Yoga Therapy for Gut-Brain Health

Saturday 25 April
9:30am – 1:00pm
Hosted by Celia Roberts BSc
Senior Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist
BioMedical Yoga Therapy for Gut-Brain Health

Microbiome, though not entirely “us” are an influential part of us. As holistic beings, we are a complex system in which we, much like the rhino needs the oxpecker, have a symbiotic relationship with the microorganisms (microbiota) that live in us and on us. The full array of these microorganisms being called the microbiome, and they affect us in many more ways than you may first expect. (Read more here)

This complete morning will immerse you in yoga therapy tools for enteric nervous system health and microbiome diversity. As such this session will bring an enlightening awareness toward the brain-biome interaction.

We recognised that many can have an alienating experiences when it comes to their digestive health issues; this weekend hopes to bring forth a safe and open environment whereby we can all come together to assist one another under the guidance of Celia - a qualified Yoga Therapist and Ayurvedic Practitioner with a vast personal and professional experience, and someone who will foster your wisdom in digestive health and well-being.

We will be exploring:

• Meditations that are designed to primarily bring about good gut health and vagal tone, yet that will bring about good overall health as well;
• Yoga Therapy tools for specific areas of digestive health, including the lower colon, and enteric nervous system;
• Within the scope of practice, basic Ayurvedic food and herbs will be mentioned, both as prebiotics and probiotics;
• Simple Ayurvedic nutrition remedies in combination with modern nutrition guidelines to provide you with some new ways to repair your gut health (in reference to The Prime Diet).

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Saturday 25 April
1:45pm – 4:45pm
Hosted by Samantha-Lindsay German
Kundalini Yoga
Yoga for Healthy Digestion

Kundalini Yoga Therapy for great gut health, as described by Yogi Bhajan, references a common Ayurvedic understanding: the health of the Gut is the source of all systems becoming aligned, resilient and healthy. Practices based in the Kundalini tradition ultimately promote a level of radiance and vitality that stems from the physical point of the navel and the metaphysical points of the digestive centre.

Though not often overtly recognised in western society, the digestive centre, or more specifically the digestive system and the nerves that are embedded within it, is an instigator of health. Eastern philosophy and practices have understood for many millennia that the way in which we digest life, stems from this centre of being, and with that comes a view to treat digestion with the utmost respect. Such comes from an intuitive awareness which we must begin to cultivate daily should we wish to tap into the body's innate draw toward health and well-being.

This workshop shall be a fulfilling experiential practice developing strength, stability, and an innate internal confidence by which life’s energies are drawn through your inner most being; this then aiding a re-alignment and re-balancing of the digestive tract. It is designed to enrich your mental, physical, and nervous energies in order to bring balance as well as to nurture knowledge for future practice.

We will be exploring:

• The basic use of sattvic foods and lifestyle choices as prescribed by the kundalini yoga tradition.
• Kundalini Yoga postures for digestion and the application of kriya’s to generate digestive vitality
• A range of Kundalini Yoga Kriyas and meditation techniques that carefully support the gut health with precision and awareness
• Meditation techniques as taught by Yogi Bhajan tailored to creating stunning digestive health within you
• Meditations to reduce stress and anxiety, reduce depressive tendencies and addictions which can lead to disordered gut health
• Pranayama techniques to bring the digestive fire into good health the vital use of body's bhandas to assist internal organ tone
• Using Naad and the conscious Power of sound and mantra to raise the Kundalini and improve digestion
• Drawing on the subtle body energies to improve physical health

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Sunday 26 April
9:30am – 1:00pm
Hosted by Celia Roberts BSc
Senior Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist
Meditations for Brain & Biome, Mindful eating and Neuroslimming

This is an immersive experience of body, mind awareness and connection though the practice of meditation. Though much of what we do is vital to our existence in this life, so too is paying attention to how we do it. There are many times within our culture of busy that we choose to rush through the processes of our daily living, and it is no secret that this is not only detrimental to holistic health, so to it deprives us of vital presence in relationships.

Foster your body-mind awareness and connection though the practice of mindful eating. Mindful eating is the process of paying attention at each and every meal. Though what we eat is vital, so too is how we eat. There are many times within our culture of busy that we choose to “eat on the run” or, we sit, scoff, and then leave. This way of living not only detrimental to holistic health, so to it deprives us of vital presence in relationships.

Mindful Eating and Neuroslimming can greatly assist with the serious obesity crisis we now face in Australia. We understand that the most key factor in successful weight management has been ignored: the brain. The brain is our control centre. The following refers to the work and writings of Dr Helen Popovic, which Celia will refer to within the meditation practice.

Every part of the body follows the signals and instructions sent out by the brain. It doesn't matter if you have a slow metabolism, a frenetic lifestyle or a genetic predisposition to fat gain, because NeuroSlimming addresses the underlying source of the issue and gives you a Mind Plan, not a meal plan.

NeuroSlimming brings the latest discoveries in brain science to the field of weight management.

NeuroSlimming provides the missing piece in the weight loss puzzle.

NeuroSlimming sets you free of dieting, struggling, worrying, wishing, craving and emotional eating. Free of guilt and anguish about what, when and how much to eat. Free to make peace with your body and live life to the full. Free to enjoy food because you'll learn how to feed your spirit, not starve your body.

Celia will take you through what it means to cultivate a healthy brain through the biome, to truly experience presence, and to wholly understand what it means to enjoy the essence of nourishment and nutrition for the body and mind.

We will be exploring:

• Understanding the physiology behind practice including concepts such as stress, trauma and the epigenetics of trauma on the digestive system, the imperative nature of the body’s microbiome, and the transformation of biome and genome from a neurobiological perspective;
• Understanding the evidence-based research behind mindful eating;
• How To Eat - techniques created By Thich Nhat Than;
• How use meditation practices and brain hacks to assist you in reducing self-sabotaging behaviours and get the result you want;
• What it means to mindfully eat, to truly experience presence in food, and to wholly understand what it means to enjoy the essence of sustenance;
• The health benefits of mindful eating - from improved vitality and digestion, weight loss, improved outcomes for diabetes type 2 patients and reduction in disordered eating habits;
• Explore yoga therapy tools, meditation tools, and applications in practice and teaching methodologies of brain and biome health with research, understanding, awareness and mindfulness.

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Sunday 26 April
1:45pm – 4:45pm
Hosted by Dr Alicia Carter of UQ
Compassion Focused Therapy for Healthy Eating Behaviors

Compassion Focused Therapy for Healthy Eating Choices is a proven science. There is evidence that shows us that practicing self-compassion can give rise to mindful food choices and reduce disorder eating.

Let Dr Alicia Carter walk you through all the research and learn the Compassion Focused Therapy protocols for assisting with reducing bodily shame, self criticism, weight management, and reducing obesity and eating disordered behaviours.

We will be exploring:

• The sessions will incorporate physical and mental skills to cultivate compassion for healthy eating choices;
• Compassion Focussed therapy: grounding, rhythmic breathing, mindfulness;
• Developing more positive ways of relating to the self and others;
• Understand the evidence base for using Compassion Focused Therapy and how to apply it to your life and your therapeutic practice.

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We welcome you to join four conversant yogic teachers and therapists as they share their adept practice wisdom with you and bring you a weekend dedicated to improving your mental health through the body and the breath.