Testimonials

      Your counseling has been the epitome of decency and character.  It is extremely empowering to be seen and heard in a nonjudgmental manner. 

Participating in the BodyMind Therapies course on How to Meditate was enlightening and transformational for me.  I have meditated on and off for years.  After Lakshyan’s course I have developed a sustainable practice.  His knowledge of eastern practices is in my opinion unparalleled.  He suggests books if you want to delve deeper and the handout material is very rich and very carefully selected to enhance the course material.  One is introduced to many different ways of focusing, in a very relaxed nurturing environment.  Then it is up to you to explore and see what works best for you.  Very grateful for this course.

“I’ve taken several classes over many years at the BodyMind Therapy and The Yoga Studio under Lakshyan’s tutelage.  Starting with beginner’s yoga in the early 90’s, I followed with intermediate yoga, meditation, and the over-50 “Joints and Glands” classes.  Over the years, I returned to a second time to most of these to reinforce my practice.   In every case, I came away enlightened and better for the experience.  Lakshyan’s insightful manner and practiced, reassuring voice has made each of those classes worthwhile.”

Dr. Schanzer has been an essential support in my healing work. Through therapy I have been able to accomplish goals I doubt I would have been able to reach,  if Dr. Schanzer had not provided a safe space for me to explore and revive the parts of myself which needed care. His ability to stay present with pains which I had been fleeing most of my life has allowed me to live my life with self love and gratitude. I can truly say he has helped me see the person I am and thrive as a human being.                                                      

I first met Dr. Schanzer when I enrolled in his How to Meditate course.  His philosophy and way of teaching made a enormous impact on me.  I then enrolled in his yoga classes, and as with the meditation, I was well-prepared to incorporate both into a regular practice at home. 

I have also been a client of Dr. Schanzer for psychotherapy. His kindness, compassion and insight have helped me enormously.  Among the many strides I have made, he has helped me to see that with the right balance of focus, awareness and attention, life can be experienced as what it truly is: a gift.

My experience with Lakshyan has been mostly a therapeutic relationship. I have been seeing him for about four years. I was going through difficult family times and needed to quiet my mind. He started teaching me about meditation, but it was clear I really needed a good therapist.

Dr. Schanzer has reflected back to me the legitimate traumas I have been through, which I mostly couldn’t see. I have gained my voice when I need to set boundaries with family, coworkers, and friends.

I am not the most trusting individual but through the years his gentleness and encouragement have brought me to unique experiences that transcend ordinary talk therapy.

He , of course, works to build trust, which is easy with him. Then leads you, if willing, to recognize the relationship between emotions and physical feelings. There has never been any push to move through exercises unless I was ready.

Lakshyan invited my husband to some appointments and we were so comfortable discussing personal issues without shame or judgement.

I am convinced my life is on track to settle down soon. I have gained many skills to get through what has and is difficult for me. I look forward to all my appointments, just to unload some of the burdens I cannot carry.

Other therapists I have worked with, never shared their thoughts about my current situation. Dr. Schanzer shares some personal thoughts that feel like he is invested in our relationship as much as I am. He is a kind and gentle person with a pleasing giggle, that relaxes tense moments.

I clearly recommend therapy with Dr. Schanzer for anyone that is interested in personal growth and being supportive as one sifts through their history and how it impacts the way they move through this world.

Hi Lakshyan, I know it has been some time since we last met but I wanted to say hello. On a recent trip to Rhode Island I noticed that you had returned to your previous location. Hope that is going well. I am living in Florida now and must say I am not missing the New England winters. I moved here in 2004 after completing chemotherapy. Initially for the winter season but now I am here full time. In July of this year it will be 10 years since my surgery and I am doing very well. One of the things that has been most helpful to me during this period has been my yoga and meditation practice and for that I must thank you for all you have taught me. There are many places to study yoga here but finding a good teacher hasn’t been easy. You are my standard for measuring all others and I have yet to meet one who measures up. Yoga is the best thing I do for myself and it is part of my daily routine. And as I age I notice just how beneficial it is. So thank you Lakshyan for still being a part of my life in this way. Be well. With gratitude, AB

Pranayama and Asana meet current neuroscience through Lakshyan’s intelligent presentation and direction. Experience the heart of yoga practice, meditative awareness, in a unique class that includes lively discussion, meditative technique, pranayama, and gentle asana… I recommend this class [Yoga Psychology] for anyone wanting to not only understand the science of yoga, but to feel it in the here and now. Lakshyan is a brilliant and compassionate guide.

I have taken yoga classes off and on with Lakshyan’s Yoga Studio for 15 years (I only wish I were as dedicated to yoga as he is!) and found his teaching approach insightful and helpful. He has a non-judgmental nature and a genuine dedication to his craft that helps students at all levels sharpen their personal level of expertise; his many years of experience make each of his classes fun and productive. I don’t hesitate recommending Lakshyan’s studio to anyone either beginning or extending their yoga experience.

I thought that the session was wonderful last night. Lakshyan is extremely knowledgeable and accomplished a great deal in a relatively short amount of time with a sizeable group of people who appeared to be of varied experience. His instruction was very clear and, with his fine guidance, I was able to explore avenues within where I had not, heretofore, ventured. I have always believed that we are all capable of great healing and it was very exciting to actually experience some of the steps of the journey. I thought that he presented our exercises in a very facilitating manner, as he described that the individual steps would eventually be pieced together. In this way, the task at hand was not daunting and seemed very possible. Also, another exciting layer for me was how I could incorporate what I take away from this to benefit my patients. It also inspired me to educate myself further, beyond this trio of sessions.

I have been an educator for 30 years and I am a harsh critic of what constitutes good instruction. I began my yoga practice at BodyMind Therapies: The Yoga Studio RI in the early 1990’s. Dr. Lakshyan Schanzer sets a high bar for other instructors because his methodology is authentic. He lives yoga and it permeates every aspect of his life. I have attended several other studios locally and I have yet to find an instructor who comes close to the integrity of his discipline. Lakshyan inspires his students to find their own authentic self. Lakshyan speaks from his own truth, not from a gym where a session is timed to exactly 50 minutes. The Yoga Studio RI is a sanctuary for me. It is my happy place where I continue to become myself. This is a true experience to balance body, mind and soul. Namaste.

Hi Lakshyan! Sorry I took so long to get back to you. When I was about 36 weeks pregnant, I got sick with pre-clampsia…was finally induced and gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, 7 lb 15 oz and 20.5 inches. We are both doing well and I love him more than I ever thought possible. I wanted to share my joy with you because I truly don’t think I would ever have trusted myself enough to become a mother if it weren’t for the exceptional work I did with you, so thank you from the bottom of my heart! Hugs and warm thoughts, KP

Ps. I also think learning to focus on my body-mind helped me endure a painful induction with no Pain meds, just a wonderful team of midwives. Yup, pretty proud of that too!

Happy Holiday’s Lakshyan. I think of you often. I referred my son-in-law to your studio. I’m living in the Pacific. I am still learning much even as I stand the possibility of dying from my addictions. I remember you so much more than you probably do me. Maybe you never realized how much you ”brought me up for me.” And you made a remarkable change for a lifetime in another human being’s life.

This is BJ calling… It is Wed night at about 8 o’clock at night. I’m just on my way home from work. First of all I wanted to let you know that the session today was great!… I think that some of those skills that we had done there, for my anxiety, even though my day was stressful, were very effective… So I wanted to first.. well, you know.. I’m going to take credit for the work.. humm.. but you also helped with that. So thank you very, very much. I know it was a 2-way street but you definitely helped me with your expertise.. and I want to thank you for that.. I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve been in therapy before and like I said, my co-worker, Fran, had highly recommended you, and said that you challenge.. you know, you do challenge me. You ask me questions that I’ve never been asked, and I think they are very helpful, and it’s going to help me through. So you are extremely effective. I wanted to thank you for that… and I look forward to continuing working with you.

Lakshyan is a brilliant therapist and facilitator, with uncanny insight. He has been so skilled at helping me enter into a process that welcomes every quality of thought and emotion. After a period of close listening, as astute and articulate witness, he is able to reflect back a concise snapshot of what is being expressed. This is helpful in pinpointing the core matter at hand. But what I appreciate most about his way of working is that midway through the expressive phase, he is able to shift awareness to felt sensations in the body, which is when true healing takes place. I’ve been amazed by our work together, which has uncovered layers of memory and trauma held by the body for decades. Step by step, session after session, I’ve been able to unwind and break free from constrictions, allowing me to reconnect and reunify with an underlying alignment in wholeness.

I completely recommend Lakshyan Schanzer for the very best in psychotherapy, I have been in grief counseling for about a year now with Dr. Schanzer and I feel I have made great progress. Before having therapy with Dr. Schanzer, I had been in and out of grief therapy for about 12 yrs with various other therapists with no progress. The difference with Dr. Schanzer, I believe for me anyway, is that he repeats back to me what I say. This gives me a chance to actually hear it out loud, and makes me think about HOW I got to where I am and HOW to work it out. Sometimes gives me a more rational way to approach my feelings. I also have a lot of physical pain. I suffer from Fibromyalgia, nerve damage and other pain. It makes it very difficult for me to maneuver about. I mention this because I have also taken his yoga classes, Lakshyan works with me to adjust the moves so that I can have more flexibility. I highly recommend Lakshyan for both Yoga and Psychotherapy.

Your classes at the studio went over very well. The last class really went to the center of the material you have been mulling and reworking. As a student, I welcome the opportunity to deepen my understanding of the psychology of the asana practice. As teacher, I would like to guide others to practice and listen in this way. Yoga as self-therapy… I think this is what you are bringing in, your understanding both in theory and practice. Personally, I couldn’t ask for more. This is exactly what I have been seeking to study. So please! continue to develop and formulate your ideas, systemize when possible so students will have some reference of the material.

I have been studying yoga with The Yoga Studio and Lakshyan for over ten years. I have tried other studios and keep coming back because the others just don’t compare. Lakshyan has been teaching yoga for over 30 years and is very knowledgeable not just on the practice of yoga, but how to alter each posture to work within your own limits. Class sizes are smaller which allow for personal attention. The emphasis is on doing postures correctly instead of pushing yourself beyond your ability and possibly causing injury. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a workout! I highly recommend giving The Yoga Studio a try.

I have been taking yoga classes with Lakshyan for a little over a year. He has a wonderful instructional style, thoroughly explains and demonstrates the yoga movements and breathing exercises, and is attentive to his student’s physical abilities and level of comfort in class. I have found the techniques and breathing exercises demonstrated in class to be very helpful in decompressing after a stressful day/week. I especially find the deep relaxation exercises we engage in at the end of each class to be helpful. As a practicing child psychologist, I am very aware of the benefits of exercise and relaxation training/meditation on physical and emotional well-being. I highly recommend Lakshyan’s yoga studio.

I have been working with Dr. Lakshyan Schanzer over the last couple of months and in such a short time I have uncovered and learned so much about myself. Dr. Schanzer is gifted with the ability to help his clients look not only at their thought patterns, but also the way the physical body responds to thoughts, emotions and feelings. My sessions with Dr. Schanzer have allowed me to understand why I feel certain emotions and why I behave in certain ways. I can honestly say that Dr. Schanzer puts a tremendous amount of respect, compassion and understanding during our work together. I highly encourage anyone seeking Psychotherapy to see Dr. Schanzer. I promise that you will not be disappointed.

Hi Lakshyan! It seems like it was not that long ago that I studied meditation techniques with you when you were on Wickenden Street in Providence. I still have the handouts you gave us. So when I received your email about upcoming classes, it brought me right back to Providence. In my mind at least. Another gift for which I send you my gratitude. Noticed your change of location. Will keep that in mind the next time I am up there.

After 10 sessions, I feel comfortable to say that Dr. Schanzer is a very caring, professional therapist. He always speaks to me in a non-judgemental, positive manner. Also, he’s a very good listener and I feel I have his undivided attention at all times. Highly recommend this therapist. 
My husband and I have also started taking yoga, and we love it!

My time with Dr. Lakshyan Schanzer has been of tremendous value. I am by nature, reflective and self- observant and capable of generating insights on my own. What I value most about Lakshyan, is that he can listen to me, follow my sometimes-convoluted thought processes, and then feed my own words back to me with some additional insight or model or way of looking at them. Lakshyan offers these ideas without judgement. Consequently, I feel free to consider accept them or not. But I have found that putting another lens on an issue frequently shifts my own thinking and takes it to another level. Our conversations almost always enable me to see things with better perspective and clarity.