Eddie Stern is a Yoga instructor, author, and aspiring researcher from New York City who has been actively involved in many facets of Yoga education for over 30 years. He has authored curriculum and led trainings in wellness practices for public education that have reached over 100,000 school children and educators in several states, and designed yoga protocols that have been used in research studies examining the efficacies of yoga practices. Eddie is the co-board chair of LIFE Camp, which works to reduce gun violence and the traumatic effect of gun violence on affected communities through interventions, counseling, Yoga, meditation, and therapeutic wellness. He is an advisory board member for the Black Yoga Teacher’s Alliance, creator of The Breathing App, Yoga365 App, co-author of Engineering Health, an online yoga and physiology course with NYU Tandon School of Engineering, co-creator of Namarupa Magazine and Yoga Education Collective, and currently gives monthly talks with Dr. Deepak Chopra on the inner meanings of Yoga as a practice for enlightenment. His latest book is called One Simple Thing, a New Look at the Science of Yoga and How it can Transform Your Life. Eddie is currently pursuing a masters in science for yoga research from Vivekananda Yoga University.
Neuroscience and Yoga Online Conference
Conference Speakers
Presenters
Kayvon Afsarifard, PhD
Kayvon is an experienced certified yoga instructor with over 8 years of teaching experience and over 500 hours of training. His passion for advancing mind-body integrative therapeutic modalities is informed by his research experience at the Brigham Mass General Harvard Medical School's pain research lab with his mentor Dr. Asamina Lazaridou and his clinical psychology PhD studies.
Kayvon's journey in yoga started through college soccer, where he attended his first yoga class with the intention of attaining greater flexibility and avoiding injuries. Since then, he has developed a deep understanding of this ancient spiritual and philosophical tradition, which has led him to teach others how to cultivate mindful awareness and develop a more intimate relationship between body, mind, and conscious experience.
As a yoga instructor with a background in neuroscience and psychology, Kayvon is uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western practices. His classes incorporate various styles of yoga including hatha, vinyasa, and yin with a focus on integrating mindfulness in each aspect of practice to enhance mental and physical health.
Presentation
An overview of the stress response
Available March 18 at 9 PM EST for 24 hours
Q&A Sessions
March 19 at 3 PM EST, live and available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Instagram @mind_body_integration
Kristin Anderson, PhD
Kristin is a neuroscientist and science communicator. Her research expertise lies in understanding the root causes of affective disorders like depression and anxiety with a particular focus on stress susceptibility and resiliency. She currently coordinates a youth science outreach programme in Ireland that aims to widen participation in under-served and disadvantaged communities, build confidence in young people, and serve as a positive experience that can change attitudes towards science. Kristin develops tailored activities that implement best practices in social inclusion. Outside of youth outreach, Kristin uses her science communication in science policy. She works to take scientific data and turn them into actionable points for both policymakers and for society in Ireland and the United States.
Presentation
How mindfulness practices reduce bias against others
Available March 16 at 9 PM EST for 24 hours
Q&A Sessions
March 19 at 9 AM EST, live and available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Twitter and Instagram @NeuroKristin
Camille Allene, PhD
Dr. Camille Allene completed her PhD at the Institute of Neurobiology of the Mediterranean (INSERM unit) in Marseille, France. She then worked as a post-doctoral fellow for 4 years at the Brain Institute at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris. For 5 years she has been a clinical research fellow for a public psychiatric hospital. Her research examines the effectiveness of yoga therapy as a pre-treatment for trauma-focused therapy in PTSD. She has training in various body-mind techniques, such as Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (CBT), EMDR and yoga therapy. Camille has been practicing yoga for 20 years; she has done several teacher trainings in yoga and today she teaches neurosciences applied to yoga for several teacher trainings in France.
Presentation
The brain pathways underlying PTSD, and how yoga can help
Available March 18 at 9 PM EST for 24 hours
Q&A Sessions
March 19 at 3 PM EST, live and available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Deepak Chopra, MD
Dr. Chopra is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. He is the founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality. Dr. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He is the author of over 90 books translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. For the last thirty years, Chopra has been at the forefront of the meditation revolution and his 92nd book, Abundance provides an enlightening guide to success, fulfillment, wholeness, and plenty, offering practical advice on how to cultivate a sense of abundance in times of fear and insecurity. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as “one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.”
Presentations
Introduction to Yoga
Available March 16 at 3:30 PM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Marshall Hagins, PhD
Dr. Marshall Hagins first career was as a professional dancer on Broadway. Leaving dance he received his PhD in Biomechanics from New York University and a second doctorate from the University of St. Augustine in manual physical therapy. Dr. Hagins is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Long Island University and Senior Clinical Research Associate at Harkness Center for Dance Injuries in Manhattan. Dr. Hagins has worked with members of the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, among others and has been the company physical therapist for Mark Morris Dance Group for over 25 years. He has published over 40 papers in the areas of Dance Medicine, Ergonomics, and Yoga and has received funding from the National Institutes of Health for a study of the effects of yoga on hypertension.
Workshop
Results May Vary: How to Read a Scientific Abstract
Available March 16 at 11 AM EST, live and then available indefinitely
Where to learn more
Website: https://yogaandscience.com/
Sat Bir Khalsa, PhD
Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Ph.D. has been fully engaged in biomedical research on the efficacy of yoga and meditation practices in improving physical and psychological health since 2001. He has practiced a yoga lifestyle since 1972 and is a certified instructor in Kundalini Yoga. He is the Director of Yoga Research for the Yoga Alliance, the Director of Research for the Kundalini Research Institute, a Research Associate at the Benson Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, a Research Affiliate of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He has conducted clinical research trials evaluating yoga interventions for insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic stress, and anxiety disorders and in both public school and occupational settings. Dr. Khalsa works with the International Association of Yoga Therapists to promote research on yoga and yoga therapy as the chair of the scientific program committee for the annual Symposium on Yoga Research and as editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. He is medical editor of the Harvard Medical School Special Report An Introduction to Yoga and chief editor of the medical textbook The Principles and Practice of Yoga in Health Care.
Presentations
Understanding the Biomedical Science and Research on Yoga and an Overview of Yoga in Modern Medicine
March 16 at 2 PM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
The Science and Research on Yoga for Stress and Burnout
March 19 at 1 PM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
The Science and Research on Yoga for Trauma
March 19 at 1:30 PM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Q&A Session
March 19 at 3 PM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Lab website: https://connects.catalyst.harvard.edu/Profiles/display/Person/59415
Donations to his research: https://kundaliniresearchinstitute.org/donations/ or https://www.iayt.org/donations/
Jojo Kwok, PhD, RN
Dr. Jojo Kwok is an Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, as well as a registered nurse and certified yoga instructor in Hong Kong. She received her degrees of BN (1st Hons), MPH and PhD from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on chronic illness care, gerontology, mental health and behavioral medicine, with a special emphasis on Parkinson’s disease (PD). Her ongoing research projects include the effects and mechanisms of individual mindfulness techniques in people with PD. Her research findings have been published in leading international journals such as JAMA Neurology, Journal of Neurology, and Annals of Behavioral Medicine, and featured as impactful news in both local and international mass media, including Reuters Health and Radio Television Hong Kong.
Presentation
‘Mindfulness in stillness’ or ‘mindfulness in motion’: An integrated approach for Parkinson's disease rehabilitation
Available March 17 at 9 PM EST for 24 hours
Q&A Session
March 18 at 8 PM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Webpage on Mindfulness Yoga for Parkinson's: https://www.yoga.nursing.hku.hk/
Twitter: @jojoyyk
Donations: contact [email protected] (specify Dr Jojo Kwok’s Mindfulness Yoga Research Project)
Christina Luberto, PhD
Dr. Christina Luberto, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Her interests focus on mindfulness-based interventions for emotional and behavioral health promotion in people with heart disease. She works as a staff psychologist and clinical researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Health Promotion and Resiliency Intervention Research Program, and the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine. She is also staff psychologist in the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion at Cambridge Health Alliance, and she teaches mindfulness classes at the Harvard Osher Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Luberto began her meditation practice almost 20 years ago. A few years later, she began her yoga practice when an accident limited her ability to run outdoors, which had been her main coping and self-care practice until that time. Dr. Luberto feels grateful to have found yoga as a blend for her meditation and physical activity practices, and deeply fortunate to be able to share meditation practices with others for their own healing.
Presentation
A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effects of Meditation on Empathy, Compassion, and Prosocial Behaviors
Available March 16 at 9 PM EST for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Jennifer Mascaro, PhD
Jennifer Mascaro, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, lead scientist for Spiritual Health in the Emory Woodruff Health Sciences Center, and a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control research program at the Winship Cancer Institute. She received her PhD in biological and medical anthropology from Emory University and did a 2.5-year post-doctoral fellowship in positive neuroscience at Emory before joining her current department. Her research interests center on (1) the variation in and plasticity of human social cognition; and (2) the biology of interconnectedness. After a long-standing interest in mindfulness meditation that began when she was in high school, she merged her personal interests in meditation with her research interests. Using multiple and mixed-methodologies, her research explores how mind-body integrative interventions affect prosocial emotions and behaviors, and how these in turn impact health. Ongoing projects include longitudinal investigations of compassion and mindfulness meditation training for frontline healthcare workers and for symptom management in the context of serious illness. Her work is ever collaborative and falls at the interface of medicine, spiritual health, implementation science, neuroscience, medical anthropology, and psychology.
Presentation
How compassion meditation enhances empathy and changes brain activity
Available March 16 at 9 PM EST for 24 hours
Q&A Session
March 17 at 2 PM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Abha Rajbhandari, PhD
Dr. Abha Karki Rajbhandari is an Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has been studying the neurobiological mechanisms of fear, stress and anxiety that are relevant for basic science studies of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder for almost 14 years. Her graduate and post-doctoral works centered on understanding the neuromodulatory actions of norepinephrine, CRF, PACAP and others in fear and stress regulation via the amygdala. In her own lab, she is taking a broad approaches through the brain, breath and body interactions in regulating the autonomic aspects of fear and stress such as cardiorespiratory and metabolic functions. She has been practicing yoga since childhood in Nepal and has been approaching her research questions also through the lens of yoga's beneficial effects on the brain and the body.
Presentation
Yoga, trauma, and the brain-body connection via the vagus nerve
Available March 18 at 9 PM EST for 24 hours
Q&A Session
March 19 at 3 PM EST, live
Where to learn more
Ben Rein, PhD
Ben Rein, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow in neuroscience at Stanford University. Ben's doctoral research focused on the neurobiology of autism spectrum disorder, and uncovered how certain gene mutations alter brain function to produce changes in social behavior. In his current work, Dr. Rein is investigating how social experiences in early life shape the development of the brain.
Outside of the lab, Ben shares educational science videos on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, BiliBili and Ibble, to a collective audience of more than 800,000 subscribers. In his videos, Ben shares breaking scientific discoveries, debunks "viral" videos containing misinformation and teaches fundamental neuroscience principles. He also provides guidance to students through a video series called "Scientips" and leads the Aspiring Scientists Coalition, a global community organization providing free guidance & mentorship to students.
Presentation
Introduction to Neuroscience
March 16 at 7 PM EST, live and available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Instagram: @doctor.brein
TikTok: @dr.brein
Richard Rosen
RICHARD ROSEN began his yoga practice in 1980, and did his teacher training at the B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga Institute from 1982 to 1985. He’s written five books for Shambhala: The Yoga of Breath (2002), Pranayama: Beyond the Fundamentals (2006), Original Yoga (2012), Yoga FAQ (2017), and Yoga by the Numbers (2022). He has taught all around the US, Canada, and England. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2002. He currently teaches at Nest Yoga in Oakland, CA, and lives in Berkeley in a cottage built in 1906.
Q&A
Yoga + Neurological Conditions
March 18 at 8 PM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Jonathan Rosenthal, MD
Dr. Jonathan Rosenthal is a neurologist in New York City, currently chief resident physician at New York University. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree is Neural Science and his Doctor of Medicine degree both at NYU. He has a particular clinical interest in neurophysiology and epilepsy, and will be completing fellowship at Weill Cornell-New York Presbyterian Hospital. His work on TBI was recognized by the American Academy of Neurology Young Investigator Award. He is an avid yoga student of Sri Dharma Mittra. Since 2014, he has been hosting events about neuroscience and yoga, and is working to expand his research programs to include yoga interventions.
Presentation
Let's Review the Literature: Neurologic Research Workshop
March 18 at 2 PM EST, live and available for 24 hours
Q&A Session
March 18 at 8 PM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Arlene Schmid, PhD
Dr. Arlene Schmid has been an OT for over 25 years and received her PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences in 2005. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the VA from 2005 and 2007. Currently she is a professor at Colorado State University and is in the Department of Occupational Therapy. She is a yoga teacher and has been researching the use of yoga for people with disabilities for nearly 20 years. Her research studies have included numerous adult populations, including individuals with traumatic brain injuries, stroke, PD, diabetes, neuropathy, and persistent pain. She has published over 120 peer reviewed papers, mostly related to yoga and meditation. She has also published two books, one regarding yoga after stroke and one to enhance integrative rehabilitation practices. At this time, she and her team are beginning to merge yoga and occupational therapy or education for the best results. Dr. Schmid practices yoga and meditation and is interested in trying and learning about different aspects of holistic care to be integrated into self-care and rehabilitation.
Presentation
Yoga for Stroke Recovery
Available March 17 at 9 PM EST for 24 hours
Yoga for Neuropathy
Available March 17 at 9 PM EST for 24 hours
Q&A Session
March 18 at 1 PM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Books: Yoga Therapy for Stroke and Integrative Rehabilitation Practice
Recruiting for studies: yes, in Northern Colorado; patients with brain injury (including stroke) with impaired balance. Please let us know if interested.
Eddie Stern
Workshop
Results May Vary: How to Read a Scientific Abstract
Available March 16 at 11 AM EST, and then available therafter
Yoga Classes
Sensitizing Awareness Through Yoga
March 16, pre-recorded and available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Shirley Telles, PhD
Dr. Telles's educational background is in conventional medicine with a doctorate in neurophysiology. For her thesis she looked at brain activity during yoga breathing and meditation. She guides research at Patanjali Research Foundation, Haridwar, India. She is an active practitioner of yoga and believes it is vital to be enthusiastic about what you do. She has received awards for her work, including from the Templeton Foundation for Creative Ideas in Neurobiology, a Fulbright award, and national awards.
Presentation
The Neuroscience of Empathy through Yoga
Available March 16 at 9 PM EST for 24 hours
Yoga and Trauma: Applying Research to Healing
Available March 18 at 9 PM EST for 24 hours
Q&A Session
March 19 at 9:00 AM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Lab website: www.patanjaliresearchfoundation.com
Donations to her research: by writing to divyayoga (@) rediffmail.com
Yoga Teachers
Tiffany Cruikshank
Tiffany is the founder of Yoga Medicine®, a community of yoga teachers focused on fusing science & research with traditional yoga practices to serve the medical communities with a mission to help people thrive and live their best lives. Tapping into her background in Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, & Sports Medicine, Tiffany’s teaching is guided by a strong anatomic focus and her ability to convey a clear understanding of complex subjects. Tiffany’s passion is training teachers to understand the inner workings of the body to individualize therapeutic yoga practices and she has trained over 15,000 teachers around the world since 2002.
Tiffany created the Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine program at the Nike World Headquarters Wellness Center and served as the Acupuncturist and Yoga Teacher at the Nike WHQ for 7 years. Running busy Chinese Medicine practices in NYC, Portland and Seattle, Tiffany draws from over 2 decades of experience seeing thousands of patients & students across the country. Tiffany has graced the cover of over 15 magazines and is regularly featured as an expert in prominent publications such as Prevention, WebMD, Forbes, Huffington Post, New York Times, Yoga Journal, Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping and many others.
Tiffany is also the founder of the Yoga Medicine Seva Foundation, a nonprofit that works to fight human trafficking & sexual exploitation in India through efforts of education and entrepreneurship. She has written 2 books, runs the Yoga Medicine® podcast, and posts new practices weekly on YogaMedicine® Online.
Yoga Class
Yoga for Brain Health
Available March 17 at 9 PM EST, pre-recorded and available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Lauren Duke
Lauren Duke is a writer, educator, entrepreneur, and community activist. She has taught thousands of yoga students over the last 20 years, led dozens of international retreats, and continues to push the edge between Yoga, Trauma and the Nervous System. She founded Gather Encinitas, a one-of-a-kind community center and yoga studio in Encinitas, California. She devotes her time to helping educate people on the anatomy of trauma and encourages all humans to join the autonomic conversation. Her classes weave in tradition, science, movement, breath-work, humor, and most importantly: mental health education.
Lauren has studied with the world’s leading traumatologists: Bessel van der Kolk, Peter A. Levine, Gabor Mate, and Stephen Porges. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and is currently in Graduate school for Psychological Sciences. Her debut Memoir: "Sh!thouse," about generational trauma was published in January of 2022. She is currently working on her second book. To learn more about Lauren, or to read her Ten-Day Nervous System Challenge, check out laurendollieduke.com.
Yoga Class
Yoga, Trauma, and the Nervous System
Available March 18 at 9 PM EST, pre-recorded and available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Her debut memoir “Sh!thouse,” about healing generational trauma was just published on January 11th, 2022. You can order a copy here
Instagram:
@dollieduke83
@shithousebook
@gatherencinitas
Jenna-Leigh Hoffman
Jenna-Leigh is a 500 hour yoga teacher based in San Diego, California. Yoga has been instrumental in her life since beginning her practice in 2012 as a form of recovery as a multi-sport athlete. Since then, it has blossomed into an essential part of her lifestyle - cultivating body awareness and a healthy state of mind.
Her undergrad degree in marketing and masters in international business, coupled with working in the technology industry for the past 6 years, led to the launch of her business - State of Sun. Her company’s mission is to act as a launch pad to educate and inspire people about brain health, the benefits of yoga and meditation, and create a global community that inspires people to cultivate a health focused mindset and lifestyle.
Outside of being a tech consultant and health entrepreneur, Jenna-Leigh is finalizing her book, Becoming Sunshine, exploring our human evolution with the sun and the biological roadmap it provides us to fine tune our health and find synchronicity in our lives.
Jenna-Leigh hopes to pivot this year to conducting more scientific research focused on yoga’s benefits for cognitive health - combining her skills in technology and fervor for neuroscience.
Yoga Class
An Empathy Focused Vinyasa Flow
Available March 16 at 9 PM EST, pre-recorded and available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
@stateofsunyoga
stateofsunyoga.com
Charlotte Multon
Charlotte Multon is the founder of Sadhana, a Yoga School in the French countryside just outside Paris. She is passionate about neuroscience, and believes yoga and neuroscience can help us better understand ourselves, in practice and in theory. At Sadhana, the primary areas of research are the effects of yoga on stress, anxiety and body image.
Charlotte studied Political Sciences & Entrepreneurship in undergrad. She worked for 3 years in the French tech world. As she was struggling with anxiety and could not find solutions to feel better in France, she flew to India looking for answers, where she spent a year studying and practicing. She came home with the urge to teach yoga to those who were struggling with mental health issues. She also wanted to understand and share with other how yoga actually works on their mind. She created a school where you can learn yoga and its effects on the brain and psychology.
She practices Ashtanga most days, sometimes Iyengar Yoga, and meditation from time to time - primarily open awareness and compassion practice.
Yoga Class
Restorative Yoga for Stress Relief
March 19 at 4 PM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Instagram:
@ecole_sadhana
Sri Dharma Mittra
Sri Dharma Mittra is a yoga master who has dedicated his life to the karma yoga or selfless service of sharing the accumulated wisdom gained through constant practice and teaching over a half-century at his school in New York and around the world. Sri Dharma met his guru, Swami Kailashananda in 1964 and immersed himself in intense study of the classical eight limbs of yoga and dedicated ten years of his life to the full-time practice of karma yoga. Since 1967, he has been teaching classical yoga: advanced postures, yama and niyama, and how to lead a content, simple and happy life. Teachers from other schools and ashrams have always come to him to learn, practice, and then teach elsewhere. Sri Dharma is truly a sweet, gentle master who sets the greatest example of yoga by living what he teaches and asking nothing in return. He continues to be that same selfless, shining example today.
Yoga Class
Master Class
March 16 at 11:30 AM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Eddie Stern
Eddie Stern is a Yoga instructor, author, and aspiring researcher from New York City who has been actively involved in many facets of Yoga education for over 30 years. He has authored curriculum and led trainings in wellness practices for public education that have reached over 100,000 school children and educators in several states, and designed yoga protocols that have been used in research studies examining the efficacies of yoga practices. Eddie is the co-board chair of LIFE Camp, which works to reduce gun violence and the traumatic effect of gun violence on affected communities through interventions, counseling, Yoga, meditation, and therapeutic wellness. He is an advisory board member for the Black Yoga Teacher’s Alliance, creator of The Breathing App, Yoga365 App, co-author of Engineering Health, an online yoga and physiology course with NYU Tandon School of Engineering, co-creator of Namarupa Magazine and Yoga Education Collective, and currently gives monthly talks with Dr. Deepak Chopra on the inner meanings of Yoga as a practice for enlightenment. His latest book is called One Simple Thing, a New Look at the Science of Yoga and How it can Transform Your Life. Eddie is currently pursuing a masters in science for yoga research from Vivekananda Yoga University.
Workshop
Results May Vary: How to Read a Scientific Abstract
Available March 16 at 11 AM EST, and then available therafter
Yoga Classes
Sensitizing Awareness Through Yoga
Available March 16 at 11 AM EST, pre-recorded and available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Sarah Thomas
Sarah Thomas has, arguably, practiced yoga for longer than she has been alive. Her first classes were in utero when her mother took prenatal yoga. When Sarah was old enough her mother became her first teacher, guiding her through the practice of yoga and meditation and starting her lifelong journey to grow and share the art.
Sarah learned the finer points of yoga and further developed her technique and understanding from Sage Yoga. After practicing as a student for several years, she became a teacher herself and taught classes in and around Little Rock. Arkansas. She has held classes at Zen Studio, Ecumenical Buddhist Society of Little Rock, St. Jude, Janssen Global, and Sixth House Studio.
Sarah has not limited her teaching to studios alone. She has worked tirelessly to spread yoga throughout her community by volunteering her time. With a heart to serve, she has worked with multiple organizations to provide yoga classes to members of her community. Sarah has partnered with Our House, Dunbar Community Center, Ballet Arkansas, MidSouth Black Expo, Yoga for Tennis, Timmons Art Foundation, Rock Town Yoga, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and Sidney Moncrief One team to name only a few. She is also the owner and operator of Yogathon Arkansas.
As central to her life as yoga has been, Sarah is passionate about addressing the whole health of the individual. She has an awareness of barriers to health within her city and state. Sarah also works as a health and wellness lifestyle coach. With her certification from the Diabetes Training and Technical Assistance Center, part of Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, she assists pre-diabetic, diabetic, and cardiovascular patients in addressing their health in a positive and proactive manner.
Yoga Class
Accessible Chair Yoga
March 18 at 9:30 AM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Whitney Wilkerson
Whitney’s work as National Board Certified Health & Wellness coach, inter-spiritual chaplain (with particular training in Mahāyāna Buddhism), and yoga educator is rooted in neuroscience, compassion-based interventions, and Duke Integrative Medicine’s scientific and evidence-based model. With a non-analytic, non-coercive, and nonjudgmental approach, she supports the cultivation of resilience in mind, body, and spirit. Her yoga teacher training "Lead With Compassion" is hosted by The UNC Program on Integrative Medicine and integrates many of the elements you will experience in the class today.
Yoga Class
Compassionate Movement
March 17 at 3:00 PM EST, live and then available for 24 hours
Where to learn more
Sign up for my newsletter here: https://whitneywilkerson.com/
YTT: https://balancethroughmovement.com/
Conference Staff
Kristin Anderson, PhD
Kristin Anderson is a postdoctoral research fellow at Columbia University Medical Center studying the neural circuits of stress susceptibility and resiliency. One of her passions is to bridge the gap between neuroscience research and the community through outreach events and collaboration with policymakers. She has seen the impact of yoga on her own well-being and is eager to find ways to use the neuroscience of yoga to jumpstart conversations centered around how to integrate the knowledge into science-based policy for the prevention of undue suffering.
Where to learn more
Emily Jones
Emily Jones is an E-RYT 200 instructor from Dallas, TX. She is currently the Yoga Coordinator for Summit Climbing Yoga & Fitness, and Lead Trainer for their Yoga Teacher Training Program. She has been professionally teaching for 5 and a half years. Emily's personal mantra for the way she teaches is to give people faculty over their body and mind through the practice of yoga, and help them connect with others by first connecting with themselves.
Where to learn more
Vedanshi Kapadia
Vedanshi is interested in neuroscience and how activities like yoga or dance can ameliorate neurological disorders and overall well-being. She also works towards improving the general public’s accessibility to scientific research and is currently exploring the bridge between neuroscience and psychology as a writer for Simply Neuroscience, a nonprofit organization. Vedanshi has been a dancer for thirteen years and likes dabbling in various styles in her free time, including hip hop and contemporary.
Ekaterina Lebayle
Student of Sri Dharma Mittra, Dharma Yoga instructor and Physiological Psychology student at Hunter College. Her future goal is completing a Ph.D. program in Neuroscience and researching the effects of yoga on the brain in order to develop therapeutic treatments for psychiatric diseases with the implementation of yoga. Another research interest of hers is understanding the neural basis of thought processes as dysfunctional thoughts alone can turn on the stress response system, lead to hormonal imbalances and affect physical and mental health. In addition, she is interested researching the implementation of yoga in addiction recovery treatments and developing programs that will allow underserved communities to access yoga.
Sarah Margaux
Sarah Margaux Drexler has been studying contemplative practices for over 25 years. She is a dedicated teacher and practitioner of Yoga and meditation, a published photographer and author, an artist, and a deep ecologist. Sarah creates and holds space for community, designs wellness programs for corporate clients, and produces written and visual communication around topics of health, equanimity, balance, symbiosis, and sustainability. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Sarah teaches regular weekly public and private Yoga classes in addition to hosting events and retreats.
For more information visit: www.sarahmargaux.com
Katja Prager, PhD
Katja Prager completed her PhD in Biology and is a certified Dharma Yoga Teacher. Interested in the interconnectedness of life, she decided to study biology and focused on circadian rhythms during her doctoral work. However, her quest to understand the relatedness of all life was quenched only after she began to apply yoga and meditation to her own life. She studies yoga under the guidance of the yoga master Sri Dharma Mittra and has 5+ years of teaching experience. She is an avid traveler, and has lived in >10 countries, speaks 3 languages, and is trained in Buddhist and Vipassana Meditation.
Where to learn more
Jonathan Rosenthal, MD
Jonathan Rosenthal is a chief resident physician in neurology in New York City, and a yoga student of Sri Dharma Mittra. Since 2014, he has worked to bridge the neuroscience world and the yoga world by hosting neuroscience outreach events. He is hosting the Neuroscience and Yoga Online Conference to further this mission.
Where to learn more
Rukmini Roy, MSc
Previously a strategy/tech consultant, Ruki is currently pursuing a master's in neuroscience at King's College London. Her areas of research include mental health (psychosis, addiction) and alternative/complementary medicine (mindfulness/yogic practices, hypnosis, etc.). Her initial fascination with the brain stemmed from yoga. After being introduced to the eastern philosophy of the mind and body through YTTs, she began studying neuroscience to explore these concepts from a scientific lens. Ruki is a certified Hatha, Ashtanga, and Rocket yoga teacher, a licensed hypnotherapist, and an aspiring Neuroscience Ph.D. candidate.
Where to learn more
Stephie Shen
Stephie Shen studied neuropsychology and music at Sarah Lawrence College. She has conducted research at the Epilepsy and Cognition Lab of NYU Langone, the Division of Child Neurology of Columbia University, and the Institute of Music and Neurologic Function. She previously worked as a behavioral specialist for adults with disabilities and currently facilitates research at Meta Reality Labs on VR/AR neural interface devices.
Where to learn more
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© 2023 Neuroscience and Yoga Online Conference is curated by NeuroYogaNYC.