This half day workshop explores how yoga teachings and practices can support management of stress and improved mental health and resilience. It combines an understanding of the mind and body from neuroscience and psychology with practices from therapeutic mind-body modalities of yoga, qigong and mindfulness. The result is an interactive and practical session, which includes:

• Exploring mental wellbeing and distress from a yogic perspective.
• Insights from neuroscience for understanding the stress response (& its opposite).
• Evidence-based yoga practices for calming the mind during times of stress.
• Practices for creating greater energetic and mental balance and equanimity.

The workshop format will include taught elements of underpinning theory from yoga, neuroscience and psychology with experiential practices of yoga asana, qigong, grounding exercises, breath techniques and meditations that support mental wellbeing. There will be a break for herbal teas half way through and yoga asana will take place after the break.

About Sam Alexander-Vasey - Sam is a wellbeing teacher and educator and qualified yoga and qigong instructor. She is currently training to be a Yoga Therapist with the Minded Institute, an international leader in yoga therapy for mental health. Her areas of particular interest are stress management, mental wellbeing and building resilience, and the utility of mind-body practices and wisdom traditions to live more vibrant, fulfilling and harmonious lives.