HLL08 Body Reading, Psychosomatic Therapy & Ayurveda

Face Reading, Body Reading

Time & Date: Saturday 22 February 2025, 9:30am – 1:00pm
Hosted By: Celia Roberts

Body Reading

Body reading is the study of the body in order to understand a person’s psychological and emotional state. It can be used to diagnose and treat mental, psychosomatic and emotional disorders.

Ayurveda has historically used face, tongue, eye, pulse, touch and body reading to diagnose certain conditions. In this 2-day course, you will learn basic Ayurvedic Healing and Yoga Chikitsa (Therapy) techniques to help you assist yourself and others from a yoga therapy perspective.

Ayurveda has long explored and diagnosed emotional and physical disturbances in the body based on the mind-body connection. Together, we shall explore both the Western and Eastern Science.

We will be exploring:

• How body reading is the study of the body in order to understand a person’s psychological and emotional state
• Ayurvedic Diagnostic Tools for Yoga & Meditation Teaching and Yoga Therapy
• Face reading – based on Ayurveda and Evidence (Ekman’s research) which has shown that there are seven universal emotions that are expressed the same way across all cultures
• Mindfulness & mastery over our own emotions based on Ekman’s work

Body Languaging & Mapping The Emotional Body

Time & Date: Saturday 22 February 2025, 1:45pm – 4:45pm
Hosted By: Celia Roberts

Body Languaging

Nonverbal communication is often said to speak volumes and research backs this statement. A study by David Matsumoto, PhD, found that nonverbal cues are often more important than verbal ones in conveying emotions and messages.

Nonverbal communication includes facial expressions, body language, and gestures. It can be conscious or unconscious, intentional or unintentional and it can reveal a lot about our feelings and intentions.

Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 rule states that communication is only 7% verbal, 38% vocal (tone and inflection), and 55% nonverbal (body language and facial expressions).

So, what does this tell us? It tells us that words are important, but they are not the only thing that matters. In fact, tone and body language are just as important, if not more so.

Learning how to pay attention to the gestures and nonverbal cues of your clients can offer another a more “present moment” aware state of being, a true mindful listening experience. You will start to get a better understanding of what they’re really trying to say using their bodies.

Mapping The Emotional Body

A Finnish study, conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Helsinki, is one of the first to map out how different emotions are experienced in the body. The results of the study showed that different emotions are experienced in different parts of the body. For example, happiness is felt more in the chest, while sadness is felt more in the throat. Anger is felt more in the stomach, while fear is felt more in the chest and neck.

Science Bulletins: Mapping Emotions in the Body

The Finnish study provides valuable insights into how we experience different emotions in our bodies. This knowledge can be used to help us better understand and cope with our own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.

We will be exploring:

• How nonverbal cues and gestures are often more important than verbal ones in conveying emotions and messages
• Bodily gesturing eg. How to spot a liar (based on research)
• Mapping the Emotional Body Scientifically & Ayurvedically
• How your thoughts shape your digestion

Ayurveda for Yoga & Meditation Teachers, Yoga Therapists

Time & Date: Sunday 23 February 2025, 9:30am – 1:00pm
Hosted By: Celia Roberts

David Frawley gently reminds us that yogic healing cannot be practiced without a deep understanding of Ayurveda. Ayurveda is the science of life and it is essential to understand the principles of ayurveda in order to heal effectively. Ayurveda teaches us that each individual has a unique constitution and requires a personalised approach to wellness. The goal of Ayurveda is not only to treat illness, but to promote optimal health and wellbeing. Yoga therapy is an effective modality for promoting health and wellbeing, but it must be grounded in a deep understanding of Ayurveda. You will learn to see the doshas in the body and use marma points to release tension in a yoga therapy setting.

We will be exploring:

• Basic Ayurvedic diagnostic tools
• Learn to see the doshas in the body, face and skin, mind and digestion
• Learn how to use marma points to release tension in a yoga teaching or therapy setting

Psychosomatic Therapy for Meditation & Yoga Teachers, Yoga Therapists

Time & Date: Sunday 23 February 2025, 1:45pm – 4:45pm
Hosted By: Celia Roberts

Psychosomatic therapy bodywork is a type of therapy that uses both the mind and body to heal. It is based on the idea that the mind and body are connected, and that by working with both, we can achieve optimum health and wellbeing.

Psychosomatic therapy is a form of treatment that aims to address both the physical and mental health of a person. It can be used to help treat conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress, and chronic pain. It is a way of moving and shifting emotions in the body through massage, awareness and through yoga therapy, by movement.

The research shows that when we experience an emotion, it is stored in our body in the form of muscular tension. This tension can be released through massage, exercise, or other forms of release.

There is a growing body of evidence to support the efficacy of psychosomatic therapy bodywork. A recent study found that psychosomatic therapy was effective in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improving quality of life measures such as sleep and social functioning (1).

We will be exploring:

• Psychosomatic therapy bodywork is a type of therapy that you can use for both the mind and body to heal
• The use of top down and bottom up processing via the psychoneuroimmunological axis and how you can implement this research into your mind-body medicine teachings
• How to incorporate psychosomatic therapy as an effective tool in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improving quality of life measures such as sleep and social functioning

References:
1. Psychosomatic therapy bodywork for stress, anxiety, and depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27890947)