Integrated Holistic Yoga Psychology

<p>The three-volume series Therapeutic Yoga Teaching Clinical Service and Practice offers an integrated holistic approach to the teaching clinical service provision and practice of therapeutic yoga. The series provides comprehensive guidance for yoga teacher training bringing yoga into healthcare and deepening a personal practice. The series carefully reviews weaves together and scientifically and practically grounds therapeutic yoga practices and lifestyles in the traditional eight limbs of yoga from Values and Lifestyle Practices (yamas niyamas) that support ethical and intentional living to Physical Practices (asanas) that transform anatomy physiology and sensation to Breathing Practices (pranayama) that vitalize and bring ease into the nervous system to Interior Practices (pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhi) that invite self-exploration and personal insight - all to encourage transformation of maladaptive habits reactivity and stereotypes while opening space for new choices adaptive responsiveness and resilience in body emotions mind and relationships. The series contextualizes all offered yoga principles and practices within the wholism of the five layers of human experience postulated by ancient wisdom and supported by modern science. Namely it explores and honors interrelationships among body vitality (energy and affect) mind (emotions and thoughts) wisdom and self-discovery and relationships within families and communities for personal and collective healing and thriving.</p><p> </p><p>The first in the 3-volume series Integrated Holistic Yoga Psychology explores neurophysiological and psychological mechanisms underlying our human layers of experience to create understanding respect and compassion for humans' embodied self (i.e. physical development and experience) vital self (i.e. energetic and affective development and experience) verbal and social self (i.e. emotional and mental development and experience) wise decentered self (i.e. development of and experience in relationships) and joyfully connected self (i.e. grounded in a particular biopsychosociocultural context). Integrated holistic yoga psychology recognizes and honors these layers in the practice and teaching of yoga as well as in interactions with students clients and patients - and ourselves. It explores physical energetic emotional cognitive and relational patterns and habits combining ancient wisdom about human nature with modern scientific findings.</p><p> </p><p>Relying on ancient and modern yoga psychology the book interweaves yoga practices with the layers of human experiences (i.e. koshas) in the context of human development across the lifespan. Concepts such as yogic expressions of nature (i.e. gunas) are integrated with the modern science of polyvagal theory. Wisdom about emotional afflictions (i.e. kleshas) is linked to the science of emotions mood and affect. Mind states mental fluctuations and preoccupations (i.e. vrittis) are placed into scientific contexts of perception and misperception memory and imagination and the importance of sleep and calm abiding. Pattern locks (i.e. samskaras) are juxtaposed with principles of transforming reactivity into responsiveness and into choices that serve the greater good.</p><p></p><p>Integrated holistic yoga psychology is applied to the teaching clinical practice and personal practice of yoga. All practices pedagogical approaches and psychological principles are explored as transformative forces and deeper dimensions of yoga that move practitioners teachers and healthcare providers toward self-discovery self-inquiry and conscious decision-making while living serving and teaching with intention and purpose. The wish is for all to access compassion lovingkindness altruistic and appreciative joy experienced with equanimity and deep contentment in every moment of daily life.</p>