| The Yoga Therapy for the Mind© Professional Training is an internationally renowned professional certificate in mind-body therapy for mental health. By drawing on the wisdom of the Yogic and Buddhist traditions and integrating this with current neuroscientific and medical knowledge, trainees learn to work with mental health conditions in a compassionate, holistic, and evidenced-based way. For a full list of our world class lecturers and teachers and for training dates please see below. If you would like to view the complete prospectus email us at email@yogaforthemind.info As a growing community, graduates of Yoga for the Mind are pioneering the perception of yoga therapy as a credible mental health intervention. This training is geared towards yoga teachers, psychologists and psychotherapists, holistic practitioners, and other health professionals who would like to implement yoga therapy and mindfulness techniques for mental health interventions, or who are keen to integrate yoga and mindfulness skills into their current clinical practice. Using our compassionate approach our graduates teach at hospitals, yoga studios, in mental health services, and also set up private practice. Upon graduating, trainees are accredited to teach our evidenced-based 8 week course for the treatment of depression and anxiety, create their own models, offer private yoga therapy, and teach classes for a number of stress-related and mental health conditions. "Studying with Heather Mason has simply changed the way I teach yoga. Before I began the course I was aware of the eight limbs of yoga and the personal benefits of mindfulness and breath work within each class for my clients. This course provides a thorough grounding in the science behind the yoga enabling each Yoga for the Mind practitioner to apply what they have learnt effectively and safely to their own clients. I cannot recommend this course enough."
- Kay Locke, 2011 There is a growing trend in Yoga Therapy A vast number of people come to yoga for mental health benefits. The Yoga in Australia Survey, by RMIT University and the University of Queensland, Australia (2006), demonstrated that 58% of people begin a yoga practice to reduce stress or anxiety, and a huge 79% cite it as a reason for continued practice. With the incidence of stress-related health conditions, depression and anxiety growing, and the World Health Organisation's prediction that by 2020, depression will be the major health problem in the world, there has never been a more important time to tailor yoga and mindfulness interventions to meet the mental health needs of today's society. Meeting for 4-day weekends, approximately every 6-8 weeks, you will dive into this extensive curriculum involving lecture-based and experiential learning, partner and group work, personal practice and home study, as well as case studies and assignments, and clinical supervision to support you in your learning journey. We cover a vast array of material with a focus on the treatment of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic-stress, eating disorders, addictions, psychosis, and physical conditions that have a strong stress-related undercurrent. In each module you will cover different aspects of physiology, learn therapeutic skills, yoga therapeutic and mindfulness techniques, cover cutting edge research and explore your own body and mind. "Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all"
- Aristole What accreditation will I receive? Yoga Therapy for the Mind is registered with the International Association of Yoga Therapists. We are accredited with the Yoga Alliance UK. We are one of the first schools in the UK to be completing registration under the new standards of the British Council of Yoga Therapy. Our Lecturers Heather Mason, a leader in the field of mind-body therapy and founder of Yoga for the Mind is the main lecturer on the training. Heather develops innovative methods for mental health treatment drawing on her robust educational background including an MA in Psychotherapy, an MA in Buddhist Studies and an ongoing MSc in Neuroscience. She is also a 500 RYT (registered yoga teacher), a yoga therapist and an MBCT facilitator. Heather develops protocols for different client populations by translating cutting edge research from the psycho-biology and neuro-biology of stress into yoga practices, breath work, mindfulness interventions and therapeutic holding. Further she is involved in research on the efficacy of these practices. Heather also trained with the Boston Trauma Center on yoga for trauma and now lectures with the team on the neurobiology of trauma and the neurological mechanisms of yoga and mindfulness as relevant interventions. Recently, she also developed a mind-therapy and neuroscience elective with the Boston University School of Medicine called Embodied Health. She regularly writes and lectures on mind body therapy both within and outside the Yoga for the Mind professional training. Other lecturers on the training Dr. Patricia Gerbarg, Assistant Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at New York Medical College. As well as her research, writing and lecturing about alternative and complementary medicine in psychiatry, Dr Gerbarg has maintained a private psychiatric practice for 25 years. Dr. Chris C. Streeter is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), an instructor at Harvard Medical School and a Research Associate at the McLean Hospital. She is the Director of Functional Neuroimaging for the Department of Psychiatry at BUSM. She has completed a neurology residency, Behavioral Neurology fellowship and a psychiatry residency. She is boarded in Neurology, Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology, with Additional Qualifications in Forensics. She has over 20 years of National Institute of Health funded research and has served as the Principal Investigator for a number of studies. Her current area of research focuses on the effects of yoga-based practices on brain gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, mood and heart rate variability. Dr Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School has conducted numerous clinical research trials evaluating yoga treatments for a variety of physical and mental health conditions and actively working with the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) to promote research on yoga therapy. For the past 5 years he has also been teaching an elective course at Harvard Medical School in Mind-Body Medicine. Dr Daniel Siegel is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine where he is on the faculty of the Center for Culture, Brain, and Development and the Co-Director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center. He is also the Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute, an educational organization offering online learning that focus on how the development of mindsight in individuals, families and communities can be enhanced by examining the interface of human relationships and basic biological processes. Daniel has published extensively for the professional audience, including his books “The Mindful Therapist" and “Mindsight". Dr Philip Stevens a consultant neurophysiologist holding Science degrees in Psychology and Physiology, with a research-based Honours degree in Physiology, completed at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in South Australia. Dr Stevens explores the effects of Meditation and Relaxation practices on the heart, brain and autonomic nervous system and runs seminars and retreats internationally on various aspects of Health and Well-Being. He is a certified Yoga Teacher, Life Member and Fellow of the "World Society For Clinical Yoga" (Lucknow, India) with over 30 years of experience in classes, personal tuition & clinical counseling. Tim Gard is a student of neuroscience at the Bender Institute of Neuroimaging in Giessen, Germany where he is currently finishing his thesis on the neural correlates of mindfulness induced pain attenuation. Tim obtained his master's degree in psychology from Maastricht University, Netherlands, with his master's thesis entitled "Regulation of emotion and cognition during mathematical problem solving: the effects of yoga in an Indian sample". Currently, Tim is a visiting researcher and research assistant at the Lazar Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA, where he works on several projects investigating the neural mechanisms of yoga and meditation in a variety of contexts, including chronic pain. Veena Ugargol is a yoga therapist for mental health, yoga teacher and yoga researcher. Having recently completed a psychology degree she will will soon commence an MSc in Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry. Veena reviews the current research literature to establish how the Yoga for the Mind approach can be used specifically to provide relief to individuals coping with many of the prevalent illnesses and disorders in society today such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Sam Bottrill, is a qualified yoga teacher, yoga therapist for mental health and clinical psychologist specializing in eating disorders. Sam supervises trainees both in her role as a clinical psychologist and Yoga for the Mind therapist, and delivers the module on YFTM for eating disorders Her specialist research interest is the impact of yoga practices on anxiety within the treatment of eating disorders. Elizabeth Bourdon is a qualified Yoga Teacher and a Yoga Therapist for Mental Health. She has taught yoga for her local MIND charity and teaches the YFTM 8 week course in and around Buckinghamshire, as well as Mindfulness courses, having completed her MBCT/MBSR Teaching Development Level 1 in London with Dr Patrizia Collard. Elizabeth delivers the yoga philosophy modules and is a supervisor on the professional training, in addition to being our course administrator. Lucy Clarke is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist and Yoga therapist teaching Yoga to children and young people with mental health issues, neurodevelopment disorders and learning disabilities. She is the South West consultant for the international Get Ready to learn yoga therapy programme, runs community classes for children and young people and develops and delivers training programmes for Yoga and Mindfulness in children and adolescents with additional needs. Lucy is committed to offering Yoga to all young people, strengthening young peoples emotional well being and resilience to enable them to reach their full potential. Felicity Spencer is a physiotherapist, yoga teacher and yoga therapist for mental health. She delivers the Experiential Anatomy component of the YFTM training program. Having worked in mental health settings in Australia, she is now based in Paris, and integrates exercise and yoga-based interventions to promote physical and mental wellness. She is currently undertaking post-graduate studies in psychology, and also develops lectures on physiotherapy for mental health at the University of Sydney, Australia. Read about the extensive work of the lecturing team in more depth on the Yoga for the Mind website. Another great teacher on this course is - without a doubt - you. The coming together of like-minded individuals from a wide variety of professional backgrounds and life experiences, and the close community that builds over the training period, offers great richness in itself through the wisdom each participant brings to group. To learn more about this opportunity to learn from leaders in this field, and from each other, visit the professional training page on our website. Dates for the training - February 2013, 7th-10th
- March 2013, 21st-24th
- May 2013, 2nd-5th
- June 2013, 20th-23rd
- September 2013, 5th-8th
- October 2013, 17th-20th
- November 2013, 28th-Dec 1st
- January 2014, 16th-19th
- March 2014, 6th-9th
- April 2014, 17th-20th
- May 2014, 22nd-25th
- June 2014, 26th-29th
For a copy of our prospectus, please contact us at email@yogaforthemind.info. We look forward to hearing from you. To watch a video featuring Heather and YTFTM trainees about the training course, click here. Heather was recently interviewed on My Spirit Radio with Robin Robinson. To hear her talk about YTFTM approach, the training and other events, click here. |
| Breath~Body~Mind® Training for Stress and Trauma, Transformation and Well-Being | | 19-24th August, 2012
Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Lenox MA, USA | | August 19-24th, 2012,
Dr. Richard P. Brown, Dr. Patricia Gerbarg, and Heather Mason will facilitate this training for therapists, healthcare providers & yoga therapists at Kripalu Center for Yoga in Lenox, MA. This is a 6-day certificate training program with CEUs for yoga teachers, therapists, health care providers, and disaster relief workers. Learn how to incorporate healing techniques into your personal practice and therapeutic work. Learn how to practice and teach trauma-sensitive movement, breathing, and meditation. Take a look at the events page on our website for more information. For registration, go to www.kripalu.org. | | YTFTM present at the NHS Mindfulness Special Interest Group | | 21st September 2012
London, UK | | Yoga Therapy for the Mind is pleased to be headlining the agenda of September's South London and Maudsley NHS Trust Mindfulness Special Interest Group. Hosted by Dr Jane Hutton, a consultant clinical psychologist at Kings College Hospital, this group comes together periodically throughout the year to share and learn about mindfulness-based approaches that are being used both within and outside of the NHS today. September's event is an opportunity to hear the founder of Yoga for the Mind, Heather Mason, and fellow yoga therapist for mental health and researcher, Veena Ugargol, talk about how the Yoga for the Mind approach is informed and delivered and how and why mindfulness is brought together with yoga therapy to provide a complimentary treatment for anxiety and depression. In addition, the event will provide a chance to learn about other Yoga for the Mind projects including Embodied Health, a medical school elective which is currently underway at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), YFTM Neurotherapeutics, the professional training program for yoga teachers and individuals working in mental health, and research work that Yoga for the Mind is actively involved in. Take a look at the events page on our website for more information. | | Yoga and Mindfulness for the Treatment of Pain: Two Day Continuing Professional Development Training | | 20-21st October 2012
London, UK | | Pain is an inevitable part of life, however, there are ways to reduce the intensity of pain and our relationship to it. For example, every yoga teacher knows that tension in the body can transform. If we just stay still and breathe that throbbing in the shoulder or the pull in the leg has the potential to soften. Bringing this insight to our students and clients in a safe and well-informed fashion is invaluable and possibly life-changing for those who suffer from chronic unremitting pain. In this cutting edge workshop current research on neurophysiology of both acute and chronic pain is integrated with practical techniques that can be used to work with others and ourselves. Academic and experiential in nature this workshop will provide you with a holistic view of pain that will help you to better serve others. Join us for two fabulous days where you will learn about the nature of pain, causes of pain and ways to let go of pain, while becoming increasingly aware of your body and mind. On completion of this workshop you will have insight on ground breaking research and confidence on how to teach basic mindfulness practices and yoga techniques that can be used to treat pain. This course is presented by Heather Mason, founder of Yoga Therapy for the Mind, and Tim Gard, a Ph.D. student of neuroscience at the Bender Institute of Neuroimaging in Giessen, Germany. Currently, Tim is a visiting researcher and research assistant at the Lazar Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA, where he works on several projects investigating the neural mechanisms of yoga and meditation in a variety of contexts, including chronic pain. Tim is also a certified mindfulness-based-stress-reduction teacher and is currently working at Massachussets General Hospital delivering a mindfulness intervention to chronic pain patients. For more information, visit the events page on our website.
To register, send us an email at email@yogaforthemind.info. | | The Yoga Show | | 26-28th October 2012
London, UK | | YTFTM will be exhibiting at the London Yoga Show coming up after the summer. Drop by our stand and have a chat to YFTM therapists and training course facilitators to learn more about the YFTM 8 week course, the professional training program. Don't miss Heather Mason presenting on Yoga and the Brain - a fascinating insight into the powerful neurophysiological effects of yoga and mindfulness practice on the mind and brain. Take a look at the schedule on www.omyogashow.com | 
NEW RESOURCES | | Reconnecting with your Body Sam Bottrill, a Clinical Psychologist specialising in the treatment of Eating Disorders at London's Maudsley Hospital, and a qualified Yoga Therapist for Mental Health and lecturer on the YFTM team, has developed this unique audio resource. Reconnecting with your Body is a set of fun and simple guided body awareness exercises for teenagers and adults. Combining practices from the ancient traditions of Mindfulness and Yoga, with insights from modern neuroscience, this comprehensive program provides a gentle and graded approach to developing body awareness, self-acceptance and emotional wellbeing. An ally on the journey to wellness for anyone struggling with body image, chronic illness or pain, and an exceptional resource for yoga therapists and clinicians working in this field. To take a closer look, and order your copy, see the products page on our website. | | |
