Welcome to the Yoga Psychology Centre!
I’m so excited to be launching the yoga psychology centre this year. This project has been brewing in my mind for a long time now, and after all the disruptions of covid and the stress that this has brought, now feels like a good time to begin.
The vision of the Yoga Psychology Centre is to bridge the worlds of yoga and psychology, to deliver sessions that take into account both the mind and the body, and to support people to find ways to wellbeing that incorporate their whole selves.
How did I get here?
I’ve practised yoga for many years and chose to train as a yoga teacher after discovering the benefits that a regular practice can bring. After a period of practicing several times a week, which was more than usual for me, I began to notice that I was calmer in the face of difficulties, more open to new ideas, and generally less stressed day to day. As a clinical psychologist and researcher, I found this intriguing and fascinating. I have since come to understand some of the ways that yoga has these impacts, and I founded the Yoga Psychology Centre in order to share this practice and understanding.
Why do we need both?
Yoga is a naturally healing practice. As well as developing physical skills such as flexibility, strength, and balance, it also cultivates mindfulness, self-awareness and acceptance. These practices work directly on the nervous system, fostering the ability to move between states of relative stress and calm in ways that can also help us to manage stress off the mat.
Yoga is also a spiritual practice that supports us to connect to something greater than ourselves. For regular practitioners, yoga can lead to states of bliss and peace and a feeling of oneness.
Psychological therapies, on the other hand, target mental flexibility, strength and balance. Many talking therapies work with our thoughts and beliefs, encouraging us to become aware of the cognitions that drive our behaviours and feelings, and to challenge or question these. This can help to gain a better understanding of ourselves and to develop more helpful patterns in our thinking.
When brought together, yoga and psychology bring different but complementary aspects to our wellbeing, and together they can create a truly holistic practice that incorporates all parts of ourselves.
What to expect from YPC
My vision for YPC is to find many different ways to bring these ideas to people, both individually and in groups, through working with different organisations and communities, and by connecting with others who share a similar vision.
If you have a question or an idea, a comment or a suggestion, feel free to get in touch. I’d love to hear from you!