This is a small course aimed at teaching yoga to people with mental health problems. It goes through some of the characteristics of the nervous system, the western and oriental views of mental health, and then offers a few oriented short yoga practices, four breathing exercises and three meditations. Although this course is perhaps a little on the ‘light’ side, I really like Jessica’s voice and the way she draws attention to being there for the students but also giving them some space. A nice little training.
“Make no assumptions about what the individual needs, although we go into our class armed with wisdom, knowledge, skills and a loving heart, it is important to remember that each individual is on their own unique journey in life and in their mental health. Our role is to empower our students to trust that they know what is best for themselves in any given moment. We can guide them through a yoga class, but we can also trust that the student has the natural wisdom within to know what is best for themselves individually on a physical, mental and emotional level and we as yoga teachers can create a safe space for students to get in touch with this inner knowing.”