AAYT NEWS Autumn Edition 2019

1

“It keeps me humble knowing that there is so much more to learn and even

my teacher’s teachings evolve each time I am there, into something richer

and more complex, yet simultaneously ever more subtle.”

Online

Don’t forget to keep your AAYT page

updated with latest training, current

workshops or courses you may be

providing and of course photos!

Contents

AAYT represented in India

pages 1 - 5

2019 Action Plans

pages 6 – 7

Yoga Sound and Song

Yoga Therapy in Mental

Health

pages 8 – 9

The Role of Breath in Yoga

Therapy Sessions with

Clients – Sal Flynn

pages 10 – 13

Autumn & Vata

Page 14

Events, workshops, courses

pages 15 - 20

Your committee

Page 21

AAYT represented in India at the launch of Mantra Yoga and at the 9th

International Yoga Therapy Conference

In Mid-December last year, I made a personal journey back to India, there to participate

in the yearly learning event provided by my teacher, Dr Natesan Chandrasekaran,

otherwise known as Dr NC. Every couple of years, I find it an invaluable experience to go

back to Chennai and sit in on the latest internship, absorb another layer of learning and

contemplate the numerous case studies that come and go over the days I participate in.

My experience is that something new is invariably revealed and I constantly marvel at

how the knowledge and experience of Yoga Therapy within a learning environment, feels

fresh and new each time, not just consolidating what I’ve acquired but also opening up

new portals of understanding for those ‘aha’ moments. It keeps me humble knowing that

there is so much more to learn and even my teacher’s teachings evolve each time I am

there, into something richer and more complex, yet simultaneously ever more subtle.

Each journey to Chennai has also involved meeting new people from different

international cultures, on this occasion a predominantly Belgium cohort of very sharp

and well skilled Yoga Therapy trainees, and additional students from the UK, as well as

former students of Desikachar from Toronto in Canada, coming back to dip into that

exquisite fountain of wisdom carried in Dr. NC’s mind. His wisdom of how prana moves

through the system and how we manoeuvre its impact, offers a pivotal moment to my

simple understanding. Five days of immersion back in the internship class is quite

confronting. On this occasion I was very lucky to also participate in the launch of a new

Dr NC publication on ‘Mantra Yoga’, an extremely useful book, launched by an Indian

Sadu. He ensured a well-spoken introduction to a very colourful launch event, and of

course everyone was enamoured with the book. The Sadu very content to have the first

copy of Dr NC’s ‘Mantra Yoga’.

I would like to acknowledgement Anna Nolan, Membership Secretary on the AAYT

Committee, who received recognition by Dr NC for her assistance in editing.

The next part of my journey was heading off to Mumbai to meet Sarjit Tory (AAYT

Treasurer & Committee member) also travelling privately, to meet with IAYT

representatives John Kepner, Dr. Lisa Kaley-Isley (UK) and Jutta Henrici, firstly to meet

with Hansa Ji from the original Yoga Institute in Mumbai, then journeying on to the

Kaivalyadam Conference on Yoga Therapy in Lonavala. December 25th was an

extraordinary 2018 Christmas Day spent without family and without Father Christmas,

but celebrating 100 years of the Yoga Institute’s existence. It was filled with a new

generosity of spirit and I in no way felt deprived of my usual Christmas ritual

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AAYT represented in India …… Con’t

The Institute exists in the centre of a Co-operative Housing Estate on the more downtrodden urban edge of the airport zone and does the most excellent work in community development, improving health conditions and lifting well-being amongst residents, offering a plethora of therapeutic yoga classes for people suffering a whole range of specific chronic diseases. Those teaching and running the Institute are the most magnificent joyful human beings, their library a rich historical source of early yoga material showing the lines of introduction of yoga as therapy to the USA. Case Studies are initially assessed and then allocated a class dealing with their disease.

The question on everyone’s lips was “is this Yoga Therapy”? Such a healing community

running for a hundred years bringing benefit to thousands of lives and clearly healing many -

was it practicing Yoga or Yoga Therapy? They were not convinced of there being a difference

and so our team with its pre-determined concepts of Yoga Therapy were at this point

somewhat flummoxed. If the Yoga Institute has been offering a clearly successful healing

environment for a hundred years how did this differ from the provision of Yoga Therapy? Our

hosts were warm, joyous, nurturing and supportive leaders in this 100 year old therapeutic

Yoga Community seeking to understand how they might become recognised and accredited

as Providers of Yoga Therapy and recognised educators of Yoga and Yoga Therapy. Yet certain

key elements that underpin the “internationally understood” field of “Yoga Therapy” were

missing: the one-on-one customised practice based on the whole individual not the disease;

and instead the provision of classes focussing on people with a disease such as asthma;

diabetes; hypertension; obesity etc. setting out to target the disease and improve people’s

lives. Yet the historical files provide evidence that this works and the question still remains,

is it Yoga Therapy or is it something else, such as therapeutic yoga, and if so what is the

difference? Furthermore this question touches on the legitimacy of calling one thing Yoga

Therapy and another form of healing with Yoga, not Yoga Therapy. For me it raised questions

around that greyish boundary and coming to terms in understanding the power of Yoga as

an extraordinary healing tool, when does it become Yoga Therapy and when is it not,

especially in light of an evidence base of successful healing? This is most certainly thought

provoking.

We spent a day and a half in the magnificent oasis of the Institute situated amongst the well

worn housing estate. We dined with our hosts, visited the extraordinary library of exquisite

cataloguing over the century, attended classes from asana to pranayama and listened to

most erudite philosophical lectures. Apart from the philosophy, very little fitted our learning

of yoga practice or of pranayama, yet hundreds of people were in attendance, participating

for the benefits of wellbeing. This was a thriving Yoga healing community impacting on

thousands of people over the century.

“The question on everyone’s lips was “is this Yoga Therapy”?

Such a healing community running for a hundred years

bringing benefit to thousands of lives and clearly healing many

- was it practicing Yoga or Yoga Therapy?”

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“We were given a

plethora of

literature, research

studies and evidence

all pointing to an

effective

management

program of yoga

healing.”

AAYT represented in India …… Con’t

It certainly threw my mind into questioning what elements within yoga can be attributed to

this commonality of healing experience, knowing also that a yoga practice that is

inappropriate for an individual can be more damaging than beneficial. Certainly, there is more

to it than meets the eye. We were given a plethora of literature, research studies and evidence

all pointing to an effective management program of yoga healing. The difficult question

remaining is whether this is Yoga Therapy and how is Yoga Therapy differentiated from such

a program of healing?

The Yoga Institutes’ Octogenarian, Mrs D, seen at the very centre of the picture at the end

of this article, was one of the most endearing and exuberant yogi characters I have met in a

long time: persuasive, energetic, dynamic and living proof of healthy ageing. Mrs D, insistent

in her lovely way, was asking these pertinent questions, wanting to know what further

evidence could demonstrate the effectiveness of this school of yoga healing, to be

recognised internationally as Yoga Therapy?

We left the Christmas Day celebration of 100 Years of the Yoga Institute on December 26th,

and headed eastward from Mumbai on the west Coast of India towards the Lonavala hillside

for the 9th International Conference on Yoga Healing, held in Kaivalyadhama. By now we

formed a team of six with two representatives from AAYT (Sarjit and I), two from IAYT, one

member originally from Germany and one from Sweden, arriving early for a major

discussion on the topic of “standards and accreditation”, a topic that filtered in and

throughout the research Conference.

The Conference was attended by many eminent yogi personalities and also Government

dignitaries, along with representatives from Medical and Scientific communities of India and

internationally. A key question to emerge from the four day summit, centred around “Why

standardise Yoga Therapy”? Furthermore there was some exciting debate around whether

there is difference between Yoga and Yoga Therapy, and what role these play in the field of

medical health, healing and well being. There was some consensus that whilst a yoga/therapy

healer requires a different mind set to a doctor, it was considered that they could co-exist and

interact together to benefit recipients within the health system, that being the main aim.

Dr Yogacharya Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani, Director of CYTER and ICYER pronounced “Yoga is

nothing but humanity. A Yogi simply defined as a Noble human being”. His work contrasts the

identification of people with their disease as a form of ‘pathogenesis’, identification with the

problem, compared with ‘salutogenesis’ identification with ease, or good health - aimed at

proactively reaching one’s full potential. “It is the identification with the problem that creates

a subjectivity” whereby Yoga therapy helps the individual to step back from such identification

with the problem.

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AAYT represented in India …Con’t

According to another Speaker Dr. Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Professor, Harvard Medical School,

“Yoga Teachers use techniques and awareness to stay healthy … to gain strong immune

glandular and nervous systems. This foundation gives you energy and lets you deal with

the mental and spiritual facets of your life”

Mr Goran Bol from Sweden, highlighted how his country has integrated Yoga Therapy

into the health care system and that of a population of 10 million people in Sweden, 1

million are practicing yoga, 17% of health care facilities have yoga therapists, 2,500

trained personnel are offering yoga therapy within the medical community, with 400 new

instructors each year. Yoga Therapy is being used in primary care problems, cardiac care,

rehabilitation, cancer care, psychiatry, palliative care. They used media attention to get

the word out to the general public, so that people started asking for yoga therapy.

In the Summit’s closed group discussion on standards for Yoga Therapy in India, three

basic principles were identified:

• They need to be “transparent, representative and inclusive”.

• The words to be clear to be about ‘standards’ not ‘standardisation’.

It was further suggested for India, that:

• There should be a professional scope of practices/competencies that are

designed for the practitioner to protect the public; and be accountable.

• They identify what current teaching professionals do and what the public

needs of them

• They offer clear understanding of the limitations of yoga for each individual

patient/ailment, and a general knowledge of all diseases.

• There must also be an understanding of the learning objectives, goals and their

contribution to the profession of yoga therapy.

• The group was in favour of ‘standards’ and not ‘standardization’ in the field of

yoga therapy and that the standards must reflect the heart of yoga.

These were unanimously agreed to by the 1,500 people in attendance at the Conference.

Certainly the sense I got from the conference is that Yoga Therapy needs a paradigm of

clear agreed theoretical frameworks and definitions that will cover:

• Knowledge and skills required, to understand the functional and dysfunctional

human system;

• Skills for assessing and diagnosing clients within such Yoga theoretical

frameworks and cognisant of modern medical frameworks

• Competency in designing and applying the potent tools of a customised Yoga

practice, for recipients’ specific needs and development often to compliment

modern medicine.

“Mr Goran Bol from Sweden,

highlighted how his country

has integrated Yoga Therapy

into the health care system

and that of a population of 10

million people in Sweden, 1

million are practicing yoga,

17% of health care facilities

have yoga therapists, 2,500

trained personnel are offering

yoga therapy within the

medical community, with 400

new instructors each year.”

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AAYT represented in India …… CONTINUED

Such Yoga Therapy is defined by way of not just relieving symptoms but also addressing deep seated issues that may then allow

the individual to reach their maximum potential in health and wellbeing. As stated by Dr Yogacharya Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

and referring to The Bhagavad Gita VI:23, “Yoga aims to regain our psycho-physiological balance by removing disharmony.

Dissociation from inherent tendencies of identification with suffering. This is Yoga”.

It was a fantastic background to commencing our own review of the AAYT Standards and the process of consultation that lies

ahead of us. currently in progress as led by the Accreditation Sub-Committee Members. A draft revision of the 2015 Standards,

to bring it in line with the 2017 IAYT Standards, and a clear focus on learning outcomes will be a major part of our consultative

work throughout early 2019.

It has propelled stimulation as we return to Australia to begin a whole gamut of activities for 2019, mostly instigated by your

feedback to our 2018 Member Survey: including online networks, to be organised by our new Committee member Tracy

Wootton; Education Webinars to be organised by the Education and Training Sub-committee led by Patricia Wigley, upgrade of

our Website and Member Facebook activities to be led by Anna Nolan - all making it a very exciting year ahead! Also a warm

welcome to Lee Bacharr-Adler who has recently joined the Committee and has offered to assist with her expertise in digital

advertising.

Best thoughts to everyone for the 2019 Year, a year of prosperity and growth in line with the Chinese Year of the little Pig!

Namaste!

Karine Shellshear

See SPECIAL OFFER in Workshop, Courses, Conferences section!

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2019 ACTION PLANS

The information collated from last year’s AAYT’s survey of members has

given the committee a clear guide to prioritise and implement action plans

for this year.

AAYT Member Networks: In response to your request for supportive

networks, we are pleased to announce the first of our monthly Zoom

meet-up webinars. The aim is to provide an opportunity for members to

connect with other AAYT yoga therapists, to get to know each other and

perhaps also help with any concerns fellow members may be experiencing

in their yoga therapy work

The inaugural Zoom meeting, to be held on Tuesday 19th March, will be

hosted by Tracy Wootton. As a new member of AAYT committee Tracy say

she’s excited to be involved with the implementation of this opportunity

for members to meet once a month for a chat. As a resident of regional

Queensland, she says “Some of us feel quite isolated and having a

community with which to share our ideas, problems and questions can go

a long way to inspiring confidence and a sense of belonging”.

Tracy has emailed Zoom invites to all current members and is looking

forward to meeting you at this first AAYT Member online get-together.

DATE: 19th March

Times: 10.00 am AEST (Queensland)

11.00 am AEDT (NSW, Victoria, Tasmania)

10.30 am ACDT (South Australia) 8.00 am AEWT (Western Australia)

All you need to do is download the Zoom app on to your computer/tablet

or smart phone. There is no need to set up a Zoom account in order to

participate. Here’s the link: www.zoom.us/

“Some of us feel quite

isolated and having a

community with which to

share our ideas, problems

and questions can go a

long way to inspiring

confidence and a sense of

belonging”

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2019 Action plans

CPD webinars … coming soon: A programme of expert

presenters drawn from AAYT Members, Council of Advisors and

other leading Yoga Therapy teachers and practitioners has been

put together to cover a range of Continuing Education topics.

The platform will be via Zoom Webinar with recordings available

after presentations. Full details TBA.

Website: AAYT Website upgrades and improvements are a

priority for action and this urgent need was clearly evident over

the December-January renewal period with a range of problems

encountered by members trying to renew online. A log of the

recent technical ‘glitches’, along with members’ suggestions for

improvement, has been sent to our website host SmartArts with

a request for a quote on essential upgrades .We are also looking

at other website design/ service provider options to implement

a long overdue AAYT website ‘new look’ makeover with more

‘user-friendly’ functions. This major AAYT Website restructure is

expected to be a significant expenditure for this year’s AAYT

budget.

The AAYT Brochure: Opinion on the AAYT brochure that was

developed in 2017 is divided among members. Many have found

it useful in promoting their Yoga Therapy work, while others

would like some changes made. The brochure will be re-

designed and edited for the next print run

AAYT Newsletter: A pleasing outcome of the survey was

the very warm response to the AAYT Newsletter with the

majority of respondents indicating that they look forward

to reading it. Many members responded positively to the

survey question about contributing to the newsletter.

Satyamo Roberts in Tasmania was one of them and she has

written an article for this issue in 2019 about the Yoga

Sound and Song therapy work she does. Our aim is to have

an article from at least one member in each issue and we

already have other insightful contributions lined up for

following newsletters.

AAYT Membership & Education Standards: The survey

results show that members value the specialised training of

Yoga Therapists and representation by a professional

association focused on the related education standards

that distinguish yoga therapy from generalised

understandings of yoga. AAYT is in the process of

reviewing and upgrading the 2015 Standards to improve

and to align with IAYT's 2017 Standards (and any future

IAYT amendments). The AAYT Accreditation Sub-

Committee began revising in 2018 for a consultation draft,

currently seeking feedback from our Advisory Council, IAYT

and other specialists, for further refinement before

consulting with the field. The revised draft will be ready to

go to Training Providers and interested Members in April

2019. We look forward to your thoughtful feedback

towards improving and clarifying accreditation standards

and processes.

NDIS: The Committee is seeking AAYT recognition as an

NDIS Provider and recognition of Yoga Therapy as a

support activity. Progress in a complex environment is slow,

but is progressing.

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‘Yoga Sound & Song’ is the name I have given to my (small) business and for the workshops and retreats, courses and individual sessions I offer. I also run my programs for other organisations and within other events, such as the annual Women’s Nurturing Retreat held by Satyananda Yoga in Tasmania. I am qualified and accredited as a Music Therapist and Music Psychotherapist, plus being a Senior Instructor of Yoga, and an

Accredited Yoga Therapist with AAYT. My main area of interest is mental health; we are all susceptible to difficulties with mental health/happiness … in some ways, all of yoga is a mental health process, leading us towards enlightenment through the minefields of our complex personal psyches. Yoga is mastery of the mind.

Yoga Sound & Song Yoga Therapy in Mental Health

“Nada Yoga recognises that we are creatures of vibration; in fact

all life consists of vibrating energy fields.”

Over the years I have evolved ways to combine these modalities of music and yoga both for myself and in my work with others,

largely via the concepts of Nada Yoga, the classical branch of yoga that utilises sound vibration (including mantra) and music as

pathways to meditative states, and ultimately to spiritual enlightenment.

Nada Yoga recognises that we are creatures of vibration; in fact all life consists of vibrating energy fields. By using sound in a

conscious intentional way, we can influence and shape the quality of our personal vibrating energy field.

Drawing from concepts of yogic psychology (and ‘mindfulness’), we can understand that practices which take us away from the

domineering mental chatter, anxieties, stress, memories…and into the here and now experience of ‘being’, open up areas of the

brain or areas of consciousness that are expansive, creative, and healthy for us. This is where we find the self-connection, the

grounded stability that can help us feel both relaxed and empowered, ‘switching on’ the healing aspects of the nervous system.

The practices I tend towards utilising in the mental health setting are firstly simple breath awareness, allowing the natural breath to

be free and ‘watching that’. This self-witnessing is a powerful practice in that it creates a level of detachment from the body…allowing

the living body to breathe freely and simply observing that, being the witness, ‘drashta’. This detachment logically leads to inner

awareness, realising that we have consciousness within the living body. So we may arrive at the fundamental duality of yoga, the

‘inner and outer selves’. Awareness of breath brings us into the present moment of life… being in the moment, recognising that

everything else is a thought, a memory…thus, re-shaping reality. This breath awareness can remain present throughout the entire

yoga practice session, regardless of what physical practice / asana is chosen.

Secondly, the sensation of body weight is of prime importance throughout the mental health yoga class; the connection to earth,

the downward-moving base chakra energy, anchoring us to earth. Surrendering ourselves to this earth connection is an important

mental concept for anyone seeking security and stability in their lives.

By Satyamo (Judy Roberts)

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“Two pranayama

practices fit very well

into this ‘sound

mindfulness’ approach.

One is Ujjayi, and the

other is Bhramari. Both

of these practices create

vocal sound vibration,

both are soothing and

calming, sedating.”

“We’d love you to share what you are doing in yoga therapy.

Please contact us about an article you would like to submit.

Yoga Sound & Song Yoga Therapy in Mental Health…CONTINUED

Listening to the sounds of the environment: whatever is happening ‘in the moment’,

whether that’s nature sounds, traffic, people moving around, whatever… witnessing the

‘here and now’ environment has a very beneficial effect on state of mind, giving the mind

something to do, feeling the breath at the same time, simply ‘being’.

Two pranayama practices fit very well into this ‘sound mindfulness’ approach. One is Ujjayi,

and the other is Bhramari. Both of these practices create vocal sound vibration, both are

soothing and calming, sedating. Quite often I will have the group standing upright for

pranayama, as many people are not physically comfortable sitting, and also to maintain the

earth connection through the feet; being like a tree. With Bhramari, sharing the practice

with ears open works well in mental health groups, so they can all hear each other more

easily, enjoy the beauty of the group sound. Having ears open also prevents the possibility

of claustrophobia amongst people with delicate mental health.

During the final relaxation, I invite the group to imagine something positive, to send energy

to their own healing process or to remember themselves feeling at peace, happy…while I

chant a Sanskrit mantra, such as the wonderful Gayatri Mantra. The use of a Sanskrit mantra

subtly adds healing and consciousness-raising power (Shakti) to the relaxation practice.

This is a beautiful part of the class and people often comment on how much they enjoy

being bathed in the vibration of the mantra while being deeply relaxed. Listening to the

sound of the chant is like being sung to by the mother, being held and deeply nurtured;

participants leave the room with smiles on their faces, grounded and mentally prepared for

the rest of the day.

For the past few years I have been holding a ‘Sound & Silence’ residential retreat at Dorje

Ling, which is a beautiful venue in the central north of Tasmania. This year, the Sound &

Silence dates are March 22-27, with a 3-day or 5-day option.

Please feel free to contact me with enquiries about this retreat or any other aspect of my

work. Let me know if you would like to be on my contact list for future workshops and

retreats… thank you.

Sending OM’s …

Satyamo (Judy Roberts) www.yogasoundandsong.com.au

Satyamo (Judy Roberts)

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The Role of Breath in Yoga Therapy Sessions with Clients

We’ve all been there. Feeling tired, distracted by the numerous items still waiting on the

to-do list (including a meeting with the accountant – that’s rarely fun) and possibly feeling

mildly anxious waiting for the next client to arrive. You know that in a few minutes the client

will be here with her basket of concerns and an expectation that you’re going to take care

of them all.

Now she’s sitting with you on the mat and you’re staring blankly, grasping at straws to make

semi-coherent responses. The curse of the distracted mind!

You’re not alone. In fact, a recent study sampled over 2,000 adults during their day-to-day

activities and found that 47 percent of the time, their minds were not focused on what they

were currently doing. Even more striking, when people’s minds were distracted, they

reported being less happy.

This information has significance for us as therapists on a number of levels: self-care, the

therapeutic relationship and consequently client care.

Distractedness itself can help strengthen our ability to focus, if it’s leveraged properly.

Fortunately as Yoga practitioners we are informed and practiced in the age old skills that

are now popularly referred to as mindfulness training. What seems like a recent avalanche

of research into this area, is shedding light on the host of cognitive and emotional benefits

that come with a more focused mind.

We know that for thousands of years, contemplative practices such as meditation/yoga

have provided a means to look inward and inquire into our mental processes. It’s not

uncommon for beginners to be instructed to keep their attention on a single object, very

often the physical sensations associated with breathing.

“We train the mind, heart,

and body to become settled

and unified on one thing, at

one time. Yet how often

have we been doing our

personal practice and

concurrently planning next

week’s class or trying to

work out what we’ve eaten

to make our hamstrings be

especially tight today.”

Mindfulness of breathing is a powerful ally in our work as well as our personal lives. Because of the mind’s tendency to be easily

distracted, we use the breath as a kind of anchor to the here and now moment. When we rest in the breath, we are countering the

strong forces of distraction. We train the mind, heart, and body to become settled and unified on one thing, at one time. Yet how

often have we been doing our personal practice and concurrently planning next week’s class or trying to work out what we’ve eaten

to make our hamstrings be especially tight today.

In our distraction, we all too easily lose touch with a sense of all of ourselves (and therefore all of our possibilities) in that moment.

In this article I’d like to propose that the practice of breath awareness and its implications for our mindful presence are:

• a potent contributor to the building of what has been termed therapeutic presence, that supports the development of a

truly therapeutic relationship with our clients.

• an essential self care practice that we can use while are in the company of our clients, as well as going about our daily

lives.

11

The Role of Breath in Yoga Therapy …. Con’t

From a purely mechanical point of view, as yoga teachers we all know that our bodies naturally maintain a balance between carbon

dioxide and oxygen but when we are stressed we often begin to breathe very quickly (hyperventilate) and end up taking in more

oxygen than we need. This triggers a number of chemical changes that are harmless enough but produce symptoms such as

lightheadedness and confusion. When we are in a session with our client, especially when she is presenting with challenging

problems, loss of mental clarity can occur. These harmless symptoms are then often (incorrectly) perceived by us as evidence of our

lack of knowledge and ability, feeding feelings of anxiety and self doubt. We already know that Breath Awareness helps us calm

down and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.

Therapeutic Presence and Self Care

Therapeutic presence is understood in part to be the bringing of one’s whole self into the encounter with a client, being completely

in the moment - physically, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually. Many years ago while I was attending an intensive with Mr.

Desikchar, he was asked by a participant what he (Mr Desikchar) used as the focus of his meditation. His reply was profound, “At the

moment it’s you”.

Being fully present means being grounded in one’s self, while being open and receptive to verbal and visual feedback from the client,

and as such is an essential quality underlying effective therapy.

Throughout the session with a client we are attuning to our own bodymind experience in

order to access knowledge, professional skill, and embodied wisdom. Jon Kabat Zinn tells

us in many ways that the simple discipline of breath awareness brings us back to the present

moment and all the richness of experience that it contains.

Being fully in the moment, open and receptive to the depth of a clients’ experiencing, helps

us to be more empathic, attuned and genuine, as well as in contact with our own experience

of being with the client. In cultivating this way of being we help our clients feel open and

safe to explore their own internal world while deepening a collaborative therapeutic

relationship between us.

The reality is we are all active interpreters of our experience, continually interpreting the

world around us according to our own view of it, and this includes how we see the client

before us.

All observations have assumptions – we are never assumption free. By being mindfully

aware of our own breathbody we are better able to be present for and attend to our client

– both of us just noticing, describing – not explaining, and not pre-judging. In doing so we

can become accurately informed about our clients circumstances and needs, while at the

same time helping the client develop a new way of relating to their experience

eg pain/suffering.

It is useful to consider what takes us away from being fully present when we are with our

client. Stress, excessive planning or thinking, self-neglect, unresolved issues or difficult

emotions are all obstacles to the effective therapeutic relationship.

As the therapist, the power of being fully in the present moment requires us to first

recognise the clutter of our own habitual styles of thinking. Particular cognitive processes

that arise for both therapist and client are:

“We train the mind, heart,

and body to become settled

and unified on one thing, at

one time. Yet how often

have we been doing our

personal practice and

concurrently planning next

week’s class or trying to

work out what we’ve eaten

to make our hamstrings be

especially tight today.”

12

The Role of Breath in Yoga Therapy ….Con’t

Discrepancy monitoring: the tendency to want things to be other than they are. Have you

ever felt frustration with a client’s lack of progress or non-compliance? Has a client ever

expressed frustration with their circumstances?

Cognitive reactivity: the habitual falling into negative content, interpretation and belief –

both client and therapist

Rumination: the tendency to get caught up in repetitive thinking, trying to solve a problem

that can’t be resolved by more thinking.

Catastrophizing: in challenging situations expecting disaster and automatically imagining

the worst possible outcome

Mind Reading: convincing yourself that you know what other people (perhaps the client)

are thinking and feeling, and why they act the way they do, without actual evidence.

Being the eternal expert: being constantly on guard, when being wrong isn’t an option,

you’re continually on trial to defend your opinions and actions. As therapists is it possible

this might be born from a lack of self confidence, self worth?

So if all of this is what takes us away from an authentic therapeutic presence, what will

bring us back?

Because mindful breath awareness can dramatically affect our ability to be fully present, it

can help us get ‘unstuck’ from those obstacles that plague us all from one time or another.

By increasing our awareness of breathing we enhance our capacity for insight and are better

able to make responsible choices; this can transform the quality of our connection to our

self and our clients. Recent findings in neuroscience show that our brain is a relationship

organ; we are relational beings at heart. Therefore when we practice

mindfulness of breath we facilitate healthy intra- and interpersonal connections –

therapeutic presence and relationships.

At the intensive referred to earlier, Mr.Desikchar was asked by another of the participants, “Sir, how will I know if my yoga practice

is going well?” to which Mr. Desikchar replied, “Look at your relationships”. When we practice breath awareness again and again,

we can learn to let go of the assumptions and fears that freeze the mind and heart. There is no need to force the breath but instead

to use the gentle power of repeatedly, non judgmentally returning to, and resting with the natural breath.

Try this:

While others are speaking, practice letting go of your own ideas, judgments and analyzing, and return to listening receptively. Let

your listening be wholehearted and attentive. We either pay attention to what we hear, or you think about what we hear, so when

you notice you’ve been distracted, bring your attention first to you own breath-body - “the body within the body,” as the Buddha

recommends. Holding that open spacious breath awareness, guide your listening attention back to your client, returning a whole

hearted, active therapeutic presence.

“So if all of this is what

takes us away from an

authentic therapeutic

presence, what will bring us

back?”

“...bring your attention first to you own

breath-body - “the body within the body,”

13

The Role of Breath in Yoga Therapy ….Con’t

When we focus attention on the Breathbody:

• The awareness settles down beneath the surface mind chatter into a more

spacious open place. The mind can’t think and perceive at the same time so the

more you focus on perceiving, the more the chatter ‘volume’ is turned down.

Presence and clarity return.

• The respiratory rate slows down and breathing becomes more stable. As the

mind and breathing become calm and a rhythmic diaphragmatic breathing pattern

is established, balance is restored to the autonomic nervous system.

• A subtle release is experienced in the body and it returns to its natural state of

relaxed alertness, because the brain stops sending demands for action. Through

this we will cultivate our innate skills to access intellectual knowledge with

discrimination, enabling us to respond with freshness to all the moments of our

therapeutic relationships as they unfold.

Sal Flynn’s work takes her to Melbourne, Sydney, Byron Bay and

Brisbane where she specializes in teaching Mindfulness practices, I s

a Yoga therapist, psychotherapist and educator. Her training blends

Yoga, psychotherapy, education and contemplative practice.

Underpinning her work is 32 years of practice and study in the eastern traditions, along with education

and internships in Western psychotherapy and Yoga therapies in Australia and India. Sal is trained to

deliver John Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and MBCT programs and has a

private psychotherapy practice. She trained yoga teachers for 7 years at Nature Care College and was

a lecturer and Group Therapist at Jansen Newman Institute for 5 years. Sal delivers the Graduate

Certificate in Yoga Therapy and Mindfulness Based Yoga Therapy and Counselling Skills Courses in

Sydney and Brisbane for Enlightened Events. She is also a member of the teaching team at The Centre

for Existential Practice.

Vata Kitchari Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup white basmati rice

½ cup organic yellow split mung dal or whole green mung beans

4 cups water

3 tablespoons ghee

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 pinches hing (asafoetida)

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 stick kombu (seaweed—you can substitute a little wakame—one “leaf” per pot of soup) Directions:Wash rice and mung dal and soak for three hours or overnight. Drain soak water. In a saucepan, warm the ghee over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and ginger, and sauté for one to two minutes. Add rice and mung beans and sauté for another couple of minutes. Then add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once the kitchari has come to a boil, add the salt, hing, turmeric, and seaweed, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until everything is tender (approx. 30–45 minutes). If you need to add more water to prevent scorching, please do so. The consistency should be that of a vegetable stew as opposed to a broth. Garnish with fresh cilantro and add salt to taste. You may add a little chutney to make it tastier. Credit for this recipe goes to www.BayanBotaniclas.com

Credit: Brokeh Light Photography

Autumn Vata Air & Space

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Autumn and Vata

I know it’s still pretty hot (in Sydney), but there is a definite change in the air. Autumn is upon us and I can feel the

imbalance of vata that can come with its season of air and space elements. I’m noticing that my skin is drying a

little, my digestion has become irregular, my sleep more scatty and I’m a little anxious. I am a vata/pitta dosha type

with a dominance to vata, but it didn’t occur to me that this was the cause of these changes until it hit me, then I

was like…..of course, it’s vata and it’s Autumn!

If you are like me or you have vata dominant students, you may need to remember to slow down and begin

nourishing. Nourishing the digestion with warm naturally sweet foods, nourishing the skin with oils, nourishing the

mind with mindfulness and meditation, slowing down your practice to include more grounding poses that also

stimulate your large intestines and lungs.

It’s interesting and comforting to know that in the Chinese meridian system, which one could say is almost as old

as Ayurveda, Autumn governs the large intestines and lungs. These organs are greatly affected by the air element,

confirming that these two ancient modalities are on similar paths.

While the air element is about inspiration, change and movement, if you already have too much air in your

constitution an imbalance can occur. Common symptoms will be a ‘flighty’ mind, light sleep, disturbed digestion

and drying skin. All of which I was experiencing.

Delving into my understanding of the Panca Vayus and the Gunas I could confirm what was going on… a vata

imbalance. So, now I am having more easily digestible food to balance my digestion, along with other Vata pacifying

practices such as oil massage and calming Yoga techniques.

A delicious Kitchari recipe for vata imbalance is featured on the previous page and while I often forget about the

amazing and soothing benefits of Kitchari, I do use some of the same principles to start my day. For example this

morning I had brown rice, miso paste, stewed apples and carrots, topped with sunflower seeds and gomasio for

breakfast. It’s actually quite delicious and packed with nutrients and minerals! What changes do you make for the

season and do you have any recipes to share?

Love, Light and Mungbeans from Samantha

“Do you have a recipe you

would like to share?”

15

Here is a great SPECIAL OFFER for you (I snapped it up!)

Access to the livestreamed 'Yoga as Therapy ' conference from December 2018.

Speakers were:

Dr. Ganesh Rao of Act Yoga.

Goran Boll of MediYoga, Sweden. John Kepner of International Association of Yoga

Therapists, USA. Swami Anubhavananda, Mumbai. Dr. Kausthub Desikachar, KHYF, India. Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavnani of ICYER, Pondicherry. Dr. Dilip Sarkar, MD, FACS, D. LITT.( Yoga), US

Eric Grossel, Asst. Professor, University of California, USA

Dr. Luciano Bernardi, Italy

Swami, Nirmalananda, Bihar School of Yoga.

There is about 23 hours of video content, to learn from and get clarity on various aspects of yoga therapy.

Now it’s available at 57% discount for a limited period till 28th February 2019. International pricing is $15 after discount. Your access is unlimited - meaning you will have access for many years, to slowly delve into the content.

Go to https://kdhamlive.com , use the subscribe button on the site and enter your details and the discount code.

Discount code: SPECIALOFFER.

Warm regards Kdham Live Team at KaivalyaDhama.

SPECIAL OFFER

16

Āgamā Yoga Centre

2019 Post Graduate Studies.

March: Saturday 30th 1.30pm – 5.00pm (3hrs): Introduction to the Elements

Sunday 31st [whole day] 9am – 5pm (6hrs): Asana and the Elements.

May: Sunday 5th 9am – 5pm: Pranayama and the Elements

August: Sunday 18th 9am – 5pm: Pratyahara and the Elements

October: Sunday 20th 9am – 5pm: Meditative Practice and the Elements

December: Sunday 1st 9am – 5pm: Review – Using asana, pranayama, pratyahara, and meditative practices

inspired by the elements. Yoga and the Elements.

Cost: 1⁄2 Day $65; 1 Day $100; 1 1⁄2 Day $140; 5½ Days $450

Additional opportunities for Post Graduate Study with KYM Teachers:

June 15 & 16: Post Graduate Weekend with KYM [Sangeetha]. Price on application

November 16 & 17: Post Graduate Weekend with KYM [Nrithya]. Price on application.

Expressions of Interest:

Email info@agamayogacentre.com.au Mobile: 0439 358 021

www. http://agamayogacentre.com.au. Āgamā Yoga Centre - 216 Richardson Street. Middle Park. Victoria. 3206

17

18

“The thing that I find different about Yoga Therapy, is that it’s self

empowered and it happens from the inside out…” Amy Wheeler PhD

ASSESSING AND BALNCING

THE HUMAN SYSTEM with Amy

Wheeler Ph.D

This workshop will teach you a simple and effective method to assess yourself, clients and students. The assessment will focus on observation and interviewing in relation to the 5 layers of the human system: physical body, breath, mental, personality and emotions.

Once you learn the techniques to asses the client, you will practice these techniques to balance each one of the layers. Although the assessment system comes from Ayurveda and Yoga, it can be used by almost any mental or physical healthcare provider. This is an experiential workshop to greatly benefit you both personally and professionally.

August 9-11, 2019 Central Melbourne area, location TBD Early Bird fee $455 (incl GST) - closes 9th June, 2019 Full fee $49 https://www.janetlowndes.com.au/amy-wheeler-workshop to register: info@janetlowndes.com.au

“Although the assessment system comes from Ayurveda and Yoga, it can be used by almost any mental or physical healthcare provider.”

19

20

The Yoga Therapy Conference in Amsterdam on May

10 + 11, 2019

Saraswathi Vasudevan.

BYRON BAY SEMINAR 8 -10 November 2019

(Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) and.... a very

special RESIDENTIAL RETREAT, The Path to Inner

Freedom: Yoga Sutra studies, Practice and

Reflection, 13 -17 November 2019.

Both these programs will be led by the inimitable

Saraswathi Vasudevan.

Saraswathi during her recent tour

The topic of this upcoming conference is 'The Science of Human Connection'. The program is diverse and covers the whole range of topics from the polyvagal theory and the gunas to the fundamental science (neurophysiology) of social bonds to applications in yoga therapy. We are very happy and proud with the list of our top international speakers, including Stephen Porges, Ganesh Mohan, Sue Carter, Leigh Blashki, Lisa Kaley, Marlysa Sullivan and many more. Moreover we invite poster presentations about yoga research and practical applications of yoga therapy. See the website for the abstracts, the program and more. https://theyogatherapyconference.com/

21

President: Karine Shellshear, Yoga

Therapist

Georgina Green: Yoga Therapist

Vice President: Patricia Wigley, Yoga

Therapist

Membership Secretary: Anna Nolan,

Yoga Therapist

Secretary: Virginia Kirton, Yoga

Therapist

Sarjit Tory: Treasurer, Yoga

Therapist

Libbie Nelson: Healthie Moves,

Physiotherapist and Yoga

Therapist

Samantha Bijok: Austral Yoga

Studio Yoga Therapist -

promotions

Tracy Wootton: Maleny

Mountain Yoga, Yoga

Therapist

Therese Lew: Yoga Remedy,

Yoga Therapist

AAYT BOARD MEMBERS

Lee Bach-Adler: Yoga Therapist