A Different Type of Yoga Class

And isn’t there a kind of magic when we finally arrive? Not to some fantastical destination, but to the present moment. Isn’t there some kind of magic to finding home, not out there, but inside our minds and our bodies? And isn’t there the ultimate magic in coming back to this discovery, again and again?

This is the promise of cultivating mindfulness. It is also a promise that seems far-fetched for far too many. Many who live with panic, fear and uneasiness. Many whose hearts beat fast, and minds race even faster. Many who, many times, see little relief in sight.

I love working with these individuals. I love to teach them perspectives, tools, and strategies that can help them find peace along their journey. I love to watch them loosen the grip that anxiety has on them. I love to see them reclaim their wellbeing.

Fortunately for me, I get a front row seat to witness their journey. You see, I am a psychotherapist. I use a mindfulness-based approach to help individuals befriend themselves, feel at home in their mind and in their bodies, and put an end to the war against themselves. I only wish I could reach more people.

Don’t get me wrong—I adore what I do. But what about those who can’t afford therapy? There are too many people who may never access the resources gained through therapy. This is a big problem. They may even be the ones who need it most, and that breaks my heart.

What about those who are looking for alternative treatment options? Let’s face it, therapy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and there are holistic alternatives that are incredibly powerful as well (hint: more on this to come).

And what about those who legitimately need tools beyond therapy to manage their anxiety? It’s not uncommon for people to benefit from tools above and beyond talk-therapy.

Well, this is where a specialized yoga membership site can make a big difference. Yoga? Yes! If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you know full well just how precious those moments at the end of the class are. Now imagine if, at the end of each yoga class and with an open heart and open mind, you could listen to your yoga-teacher, who is also a mental health professional, share tailored evidence-based material that could help you find relief from your suffering. Right on your mat, feeling refreshed, energized, and relaxed, you could spend 10 minutes getting inspired and equipped with therapeutic content.

As a long-time yoga practitioner and a certified yoga teacher, I can vouch for the many benefits of a regular yoga practice both anecdotally and scientifically. Yoga is a proven mind-body practices that enhances wellbeing and is valuable for managing mental health.

The yoga classes I’m dreaming of in this membership site aren’t just regular yoga classes. They are yoga classes that end with psychoeducation by a licensed mental health professional (who, like me, is also a yoga teacher). They are yoga classes that allow members to not only practice the mind-body tools that will nourish their wellbeing, but also allow them to learn perspectives, tools, and strategies in the last few minutes of class that are directly relevant to their mental health concerns.

Psychoeducation is the sharing of tools, knowledge, and education that is specific to particular mental health concerns. In this way, someone who chooses to take a yoga class for anxiety can also spend the last 10 minutes of that class, comfortable, open, and receptive on their mat, learning about tools and techniques to manage their anxiety. They can learn the perspectives and mind-shifts that are often cultivated in therapy, and they can feel a sense of community with like-minded individuals.

Bringing in evidence-based psychoeducation at the end of an evidence-based yoga class for anxiety is a powerful combination that can help many individuals who are unable or uninterested in individual talk therapy. This yoga and psychoeducation fusion for managing mental health could be launched as an online membership studio, made accessible from anywhere in the world. Beyond the yoga and psycheducation video classes, members would have access to social support through an active community that helps them feel connected and inspired. For those who want to dive deeper into their personal healing journey, courses could be offered that expand on the psychoeducation topics. The courses could include journaling prompts that allow individuals to reflect and integrate their learnings more intentionally.

This yoga and psychoeducation membership studio can expand to offer classes on various mental health concerns, such as depression or prenatal and postnatal concerns. In fact, many topics can be integrated into these yoga and psychoeducation classes, such as self-compassion, procrastination, intrusive thoughts, attachment styles, and so on. The common experience to all classes in the membership site will be a curated yoga experience that supports the psychoeducation talk at the end of the class.

The time has come to integrate the realms of yoga and mental health more closely. The evidence to support both fields is mounting, and the interest in both realms is rising. The time has also come to make evidence-based healing options more accessible. Knowledge is power, and combining that knowledge with healing movement practices like yoga can help reach a wide audience. It can help alleviate suffering, and it can help cultivate a sense of community. The time has come.