What makes Ena Rodriquez O’Rourke with Treetop Yoga Therapy a good neighbor?

The intersection of yoga therapy and mental health treatment is a powerful realm that remains poorly understood by many. In our latest episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast, host Nick George speaks with Ina Rodriguez O'Rourke, founder of Treetop Yoga Therapy, who brings 25 years of teaching experience and nearly 13 years as a professional yoga therapist to the conversation. What emerges is a fascinating look at how ancient practices are being used to treat modern problems like PTSD, addiction, and family conflict.

Perhaps the most striking revelation from the conversation is how yoga therapy differs from both traditional yoga classes and conventional psychotherapy. Ena dispels common misconceptions, explaining that yoga is neither merely exercise nor a religion. While many people are introduced to yoga through fitness-oriented classes—which she acknowledges can be valuable in their own right—the therapeutic application goes much deeper. Yoga therapy predates both Buddhism and Hinduism, originating in ancient texts called the Vedas, making it fully accessible to people of all religious backgrounds or none at all. This accessibility is central to Ena's practice, as she emphasizes that "every culture, every background, every religion, every age is welcome" in yoga therapy.

The conversation takes a particularly interesting turn when Ena discusses her specialization in treating PTSD. She is certified in iRest Yoga Nidra (integrative restoration), a technique that induces theta brainwave states similar to hypnotherapy. This approach was adopted by the military in 2006, and Ena has worked extensively with veterans through the VA in Cheyenne and Fort Collins. The power of this work lies in its ability to help people who have experienced trauma to reconnect with their bodies, rather than remaining "in the attic of their head" where dissociation occurs during fight-or-flight responses. This body-centered approach also shows promise for addiction treatment, as Ena notes that many addictive behaviors stem from unhealed trauma.

What makes yoga therapy distinct from conventional talk therapy is its focus on the present moment. "We don't need to know a history," Ena explains. "We work with what's present in that moment." This present-centered approach allows clients to engage with healing without necessarily having to verbalize or relive traumatic experiences—a significant advantage for those who find narrating their trauma too overwhelming. The immediacy of this work helps people develop practical skills for self-regulation during emotional storms, as Ena personally discovered while raising her neurodiverse child as a single mother.

Ena's personal journey into yoga therapy illustrates how life challenges often lead to profound professional callings. Originally an actor in Los Angeles, she stepped back from that career to focus on her family when one of her children was diagnosed as neurodiverse. Looking for tools to help both herself and her child navigate emotional regulation challenges, she deepened her yoga practice and pursued additional certifications. Years later, these skills proved invaluable during difficult episodes with her adolescent child, allowing her to systematically de-escalate household tensions "from a 10 to a 6" within about 30 minutes—a skill she describes as "life-saving." The beauty of her journey comes full circle as she has now returned to acting while maintaining her therapy practice, finding that the two careers "dovetail beautifully into one another."

To learn more about Treetop Yoga Therapy go to: 

https://treetopyogatherapy.com/

Treetop Yoga Therapy

970-484-0828