This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend LoveYourBrain’s 4-day online Health Professional training. I am excited to share some of what I learned about this wonderful organization, especially its research-backed accessible yoga and meditation program for people affected by brain injury.
The LoveYourBrain Foundation is a non-profit organization that improves the quality of life of people affected by traumatic brain injury and raises awareness about the importance of brain health.
Mission of LoveYourBrain
In 2009, professional snowboarder Kevin Pearce sustained a TBI while training for the Vancouver Olympics. After a long hospital stay and intensive neurorehab, he continued his healing journey with support of his family and friends. You can learn more about Kevin’s story by watching ‘The Crash Reel’ documentary (view the film’s trailer here). LoveYourBrain was co-founded by Kevin and his brother Adam in 2014 to help people affected by brain injury “build community and cultivate resilience.” They provide free accessible yoga and mindfulness programs for people in the TBI community.
LoveYourBrain’s Programs
LoveYourBrain offers both in-person and online programs:
- One of their hallmark offerings is a 6-week yoga program. This yoga series meets weekly and incorporates breathing exercises, accessible mat and/or chair postures, meditation, and facilitated group conversations. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in one of these programs in the summer of 2019 at Lila Yoga Studio, one of LoveYourBrain’s studio partners in Portland, Maine. Once folks participate in the yoga program, they can access ongoing LoveYourBrain-friendly yoga classes in the community.
- Their Mindset program program is offered online, and they have a lot of online resources right on their website.
- They offer in-person, week-long retreats in Maine for people with TBI and their caregivers.
- LoveYourBrain partners with yoga studios and brain injury rehab facilities to provide their programs. If you are a healthcare professional or yoga studio owner, check out their trainings. As I mentioned above, I just completed the Yoga for Health Professionals training, which was great. The facilitators were excellent, the 40-ish participants I was able to connect with were inspiring and energizing, and the content was informative and accessible.
Yoga and Cognitive-Linguistic Skills after Brain Injury
Of course, as an SLP, yoga instructor, and co-founder of Lotus Speech & Wellness, I especially love thinking about how yoga and mindfulness can help people who are experiencing communication and cognitive impairments after brain injury. LoveYourBrain is an evidence-based program, with research showing that participation in their yoga program can improve cognition and quality of life after brain injury. Participating in yoga targets a number of functional cognitive-linguistic skills, including following verbal directions, attention and short-term memory, and sequencing. Their facilitated group conversations provide opportunities to target verbal expression, auditory comprehension, and social communication.
which you can find on their online store.
Our Support Keeps LoveYourBrain’s Programming Going
One last important note: I’m publishing this post during Mindful March, LoveYourBrain’s online meditation challenge and fundraiser. You can donate here through the end of June 2021 to help support their ongoing programs and raise awareness about brain injury. Every donation helps!
As always, do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments, or feedback. You can sign up at the top of our blog to have our blog posts sent directly to your email. Visit our Yoga page to learn more about our yoga and mindfulness offerings, including our collection of yoga videos.