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Welcome to Spine & Spirit Restoration!Low back pain?
I am here to help. With my fusion of the McGill Method for low back pain and my training in restorative techniques, my goal is to guide you back to an active, healthy and pain-free life! Book an appointment with me in Victoria/Langford, BC to get started! |
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As a McGill Method Certified Practitioner, I specialize in low back assessment, movement coaching and therapeutic exercise to assist those with low back pain restore pain-free activity. Everything I coach is rooted in science, and coached with detail tailored to the specific person I am working with. |
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2. EMPOWER
A summary of the assessment findings and an outline of the next steps are given to you so you have a clear picture of what we will do and why. I will empower you to take control of your back health and show you how to choose the spine sparing route. |
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3. COACH
I will coach you through movement tools and exercises. Step one is building a foundation for pain-free movement. This includes addressing the deficits, building core and spine stability, and creating appropriate mobility. |
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4. RESTORE
Our training sessions are designed to stimulate adaptations to make you pain-free and resilient. Adaptations occur when you are resting and relaxed. Using a variety of techniques such as breath, visualization, and physical rest, my goal is to guide you in adapting your body to be resilient to pain and optimize the function of your spine and spirit. |
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Are you feeling stressed, anxious, carrying a lot of tension in your body, or experiencing poor digestion or sleep? Let’s work together and see if breathwork is the missing link to your overall wellbeing! The breath is a tool that we can use to signal our autonomic nervous system into the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight), or the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and restore). Many of us spend too much time in the sympathetic nervous system due to our busy lifestyles and daily stressors, and this can lead us in an upward spiral of stress and anxiety. I am here to give you the tools to restore, relax, recover faster, sleep more soundly and enhance the function of all systems in your body... using your breath and conscious breathing practices! Free guided meditations and breathing practices available on the app Insight Timer under my teacher profile "Sarah McGill". |
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"After struggling at 26 with severe back pain for over a year, I was ready to give up and accept there was no way to fix it, but then I met Sarah. I had been to countless specialists and had spent thousands of dollars on treatments but no one had any answers, and no treatment helped for long.
Sarah's approach was unlike any other. She performed an extensive in-home assessment and identified what helped and what hurt my back. She also reviewed my MRI images with Dr. Stuart McGill and they discovered things that no one had seen in the past. Her understanding of spine mechanics, and the way she explained my own back to me, made me trust her and her recommendations. I started following her movement suggestions and exercise recommendations and a week later I started to feel better. I no longer complain about my back pain and believe I will live 100% pain free before too long with the help and support of Sarah." Meghan Dunstan "I have read the books (Back Mechanic and Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance by Stuart McGill). I also spent a fair bit of time on Youtube trying to "fix" my problem with my low back. However I realized after my first zoom meeting with Sarah that it is the small things that make a big difference. Sarah coached me through the BIG 3 and I was quickly in a sweat. It really felt different than "my version" of the BIG 3. After a little more coaching sessions I feel I am on my way and can already feel the benefits. I would recommend Sarah to anyone who wants to get serious about moving away from pain and discomfort." Henry “Sarah was incredibly thorough in my initial assessment and was able to explain the potential cause of my injuries immediately. We began working through various exercises, including “The Big Three”, which helped rebuild my core and spine stability to return to my favourite activities like cycling and hiking!” Bert |
"I’m a competitive basketball player that had lower back pain. It kept me from doing any physical activity. Over the past 7 months of working with Sarah, she has helped me regain my ability to compete and beyond! Not only does she care for back pain, she also trains a number of mind and body exercises, along with breathing practices. All in all, Sarah is an amazing back specialist who is a joy to work with!"
Halle "Through a few online sessions with Sarah, she was able to pinpoint the behaviours I needed to change to stop injuring myself and build an exercise program to build resiliency in my back. It was extremely helpful to have her expertise and coaching to ensure I was doing the movements correctly and getting the benefit from each of them.
The exercises and behavioural changes have been easy to incorporate into my daily routines and by following them for the past 6 weeks my back pain has been virtually eliminated. Being able to see this level of change in such a short time is astounding after dealing with an increasing level of pain & discomfort for so long. I am very confident that I now have a program I can follow going forward that will help me stay pain free and continue to increase my ability to move well and do the things important to me in life. Sarah is a joy to work with, is a great listener and communicator and even offered great guidance on things like sleep and breathing. Thank you, Sarah, for all your help and for making my life better." Josh |
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"I am a 38 year old husband, father, and physical therapist assistant at a hospital in Miami. I have now been working with Sarah for 4 months on a weekly basis. Every single session leaves me feeling more rested and at peace. Overall, I am experiencing more patience with my wife and kids, improved digestion, better sleep, more focus on my goals, increased mental clarity when problem solving, and the list can go on.
Working with Sarah has provided long-term benefits that go beyond just myself. When I am healthier in my mind/body/spirit, everyone around me benefits too; my kids, wife, patients, and the community around me. Things seem to work out better than expected, and it can feel magical sometimes." Physical Therapist Assistant in Miami |
“I started working with Sarah in order to better manage anxiety. Sarah helped me establish a breath routine for winding down at the end of the day and also gave me quick tools to use during the day at work. I felt the relaxation right away and have developed the ability to reset myself throughout the day.”
Patrick Johnson, Elementary Educator "That was amazing Sarah! You radiate such positive energy! Your voice is so calming. I feel really relaxed now, and I learned that I breathe from the upper chest most of the time so it was good to become aware of breathing deeper into all of the breathing chambers."
Group Session Participant |
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Core of Iron
NEXT WORKSHOP: Sunday, December 4th at 9am PST (12pm EST) Email me to sign up! CAD$55 In this 1-hour workshop you will learn:
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I am passionate about healthy living, and my mission is to help optimize the overall wellbeing of my clients!
My father, Professor Stuart McGill, is a world-renowned spine expert, and I grew up seeing countless people get out of pain and live a better life through his work. He has inspired my own career as a wellness practitioner, specifically working with back-pained individuals using his research and methods. Spirituality and the mind, body, spirit connection is a huge part of my personal life. I wanted to offer a holistic approach to optimizing the wellness of my clients, since there is so much more healing potential than just in the physical realm. Becoming a Certified Breath Coach and Certified Reiki Practitioner has given me the tools to guide restorative sessions to balance the mind, body and energy field of those I work with. I now work with individuals and lead workshops all around the globe both virtually and in-person! |
