ONLINE PROFESSIONAL MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING FOR YOGA TEACHERS

EDUCATION. WISDOM. COMMUNITY.
Mental Health Aware Yoga is a cutting edge, professional development training program for Yoga Teachers created by Clinical Psychologist and Senior Yoga Teacher Dr Lauren Tober.
In this online training program, you will develop your skills to deeply support your yoga students experiencing mental health challenges.
THIS TRAINING WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU TEACH
SIX PILLARS OF MENTAL HEALTH AWARE YOGA
This professional development training program for Yoga Teachers explores the six pillars of Mental Health Aware Yoga.
You will develop skills to support your yoga students experiencing mental health challenges, so they (and you) can thrive and flourish.

WESTERN PSYCHOLOGY

YOGA PSYCHOLOGY

CREATING A SAFE CONTAINER

THERAPEUTIC SKILLS

YOGIC PRACTICES

MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

WESTERN PSYCHOLOGY

YOGA PSYCHOLOGY

CREATING A SAFE CONTAINER

THERAPEUTIC SKILLS

YOGIC PRACTICES

MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
By the end of the training, you will have up-skilled in the blossoming field of yoga for mental health, and have both a theoretical and embodied understanding of how to support your yoga students experiencing depression, anxiety, stress and trauma.
LEARN HOW TO DEEPLY SUPPORT YOUR STUDENTS EXPERIENCING DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS AND TRAUMA
THE ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAM
Mental Health Aware Yoga is an world-class professional development training program for Yoga Teachers and Teachers-In-Training.
In-depth online lectures
Detailed training manual
Live group mentoring sessions
Private Facebook group
One-on-one feedback session
Access to the Practice Library
Access to Mental Health Aware Yoga classes
Teacher’s pack of Consent Tokens
Self directed practicum tasks



In-depth online lectures
Detailed training manual
Live group mentoring sessions
Private Facebook group
One-on-one feedback session
Access to the Practice Library
Access to Mental Health Aware Yoga classes
Teacher’s pack of Consent Tokens
Self directed practicum tasks
“If you’re interested in supporting your community with yoga, I highly recommend the Mental Health Aware Yoga training with Dr Lauren Tober.
It’s vital that we educate ourselves with this work so we impact our students’ well-being in a positive way.”

YOGA TEACHER, TRAINER + MENTOR | BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA

Hi, I’m Dr Lauren Tober.
I developed this innovative Mental Health Aware Yoga training to support Yoga Teachers to make their classes safe, nourishing and transformative for all students, including those experiencing mental health challenges.
This work is soulful without being new-agey. It’s evidence based without being clinical. It’s authentic, heartfelt and life changing.
I hope you can join me in changing the landscape of yoga.
It’s time.
“I can hardly think of any supplementary training for Yoga Teachers that is more relevant than Lauren’s Mental Health Aware Yoga training! I will recommend all of our trainees – and in fact all Yoga Teachers – to do this training to educate themselves in these very important topics. Because in all yoga classes that we teach there is likely to be several students affected by stress, anxiety, depression or trauma – and we want to be able to hold the space and teach the yoga that support their inner journeys in the best possible way, too, right?

UPON COMPLETION


Listing on the Mental Health Aware Yoga website
Certificate of completion
Mental Health Aware Yoga logos to use on your website
Priority for post-training mentoring with Dr Lauren Tober
An invitation to be part of the global community of Mental Health Aware Yoga Teachers
Listing on the Mental Health Aware Yoga website
Certificate of completion
Mental Health Aware Yoga logos to use on your website
Priority for post-training mentoring with Dr Lauren Tober
An invitation to be part of a global community of Mental Health Aware Yoga Teachers

LOKAH SAMASTAH SUKHINU BHAVANTU
[ may all beings be happy + free ]
IS THIS TRAINING RIGHT FOR ME?
This training is designed specifically for Yoga Teachers (and Yoga Teachers-In-Training)
THIS TRAINING MIGHT BE FOR YOU IF:
- You want to learn how to best support your yoga students experiencing mental health challenges in your general yoga classes
- You have an interest in mental health and yoga psychology
- You are a Yoga Teacher and a Mental Health Professional and would like to learn how to integrate these two fields
- You are interested in traditional AND evidence based practice
- You are committed to ongoing professional and personal development
- You want to connect with like-minded colleagues
- You are big-hearted, compassionate and have an open mind
THIS TRAINING IS NOT:
- For therapists wanting to learn yoga skills for the therapy room (please start by completing a Yoga Teacher Training course)
- To learn to become a therapist (it takes many years to do this)
- For Yoga Teachers who want prescriptive postures, practices and sequences for mental health (it’s not that simple)
- For Yoga Teachers who are currently experiencing their own mental health crisis (please seek support from a therapist and connect back in with us when you’re ready)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can you give me some more details about what is included in the course?
By the end of the training, you’ll have an in-depth understanding of the six pillars of Mental Health Aware Yoga.
In the first pillar, we look at mental health through the lens of Western Psychology including depressive, anxiety and trauma disorders as well as stress and co-morbidity.
In the second pillar, we explore the foundations of Yoga Psychology, including Patañjali’s model of yoga psychology, mental health and the gunas, koshas and kleśhas, yoga as cultivating sattva, saṃskāra and non-dualism.
In the third pillar, you’ll learn how to Create a Safe Container, including the sacred role of the teacher, professional boundaries, creating a safe and nourishing environment for your students, ethics, touch and hands-on assists, scope of practice, mentoring and self practice, self care and self enquiry.
In the fourth pillar, you’ll learn Therapeutic Skills for Yoga Teachers, including meeting your students where they are, the rhythm of a yoga class, skillful language, effective listening and unconditional positive regard.
In the fifth pillar, we’ll explore traditional and evidence-based Yogic Practices for mental health, including yoga and mental health research, assessing (not diagnosing) your students, āsana, prāṇāyāma, meditation, contraindications (what to avoid), compassionate non-judgemental witnessing presence, sankalpa bhâvâna and teaching themes.
In the sixth pillar of Mental Health Aware Yoga, we’ll discuss what to do in a Mental Health Crisis, including how to respond when students cry, what to do if a student has a panic attack , trauma reaction or discloses suicide ideation or self harm.
Following completion of the Mental Health Aware Yoga training, Yoga Teachers will be able to:
– Articulate why knowledge of mental health is important for Yoga Teachers.
– Identify Western Psychology diagnostic criteria for depression, anxiety, trauma and stress.
– Discuss basic yoga psychology, including Patañjali’s 8 limbs, gunas and koshas.
– Create a safe container for students in a yoga class.
– Use appropriate therapeutic skills in a yoga class.
– Assess their own and their students’ emotional needs and practice/teach appropriate yoga practices to meet these needs.
– Identify what to do in a mental health crisis.
Lauren worked with an education and instructional course designer to make this course the best educational experience possible.
Do I have to attend any part of the training at a specific time?
You can attend the monthly mentoring sessions live with Dr Lauren Tober, but if you can’t make the live sessions, you can send your questions in beforehand and listen to the recording.
The final step of the training is having a live one-on-one session with Dr Lauren Tober or a senior Mental Health Aware Yoga Mentor to review your assignments and ask any questions. You can organise this time individually with your mentor.
Will I get to learn directly from Dr Lauren Tober?
You’ll also have regular access to Dr Lauren Tober in the private Facebook group and the monthly live mentoring calls. If you can’t make the live calls, you can send your questions in advance for Lauren to answer, and you can listen to the recording.
The final step of the training is having a live one-on-one session with Dr Lauren Tober or a senior Mental Health Aware Yoga Mentor to review your assignments and ask any questions you like.
You are also welcome to book additional private mentoring sessions during or after the course, at an additional cost.
I'm not very techy, can I do the course?
We have designed the course website to be super-intuitive and easy to use (not to mention beautiful).
We’re also backed up with an amazing IT support team, so if you have any issues, we’ll have you covered.
How long do I have to complete the course?
You’ll have six whole months to complete the course. This will give you plenty of time to complete the training, even if you’re working, studying or parenting full time.
The course takes approximately 60 hours to complete, but will vary from person-to-person, depending on the speed you work at and the depth of your integration and embodiment. The more you put into this training, the more you will get out.
Is this course accredited?
Yes, this course is accredited with both Yoga Alliance and Yoga Australia. You will receive a certificate of completion (PDF) once you have completed the course to lodge with your accreditation body.
Yoga Australia members can claim 43.25 CPD points.
Yoga Alliance members can claim 60 non-contact hours.
During to COVID-19, Yoga Alliance have advised that “RYTs may count online courses taken during this time as contact hours for Continuing Education (CE) requirements.”
The course takes approximately 60 hours to complete.
If you would like to claim CPD points with another organisation, you can take the certificate you receive upon completion of the training to your accreditation body; this is usually sufficient.
How is the course taught?
The course is taught in our online shala; a custom built membership website that hosts all our online courses and trainings.
Once you sign up, you will receive an email within a few minutes with your personal log in details for the shala, and an invitation to join the Mental Health Aware Yoga Facebook community.
The course consists of approximately 11 hours of video or audio lectures, plus full length yoga classes and an extensive library of yogic practices for mental health.
After each lecture you will complete a multiple choice questionnaire (no trick questions, if you have watched the lectures these are really straight forward) and after each section there are self directed practicum tasks including writing reflective journals, attending live yoga classes of your choice (in person or online), practicing pre-recorded yoga classes and practices with Dr Lauren Tober, teaching yoga classes using the principles of Mental Health Aware Yoga and more.
You will also receive an in-depth PDF training manual (over 200 pages) and can also join the Mental Health Aware Yoga Facebook community and live group mentoring calls with Dr Lauren Tober.
I noticed the prices are in Australian Dollars. I'm from another country, can I still join?
Just purchase as usual (the currency conversion will be done automatically).
And lucky you, the Aussie dollar is usually pretty poor in comparison to other currencies, so you’ll probably get the course at a steal! Sign up now before we change our minds and introduce multiple currencies!
“Dr Lauren Tober offers a timely and accessible framework for yoga teachers to increase their understanding of common mental health challenges, together with practical insights and guidance around the intentional application of specific yogic practices to support psychological well-being.
This course presents an inspiring learning opportunity for yoga teachers looking to provide an optimally supportive, inclusive and beneficial experience of yoga for students experiencing mental health challenges.
What you learn in this course will empower you to make positive changes in the way you teach.”

JOIN THE COURSE NOW
PAY $1295 UPFRONT OR SIX EASY MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $250 AUD
Learn everything you need to shine in the growing field of yoga for mental health, and deeply support your students experiencing depression, anxiety, stress and trauma
100% online access to the training (access 24/7)
Indepth PDF training manual (everything I know!)
Live group mentoring sessions with Dr Lauren Tober
Private Facebook group with Dr Lauren Tober and the Mental Health Aware Yoga community
One-on-one feedback session
Consent Tokens posted to you in the mail
