Yoga Therapy for YogaBrain: The Brain that Changes Itself

For centuries yoga has prevailed as a “science of the mind”, and now modern neuroscience is starting to prove its amazing claim. Yogabrain is the integration of body, mind, and nervous system into full presence – the basis of a balanced, strong, and resilient nervous system. It has been shown now for multiple decades that by cultivating mindfulness through awareness, the breath, and active yoga practice have the ability to strengthen our tenth cranial nerve, and thus the vagal tone, which untimely has the capacity for a regulated, stable, and resilient central nervous system (for further literature on this, see here). Indeed, this notion has been identified by Steven Porges as the polyvagal theory, which is now the foundation for many psychotherapeutic remedies for the mind and body.

Join Celia, Swami, and Samantha as they deepen your awareness and knowledge of the vast and amazing world of neuroscience and the nervous system and strengthen & explore your Yogabrain.

Saturday 31 October
9:30am – 1:00pm
Hosted by Celia Roberts BSc
Senior Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist
BioMedical Yoga Therapy for Brain Neuroplasticity

Begin this weekend by attending to and understanding your own visceral states and traits. Learn the basics of what it means to have a brain that is affected by the wholesome practices of movement-based therapies such as yoga and seated meditation. Explore how this will assist you within your life and your ability to create an integrated holistic sense of wellbeing.

Celia has an extensive knowledge of neuroscience in conjunction with psychobiological states and how yoga practice has the capacity to change not only your current physiological and psychological state, so too your ability to change these states for the future of yourself and genetic generational change.

We will be exploring:

How the growth grey matter and cortical thickness changes by way of understanding the following neurobiological areas:
- Anterior Cingulate Cortex: associated with such functions as self-regulatory processes, including the ability to monitor attention conflicts, and allow for more cognitive flexibility.
- Prefrontal Cortex: primarily responsible for executive functioning such as planning, problem solving, and emotion regulation.
- Hippocampus: The hippocampus is the part of the limbic system that governs learning and memory, and is extraordinarily susceptible to stress and stress-related disorders like depression or PTSD.
- Amygdala: The brain’s “fight or flight” centre and the seat of our fearful and anxious emotions. Mindfulness practice decreases the amygdala in brain cell volume and cultivates a state whereby we are less reactive.
How to rectify the brain changes that occur in prolonged periods of stress, anxiety, depression and trauma.
Specific Yoga Therapy methodologies for Brain and Nervous system health
Exploration of the ancient philosophy side by side with modern neuroscience and Polyvagal theory.

Saturday 31 October
1:45pm – 4:45pm
Hosted by Samantha-Lindsay German
Kundalini Yoga
Meditations for a Strong Nervous System

Continue your day, by learning through practice, the benefits of meditations on the mind, body, and nervous system. As aforementioned through practice our vagal tone is strengthened, cultivating a resilience, a confidence, an inner strength.
Samantha Lindsay German focuses on strengthening and challenging the nervous system – making the differentiation between parasympathetic and sympathetic and knowing how to challenge and improve the central nervous system overall.

We will be exploring:

Further understanding and practical application in parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system control
How to challenge and improve the central nervous system
How to navigate tight spots and relax into being
Specific cleansing and strengthening exercises for a strong, resilient, healthy nervous system
Yoga therapy tools such as Sat Kriya, long holding postures, and trauma release exercises for the nervous system
How to apply yoga therapy tools for your own well-being and to teach others same

Sunday 1 November
9:30am – 1:00pm
Hosted by Celia Roberts BSc
Senior Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist
Compassion Focused Yoga Therapy for Brain plasticity and Vagal tone

Join Celia in this immersive morning of neurobiological-based yoga practice and compassion focused therapy. We shall investigate the effects of mindfulness and compassion based yoga, the brain changes that occur with consistent practice, and the neurobiological changes on the body, by clearly understanding the science of psychoneuroimmunology.

We shall also touch briefly upon the work of pioneering neuroscientist Richard J. Davidson and the Emotional Life of our brain. Davidson proposes that each of us have an Emotional Style composed of Resilience, Outlook, Social Intuition, Self-Awareness, Sensitivity to Context, and Attention. Where we fall on these six continuums determines our own “emotional fingerprint.” With this understanding behind us, we shall apply the therapeutic principles of mindfulness and Compassion focussed therapy as originally described by Paul Gilbert to treat the brain in trauma, stress, anxiety, depression and the addicted state.

Compassion for self is an innate necessity, yet surprisingly something we, as a collective community often forget to do. Our minds work in connection with others, yet this connection first must begin within in order to have the capacity for true selfless altruism. Further, this innate necessity is remarkable, perhaps miraculous, as it works two-fold – meaning that the more compassion we offer to ourselves, the more compassion we can offer others, which in turn offers our minds, and neuro connectivity, growth, resilience, and integrated holistic wellbeing.

Opening our hearts and minds to loving others and ourselves is not an instantaneous thought driven concept. Indeed, opening the heart, building confidence, and cultivating compassion comes with yoga postures and practice that specifically are designed to beget an integrated mind, body, and soul that recognises the relationship between awareness, practice, and enlightenment.

“Compassion ~ to simply be kind to another, but firstly to one’s self.”

We will be exploring:

The neurology biology of compassion of brain and body
What it means to strengthen your vagal tone (Polyvagal theory)
How your emotional wellbeing relates to the science of the mind and hormones
How to practice and teach meditation practices of loving-kindness and Thong Len
Therapeutic principles of mindfulness and Compassion focussed therapy
How compassion practice creates positive epigenetic changes within you in as little as one day.
How the brain changes with compassion meditation
Eye contact meditation and its the effects on the amygdala
Compassionate listening and hearing with soft vocal tones
Increasing gamma wave brain frequency through compassion meditation
Compassionate posturing

Sunday 1 November
1:45pm – 4:45pm
Hosted by Swami Mukti
Satyananda Yoga
Rewiring the Nervous system through Yoga

This is wonderful afternoon of training the nervous system, mind and body with the revered, Swami Muktibhodhananda. You will experience gentle asana and meditation techniques such as Yoga Nidra, Trataka, Antar Mouna, Mantra with mudras (hand gestures and locks).

Together we explore positive intention through the notion of the sankalpa in relation to neurobiological change based in pattern formation. With an intuitive heart sankalpa, we have the power to create new Nava Sharira Samskara (physical patterns) as well as new Nava Manas Samskara (mental patterns). Not only does this process of intentionally forming new physical and mental patterns directly relate to neuroplasticity and the formation of new physical and mental synaptic connections through repeated experiences, but so too of the process of abhyâsa and vairâgya (Sutra 1.12 – 1.16).

We will be exploring:

How to use Sankalpa with Neuroplasticity
Notions that reflect the adaptive methodology of the embodied brain to facilitate optimal well-being.
Antar Mouna for the Mind
Trataka for one-pointed attention
Yoga Nidra for deep awareness
Gentle yoga posturing and Mudra for subtle energetic change

At the end of this 13-hour face-to-face weekend you will be provided with materials for reading as well as a BIYOME certificate of completion. This course is intended to provide you will a substantial knowledge base in yoga therapy – this however does not qualify you as a yoga therapist. We use the term “therapy” as a reference to varied methodologies that enable well-being.

Disclaimer and Waiver:

This weekend is a registered 20 hour Yoga Australia training weekend and attracts CPD points for yoga teachers, therapists, allied health professionals. Interested members of the public who are engaged in the practices of yoga and meditation may attend for interest, education and higher-level learning.

These short courses do not qualify you to become a yoga teacher or therapist. By registering and attending this course you agree to our terms and conditions and our waiver as located here. For more information on how to become fully qualified, please check our yoga teacher training and yoga therapy training for more details.

Be inspired to practice.

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