Shelby Caffrey

Shelby Caffrey
Foundations + Advanced Program Graduate
C-IAYT Yoga Therapist
New York, NY
Website: www.caffreyogatherapy.com
Case Study: Major Depression

I teach a great deal of yoga. Since beginning my training with Breathing Deeply, my approach to teaching has shifted in profound and lasting ways. My classes are now slower, more accessible, and intentional, with thoughtful integration of meditation, pranayama, and yoga philosophy. This shift has transformed not only the energy of the room, but the way students relate to and engage with the practice. Attendance has grown significantly, and I see firsthand how applying a therapeutic lens makes yoga more inclusive and impactful. My classes now welcome a wider range of ages, abilities, and backgrounds, strengthening both connection and community.

When I applied to Breathing Deeply, I was witnessing firsthand how deeply people were struggling during the pandemic, physically, mentally, and emotionally. As a long-time yoga teacher, I felt called to deepen my skill set so I could support my community in a more meaningful and effective way. I knew that becoming a yoga therapist would allow me to have a greater, more sustainable impact during a time of profound collective stress.

I spent considerable time researching yoga therapy programs before choosing Breathing Deeply. What ultimately set it apart was the tone, integrity, and approach of the lead teacher. I was drawn to a model that emphasized compassion, inquiry, and service over hierarchy or ego. After years of learning in environments centered around “guru” culture, I was ready for a program grounded in clarity, rigor, and respect for both the practitioner and the client. Breathing Deeply embodied those values.

The Breathing Deeply teachings and philosophy have profoundly reshaped my personal practice and how I relate to my own well-being. I’ve learned how to choose practices intentionally by selecting meditation, pranayama, and movement that regulate my nervous system and bring me back into balance, rather than practicing for practice’s sake. This discernment has been transformative, allowing my personal practice to truly support my life rather than exist as something separate from it.

Since beginning the program, I’ve noticed a significant increase in my focus, clarity, and overall productivity. By understanding how to work with my nervous system instead of against it, I have more sustainable energy and greater resilience. Yoga Nidra, in particular, has been life-changing. It has become an essential tool for deep rest, integration, and restoration by supporting not only my personal healing but also my capacity to show up fully for my students and clients.

Since I began integrating the Breathing Deeply teachings, clients and students consistently report feeling more regulated, grounded, and at ease in their bodies. Many arrive feeling overwhelmed, tense, or disconnected, and leave with a greater sense of steadiness, clarity, and self-awareness. Rather than pushing or performing, they learn how to work with their breath, nervous system, and capacity in a way that feels supportive and sustainable.

Clients often share that they feel safer in the practice and more confident listening to their own internal cues. They are increasingly open to meditation, pranayama, and rest, recognizing how powerful these practices are for managing stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Over time, I see people building trust in themselves and in the practice by carrying these tools beyond the mat and into their daily lives.

The most valuable aspect of the program for me was learning how to truly see and work with people as whole, complex individuals rather than as a diagnosis, symptom, or condition. The Breathing Deeply training emphasized curiosity, listening, and relationship while teaching me to understand how physical symptoms, mental health, lifestyle, history, and nervous system patterns all intersect.

This perspective fundamentally changed how I assess, design practices, and support clients. Instead of applying a one-size-fits-all approach, I am better able to meet each person where they are, adapt practices in real time, and support meaningful, sustainable change. This holistic lens has deepened both my confidence and effectiveness as a yoga therapist and teacher.

I expected the training to deepen my skills and knowledge, but it ultimately stretched me far more than I anticipated in the best possible way. The material required a level of reflection, integration, and embodiment that went well beyond simply acquiring information.

The program also took longer for me to complete than I had originally planned due to personal challenges along the way. Throughout that process, I felt consistently supported, encouraged, and met with compassion rather than pressure. Any concerns I had about keeping pace or navigating the demands of the training were met with flexibility and care. In the end, the program not only met my expectations, it exceeded them by modeling the very principles of presence, responsiveness, and whole-person support that it teaches.

I currently integrate yoga therapy into my work through both one-on-one sessions and group offerings. In individual yoga therapy sessions, I work with clients navigating grief, anxiety, nervous-system overwhelm, and complex physical or emotional concerns, using a highly individualized approach grounded in careful intake, assessment, and ongoing adaptation. Practices may include tailored asana, pranayama, meditation, and Yoga Nidra, with an emphasis on regulation, safety, and sustainability.

In my group classes, I apply a therapeutic lens to make the practice more accessible and responsive to the needs of the room. This includes slower pacing, clear options, intentional sequencing, and the integration of breathwork, meditation, and yoga philosophy in ways that support nervous-system balance rather than performance. Across both settings, my focus is on helping people develop tools they can use beyond the mat, supporting resilience, self-awareness, and a more regulated relationship with their bodies and lives.

I would want a potential student to know that the Breathing Deeply program is both rigorous and deeply human. It will challenge you, not just intellectually, but personally and professionally, while also providing a strong foundation of support. This is not a program designed to create rigid protocols or “fix” people, but one that trains you to listen, assess, and respond with clarity, ethics, and compassion.

If you are looking for a training that values depth over performance, and whole-person care over quick answers, Breathing Deeply offers a thoughtful and transformative pathway. You will leave with practical skills, a strong therapeutic lens, and a deeper trust in your ability to meet people where they are.