Module C:

Psychology of yoga and embodied practice

 

Experiential learning based on the latest science and theory

 

Embodied Practice

You will learn the components of embodiment, for instance somatic awareness of inner and outer perceptions; you will learn exercises which cultivate this awareness and how it relates to behaviour, emotions and reactions.

 

Somatic Movement

You will learn to practise and teach exercises that directly impact the nervous system, improve self-regulation, lower anxiety, and change old and unhelpful habits.  This will include the neuroscience of somatic movement, with a medical doctor who is also a somatic movement practitioner.

 

Yoga and the Vagus Nerve

You will gain an understanding of the nervous system in relation to the fight/flight and rest/restore mechanisms, and how these inform teaching practise, to include the work of Stephen Porges.

 

Yoga for Well-Being

You will learn nurturing and calming practises that will enhance and broaden your teaching, to create an inclusive yoga style covering modifications, adaptations and variations in teaching.

 

Power Dynamics: the Student/Teacher Relationship

You will learn to think critically about the responsibilities of both teachers and students in the world of contemporary yoga, touching on paradigms such as gender issues, post-colonialism, and ‘spiritual bypassing’.

 

Trauma awareness

Taught by Cassandra Fairweather, an experienced psychotherapist and yoga teacher, you will become a trauma informed teacher, covering subjects such as inclusivity, unconscious bias, invitational language, language of the body, and boundaries in teaching.

 

Ethics in Practice

We will use Patanjali’s teachings on niyamas and yamas and directly relate them to daily life as a process of self-enquiry and self-responsibility.  You will use journaling and notebooks to creatively explore these topics.

 

The Four foundations of Mindfulness

You will learn these useful practises of contemplation on body, mind, feelings and external influences, which will deepen both your teaching practise and own life’s journey.