Dr. LeFrancois Incorporates Yoga Into Teaching Psychology
Associate professor of Psychology, Dr. Janet LeFrancois, passed the third level of Iyengar Yoga Teacher Certification, Intermediate Junior II. The Intermediate Junior II level is currently held by just over 100 teachers out of approximately 1000 certified Iyengar yoga teachers in the US.
“I prepared for this certification for several years; it was very challenging work in that it included challenging poses, complex philosophy, and working with various physical issues of students such as knee, or low back or neck and shoulder problems etc., and yet the preparation was very rewarding,” says Janet. “I wanted to increase my knowledge of yoga and through that become a better teacher to my students.”
I wanted to increase my knowledge of yoga and through that become a better teacher to my students.
Dr. LeFrancois has been seriously studying yoga since 1994. She is the author of My Little Yoga Book, now in its second printing.
In 2002 Dr. LeFrancois offered the first yoga for credit class at Converse. Since then she has expanded her yoga classes to include: Yoga and Stress Management, Women’s Wellbeing and Yoga, and two honor’s classes: What is Yoga?, and The Inner Workings of Yoga. Dr. LeFrancois guided three Converse student-research projects exploring: yoga and sleep, yoga and blood pressure and changes in physical flexibility and self-image.
Dr. LeFrancois says that yoga has influenced her way of teaching psychology. “It has increased my mindfulness and my tolerance or patience or compassion in the classroom,” she said. “It helps me to be more centered, composed, grounded when in front of students. It has increased my strength and endurance, and my ability to discern.”