) I modified my intenSati practice and taught it from both a chair and a yoga mat. I know what it feels like to make adjustments to your practice and honor your body exactly where it is so you can recover, heal and teach. That photo down there is me about 22 months ago when I first started moving again.

Without further ado...

Lindspiration
Interview with Carol Shwidock, Yoga Therapist (Harmony Yoga Studio, Bedside Yoga DVD)
5.15.12

1. When did you first start practicing yoga? I began about 15 years ago. I had been a runner for about 20 years and had developed some knee pain, so I stopped running and started dancing and doing yoga.

2. What led you to teaching? Truthfully, it was Sept 11th. Two days later I quit my job of 10 years as a home care Occupational Therapist and started my quest to find my purpose. I was burnt out on illness, especially with my husband getting sicker. I was actually in a yoga class during the Sept 11th attacks. I realized that becoming a yoga teacher (at that time, now I am a Yoga Therapist) was a natural progression for my seasoned hands, so I applied to Kripalu and was accepted to the yoga teacher training program.

3. How did you first handle the news about your husband's condition? Well, it was a long time ago and it was of course very shocking when he was diagnosed. My daughter, who is now 22, was just 6 months old. We learned that if he did not have a liver transplant within ten years he would not survive but we thought that would be a long time away. He had no symptoms except for elevated liver enzymes. Learning he had an auto-immune disease eventually led us to a naturopath who prolonged Brad's health for an additional ten years. So, the progression of the disease called Sclerosing Colangitis was a very slow one, thankfully, and about 18 years passed before he needed to get on the Liver Transplant List.

4. Was it a difficult decision to make - that you would be the one to donate a portion of your liver? No, my husband had already had one Liver Transplant and I could not watch him get that sick again. I immediately started the process to get tested to see if I was a match.

5. How did you first deal with the pain post recovery before you can start any movement again? Actually, I did not have any pain! I know that is not the normal but my body did not have pain so I never took a pain pill.

6. Wow, that's amazing. As soon as you could move, what did you do first? I can remember very well. I began moving uber gently doing yoga in my bed. That was how BEDSIDE YOGA was born. I knew I had a lot to teach others after being a patient, an Occupational Therapist and a Yoga Therapist.

7. What other forms of healing did you integrate into your practice post op? Meditation, walking, yoga, and of course eating healing foods.

8. Tell me about your husband's journey post op and how you inspired him to heal. He had a difficult post op course but once he started on the road to recovery we did meditation and yoga together. He is an amazing man and he inspires ME everyday.

9. How did your relationship with your husband change throughout this process? Were there difficult times or did you just grow in love and deeper connection? I know our relationship is rare. We have this unconditional love for each other and knowing that my liver of love is inside of him, healing and growing has made our love grow even deeper.

10. How has your spirituality helped your recovery and what do you believe with respect to the power to heal through a connection to Source or Divine energy? I totally believe there is a Higher Power and I know trusting in that Divine intervention is what connected Brad and I and has inspired us to heal.

11.Tell me more about the evolution of BEDSIDE YOGA? It is meant for folks pre-op, post-op or for anyone simply looking for a gentle Kripalu yoga practice. I wanted to film it while I was still healing, so 9 weeks post-op I shot the DVD. It has been very well received and I have sent DVDs out across the U.S., which is very exciting. To find your dharma, your purpose in life is a gift…to be able to serve other with this gift is amazing.

12. It sounds like this is definitely your dharma. You are incredibly passionate about your work. What are the benefits of doing yoga in bed? You can do yoga in bed when you are unable to make it to a chair or a mat to practice. All the props you need are in your own home. The almost 40 mins of Restorative Yoga on the DVD are very, very healing. Restorative Yoga is deep, nurturing work and brings amazing results. Give it a try and witness yourself heal from the inside out.


Check out a clip from the Bedside Yoga DVD: