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 digital manual

2) Access to online audio Yoga therapy and Mindfulness to support daily practice

This Yoga Therapy for the Mind inspired 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.

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.

– Asana practise 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

In the first two weeks of the course students are taught how to regulate and understand mood through breath and movement. Some breath practices are energising, others are more helpful for quietening the nervous system. Students are guided on the appropriate times to engage in these different practices.

We focus on how to understand and influence emotional health through body awareness and movement.

We conclude the course by building on the strength and resilience that we’ve developed over the previous weeks. This is the point at which we begin to work with the mind, engaging in mindfulness and “loving-kindness” meditation practices that enable students to view and adapt their mental patterns in new and helpful ways.