#8: Heather Mason, Founder of The Minded Institute, a World Leader in Yoga Therapy & Mindfulness Training

Heather Mason is the Founder of The Minded Institute in the UK,  a world-renowned leader in Yoga Therapy training.Heather's personal journey began with years of deep anxiety and depression which led her to Southeast Asia, where she spent three years developing and transforming her mind n Buddhist monasteries. In 2003, she moved to the UK to pursue her MA in Buddhist Studies at SOAS University London followed by an MA in Buddhist-Based psychotherapy. In the midst of her studies, Heather recognized she was most interested in mind-body therapies  and took a sabbatical from her MA to study yoga therapy.  She also did extensive study in neuroscience and completed an MSc in Medical Physiology, allowing her to take a systemic view of yoga’s efficacy in health.In addition to leading The Minded Institute’s 500 professional yoga therapy training, Heather specializes in using mind-body techniques in the treatment of trauma, anxiety, and teaches professionals how to use physiological assessment to determine appropriate yoga therapeutic practices for clients. She has taught classes and lectured at Harvard, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Trauma Center, and many other organizations worldwide.Heather also serves as the Director of the Yoga and Healthcare Alliance (YIHA) and has played a pivotal role in introducing and integrating yoga into the healthcare system.This conversation is rich with insight into how we can all approach wellbeing more holistically and live healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives.In this episode, we discuss:- Heather's personal battle with anxiety and depression- The key differences between Yoga and Yoga Therapy- Why it's important to approach healing holistically- The impact of trauma on the nervous system- Tools for nervous system regulation- The impact of the pandemic on our mental health- Social prescribing and why community is important to healing- Why we should be integrating yoga & healthcareSee links below to access Heather's work and the resources mentioned in this episode:The Minded Institute WebsiteIG @themindedinstituteHealthflix YouTube SeriesBooks:The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der KolkThe Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porges__For more free resources visit www.sunandmoonsoberliving.com and be sure to follow @sunandmoon.soberliving on Instagram