Australian Yoga Therapy Conference 2011

The Role of Yoga in Promoting Health and Preventing Disease

Dr. Shirley Telles is the world’s most prominent Yoga researcher. Shirley is the Director of Research at Patanjali Yogpeeth, Hardwar, India, and Head, Indian Council of Medical Research Center for Advanced Research in Yoga and Neurophysiology at Bangalore, a federal research centre of excellence.

In this keynote presentation, Dr. Shirley Telles will present cutting-edge, scientific research that shows the effect of Yoga, on a range of prevalent conditions.

Building a Research Agenda for Yoga Therapy in Australia

Professor Cohen currently leads one of the Western world’s largest Yoga research collaborations. In this presentation, Marc will discuss the methodological, funding, strategic and practical issues in performing Yoga therapy research in Australia, using examples of completed and ongoing research.

Integrating Yoga Therapy into mainstream healthcare

Integrative Medicine is developing in Australia and around the world as an approach to healthcare which integrates the best of conventional healthcare along with lifestyle advice and evidence-based complementary therapies. It is holistic in its focus with an emphasis on wellness and prevention and not just the treatment of disease. Yoga therapy, embedded as a traditional healing system with a holistic focus, is ideally placed within the Integrative Medicine paradigm. This presentation will explore the potential for developing greater mutual understanding between the medical and Yoga therapy fraternities for the benefit of patients in terms of health outcomes, quality of life and expenses.

Clinical applications of Yoga for Medical and Mental Health Professionals

Consultant Neurophysiologist, Sleep Scientist, Certified Yoga Teacher, Life Member and Fellow of the “World Society For Clinical Yoga” with over 30 years of experience in classes, personal tuition & counselling in Yoga, Meditation, Relaxation and Stress Management (M.B.T.I. Accredited). He holds science degrees in Psychology and Physiology from the University of Adelaide, with honours in Physiology, completed in The Centre for Sleep Research at The Queen Elizabeth hospital in Adelaide.

Yoga Psychology - A Framework for Mental Health

Michael is a senior Yoga teacher and President of Yoga Australia, an accredited Yoga Teacher Trainer with the Krishnamacharya Healing and Yoga Foundation (KHYF), a member of the Australian Association of Yoga Therapists (AAYT) and the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT). He is also a registered specialist Counselling Psychologist. This presentation will include an interactive discussion on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras as a complete model of the mind, behavioural change, and mental health - a complete model of yoga psychology.

Healing from the inside out - Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy in the treatment of cancer

In the Vedic traditions of India, Ayurveda and Yoga are sister sciences. Both sciences take a holistic view of the human being and aim to harmonise body, mind and spirit interactions in the individuals life. Both sciences acknowledge the innate healing potential that is the birth-rite of every person. This presentation will demonstrate how these sciences can be used in the clinical setting to improve outcomes on the management of people with cancer. Ayurveda looks at how we can create for ourselves a strong basis for healing through healthy diet and lifestyle - a diet and lifestyle appropriate for our unique individual body-type, season and tempered by our intuition.

Breast cancer and secondary arm lymphoedema

Annette has extensive experience in teaching women with breast cancer. She has produced a ground-breaking DVD, ‘Yoga after Breast Cancer’. Annette is currently undertaking research on ‘The effects of Yoga on women with secondary arm lymphoedema’ at the University of Tasmania. An experienced teacher, presenter and researcher, she will outline her considerable experience in this field. This talk will outline the results of the considerable research into the effects of an integrated Yoga practice on women receiving treatment and after treatment for breast cancer. Annette will outline Yoga practices and appropriate modifications for each stage of treatment for both primary and secondary breast cancer. Annette will include a section on how to adapt Yoga for women with secondary arm lymphoedema.

Yoga Therapeutics Recreate your Body, Redesign your Life

Andrew Wells is a leading pioneer in how to use yoga as a therapeutic tool to optimise key lifestyle issues such as relationships, wealth and life goals, as well as healing destructive thought-forms behind major dis-ease. Would you like to transform the destructive thought patterns behind a major disease? Rebuild your relationships from the inside out? Revolutionise your ability to handle wealth or manifest your dreams? Or just simply reinvent yourself because you can? This presentation includes experiential Yoga and meditation (suitable for any level of experience), recent research results and case studies.

Understanding Nadis and Mudras in Yoga from the perspective of Western medicine

Simon Borg-Olivier is a director of YogaSynergy, one of Australia’s oldest and most respected yoga schools. Simon is a registered physiotherapist, University lecturer and keynote speaker at international conferences.

Nadis are subtle channels in the body that include nerves and acupuncture meridians. Mudras help control the movement of energy and information through the nadis. By understanding how to tension (lengthen) nerves, you can enhance the movement of information and energy through these main regulators and controllers of the body. 

Pranic Healing and Mantra Yoga Therapy - Awakening the Healing Power Within

Dr Swami Shankardev Saraswati is a western medical doctor, Yoga Acharya (authority), Yoga therapist, author and teacher. In this presentation, Dr Swami Shankardev Saraswati will explain how you can use posture, breath and awareness to activate and move the life-force (prana) in order to heal various chronic physical and psychological illnesses. He will discuss Mantra yoga with a strong emphasis on the use of prana combined with mantra to awaken healing power and higher consciousness.

Exploring assessment in Yoga Therapy embracing both the Western and Eastern Paradigm

Libbie Nelson is a Yoga teacher and therapist practicing and living in Byron Bay, Australia. Libbie is a registered physiotherapist now working at Bangalow Physiotherapy. This background gives her a unique skill-base for using Yoga therapeutically. Libbie has trained with BKS Iyengar and is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher. She has also studied intensively with A.G. and Indra Mohan, as well as Judith Lasater and Donna Farhi.

Panel Discussion - What is Yoga Therapy?

Jennifer Schrader has been on the committee of the Australian Association of Yoga Therapists (AAYT) since its inception and currently holds the position of President. Jennifer is speaking on the panel What is Yoga Therapy.