Tugging the Heartstrings: Yoga Practices to Support Emotional Resilience

Over the course of this 2-hour session, Mary will discuss the relationships between heart rate variability, vagal nerve tone, and nervous system regulation. She will lead us on a tour of the brain regions and signaling systems related to emotions and their processing. Get ready to reframe how you think – and talk – about hormones!

Mary Knees workshop
Mary Ricards

Mary Richards

The end of the calendar year is an emotionally intense period. Some of us feel absolutely knackered from the day-to-day grind, the fatigue amplified by the ticking of the New Year’s clock. Others carry added burdens of grief, fear, and loneliness. Still others need to pace themselves as they celebrate their favorite holidays. No matter where you land on the “December Demands Spectrum,” your practice can be dialed in to better distribute the load. 
Join Mary for an online class dedicated to the science and practice of yoga for emotional resilience. We will practice several evidence-informed yoga and mindfulness techniques that help us shift from a reactive nervous system to a responsive one. Making these shifts unloads emotional pressure points, so we learn to connect more clearly to our needs. In turn, we improve the odds of seeing to our needs with less strain and worry.
 

What to Expect


Over the course of this 2-hour session, Mary will discuss the relationships between heart rate variability, vagal nerve tone, and nervous system regulation. She will lead us on a tour of the brain regions and signaling systems related to emotions and their processing. Get ready to reframe how you think – and talk – about hormones!

We will practice a gentle warm-up followed by restorative asana and pranayama. 

Props

Please have 2 blocks, a strap and bolster, 5 to 8 blankets or thick towels, an eye cover, 2 small towels or pillows (to support wrists/hands), and a nonslip mat.

Who is it for?

Yoga teachers, yoga practitioners - anyone interested in learning more about yoga and emotional resilience.

Attendance and Replay

This workshop will be recorded should participants not be able to attend the live session. The link to the recording will be accessible for 3 months.

Meet the Teacher

Mary's teaching is informed by the perspectives and understanding gained in credited coursework in anatomy, physiology, biology, kinesiology, cadaver dissection and therapeutic movement. She earned a master of science in yoga therapy at Maryland University of Integrative Health. She is registered as a certified yoga therapist with IAYT, and also a certified iRest Level 1 teacher. Her scope of practice includes physical postures, breathing exercises, restorative yoga, and mindfulness techniques such as meditation and heart-centred communication.

Mary primarily studies with Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., PT. She serves as Judith's senior anatomy and therapeutics teaching assistant at workshops around the United States. Judith, Lizzie Lasater, and Mary co-teach several digital courses. She has authored a book, Teach People, Not Poses, which invites us to get the lay of our anatomical land and find our own pathways on the mat.

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