LOVEYOURBRAIN Yoga PROGRAM FAQS

ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONS

1) What is a TBI?

A bump, blow, or jolt to the head that disrupts the normal function of the brain.  

LYB Yoga is not currently available for people with other types of brain injuries (e.g., stroke, anoxia, tumor, meningitis, MS), which are considered non-traumatic acquired brain injuries because they are caused by internal factors.

2) Why is the LYB Yoga program available only to the TBI community?

To create a culture of shared experiences related to TBI, and because our yoga teachers are specifically trained in how to adapt yoga for TBI, our program is only open to the TBI community at this time.

3) Why is there an age minimum of 15 years old?

One of our core programmatic values is addressing the greatest unmet needs for people within the TBI community, and research shows that concussion is most common among adolescents 15 to 19 years old. Furthermore, our program includes a group discussion component that provides a space for mature, self-reflective conversation about life experiences that may not be appropriate for or relevant to children. We do require that anyone under 18 has parental consent.

4) Who does LYB consider to be a caregiver or support person?

Any member of the individual with a TBI's family and/or social network who helps them with activities of daily living (e.g., driving, cooking, organizing, hygiene, socializing, hobbies, etc.). Caregivers are welcome to attend the series alone. Multiple caregivers from the same family/social network are also welcome to attend.

5) What is LYB’s policy on service dogs + student’s with allergies?

We abide by the Americans with Disabilities Act protections, which mandates by United States' law that public access is given to service dogs. A service dog is defined as any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Read more here. In doing so, we feel we are supporting people who want to access the LoveYourBrain Yoga program in yoga studios to meet their specific needs. 

We do our best to notify other students of the presence of a service dog so that they can prepare or let us know if they have any problems, such as allergies, so that we can find a compromise and solution. If an individual with an allergy has registered after we've accepted a participant with a service dog, we will notify them of the animal and they can decide if this series is the best fit. Similarly, if someone with an allergy is already registered, we will check in with them before accepting a participant with a service animal. 

REGISTRATION QUESTIONS

7) Why is the eligibility form so long?

Collecting this information is essential:

  1. To prevent people who aren't yet ready to participate from signing up. We want yoga to be a positive and safe experience.

To measure how yoga and meditation benefit the TBI community. This information allows us to more effectively advocate for yoga and meditation to become standard components of care for anyone affected by TBI.

8) Is there a way to register offline? Can someone from LoveYourBrain help me register?

Unfortunately, no. We ask that you work with a caregiver or a friend to help you fill out the eligibility form.

9) Can I reply by email to register for the series?

No,  you must fill out your own eligibility form because it includes important information (see #7 above).

To sign up, please visit this link:  http://www.loveyourbrain.com/yoga

10) The yoga studio is not listed on the application.

Use the search bar at the top of the studio listings to type in your studio name, which will then appear.

11) When will I hear back about my application for the series?

Typically, within 5 business days.

12) What does it mean to be waitlisted?

This means that registration for that series is full. If someone withdraws, we will email the first student on the waitlist to offer them the spot.

13) My caregiver/support person would like to join me, but has not signed up yet. Can they come?

Everyone must sign up in before the series starts because important information is collected (see #7 above), and the first class is mandatory (see #16 below). It can sometimes be disruptive for new people to join in subsequent weeks.

14) Can I bring my service animal?

Yes. The eligibility form will ask you if you have a service animal so we can alert the other students in case anyone has allergies, etc.

ATTENDANCE QUESTIONS

15) What is the attendance policy?

The first class is mandatory, and we ask that you do your best to attend all 6 classes. We understand that things come up, so we allow for up to 2 absences. If you cannot make this commitment, please wait until a later series.

16) Whys is the first class mandatory?

This is where students engage in an important trust-building activity during the group discussion, learn key foundations of the yoga practice, and learn about program expectations.

17) What if I need to withdraw?

As soon as possible, please email the LoveYourBrain Yoga Program Coordinator, yoga@loveyourbrain.com. We often have a waitlist, so we will extend your spot to someone else!

 

PROGRAM EXPERIENCE QUESTIONS

18) Are the yoga teachers fully educated about which moves/positions should not be done by people who have sustained a TBI?

All of our teachers are trained on what moves/positions can be potentially problematic for someone with a TBI, and know how to offer modifications. They are also trained to invite students to listen to their own bodies, and empower them to modify as needed.

19) When will the next series take place?

Our series typically run in January, April, July, and October. We schedule series 1-2 months before they start, so we cannot confirm the dates and times before then.  It’s best if you sign up to be notified about future series so you will be among the first to know.

20) What do I do if I have any additional questions about the program?

COVID QUESTIONS

21) What are LoveYourBrain's COVID policies for in-person programing?

LoveYourBrain is adhering to each our partner studio’s unique COVID policies for in-person programming. Please visit the studio page on our website to learn the policy for the studio in your local. Please visit studio websites for the most up to date information.

22) Why does LoveYourBrain require my vaccination status on the eligibility form?

We are requesting your vaccination information, as we do our best to adhere to different state, local, and studio policies regarding vaccines and indoor shared spaces.