Yoga Therapy Applications for the Abdomen, Digestion and Obesity

Our Mission

I believe that teaching yoga is one of the most fulfilling and purposeful vocations one can pursue. Nothing feels better than building a heart-to-heart relationship with a student and growing together over time with a shared love for the practice. I believe the world would be a better place if everyone practiced yoga and I’m extremely passionate about educating high quality yoga teachers and finding innovative ways to spread the teachings of yoga far and wide. These online courses are part of this collective effort...

This Module

Module 7: Yoga Therapy Applications for the Abdomen, Digestion and Obesity explores the basic anatomy of the physical digestive tract but focuses more on the energetic aspects of digestion and emotional aspects of eating.

We'll discuss the environmental conditions impacting the health and wellbeing of our digestive health, as well as the behavioral risk factors associated with overweight and obesity.

In addition, you'll learn correct application of yoga asana to improve digestion, as well as how to integrate pranayama and meditation practices build digestive fire (agni), so we can burn away the waste (mala) in our systems and allow prana to flow freely.

Module lectures include:

• MOD7L1 The Digestive Process
• MOD7L2 Energetic Aspects of Digestion
  
• MOD7L3 Causes of Obesity
  
• MOD7L4 Emotional Aspects of Eating / Digestion
  
• MOD7L5 Physical Practice for Digestion
  
• MOD7 Case Study and Key Concepts
  

Course Topics

• The abdomen, digestion and obesity: physical / mental / emotional / energetic factors and tools
• Basic anatomy of the abdominal cavity
• Basic anatomy of the digestive tract
• Understanding the importance of digestion within the context of the prana-agni-mala model
• Personal rituals – food as a conscious practice. Yoga therapy concepts of hita (quality of food) and mita (quantity of food) based on the lineage of T. Krishnamacharya
• Prevalence of obesity, NHLBI listed causes of obesity and how yoga therapy can address each of these underlying risk factors
• Emotional aspects of eating – what yoga therapy practices can be utilized?
• Physical yoga therapy practices for digestion and detoxification
• Understanding digestion through the 5 senses
• Ayurvedic meditation for healing undigested emotions and experiences from Yoga Therapist Jnani Chapman
• Small group case studies with 3 different types of students with varying lifestyle / digestion-related ailments

The Complete Course

This module is part of a lager course titled "Yoga Therapy Foundations and Public Health Tools" is the cornerstone of our Level 1 Foundations of Yoga Therapy Training and is part of our 850-hour IAYT accredited Yoga Therapist Training.

I am most proud of this course, as it combines my Masters Degree in Public Health with decades of Yoga Therapy philosophy and practice. I LOVE teaching this 13-month course at our studio Be The Change Yoga and it was THIS course that inspired me to start cataloguing my brain into these online courses, as I had many students from out of state wishing to take this course but unable to attend in person.

This module can be purchased a la carte or is included in the Yoga Therapy Tools and Public Health Course.