Testimonials: Online Low Back Certification

I am truly unable to fully express how much I appreciated your feedback on my sequences for Low Back Care. I did not want to write back to you until I read each one of your reviews more than several times while reviewing my videos. Watching my videos (which I will admit again was not easy for me) while reading your feedbacks was an invaluable learning experience as I continue this journey of teaching yoga. I am so appreciative of all of your detailed descriptions of the poses, suggestions and corrections. Justine, I know I will be a better teacher because of your guidance, knowledge and wisdom.

I feel like I have been hanging out with you a lot lately doing the low back course! I keep meaning to tell you that I am really enjoying it so much. Life has been throwing me a lot of distractions so it is a challenge to keep moving at a pace I would like to, but I suppose it is going okay. I am on Chapter four now, and can’t wait to get into it because I have been having a lot of SI joint issues myself.

I subbed a beginner class yesterday and when i checked in with everyone – one man told me he couldn’t do very much as he had spinal stenosis. Told him i had just done a workshop with you and i guess i asked him all the right questions. He did everything in the class with no pain. Thank you – sometimes you never know where your ripples lead. He left saying his back felt so much better – Thank you!!!

I have LOVED this course!!! And already have used much of what I’ve learned on myself and on my husband. Thank you so much for another terrific course!!!

I have loved this training! This training has instilled more confidence in working with low back issues, not only in teaching, but in personal practice. In fact, my own sense of self-esteem has strengthened with the empowerment of better understanding the nature of the problems that can involve the spine and how I can personally work with these issues in my spine and feel confident in teaching yoga to others with loads of low back pain. Chronic pain is a drain on life energy, but having the right tools to work with pain is pure gold!

I love Justine. And I love this course. Justine’s organization works the way my brain does. It just clicks. She teaches Yoga the same way I teach. I’ve had several “Aha!” moments in this course. Here is a big one. When Justine goes over Apanasana and Sciatica, she discussed doing one leg at a time, for several reasons. But the light bulb went off in my head. When I do Apanasana with both legs in, one leg hugs much closer than the other… and has for several years now (I know it didn’t used to). I never even stopped to think about how this relates to my back pain. I’m not acute right now, so I can practice all these moves safely. But I realized that this HUGE clue in Apanasana was pointing me to my trouble all along. Now I hug that leg in closer for several more breaths every morning. Then when I bring the other one in, Voila! They match! It’s so simple! I added this to my daily morning practice and I’m eager to see how it develops over the coming months. Thank you, Justine!

I completed my 200 hour Yoga Alliance Training in 2009. Since then I completed trainings at Duke for Integrated Yoga for Seniors and with Yoga Vista Academy for both Chair and Gentle Yoga. The Low Back Care training has taken me to a whole different level of knowledge and teaching skills providing me with a solid understanding of low back conditions, the poses that empower and help my students improve their back conditions, the associated risks, as well as an ability to use that knowledge and teaching skills for creating a safe and effective yoga practice for my students.

THANK YOU so very much for everything – knowledge, info, support. I feel like this course is now one I will keep referring back to – without it being yet another dusty yoga book on my shelf. I know I’ll be dipping into the manuals and talks for a very long time.

I LEARNED SO MUCH from this course! Justine beautifully presents high quality information here that is particularly special because it is infused with her own personal experiences with herself as well as her clients. I am truly inspired and cannot wait to get out there and work with and help people with back pain. I have chronic back pain as well so that was my first motivation for taking the course; to use it for myself. It has made me so much more aware and present in my own body and has definitely helped strengthen my core. Often after a course I might still feel not very confident with the material to start using it, but the homework assignments and teachback final really make sure you are ready with at least a good amount of the material. I am sure I will refer back to it over the years and will always find something new and useful. Thank you Justine, for sharing your knowledge, your humor, and your heart!

Teaching “on the fly” happens all the time. Yesterday I taught my weekly Yin Yoga class. When I entered the room I had my normal group of students as well as two new students seated in chairs – (Enter YVA Chair Yoga and Yoga for Seniors training). I modified Yin Asana’s for the chair for these students. In addition, I had students with lower back-pain (Enter YVA Yoga for Low-Back Pain) and used certain movements for them. But wait – there’s more! I had a student that is 8 months pregnant (Enter YVA Pregnancy Yoga – STOP – there isn’t one!!), so I modified low-back and gentle yoga for this student. Total student population for this session – 27. One never knows what comes to them and we use the skills that we have learned over the years. THANKS Sherry Zak Morris and Justine Shelton for your teachings and instilling the confidence in us to address each class with a deep breath and confidence. You two R-O-C-K!

Now I have also completed the next Yogavista Academy course. 1000 thanks to Justine and Sherry!! In this training the anatomy and background of the lower back was explained so wonderfully again! Lots of tips, tricks and informations to help and support students with back problems with yoga.
Sherry and Justine, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful trainings! The opportunity to participate in your trainings online from Germany enriched the year 2020 so much to me

Gerry Hurtig is a real jewel! He is a great motivator and support for getting on with the plan. This is such a wonderful course you have put together!

Thank you very much for the detailed feedback. It is very helpful. I’m really enjoying the course, especially the practice videos. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into creating this. I can only imagine the many, many hours that went into planning, filming, and editing it. I’m grateful to have them as a resource even after I complete the certification.

Taking this class has given me a lot more confidence in my teaching. One other reason I took your course was to learn more about how to take care of myself. I am 63 (closer to 64) and have S-curve scoliosis that often gives me pain at L4-L5. Of course there are arthritic changes, too, and thinning discs. I thought it was great that your course offered a holistic approach and discussed anti-inflammatory supplements and topicals. Thank you again for everything. I really learned a lot, and I feel like I gained a friend.

I recently took Justine’s Low Back Teacher Certification Program. I have been teaching yoga since 1974. I started my career as a physio therapist and I am also a Qigong Instructor. I’m giving some background information on myself so you know Justine, how deeply and sincerely I mean this compliment. In my humble opinion, every yoga teacher should take this course. I have been studying in one form or another most of my life, but this class was a great blessing for me. Your teaching method and your knowledge of the subject matter, not to mention your sense of humour made this course a joy to participate in but more than that, taught me a great deal. I feel that I will be a better teacher for it. What a blessing it was to find you!

Justine I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the amazing 6-page feedback to my final homework.

I just wanted to let you know I am finishing up my first Happy Back workshop class. It was seven weeks of back education and exercises specific to each persons condition. I start my next one on Oct. 31st and it’s full! I am so happy and grateful that I had the opportunity to do your course. It has given me new passion for my yoga teaching.

I can’t believe how in-depth and complete the material was for the Gentle Yoga Low-Back Care certification program. The videos were wonderful and were a great addition to the written portion of each section. I was able to immediately apply the information from each chapter to the yoga classes I teach. Justine is so amazing in her ability to provide both the lecture and demonstrations in the videos. She is such a great cheerleader. Thanks for an outstanding and fun program!

I have completed the studying and testing of the low back course now preparing to video sequences and send them in. I am excited to say that I was asked to teach a gentle yoga class with an emphasis on low back care to physical therapists and have now been asked to teach a class at their facility for their clients. This physical therapy facility is who I treated with following my accident (it will be 3 years in April). I am so grateful for their treatment and care and the opportunity provided by Yoga Vista to study online to receive my Chair Yoga, Gentle Yoga and now Low Back Care Certification. What a Journey it has been! Thank you Sherry and Justine.

Sherry and Justine, you have a distinct way of loving people through your programs. Every conversation or email throughout the process provided encouragement and affirmation that I was on the right path. I can see why you are successful— you care so very much. I’m honored to be a new member in your special sangha and look forward to the day when I’ll get to meet each of you in person and give you a great big hug. 🙂

I truly appreciate all the teachings from Yoga Vista. You got me hooked on anatomy, chair yoga, vini yoga and soon…somatic yoga. They all compliment each other so well and allow us teachers to quickly adjust a class (getting away from teaching with a script…one-size-fits-all).

This program was like a delicious piece of carrot cake that I wanted to make last which explains my 3x go through. Fortunately my binder and the yoga vista platform with the videos are close at hand. Thanks again Justine for pulling this one of a kind program together and for offering it to the yoga teacher community around the world.

I just wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying this low back care training program. It has helped my husband tremendously. It has taken me years to get him to do yoga. My students are enjoying the information that I bring also.

I wish you had more courses. I have now taken all of them. Except for gentle yoga because there is alot of overlap. I think you guys are awesome. You have changed my path in my life. I am not going back to my nursing job because of you. I have been trying to figure out what I love for so long. I am, and always will be a nurse and I am finding that people love that I am a nurse and have gotten a few classes because of it!! So, a million thanks again. I know you are sick of me praising you, but you and Sherry have really changed my life!! Thank you again!!!

Thanks for all that you do!! You have changed my life, I quit my nursing job, I am teaching 2 classes, and possibly one more and I have started to take a course to become a yoga therapist. I could not have done this without your classes and your knowledge and support. Thanks to you and Justine!!

A BIG thank you to all of you! I learned so much through this program and now I have great resources (videos, manual, YOU) I can turn to when needed.

My journey teaching seniors has and continues to be influenced by your knowledge and guidance. As you know, I have completed your chair certification, very close to finishing the gentle yoga certification and once I have completed I will be signing up for Justine’s Low Back Courses. Having a Crown Membership with access to YogaJP has provided me with invaluable resources that I have been able to provide to my students who range in age from mid 60’s to 97. You are both an inspiration to me and I thank you.

I am now teaching Gentle Yoga near Sarasota Ina country club with retired women and chair yoga at an assisted living. I am also seeing private clients and I love it!!!!! I Thx to your program I changed my career. I can never thank you enough!!!!

The handouts, example flyers, the pacing of the material, the coaching sessions, the one on one interactions, the videos accompanying the specific modules were great! Then the practice video and the interaction with the course creator, plus the online coach and interaction with other course participants – was a great way to learn Gentle Yoga for Low Back Care. I plan to take more training with the folks at Yoga Vista Academy!

I just want to thank you so much again for all you have given me. Thanks to you starting with chair yoga certification, I went on to study yoga therapy with breathe deeply program. And nowI am in Florida and teaching gentle and chair yoga to women 60 and over. I also have three private clients. I can’t tell you how great the information is that have given me. The anatomy of aging body is amazing! I watch your videos over and over. Your programs are so thorough there is nothing else out there!! I’m just preparing for my class and looking over some of your videos and I’m so happy to have them as a resource. Thank you again both so much for everything!!. I don’t think people say thank you enough to other people so thank you again for bringing your knowledge to us! I no longer have to go back to nursing and I feel so good that although I’m not a nurse, I’m still helping people.

I totally loved the handouts and videos and will use them for years to come. I have two private clients right now. She has SI joint instability and he has chronic sciatica! This info makes me look like I know what I’m doing. Thank you!!

Justine’s low back certification has been some of the best training I have done to help students with a myriad of back issues.

Your dedication to helping all of us become better instructors is amazing and I am so grateful to be a part of this program. The special niche of helping seniors (and really anyone any age) to use Yoga to help us move through the problems of injury and aging and to get such positive results is unparalleled. Not only that but you do it with such grace, accessibility, vitality and fun. ❣️ Five Stars each to Justine, Sherry and Yoga Vista Academy⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This Low Back Care Foundations Course is the harbor cruise, providing a high level understanding of types of back pain, causes, contraindications and recommended yoga poses and modifications. As a graduate of the Low Back Care Certification Program, I found that it builds on this Foundations Course as it goes into even more detail and prepares the student to create class plans whether 1:1 or teaching groups.

Justine has a down-to-Earth approach to passing her wisdom on to others. Her language is simple and direct and her humor frequently erupts, making learning less a chore and more something to look forward to. The use of videos enhances the class, especially because the videos, for the most part, are those of Justine’s presentation to a class of students. Something that I appreciated was her use of a skeletal model of the spine and of the pelvis. I have incorporated much of what I have learned from Justine into my own yoga classes, taught primarily to older adults. I am a more knowledgeable and a more insightful teacher as a result. I highly recommend this course for yoga teachers who want to vastly expand their knowledge of proper low back care when teaching a yoga class.

Yes, most definitely enjoying the course. I have learned so much new material. You have a fountain of knowledge.

Thanks for sharing your indepth personal knowledge of low back pain and for creating a superb teacher training program that prepares us teachers to safely serve our students. Feeling blessed to have discovered you two 🙂

Justine’s ‘Gentle Yoga for Low Back’ training is phenomenal. Her in-depth knowledge of anatomy, skillful sequencing, and experience as a yoga therapist shines throughout the training. I came away from this training with the knowledge and confidence needed to teach individuals with low back conditions safely. Highly recommend it!

I’m so glad I took Gentle Yoga for Low Back with Justine. She is an amazing instructor and human being who genuinely cares about her students. The concepts and principles I learned from Justine changed the way I teach, and I believe all of my students are safer for it. Probably the best yoga instructor I have ever worked with. #genuine #safetyfirst #awesomeinstructor

Great program, videos and pdf-handouts. Important knowledge for all yoga teachers. Even as a former nurse and with a previous therapeutic yoga teacher background, I learned a lot from this program and would highly recommend it to others. I’m very happy that I found it, and signed up!

The downloadable handouts are very informative with a lot of detailed pictures. The videos and Justine’s teaching are great. She shares a lot of knowledge and is easy to follow. I also liked the quiz following each chapter, a good way to check your progress.

I wanted to learn more about yoga adapted to common back problems. I teach regular classes and smaller groups for people with different health problems. Back problems are very common, and something every teacher at some point will meet. Knowing what postures to choose and which ones to avoid, and individual adaption is the key to a safe yoga practise.

I recently took a course from Justine in Yoga for back care. It is one of the most wonderful courses I have ever taken. She takes such great care in explaining every step, every movement, every modification in a way that makes perfect sense.

More than her amazing way of teaching, she inspires me to be the best instructor I can be. Her humor, knowledge and obvious care for others is priceless. I am forever grateful for the gifts she gave me.

I wanted to reach out and thank you for putting together such an awesome, awesome training. It not only met but exceeded my expectations around the content that was within each section.

You know that the only reason why “I got it”, is because your videos and handouts are exceptional and that I viewed your materials at least 3 times. In some cases, I used your videos for my personal practice and then taught your sequence to my students as a way of reinforcing what I learned from you. My students love your teachings and keep coming for more.

Thank you so much for your amazing feedback and suggestions!!! You have no idea how happy I am right now. Your positive and encouraging words give me the confidence to move forward with my teachback class. This course has exceeded my expectations. It is so informative and wonderful. I have learned so much. Thank you both, for the inspiration.