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Yoga Therapy Lifestyle Blog.

 

Yoga Training, Mental Health Education, Community Organizing, Mentorship, Queer Poetry, Philosophy & Yogic Lifestyle, Spiritual Counseling & Meditation

“AUM” at the End Feb 03, 2014

I have been in a funk. The end of January/early February is always a tricky time for me, mood-wise. I have good reasons to feel particularly sensitive this year, living in a new part of the state with few familiars to ground me, and coming off of a month-long upper respiratory infection, and...

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Aware To Be Well Sep 20, 2013

Yoga pants, sex scandals, unusual contortions, super-toned bodies and words like “guru”  can misrepresent or mask the potential of Yoga for mindfulness and mood management. The Yogic “prescription” for alleviating mood disorders isn’t about yoga pants or even...

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An Email from the Director of The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) mental health Sep 20, 2013

August 27, 2013

Dear Dr. Insel,

My name is Brooke West and I am a Yoga and meditation instructor. I work as a Yoga therapist. My interest is in teaching Yoga therapy as adjunctive treatment for bipolar disorder and the research of that.

Recently, your TED talk came across my screen and I was...

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Hi, Brooke, Have you led your prison yoga class yet? Love, Avital prison yoga Oct 22, 2012

Yes, I attended, shadowed, assisted and modeled for the yoga and meditation classes in the San Luis Obispo County Jail on Saturday, October 13, the morning after leaving Ananda (having been there for 10 days and meeting you for lunch). They asked me if I wanted to teach that morning but, once...

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My Testimonial on Bikram Yoga and Bipolar Disorder bikram yoga bipolar disorder yogananda Sep 22, 2012

A similar version of this was submitted to the Bikram Yoga College of India website earlier this evening. www.bikramyoga.com/

How It Began
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 23. I began the Bikram practice at the age of 29, 11 years ago. I was overweight, isolated and...

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Yoga Therapy Research: Just a Wee Bit Closer! research Sep 21, 2012

Via PUBMED and Nicole DeAvilla-Whiting, Ananda Yoga Instructor and Author of The 2 Minute Yoga Solution:

Yoga as an ancillary treatment for neurological and psychiatric disorders: a review.

 

Abstract

"Yoga is gaining acceptance as an ancillary medical treatment, but there have been few...

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Speaking Out Is Breathing Out and Breathing Out With Control Is A Pranayama Practice bipolar disorder conferences pranayama Sep 15, 2012

I became a member of the Yoga Service Council this weekend. They meet in late spring every year at The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York (which I think of as the East Coast’s Esalen or Naropa Institute). I answered a call for presentations for their 2013 Conference on behalf of...

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The Effortless Breath Sep 13, 2012

One year ago, I began the pursuit of Yoga therapy research demonstrating the efficacy of Yoga therapy on mood management in bipolar disorder. For more than 365 days, I have been astonished, stunned and baffled, over and over, by the lack of information on such potent therapy for this dangerous...

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Bring Your Awareness Back To The Breath… restorative yoga testimonials Sep 06, 2012

 “I’ve been meaning to e-mail you and tell you how much I enjoyed your class.  It was absolutely wonderful and relaxing!” - D. Dornan


 

Restorative Yoga classes and workshops are offered to relax the body and soothe the mind. Here are some tips for any...

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