Optimal State Mental Health 1: Anxiety and Depression Course

MH 1: Mental Health Therapeutic Yoga Specialist: Anxiety and Depression Focus

The purpose of this 100-hour course on mental health is to learn how to use yoga and yoga therapy tools to influence the symptoms of anxiety and depression in the individual

Course Description:

  • Students will learn the basics of yoga therapy assessment of the mind and body and how to document progress towards goals.
  • Students in this program will learn how to care for clients who are experiencing anxiety, insomnia, depression, Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and clinical/seasonal depression.

Topics Covered:
Yoga Psychology
Yoga & Anxiety
Yoga & Insomnia
Yoga & Depression
Yoga & Bi-polar
Yoga & Schizoaffective

Learning Objectives:

  1. Students will understand the yogic and ayurvedic perspective on mental health concerns.
  2. Students will learn to assess the client for mental health concerns using the Optimal State System.
  3. Students will learn to write therapeutic plans for the individual that corresponds to the individual assessment.
  4. Students will practice their assessment, plan writing skills and teaching skills in the presence of faculty who will evaluate their progress and give feedback.

Course Sections:

Yoga Foundations
Includes yoga philosophy based on Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras, Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Bhagavad Gita; yoga teachings about the nature of mind, the guna-s or forces of nature; and the yogic framework for health and disease including the pañcamaya system, the 4-step model of healing, cakras, vayu-s, etc.

Biomedical and Psychological Foundations
Includes the anatomy and physiology of the brain and related physical body. We will review various commonly-encountered conditions from the allopathic point of view; mechanisms of disease, treatment options and prognosis to facilitate integration of yoga therapy with conventional medicine; psychological concepts and mental health conditions; and stages of human development – physical, social and emotional. This section will also include the ayurvedic/Samkhya framework of disease and healing and ayurvedic/Samkhya subtle anatomy. Additionally, it will include western Psychology and Psychophysiology.

Teaching and Therapeutic Skills
Includes principles of establishing the teacher-student relationship; communication skills including listening and giving feedback; teaching methods for group and individual classes; and adjusting teaching for learning style differences. This course will also focus on experiencing the effects of asana, pranayama, meditation, chanting and Bhavana techniques for different physical illnesses and pathologies (as applied to the individual person).

We will discuss modifications for asana, pranayama, meditation, chanting and Bhavana and how they apply to individuals and the disease process. Contraindications will also be discussed for all of the techniques. We will also prepare the students for their practicum experience by having classroom role-playing for intakes, writing courses for short- and long-term goals, and teaching yoga therapy practices to other students in the cohort.

Yoga Tools and their Application
Includes teaching actual clients asana, pranayama, dhyana and chanting; skills of a yoga therapist (intake and assessment, observation, eliciting goals and expectations, and providing instruction) and therapy course planning for short- and long-term goals (selection of appropriate tools, sequencing, and modification over time.) We will bring in live clients to work with from the community to be yoga therapy clients. This work will be the essence of the course. Hands-on application of asana, pranayama, dhyana, and chanting is the specialty of our program.

Professional Ethics and Practices
Includes ethics (personal integrity, ethics of a therapist including knowing when a referral is the best option); knowledge of regulatory laws and good business practices; the value of personal professional development; and the value of saṅgha (community).

Course Location:
All courses will be held via zoom until further notice

*Application Window is now Open!

Course Start Dates (Yearly):
Jan 19, 2024 – Jan 28, 2024

Optimal State MH1 Mental Health Therapeutic Yoga Specialist-Anxiety and Depression Details

Mental Health 1: Anxiety & Depression Application

To request more information including pricing, email us here.