Hundreds of articles have been written on how to avoid contracting and transmitting COVID-19. Perhaps even more has been written about COVID-19 warning signs, diagnosis, and treatment. Yet we are still trying to understand the after effects of this disease, and learning that recovery from COVID-19 may not automatically lead to the resumption of life as it was. But what does that really mean?

In this 45-minute lecture, you will learn:

• Surprising, cutting-edge research findings about how COVID-19 acts
• How yoga professionals can help individuals who are recovering from COVID-19
• The effects you might see in your clients in a organ systems based approach

This class series was developed to address the unique symptom complex associated with Long-COVID, respecting the need to avoid overexertion. While yoga therapy is no replacement for medical treatment, these self-care practices may assist you in creating a sense of internal balance, softening the edges of discomfort, to help restore and reconnect you to your own resilience.

Each class combines short lectures and research-informed practices in an approach that aims to be both educational and practical. The series will explore breath-work, gentle undulating movements, sound, mudra, and guided meditations – woven together in short adaptable sequences. Each offering can be easily modified and titrated to your needs. You’ll come away with a diverse toolbox of strategies and ways of working that you can utilize throughout your day to support your healing journey.

The current pandemic has had an unprecedented influence on mental health worldwide. Various surveys report up to three-fold increases in anxiety, depression, and PTSD in patients, the general public and health care professionals. Yoga’s value in mental health is recognized within its core ancient texts, yoga research, and, increasingly, within mental health care. In this talk, Heather Mason will discuss the current mental health crisis, how yoga can be used to address the mental health pandemic, and best practices for COVID-19 related mental health issues.

In this 45-minute lecture, you will learn:

• The basic psycho physiological underpinnings for yoga’s value in mental health
• How and why COVID-19 has negatively impacted mental health worldwide
• Therapeutic yoga practices that are uniquely suited for COVID-related mental distress

This 45-minute practicum is a follow up to Dr. Yang’s informative lecture explaining the science and practice of yoga for COVID-19 long-haulers. Ingrid will take you through her pranayama protocol and asana protocol, which were developed based on the latest research and her clinical experience working with COVID-19 patients. This protocol is also being implemented in her hospital during pulmonary rehab for COVID-19 recoverees. Dr. Yang will also be answering any questions from her March 6th lecture during this practicum, so please contact her at ingridyang.com if you want to submit questions.

This presentation addresses how to utilize pranayama techniques when working with people living with post-COVID syndrome. Over this past year, we have witnessed the devastating long-term effect on survivors who continue to suffer breathlessness, fatigue, brain fog, circulatory, and neurological issues. We’ll explore how the breath, much like the virus itself, impacts the entire physiologic or pranic system, and may be our most potent tool for supporting recovery and resetting allostasis.

In this 90-minute presentation, you will learn:

• The fundamental principles of pranayama, drawing from science and personal experience
• How the breath is the primary means through which we allocate and replenish energy, drawing from the Vedic concept of the pancha vayus
• The clear distinctions between practices that restore vitality, and those that further depletion, a consideration that needs to be appreciated when working with this vulnerable population

The lecture will be followed by an embodied practice that offers participants a felt-experience of the theory, as they explore the biochemistry and the biomechanics of restorative breathing.

In this lecture, you will learn:

• How to explore where you are holding grief in your body
• How yoga and meditation can help you lean into and connect more deeply with your emotions
• How your grief can serve as a powerful catalyst for personal growth, resilience and change