The Yoga of Calm: Engaging the Vagus Nerve for Greater Stress Resilience

Depression & Anxiety

One of the greatest challenges in life is finding ways to deal constructively with stress.

Stress affects us physically, mentally, and emotionally. In the short-term, it affects our well-being and our relationships.  In the long term, it can undermine our health; we now know that stress is one of the major factors that predisposes us to chronic diseases.

Fortunately, in recent years, great strides have been made in our understanding of the stress response and how to work constructively with stress. One of the central developments has been Stephen Porges’ work on polyvagal theory, which points to the central role of the vagus nerve in retaining resilience in the face of stress.

In this course, Dr. Shailla Vaidya, family physician and yoga therapist, will help you understand what makes us more vulnerable to stress, and how we can learn to cope better. Learn how to use self-care techniques from the ancient tradition of yoga to retain calm and resilience in the face of stress to build a healthier, happier life.

In particular, Shailla will show you how to work more directly with the vagus nerve to down regulate the nervous system response and build greater resilience.

What You Will Learn:

  • How stress manifests in the body, and the role of the central and peripheral nervous system?
  • The key insights from polyvagal theory, with a particular focus on the role of the vagus nerve.
  • How the techniques of yoga can help to regulate vagal tone?
  • Why resilience is more than just a personal quality, and how to work with the vagus nerve to build greater resilience?
  • How the concept of the gunas can help us understand our experience, discharge stress, and return to a sattvic, centered state?
  • How to implement simple strategies based in yoga, including mindfulness and self-compassion which can be practiced in moments of stress to promote resilience within yourself and help us work to build healthier communities

This Course Also Includes:

  • Yoga Practice Video: Enjoy a yoga practice video that accompanies this course designed by Dr. Shailla Vaidya.
  • Recordings of All Webinar Sessions: It’s generally acknowledged that many people only retain 10-20 percent of what they learn in a workshop. You will get access to the recordings of all webinar sessions – both MP3 (downloadable) and MP4 (streaming online), enabling you to go back and listen to the workshop as many times as you like.
  • Transcripts of All Sessions: Ever wanted to refer to a certain part of a course? Even the best note takers miss a point every so often. With the transcripts of the webinar sessions, you can go back and refer to particularly important passages or clarify sections you were in doubt about.

This course qualifies for 3.5 CEs with Yoga Alliance.

Shailla Vaidya, MD MPH CCFP(EM) C-IAYT is a graduate of Dalhousie Medical School, the University of Ottawa Family and Emergency Medicine Residency Program, and the Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health.

$127/ Lifetime Access

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