Eddie Stern, MSc, CYT, is a teacher, author, and researcher based in New York City. He has a multi-disciplinary approach to yoga which includes studying traditional texts and combining the application of their practices to healthcare, scientific research, technology, and collaboration, including work on several scientific papers on Yoga, cardiovascular disease, pain perception, and attention. His books include the best-selling One Simple Thing, A New Look at the Science of Yoga, and How it Can Change Your Life, and his latest is an Audible Original, called Healing Through Breathing. Eddie is the founder of the Breathing App for Diabetes, the first app of its kind to support the daily stress and anxiety experienced by those living with diabetes. He co-authored Engineering Health, an NYU Tandon School of Engineering course on yoga and physiology. Eddie has been practicing yoga since 1987 and teaches both out of his school in NYC and internationally.
Neuroscience and Yoga Online Conference
Conference Speakers
Presenters
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 holds two positions in the fields of science communication. She coordinates a science outreach programme in Ireland that aims to widen participation in under-served and disadvantaged communities by empowering young people. Kristin also works in science policy where she strives to turn scientific data into evidence-based solutions for the development of meaningful and sound public policies.
Presentation
Yoga Nidra and Sleep: Impact on Brain Waves and Behavior for Insomniacs
Available March 15 at 6 PM EST for 28 hours
Live Q&A Session
March 16 at 7 AM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
Where to learn more
Twitter @NeuroKristin
Ting Bao, MD
Dr. Bao is the Co-Director of the Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She was a joint faculty member at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) Integrative Medicine and Breast Medicine services and the director of the Integrative Breast Oncology program at MSK from 4/2014 to 7/2023. She is a board-certified breast medical oncologist and medical acupuncturist, and integrative medicine physician. Born and raised in Beijing, China, she received her medical education at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, with internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and medical oncology fellowship at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University. She has conducted many clinical trials that examine the safety, effectiveness, and underlying mechanisms of acupuncture and yoga to improve cancer patients’ quality of life and to address treatment- and disease-related symptoms. Because of her clinical and research expertise, she is a member of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Physician Data Query Integrative, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Editorial Board. She is also a member of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Symptom Intervention Committee, and she is a speaker and panelist for NCI-conducted workshops on oncology acupuncture and cancer CAM. She is the past president of the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) and the Co-Chair of the SIO Education Committee.
Presentation
Yoga for Chemotherapy Induced Polyneuropathy
Available March 14 at 6 PM EST for 28 hours
Live Q&A Session
March 15 at 5 PM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
Where to learn more
Harvard website
Lorenzo Cohen, PhD
Lorenzo Cohen, PhD, is the Richard E. Haynes Distinguished Professor in Clinical Cancer Prevention and director of the Integrative Medicine Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He is the former vice-chair of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health and is a cofounder and past president of the Society for Integrative Oncology. Dr. Cohen leads a team conducting research and delivering clinical care of integrative medicine practices such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, music therapy, acupuncture, massage, diet, exercise, and other strategies aimed at reducing the negative aspects of cancer treatment and improving quality of life and clinical outcomes. His research simultaneously assesses psychological, behavioral, and physiological factors in an attempt to better understand the cancer process As most cancers are preventable, Dr. Cohen is also conducting research to demonstrate that lifestyle factors can influence cancer outcomes. Dr. Cohen has published over 200 scientific articles in top medical journals, has edited two books on integrative medicine for cancer care, co-edited the book entitled The Principles and Practice of Yoga in Health Care, and is co-author of an evidence-based book for the general public Anticancer Living: Transform Your Life and Health with the Mix of Six.
Presentation
Yoga as a Way to Transform your Life and Health
March 15 at 9 AM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
Catherine Cook-Cottone, PhD
Catherine Cook-Cottone, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist, yoga therapist, and professor at University at Buffalo, SUNY. She has written 10+ books and over 100 research articles and chapters on mindful self-care, yoga, embodiment, self-regulation, eating disorders, and trauma. She is a trauma-therapist and teaches courses in psychopathology, mindful therapy, psychopathology, advanced counseling techniques, and counseling with children and adolescents. In 2018, she was awarded the American Psychological Association’s Citizen Psychologist Presidential Citation. Catherine has been practicing yoga for 20 years and teaching yoga for over 10 years.
Presentation
A Yoga-based Intervention for the Prevention & Treatment of Eating Disorders - Part 2
Available March 16 at 6 PM EST for 28 hours
Live Q&A Session
March 17 at 9:30 AM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
Where to learn more
www.catherinecookcottone.com
Catherine Cook-Cottone on Facebook and Insta, and Tik Tok
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.”
Presentation
Introduction to Yoga for Enlightenment
Live and then available March 14 at 11:00 AM EST for ~24 hours
Esther Estey, PhD
Esther Estey, PhD, RYT-200, is a bilingual, bicultural Latinx licensed clinical psychologist, senior instructor and yoga and meditation teacher at Harvard Medical School, Center for Mindfulness and Compassion. She is also a Rehabilitation Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow at Veteran Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, affiliate of Stanford University School of Medicine, where she specializes in the application of contemplative approaches in rehabilitation, trauma recovery, and mental performance for special operations forces and Veteran service members.
Her experiences as a Latina growing up in a highly controlled, religious, rural community formed her commitment to culturally sensitive, holistic approaches for mind-body freedom and agency for marginalized populations. She completed an internship at VA Palo Alto and Advanced Clinical Mindfulness fellowship at Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance and the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion. She has formal training in somatic and contemplative approaches for peak performance and holistic well-being. In addition to teaching on mindfulness and yoga-based treatment for trauma as adjunct professor, she maintains a bilingual, private practice focused on integrative treatment for recovery from trauma and complex medical conditions.
Her research focuses on mechanisms of mindfulness and yoga that cultivate self-regulation, resilience, peak performance, and positive embodiment. Her dissertation was a large randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of Eat Breathe Thrive, a novel yoga-based program for individuals with PTSD, disordered eating behaviors, and mood symptoms in communities across the United States and United Kingdom. The study was awarded the Seymour Fisher Outstanding Body Image Dissertation Award by Body Image: An International Journal of Research and published by the same journal. She has contributed to book chapters, articles, and has published in scientific journals. She has been invited to present on her research and on evidence-based application of contemplative practices at national and international conferences.
Presentation
A Yoga-based Intervention for the Prevention & Treatment of Eating Disorders - Part 3
Available March 16 at 6 PM EST for 28 hours
Live Q&A Session
March 17 at 9:30 AM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
Maria Gonzalez, PhD
Maria has a diverse background in medical research, fitness and administration. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in 2005 and subsequently gained a Masters degree where she investigated the early genetic changes in ovarian cancer. Maria has acquired a wide variety of experience in quantitative and qualitative clinical research, project and event management, research ethics and science communication throughout her career. She recently completed a PhD at the NICM Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University. Her doctoral research was focused on the evaluation of the mental health effects of yoga in people with cancer.
Presentation
Yoga for depression and anxiety symptoms in people with cancer
Available March 14 at 6 PM EST for 28 hours
Live Q&A Session
March 15 at 5 PM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
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.
Presentation
Results May Vary: How to Read a Scientific Abstract
Available March 14 at 10 AM EST and forever thereafter
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 Kundalini Yoga since 1971 and is a certified instructor. He is 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 also for adolescents public schools and workers in 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.
Presentation
Understanding the Biomedical Science and Research on Yoga and an Overview of Yoga in Modern Medicine
March 14 at 12 PM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
The Science and Research on Yoga for Sleep
March 16 at 12:50 PM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
The Science and Research on Yoga for Insomnia
March 16 at 1:30 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/
Leigh Leibel, PhD(c)
Leigh Leibel, PhD(c), MSc, C-IAYT, (she/her) is an integrative oncology mind-body specialist and journalist based in New York City. Since 2015, she has had a clinical practice in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, designing evidence-based mind-body interventions for people with cancer to help manage treatment side effects and improve clinical outcomes. Leigh completed a summer fellowship in Cancer Prevention and Control at the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute (NIH/NCI), and holds a Master of Science (Honors) in Yoga Therapy from S-VYASA University स्वामिविवेकानन्द योग अनुसन्धान संस्थानां in Bengaluru, India, where she is pursuing a PhD in Yoga Therapy. A scholar of Indian philosophy and language, her academic interests include the effect of Eastern contemplative and somatic practices—as described in ancient Saṃskṛtam and Pāḷi texts—on the physical and mental well-being of people with cancer. Formerly with CNN, Leigh is editor of the 2023 textbook "Yoga Therapy Across the Cancer Care Continuum" and chapter contributor to "The Foundations, Tools, and Practice of Yoga Therapy: A Comprehensive Textbook". She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO), where she co-hosts the Integrative Oncology Talk Podcast, co-chairs the Health Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee, and serves as academic advisor to the Yoga Special Interest Group, which she co-founded in 2019.
Presentation
Yoga and Yoga Therapy Across the Cancer Care Continuum: Evidence and Practice
Available March 14 at 6 PM EST for ~24 hours
Live Q&A Session
March 15 at 5 PM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
Where to learn more
http://www.leighleibel.com
For information and to join the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) and the SIO Yoga Special Interest Group: http://integrativeonc.org.
Heather Mason, MS
Heather Mason, MA, Msc, RYT-500, is the founder of The Minded Institute, an internationally renowned yoga therapy training school, and also the Yoga in Health Care Alliance. She holds master’s degrees in Buddhist Studies, in Psychotherapy, Medical Physiology, and has extensive training in Neuroscience. Heather has been teaching yoga since 2001 and has specialized in the use of yoga therapy for mental health populations since 2007. Her own struggles with mental health lead to intensive yoga and mindfulness practice. Between 2000-2003 she lived in Buddhist Monasteries learning to be with her mind and body in a new way. This transformative experience inspired her to help others through similiar means and gave her the energy and perspective to consider how to integrate yoga into health care.
Heather has taught at the Boston University School of Medicine and various other academic institutions from Harvard to UCL. She is actively focused on the integration of yoga into the UK’s National Health Service and in 2018 helped to create an All Party Parliamentary Group, “Yoga in Society.” In the same year, Heather co-edited Yoga and Mental Health, a textbook for yoga and health professionals on yoga's inclusion into mental healthcare. In 2022 Heather co-authored Yoga on Prescription. In 2023 Heather and co-director Elaine Collins launched the first yoga therapy psychotherapy course in the world.
Presentations
Bringing Yoga into UK Health System Through Advocacy and Policy Change
Live on March 15 at 11 AM EST then available for ~24 hours
A Yoga Social Prescribing Protocol: Development, Research, and Progress
Live on March 17 at 1 PM EST then available for ~24 hours
Where to learn more
www.themindedinstitute.com
@themindedinstitute
Andrew McGonigle, MBBS
Andrew McGonigle has been studying anatomy for over twenty years, originally training to become a doctor and then moving away from Western medicine to become a yoga teacher, massage therapist and anatomy teacher. He combines his skills and experience to teach anatomy and physiology on Yoga Teacher Training courses internationally and runs his own Yoga Anatomy Online Course. His book Supporting Yoga Students with Common Injuries and Conditions: A Handbook for Yoga Teachers and Trainees was published in March 2021 and his most recent book The Physiology of Yoga was published in June 2022. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband.
Presentation
Introduction to Neuroscience
Live on March 14 at 5 PM EST then available for ~24 hours
Where to learn more
www.doctor-yogi.com
Instagram: @doctoryogi
Facebook: @doctoryogiandrew
Tina Paul
Tina Paul completed her Master of Science in Yoga Therapy at Maryland University of Integrative Health and is a y4C (yoga for cancer) practitioner. Through MSK’s Integrative Medicine Services she shares the teachings of yoga to patients and survivors across the cancer care continuum and collaborates with MSK Kids and pediatric demographics. She is adjunct faculty at the Maryland University of Integrative Health yoga therapy and ayurveda program. She is currently an instructor for Dr. Ting Bao’s clinical trial researching Yoga as an intervention for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.
Live Q&A Session
March 15 at 5 PM EST then available for ~24 hours
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
Neurobiology of Energy Balance, Eating Disorders, and Yoga
Available March 16 at 6 PM EST for 28 hours
Live Q&A Session
Sunday March 17 at 9:30 AM EST for ~24 hours
Where to Learn more
Twitter
Website: https://twitter.com/BrainBody_Lab
Chelsea Roff
Chelsea Roff is the Founder and Director of Eat Breathe Thrive — an international charity dedicated to helping people recover from eating disorders. A world-renowned yoga therapist, educator, and community-based researcher, she has spent over a decade working to develop, deliver, and support research on yoga-based interventions for people with eating disorders. Since its inception, Eat Breathe Thrive has helped over ten thousand people across fifty-eight countries across the world to recover from eating disorders. The organization has delivered programs in schools, treatment centers, and virtually – reaching people struggling to access treatment in places as far away as Saudi Arabia, Cameroon and Brazil. Under Chelsea's direction, Eat Breathe Thrive's yoga programmes have achieved recognition and validity, backed by several scientific studies, including two randomized controlled trials. Chelsea currently lives in London, where she is spearheading an initiative to bring yoga-based programs for addiction, cancer, eating disorders, and PTSD to scale in the NHS.
Presentation
A Yoga-based Intervention for the Prevention & Treatment of Eating Disorders - Part 1
Available March 16 at 6 PM EST for 28 hours
Live Q&A Session
March 17 at 9:30 AM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
Live Yoga Class
Yoga for Eating Disorders Prevention and Recovery
March 17 at 2 PM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
Where to Learn more
http://www.eatbreathethrive.org/
Jonathan Rosenthal, MD
Dr. Jonathan Rosenthal is a neurologist in New York City, currently a clinical fellow in neurophysiology at Weill-Cornell School of Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree is Neural Science and his Doctor of Medicine degree both at NYU. 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
Results May Vary: How to Read a Scientific Abstract
Available March 14 at 10 AM EST, and then available therafter
Live Discussion Groups
Daily
Eddie Stern
Presentation
Results May Vary: How to Read a Scientific Abstract
Available March 14 at 10 AM EST, and then available therafter
Yoga Class
Yoga to Calm the Nervous System
Live March 14 at 1 PM EST and available for ~24 hours
Where to Learn More
www.eddiestern.com
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 Neurophysiology of Sleep, and How Yoga Can Help
Available March 15 at 6 PM EST for 28 hours
Live Q&A Session
March 16 at 7 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
Ruben de Monte
Ruben De Monte's movement method revolves around longevity and the pleasure of conscious movement. Ruben is a former professional ballet dancer, and movement has always been his language. He has studied various disciplines, delving into yoga, mobility, breath-work, and stress resilience. Specialising in the therapeutic aspects of movement, he’s undergone additional training focused specifically on enhancing joint health, decreasing the likelihood of injuries, and managing chronic pain.
His accessible teaching is functional and detail oriented, prioritising quality over quantity.
He has worked with hundreds of clients, including international CEOs, athletes, and professionals, helping them restore their natural way of movement.
He regularly teaches workshops and weekly sessions for companies and brands of all sizes in London and online. Ruben shares tips on how to move better via his Instagram page @rubendemonte, where you can find free videos that have generated over 4 million views.
Most importantly, Ruben empowers people to move and feel better in their bodies.
Yoga Class
Yoga for Mindfulness and Mobility
Live March 14 at 4PM EST, then available for ~24 hours
Lynne Goldberg
Lynne is two-time cancer thriver who has been practicing and teaching mindfulness and meditation for over 20 years and has been named one of the top meditation teachers in the country by Forbes. She is the co-founder of Breethe, one of the most downloaded meditation apps on the market with over 10-million downloads in 90 countries. She has been featured in media outlets such as TIME, NPR, InStyle, People, Self, and more.
She is a frequent speaker and has led meditation events for YPO, a global leadership organization for chief executives, and was a featured speaker at a recent Milken Conference on a panel titled"From Stigma to Treatment: Tackling the Global Mental Health Crisis."
Yoga Class
Embracing Mindful Tools for Mental Wellness during Cancer
Available March 14 at 6 PM EST, pre-recorded and available for 28 hours
Xiao Lumen
Xiao is a versatile professional with expertise in science, nutrition, and yoga, holding a 500-hour certification in Yoga Nidra. Known for her innovative methods in addressing eating behaviors, Xiao is passionate about promoting holistic health and wellness.
Her academic background includes a Master of Science in Genetics and a University Diploma in Nutrition and Health Prevention, acquired in Paris. She has also contributed to cancer research, with her work being published during her time at the University of Cambridge, UK. Despite spending two years in the pharmaceutical industry, Xiao decided to pursue her true passion for yoga full-time. This decision led her to train in various locations around the world, including Bali, Australia, India, and her native France. Alongside her yoga practice, she explored additional fields such as yin yoga and traditional Chinese medicine.
Xiao's personal journey includes overcoming hyperphagia largely through the benefits of yoga nidra, meditation, and her nutritional expertise. She has since taught yoga in prestigious Parisian studios, retreats, and other venues, helping individuals with eating disorders through counseling, workshops, and retreats. Xiao is keen on introducing the therapeutic potential of yoga nidra to both the younger generation and healthcare professionals.
Currently, she is pioneering a study in Lille's CHU, focusing on the application of yoga nidra for those with eating disorders. Xiao has also been active in writing articles and speaking at conferences, aiming to inform the general public and advocate for a transformation in both healthcare and education systems.
Yoga Class
Nourishing Yoga Nidra
Available March 16 at 6 PM EST, pre-recorded and available for 28 hours
Alexia Michel
Alexia Michel is the founder of Om My Mind, a mission-driven start-up, which aims to carry out prevention and research in the fields of integrative health and eating disorders. Alexia herself suffered from anorexia nervosa for 20 years. In addition, Om My Mind offers concrete solutions, specifically around yoga, so that as many people as possible can make peace with their bodies and nourish joyful food behaviors. These include the Yoga & Peanut Butter Method, a book released in 2023, and yoga retreats. Alexia and her team are now supported and heard by many mental health professionals, researchers, the French Federation of Anorexia & Bulimia, a growing online community. Finally, Om My Mind is part of a start-up incubation program with a digital therapy approach based on the Yoga & Peanut Butter method; the goal is to conduct research for eating disorders patients.
Yoga Class
From Anorexia Nervosa to a Yoga Start-up
Available March 16 at 6 PM EST, pre-recorded and available for 28 hours
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.
Live Workshop
Body image: shaped in the brain, reshaped through yoga
March 16 at 9:00 AM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
Where To Learn More
www.ecolesadhana.com
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.
Live Yoga Class
Yoga Nidra
March 16 at 11:30 AM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
Chelsea Roff
Chelsea Roff is the Founder and Director of Eat Breathe Thrive — an international charity dedicated to helping people recover from eating disorders. A world-renowned yoga therapist, educator, and community-based researcher, she has spent over a decade working to develop, deliver, and support research on yoga-based interventions for people with eating disorders. Since its inception, Eat Breathe Thrive has helped over ten thousand people across fifty-eight countries across the world to recover from eating disorders. The organization has delivered programs in schools, treatment centers, and virtually – reaching people struggling to access treatment in places as far away as Saudi Arabia, Cameroon and Brazil. Under Chelsea's direction, Eat Breathe Thrive's yoga programmes have achieved recognition and validity, backed by several scientific studies, including two randomized controlled trials. Chelsea currently lives in London, where she is spearheading an initiative to bring yoga-based programs for addiction, cancer, eating disorders, and PTSD to scale in the NHS.
Presentation
A Yoga-based Intervention for the Prevention & Treatment of Eating Disorders - Part 1
Available March 16 at 6 PM EST for 28 hours
Live Q&A Session
March 17 at 9:30 AM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
Live Yoga Class
Yoga for Eating Disorders Prevention and Recovery
March 17 at 2 PM EST, live and then available for ~24 hours
Where to Learn more
http://www.eatbreathethrive.org/
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.
Presentation
Results May Vary: How to Read a Scientific Abstract
Available March 14 at 10 AM EST, and then available therafter
Yoga Class
Yoga to Calm the Nervous System
Live March 14 at 1 PM EST and available for ~24 hours
Where to Learn More
www.eddiestern.com
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
Yoga for Cancer and Gut Health
Live March 15 at 1:30 PM EST and available for ~24 hours
Where to Learn More
http://www.365yogadream.com/
Doreen Wiggins, MD
Doreen Wiggins MD hails from Brown University's Warren Alpert School of Medicine. She is a Fellow at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil School of Integrative Medicine. She specializes in breast cancer surgery, cancer survivorship, integrative medicine, benefits of yoga for health.
She has always believed in mind-body medicine. Her undergraduate degrees are in chemistry and psychology. She started practicing yoga during college to help cope with stress, and to help her body adapt to running. She became an OB/GYN to help women, whom she believes are an underserved population with regards to health and research. She switched to breast surgical oncology fellowship after being an attending for 12 years. She wanted to help patients with one of the greatest challenges they could face. Her interest in survivorship grew out of cycling across the United States with the Tour Of Hope promoted by Lance Armstrong. She worked with Livestrong Organization for many years in the areas of cancer survivorship. She was the Director of a female cancer survivorship program at Brown University lifespan.
She practices yoga and meditation daily. She became a yoga teacher in 2018 and enjoys community practice. She is a teacher at Yoga Medicine with Tiffany Cruikshank. She leads a course on lymphatics and yoga.
Yoga Class
Available March 14 at 6 PM EST for 28 hours
Where to Learn More
www.yogamedicine.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
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
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.
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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.
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© 2023 Neuroscience and Yoga Online Conference is curated by NeuroYogaNYC.