The Minded Institute

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The Minded Institute

We are a world leader in yoga therapy, providing research-based professional training. We hope you enjoy learning with us!

The Minded Institute is an international leader in yoga therapy and mind-body training. We wholeheartedly believe that yoga therapy and aligned disciplines can play a vital role in prevention, management, and treatments of various mental and physical long-term conditions. To support this mission we provide expert education to help yoga and health professionals in the service of this goal and work

to translate the benefits of yoga therapy to health services. https://themindedinstitute.com/product-category/courses/

All of our courses incorporate a yogic therapeutic perspective, the psychological and physiological understanding of conditions and related yoga practices, up to date research, and guide for best practice - based on years of clinical experience. As the body-brain-mind connection is often crucial in unearthing the benefits of yoga therapy we also like to do a deep dive into neuroscience when appropriate!

08/06/2026

Would you like to help shape the future of yoga therapy in the UK?

The British Council of Yoga Therapy (BCYT), the UK's accreditation body for yoga therapy, has invited The Minded Institute to put forward nominations for two important leadership positions: Chair and Secretary.

We are seeking individuals with vision, commitment, and a genuine passion for advancing yoga therapy as a recognised and respected profession.

These roles offer an opportunity to contribute to the development of professional standards, support greater recognition of the field, and help strengthen the integration of yoga therapy across healthcare, mental health, education, community settings, prisons, and wider society.

If you believe you could contribute to this work, or know someone who would be an excellent candidate, please send us a DM and we will send you a link to the application form.

Please share this post widely so that it reaches those who may be able to make a meaningful contribution to the profession.

05/06/2026

For thousands of years, yoga has taught that the breath can influence the mind. Modern neuroscience is helping us understand why.

One of the mechanisms underlying anxiety is prediction error: when the brain interprets safe internal sensations as signs of danger. This can contribute to cycles of fear, hypervigilance, and dysregulated breathing.

Breath retention (kumbhaka) may help recalibrate this response. By gradually learning to tolerate safe increases in carbon dioxide, the brain can update its predictions and reduce unnecessary alarm signals over time.

Of course, breath holds are not appropriate for everyone. Assessment, context, and individualisation matter.

Have you noticed your breathing pattern change when you feel anxious?

Comment BREATH below and we'll send you the link to book Heather Mason's upcoming workshop on Respiratory Science and Breath Assessment.

04/06/2026

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” — Krishnamurti

Rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and burnout continue to rise across much of the world. We know that human wellbeing is shaped not only by biology, but by relationships, communities, education, culture, and the environments in which we live.

What if we treated emotional regulation as essential education? What if compassion was valued as highly as achievement? What if understanding the mind was considered as important as learning any other life skill?

When suffering is widespread, it invites us to look beyond the individual and ask deeper questions about the systems, values, and ways of living we have collectively created.

This is not to deny personal responsibility, but to recognise that human distress does not arise in a vacuum.

If you are struggling, remember: the problem is not always solely within you.

We would love to hear your thoughts.

Do you think modern society supports psychological wellbeing, or are we asking people to adapt to conditions that are fundamentally unhealthy?

Share your perspective in the comments below.

03/06/2026

What does pendulation actually look like in practice?

Join Judy Hirsh Sampath for a live yoga therapy observation exploring how pendulation can support clients who feel fearful, stuck, or immobilised at the threshold of change.

Observe a real client session and see how movement, attention, and embodied awareness can help shift fixed patterns of tension and bracing without force.

Book via the link in bio.

02/06/2026

Breathwork is everywhere. Breath assessment is far less common.

While specific breathing methods come in and out of fashion, effective breath-based practice begins with understanding the person in front of you. The same technique can be beneficial for one individual and entirely inappropriate for another.

This is why Heather Mason developed her approach to breath assessment: integrating respiratory physiology, neuroscience, and the depth of the yogic tradition to help practitioners understand not only what to teach, but why.

Join us for Breath Assessment & Respiratory Science for Yoga & Health Professionals, on Saturday 13th June.

A practical training designed for yoga teachers, yoga therapists, healthcare professionals, and wellbeing practitioners seeking a more individualised and evidence-informed approach to working with the breath.

The training includes:
• A 2hr 15min on-demand lecture covering respiratory physiology, breathing mechanics, and the impact of breath on physical and psychological health
• A 5-hour live online workshop on 13 June (10am–3.30pm UK time) focused on structured breath assessment, observation, and application

£130 early bird price until Friday 7 June.

Book via the link in bio.

29/05/2026

What happens when 30 of the world's most respected yoga teachers, researchers, therapists, and lineage holders come together for one event?

The Extraordinary Yoga Teacher Summit is a free nine-day online gathering exploring the depth, breadth, and future of yoga teaching. From neuroscience and mental health to menopause, trauma, yoga psychology, meditation, and therapeutic applications, the programme brings together an exceptional range of perspectives from across the yoga profession.

Among the speakers is Heather Mason, founder of The Minded Institute, presenting:

From Yoga Teacher to Health Professional: The Yoga Therapy Career Path

📅 Sunday 7 June 2026
⏰ 2:00pm ET / 7:00pm UK

Heather's session explores how yoga therapy is opening new professional pathways for yoga teachers, and why healthcare, mental health, and wellbeing settings are increasingly recognising the value of integrative, person-centred approaches.

With speakers including Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Amy Weintraub, Larry Payne, Leslie Howard, Mark Whitwell, Lauren Walker, Helen Lavretsky, Jillian Pransky, and many others, this is a rare opportunity to learn from decades of collective experience across multiple traditions and specialisms.

Free to attend.

If you're interested in the evolving role of yoga in health, wellbeing, education, and society, this summit is well worth exploring.

🔗 Register via extraordinaryyogateacher.com or comment SUMMIT to be sent the direct link.

28/05/2026

Yoga's benefits are for everyone, but is it truly accessible to all?

Too often, people find the doors to yoga closed to them. But what can we do practically - not performatively - to change this? Especially in a broader context where progress is stalling due to prevailing political trends.

In the latest episode of the Yoga 4 Health podcast, Paul Fox and Heather Mason sit down with three incredible guests driving real change:

✨ Donna Noble - author of Body Positive Yoga and another upcoming title centred on accessibility.
✨ Dr Sally Brown - whose doctoral research at Leeds Beckett University explored the barriers to yoga participation
✨ Dr Rebekah Jade Lawrence - NHS doctor and founder of We Are Pana

Find the link below, and if you have any thoughts or insights, join the conversation in the comments 🎧

https://pod.link/1847834455/episode/OWEyODg1ZDctMzRkZC00NzQ4LWEyOTctYmU5MWEwOGNhNzU0

27/05/2026

🚨 WE’RE HIRING 🚨

The Minded Institute is looking for a Social Media & Content Manager (freelance, part-time) to help shape the voice and digital presence of a globally recognised leader in yoga therapy, mental health, and healthcare education.

We are looking for someone with:
• hands-on experience in yoga therapy or healthcare marketing
• exceptional writing and storytelling skills
• genuine understanding of yoga therapy as a clinical discipline
• fluency in current digital and AI-driven marketing tools
• the ability to communicate evidence-based therapeutic work with clarity, depth, and integrity

This role includes social media, newsletters, community engagement, relationship building, and helping maintain the quality and accuracy of our website presence across all platforms.

Applications must include BOTH:
• a CV
• a tailored cover letter clearly addressing the role requirements and explaining why you are a suitable fit for The Minded Institute

Applications submitted without both documents, or with generic cover letters, will not be progressed.

Full job description & application details, comment JOB and we'll send you the direct link to your inbox, or visit:
themindedinstitute.com/job-vacancies

Please share or with anyone you think may be suitable.

26/05/2026

🎓 One Full Scholarship Available! 🎓

At The Minded Institute, accessibility and inclusion sit at the heart of everything we do. That's why we're so proud to partner with the wonderful non-profit to offer one full scholarship for our upcoming Yoga Therapy Skills for Depression and Anxiety, a 50-hour, IAYT-accredited training running online from 3rd–7th June 2026.

This course is for yoga therapists, mental health professionals, and experienced yoga professionals who want clinically grounded, evidence-informed skills to support people living with anxiety and depression - rooted in neuroscience, psychology, and yogic wisdom, and applicable in both one-to-one and group settings.

This scholarship is for you if:

You come from a community underrepresented within yoga therapy, and you're already doing the vital work of supporting populations facing inequality or deprivation. We want to help you bring these specialist skills into the spaces where they're needed most.

📅 Course Dates: 3rd–7th June 2026 (Wednesday to Sunday)
⏰ Apply by this Friday!
Applications are handled directly by our partners at Fierce Calm — head to the link in our bio for full details on how to apply.

👇 We'd love to hear from you in the comments: Do you work with communities who could benefit from more access to yoga therapy for mental health? Share what that looks like for you — or tag someone who should know about this opportunity.

22/05/2026

Perimenopause can bring changes that feel both subtle and disruptive.

Encompassing disrupted sleep, shifting mood, cognitive fluctuation, joint discomfort, anxiety and more, many people navigate this transition without a clear framework for understanding or support.

Yoga therapy offers an integrative approach that responds to the individual rather than applying generalised protocols. It considers how change is experienced in the body, how it affects daily functioning, and what can be meaningfully supported over time.

Our upcoming live online observation offers something rare: the opportunity to watch an internationally renowned yoga therapist work with a real client in real time, and see how clinical thinking translates into a structured, responsive therapeutic process.

Join Amy Wheeler, PhD - Chair of the Department of Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda at Notre Dame of Maryland University and former President of the International Association of Yoga Therapists - as she shares practical insight and a clear demonstration of how yoga therapy translates complexity into structured, individualised care.

📅 Tuesday, 26th May 2026
🕡 6.30pm – 8.15pm (UK time)
💻 Live on Zoom

Places are limited and the session will not be recorded. If you're a yoga therapist, teacher, or healthcare professional looking to deepen your clinical approach to perimenopause, this is not one to miss.

https://themindedinstitute.com/product/online-observation-yoga-therapy-for-perimenopause-supporting-change-with-clarity-with-amy-wheeler/

Address

220 Arlington Road
London
NW17HE

Website

http://www.themindedinstitute.com/

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