Join leading experts for dynamic conversations about yoga, COVID-19, and the future of healthcare.

Learn what 30+ experts across the disciplinary spectrum — including medicine, public health, and therapeutic yoga — have discovered about how yoga can enhance resilience and bolster healthcare systems burdened by the COVID-19 crisis. Join this international effort to foster collaboration, disseminate findings, and amplify our collective understanding of this critically important topic.

This virtual symposium will feature the newest research in this field, as well as panel discussions and experiential presentations to translate academic findings into your teaching and practice. Whether you’re a yoga professional seeking tools to assist your students or a healthcare provider aiming to integrate yoga in the continuum of care, you will come away with vital resources for yourself and your clients.

Discover how you can make a difference in your community and join a global network working together to transform lives.

In this virtual symposium, you’ll learn:

  • What research tells us about the biological, psychological, and social impact of COVID-19 on individuals and communities.
  • Why yoga is uniquely suited to mitigate these complex issues, and how yoga and healthcare professionals can collaborate to improve health outcomes
  • Examples of therapeutic yoga practices specifically designed to address symptoms of Long COVID, as well as the mental health crisis, and ease the negative effects of social isolation.
  • Key insights from individuals experiencing Long COVID, which can inform a safe and supportive practice for this population, while highlighting potential risks.
  • How the pandemic has worsened existing health inequalities, and the role yoga can play in making a difference.
  • Simple yoga practices that can support individual self-care and provide health professionals with accessible tools they can offer to patients struggling with anxiety, depression, and breathlessness.
  • How restorative practices can assist healthcare workers experiencing fatigue, emotional stress, and burn-out.
  • How yoga and health professionals can collaborate to transform public health policy, with the aim of integrating yoga in National COVID-Recovery Plans.

Our Presenters

Adrian James, MD

President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists

Akshay Anand, PhD

Center for Mind body Medicine

Amit Bhargava, MD

College of Medicine

Baxter Bell, MD, C-IAYT

Yoga Therapist & Medical Acupuncturist

Charlotte Watts, 500RYT SYT

Yoga teacher, nutritionist, and author

Chelsea Roff, C-IAYT

Founder of Eat Breathe Thrive

Jennifer Webb, PhD

UNC Charlotte

Josefin Wikström, E-RYT 500

Prison Yoga Project

Jyoti Jo Manuel

Founder of Special Yoga

Julie Gayer Kris

AVI® Viniyoga Instructor & Thai Yoga Therapist

Matthew J. Taylor, PT, PhD, C-IAYT

SmartSafe Yoga

Kate Mulligan, PhD

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Lord Clive Brooke

House of Lords

Damien Ridge, PhD

University of Westminster

David Peters MB ChB DRCOG DMSMed FLCOM

University of Westminster

Deepak Chopra, MD, FACP

Chopra Global and The Chopra Foundation

Eddie Stern

NYC Yoga Teacher, Author, and Researcher

Fiona Agombar

Leading Yoga Therapist on Fatigue Conditions

B.N. Gangadhar, MD

National Institute of Mental Health and NeuroSciences

Heather Mason, MA, RYT-500, C-IAYT

Minded Institute and YIHA

Ian Baker, PhD

Cultural Historian and Author

Ingrid Yang, MD, C-IAYT

Physician & Expert in Yoga Therapy for Covid

James Marzolf, MD

Whole Health Institute

Jayagopal Parla, MD(Ayu)

Athreya Ayurvedic Integrative Health Center

Melissa Wickremasinghe, MD

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Michael Dixon, MD

College of Medicine

Michael Lee MA, C-IAYT

Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy

Nikki Jackson

Yoga Therapist and Occupational Therapist

Nina Smyth, PhD

University of Westminster

Patricia Gerbarg, MD

BREATH-BODY-MIND™

Patrick McKeown, MA

Founder of Buteyko Clinic International

Priya Verma, C-IAYT, PA-C

Certified Yoga Therapist and Physician Assistant

H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji

Parmarth Niketan Ashram

Rani Elwy, PhD

Brown University

Rhonda Smith, MBA

California Black Health Network

Richard Brown, MD

BREATH-BODY-MIND™

Robin Rothenberg, C-IAYT

International Leader in Yoga & Breathwork

Ryan Castle

Chopra Research Library

Shirley Telles, PhD

Patanjali Research Foundation

Stacie Graham, PhD

OYA: Body-Mind-Spirit Retreats

Starr Sanborn, C-IAYT

Yoga Therapist & Buteyko Breathing Instructor

Stephen Porges, PhD

Founder of Polyvagal Theory

Suzy Bolt, BA, BKSIYT

Yoga Teacher and NLP Practitioner

Tina Cartwright, PhD

University of Westminster

Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, PhD

Harvard Medical School

Victoria Santos, MA

Center for Healing and Liberation

William Bushell, PhD

Whole Health Institute

With gratitude to our event partners: