Yoga Therapy Course

Yoga Therapy is a holistic approach aimed at improving one’s well-being naturally in a non-invasive way. We are introducing a 100-hour live online course on Yoga Therapy taught by Swami Yogaratna and Sudeepta Shanbagh.
Here’s a short talk we had with Swami Yogaratna recently about her vast and varied experience as a Yoga practitioner and teacher for over 35 years and about the therapeutic benefits of practising Yoga.

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100 hours

Sat/Sun

Wed

Starting August 15, 2021

Till December 15, 2021

Price

45000 INR/ 750 USD (for residents outside India)

What is Yoga Therapy?

Yoga as therapy uses yoga asanas, pranayama, yoga nidra, diet, shatkarma and lifestyle changes to develop a strong mind-body connection and improve overall health.
It is a multidimensional and holistic approach to address one’s imbalance or illness through a personalized Yoga practice aimed at improving well-being in a natural, non-invasive and progressive way. Yoga therapy can not only be preventive or curative but can also serve as a means to facilitate healing at all levels.

 

What will you learn?

In this course, Swami Yogaratna and Sudeepta Shanbhag will guide us through the entire process of working with students with ailments. We will start with techniques of interviewing the student, gathering information and understanding the ailment and then supporting the student through the process of therapy. Then we move on to designing the class plan with components of shatkarma, asana, pranayama, yoga nidra, diet and lifestyle changes. An essential part of this course is to understand the mind-body connection and how to use that information to heal the body and shift the mind or rather, let the body-mind complex heal itself. We will then review each of the practices recommended for that ailment, experiencing the various aspects, learning how to use shatkarma, asana, pranayama and yoga nidra for that condition. You will be given a sample of class plans for each condition.

 

Content:

  1. Yoga Nidra Foundation Course
  2. Psychosomatic illness and the mind-body connection
  3. Body framework: bones, muscles, joints, spine, back pain and osteo+rheumatoid Arthritis
  4. Digestive System: Gastric problems
  5. Respiratory system: Asthma and allergies
  6. Cardiovascular problems: High BP, heart problems, stress
  7. Endocrine system: Reproductive health for men and women, thyroid, diabetes
  8. Head and neck:  Eye health, neck ailments
  9. The Mind: Mental and emotional wellbeing – depression, anxiety, cancer

About the Teachers

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Swami Yogaratna Saraswati

This course has been designed by Swami Yogaratna who has over 35 years of experience working with students who have had various health ailments. These ailments have ranged from physical injuries to mental and emotional traumas. One of the main principles behind yoga therapy is the restoration of energy flow within the body, thereby removing blocks to help the body heal itself. Swami Yogaratna aims to help people relieve their suffering and develop themselves through the awareness and the science of Yoga. Swamiji has helped students complement their medical regimen with yoga practices to manage pain, discomfort and promote healing. This course will equip you with all the tools necessary to work with students using yogasanas (postures), pranayama (breathwork), visualization practices and yoganidra, and lifestyle and diet recommendations.Swami Yogaratna is renowned for her Yoga Nidra sessions and has created advanced practices specific to supporting her students in their journey to recovery from ailments.


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Sudeepta Shanbhag

The “body and energy systems” part of this course will be taught by Sudeepta Shanbhag. This will include the western and eastern understanding of the body and its organ systems and their functioning. Sudeepta studied movement in different forms from dance to aerobics and over the years she began to piece together the different parts of the puzzle making the connections between body movement and mental and emotional wellbeing. Yoga in all its forms has supported her through her own life’s journey and a major health crisis. Sudeepta has been working with children with special needs for several years through Prafull Oorja Charitable trust and with kids with cancer at Kidwai hospital – a program designed by Swami Yogaratna. She has also worked with adults with ailments and injuries to improve mobility and emotional resilience. She believes that movement and breathwork are the first steps to developing self-awareness and that yoganidra can open the doorway to getting in touch with the inner self, recognising our mental patterns and helping us heal at a deep level.


Course Breakup and Pricing


M.No. Module No.of Hours Price for Residents in Indians(INR) Price for Residents outside India($) Dates
Contact Curriculum
1Yoga Nidra Foundation Course76500100August 15, 2021-August 19, 2021
2Psychosomatic illness and the mind-body connection. Body framework: bones, muscles, joints, spine, back pain and osteo+rheumatoid Arthritis, Parkinsons, Muscular Dystrophy, Paralysis107500120September 4, 2021-September 5, 2021
3The Mind: Mental and emotional wellbeing – depression, anxiety, cancer107500120September 25, 2021-September 26, 2021
4Digestive System: Gastric problems - upper and lower86500100October 9, 2021-October 10, 2021
5Respiratory system: Asthma, Allergies, Covid76500100October 16, 2021-October 17, 2021
6Cardiovascular problems: High BP, heart problems, stress, obesity76500100November 6, 2021-November 7, 2021
7Endocrine system: Reproductive health for men and women, thyroid, diabetes, vitality86500100November 20, 2021-November 21, 2021
8Head and neck: Eye health, neck ailments76500100November 21, 2021-December 1, 2021
9Overview and Class planning100-
10Interviewing and listening to the student1.500December 5, 2021-December 12, 2021
11Chanting1.500-
Total time & price for Contact Curriculum 68 45000INR 750$
Non-contact Curriculum
12Reading material/HW1400-
13Student presentations, Research References of ailment and class plan1600-
Total time for course 98

What this course includes:

  • Yoga Nidra Foundation course (YNFC)
  • Ailments – Osteoarthritis, Back Pain, Digestive issues- diabetes, gastric issues, Respiratory System – asthma, frequent upper respiratory infections,  Cardiovascular system, Endocrine system- fertility, thyroid and other hormone imbalances, urogenital system, Head-neck-shoulder, Mental Health – anxiety, insomnia, depression, stress, negative thoughts
  • Total number of hours 100
  • 10 live contact hours for each of the 8 modules
  • Softcopy of course materials
  • Access to recordings for 3 months post the end of the course
  • Detailed sessions designed the way you would teach them for each ailment
  • Learning how to interview the student
  • A like-minded sangha with your cohort teachers

By the end of the course, you will have a

  • Basic background of the anatomy, physiology and pathologies of human body systems and selected ailments associated with them.
  • A practical yoga therapy program for the above-mentioned ailments.
  • Knowledge of how to interview, interact and be supportive to your students of yoga therapy.
  • A deeper understanding of the mind-body connection and how to use the mind to heal the body.
  • How to plan a program for someone with multiple ailments
  • How to recharge and balance yourself when you are surrounded by illness and people in pain and agony. Looking after yourself with a personal practice

Frequently Asked Questions

The total duration of this course is about 4 months, 100 hours including roughly 70 contact and 30 non-contact hours.
Classes will be conducted live on Zoom.
The first week of Yoga Nidra Foundation Course(YNFC) is a compulsory part of the course. If you have already done it, you can do it again as a revision because it is an essential component of therapy.
Yes, all sessions will be recorded and you will have access to them for up to 3 months after the course ends. The take-home exams will need to be submitted before this time period. 
5 hours each week - 2 hrs on a weekday (Wednesday) and 3 hrs on the weekend (Saturday/Sunday). Depending on the distribution of students across the world, we will pick a time that suits most. 
Wednesday Evening and Saturday/Sunday morning IST depending on the timezone of most students. 
Yoga Nidra Module: Aug. 15th-19th (Sunday- Thursday) 1.5 hrs per day for 5 days. Therapy Modules begin from Aug. 25th: 2 hrs on Wed and 3 hrs on Sat or Sunday. Timings will be decided based on the time zones of students attending the course.
Apart from 5 hrs of contact time per week, you will get homework of about 1-1.5 hrs each week. You will also have to present a topic as a group which will require about 6-10 hours of effort one time for the course. You can find out more about timings in the ‘Course Breakup & Pricing’ table above.
Yes, you can join specific modules instead of the whole course. However, Yoga Nidra Module in week 1 is compulsory.
Yes, you can! However, it is highly recommended that you have a foundation in the basics of yoga since we may sometimes use common yogic terms that non-practitioners may not know. For example, we may only review modifications and not every aspect of a pose. 
Yes, a soft copy of a certificate from Shankar Prasad Foundation will be provided on successful completion of the exam and presentation.
Yes, there will be a take-home exam at the end of the course. There will be assignments each week that will require about 1.5 hrs to complete. There will also be a presentation to be made in groups.
The pricing for the whole course including the pricing for specific modules is mentioned in the ‘Course breakdown and Pricing’ table above.
There are multiple books under suggested reading. For the course itself, all relevant content will be delivered in the lectures and demonstrations.
Please email all further questions and inquiries to care@sarveda.com

If you'd like to register for the course, please click on the 'Enrol' button. If you'd like to know more about this course, feel free to chat with us!

We at Sarveda believe in living a conscious, compassionate and healthy life inspired by the ancient wisdom of Yoga and Ayurveda. Our endeavour is to light up our lives with this sacred science of wellbeing. We strive to create valuable resources and promote products that embody this lifestyle: authentic, sustainable, earth-friendly, and organic.

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