SOMA – The Science of Mindful Awareness, Yoga for Mental Health program is unique in its scientific approach to understanding the transformational power of yoga and mindfulness. Translating ancient perspectives of yogic principles into a modern-day understanding of evidence-based practices prepares yoga professionals to work in academic institutions or along side licensed medical professionals, or enables licensed mental health professionals to apply evidence-based, yoga and mindfulness practices to their mental health practice.
Students will review and interpret published research on the current science of yoga. Courses on clinical applications train professional health care providers in other fields to incorporate yoga therapies into their practice.
Energetic principles are foundational to the transformational potential of yoga therapy. Understanding concepts such as the movement of energy, and how to release blockages, allows us to harness this power to balance all energetic levels of being. True health comes from within, and as we learn to empower our own optimal wellbeing, we can share these teachings with others. In this program, you will learn both the art and the science of mental health through yoga.
Lead Faculty member Dr. Deborah Norris provides a unique background as a health scientist and mind-body practitioner. Her teachings are infused with novel insights on the theory and mechanisms of action of mind-body practices. For example, her research in electroencephalography, where she studied the electromagnetic fields of energy emitted from the brain, allows her to offer her students a profound understanding of the mechanisms by which energy moves through and around the body. As a neuroscientist as well as a clinical exercise physiologist and professional dancer, she is able to teach her students the mechanisms by which the brain integrates with the body, to coordinate its function and facilitate its healing. As a professor at American University and Georgetown University Medical School, teaching Yoga Science and Research, Alternative Medicine, and Human Ecology, she was able to use her knowledge of mind-body health to heal herself of otherwise chronic conditions, including fibromyalgia, and seizures resulting from a traumatic brain injury. Dr. Norris brings a unique and highly qualified perspective on the science of the most mystical and powerful elements of yoga therapy.
