COURSE DETAILS
8 WEEK COURSE
IN-STUDIO
MoreYoga Tower Bridge
7 Horselydown Lane
London SE1 2LN
DATES: SATURDAYS
5th Oct
12th Oct
19th Oct
26th Oct
2nd Nov
9th Nov
16th Nov
23rd Nov
TIME: 2.30-4.30pm
COST: £250
Yoga Therapy for the Mind
8 week Course with Veena Ugargol,
Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and Yoga Therapist
The Yoga Therapy for the Mind eight-week course is geared towards those who wish to improve well-being, suffer from chronic stress, mild-moderate depression, and anxiety disorders. Whilst Yoga Therapy can be helpful in the management of symptoms of post-traumatic depression disorder (PTSD), severe depression and severe mental health difficulties, this course is not appropriate for such difficulties and instead private sessions are recommended so as to be able to tailor an approach on a more individual basis.
In order to be sure that the course will be suitable and is aligned to what you’d like to work on, Veena will send, via email, a client form to complete prior to attending the 8-week course.
Bookings will close on 16th September 2024 for the forms to be reviewed.
Course Overview:
The Yoga Therapy for the Mind course was developed as a complementary therapy in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and stress. The course is 8 weeks long with students meeting once a week for two hours – it is a complete investigation and journey into the body and the mind drawing on both ancient yoga principles and mindfulness meditation techniques that are the foundation of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) one of the fastest growing new therapies for depression in the UK.
Combining asanas, pranayama, and restorative properties of mindfulness with psychotherapeutic holding, this course addresses the physiological and psychological dimensions of depression and anxiety. New scientific research continues to affirm that depression, anxiety, and stress are best treated with a method that addresses both the physiological and psychological dimensions. Yoga naturally works with these various elements. Yoga Therapy for the Mind extracts these elements in a scientific and therapeutic way for the maximum benefit to the mind and body through both mindfulness and yoga.
The 8-week course is organised in such a way to allow students to deeply understand how yoga and mindfulness can work for them in both the short and long term to create and maintain positive mental health. The asana sequence is specifically designed to rebalance the nervous system and to teach students how to regulate their mood and emotions. Throughout the course students are invited to explore mental patterns, perceptions, and habits that keep them stuck in unfulfilling experiences of life. During the course they’ll learn how to use their mind to heal their body and their body to heal their mind. This is a powerful and holistic strategy for healing depression and anxiety and managing stress.
In the first two weeks of the course students are taught how to regulate and understand mood through breath. Next they learn how to understand emotional health through the body, and finally through the mind. Each segment of the course offers cumulative skills which help students to both become aware of and also make changes in their mind body system.
In a variety of asanas students learn how to coexist equally with both comfortable and uncomfortable physical sensations through relaxation and working with the breath. By learning how to be with various sensations in the body they develop greater tolerance to be with various thoughts in a gentle way with less resistance.
Additionally, the yoga practices instruct students on how to create joy and contentment in the present moment. At the close of each session there is an optional discussion period for students to talk about their experiences during class and how to use what they learn when facing the challenges of daily living.
Each yoga therapy session follows a specific theme related to healing depression and anxiety and builds on cumulative principles and practices from the previous weeks. Students are given homework and reading material to help integrate yoga and mindfulness practice into their daily life. Additionally, there is opportunity before and after sessions for brief private discussion with the therapist. All levels of yoga and meditation are welcome.
Recently, Veena Ugargol conducted research on the efficacy of the YTFTM 8-week course. Ugargol found marked improvement in anxiety and mild depression in the YTFTM group compared to a waitlist control group.
The yoga course also includes:
1) A comprehensive manual
2) Access to online audio Yoga therapy and Mindfulness to support daily practice
Session Structure:
– Asana practice with awareness: 1 hour 15 minutes.
– Pranayama: 15-20 minutes.
– Group Activity: 15 minutes.
The group activity serves to highlight the teaching related to the week. Activities come from either the mindfulness or yoga tradition.
– Group Discussion: 15 minutes.
During the discussion students can ask questions related to yoga and mindfulness, share insights, listen to others or choose to be silent. Everyone, should they wish to, gets an opportunity to speak.
– Explanation of daily home yoga therapy and mindfulness practice
Who is it for?
This Yoga Therapy for the Mind 8 week course is for those of us who would like to weave into daily life a practise that enables us to:
- Better manage stress, anxiety and/or depression
• Enhance concentration and focus
• Expand psychological tolerance of uncomfortable feelings
• Improve wellbeing
• Develop resilience
You will come away from the course with a deeper understanding of the physiological and psychological dimensions of stress, anxiety and depression, and a toolkit to help you manage wellbeing better in both the short and long term.
What will you learn?
The course covers different themes each week, enabling students to become more aware of any unhelpful mental patterns, perceptions and habits, and develop tools to manage them better. Each 2hr class broadly follows the same structure with each week building cumulatively on the learning from previous weeks. Students are given homework at the end of each class to practice daily along with reading material to support your learning.
About Veena
I’m a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and a Yoga Therapist for Mental Health with 10 years’ experience of treating depression and anxiety disorders within the NHS and privately. I combine the insights of yoga therapy, mindfulness, psychotherapy and neuroscience in the management of symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression and trauma.
I continue to lecture and assess yoga therapists in training with the Minded Institute. With academic experience in psychology and neuroscience, including formal study at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, I continue to remain current within both fields. My academic interest in stress and its effects on health, combined with my experience and knowledge of yoga therapy, equips me with a versatile approach to address a diverse range of groups and individual needs.
COURSE FEEDBACK
“It was great for many reasons: it resets your nervous system after a long week; it builds your awareness of your mind and body, it helped me to understand my anxiety and how I can deal with it better; You begin to realise you’re not alone. PS The 2 hours seems long but it goes very quickly; PS x2 Veena is lovely, caring and empathetic. She will make anyone feel comfortable.”
“Enjoyed the course a lot. Provided good foundational understanding of practices that support managing anxiety and depression. Would recommend to anyone looking for alternative methods to manage mental health.”
“Really useful class for anyone struggling with anxiety / depression. Lots of great techniques driven by evidence to help make daily life better, calmer and more positive. Veena was an awesome instructor!”
“The course allowed me to learn techniques that made me feel more grounded and at peace in my day to day life. I loved the kind and flexible approach of the course which made me feel welcomed to use the practises as I wished and found useful. I would not change a thing! Thank you so much Veena.”
“It was great for many reasons: it resets your nervous system after a long week; it builds your awareness of your mind and body, it helped me to understand my anxiety and how I can deal with it better; You begin to realise you’re not alone. The 2 hours seems long but it goes very quickly; Veena is lovely, caring and empathetic. She will make anyone feel comfortable.”
“Beautifully taught, empowering course. Loved your emails with extra resources too. I would highly recommend the 8 week course. A heartfelt thank you Veena.”