Empowering Engagement: Yoga Psychology Pillar
Yoga as Behavior Modification
The Yoga Psychology Pillar
The Yoga Psychology Pillar explores yoga as a timeless system for understanding the mind, transforming habitual patterns, and supporting sustainable change. Rooted in classical yoga philosophy, somatic practice, and modern therapeutic application, this pillar examines yoga as a form of behavior modification—supporting mood regulation, nervous system health, trauma healing, addiction recovery, ethical clinical reasoning, and the development of effective practices for yoga therapy.
Drawing from the lived experience and teachings of yoga therapist and author Dani McGuire, this program is complemented by reflective practices and applied tools from her book The Path of Joyful Living, as well as foundational perspectives on energy medicine introduced through the work of Heidi Light. Together, theory and practice invite students to understand not only how change occurs, but how to skillfully and ethically support that change through individualized, embodied yoga therapy.
This pillar is designed for yoga students, teachers, yoga therapists, mental health and wellness professionals, and dedicated practitioners seeking a practical framework for working with anxiety, trauma, addiction, and ingrained belief patterns through trauma-informed, body-based care.
Required Reading
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers — Robert Sapolsky
Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga — David Emerson & Elizabeth Hopper
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts — Gabor Maté
The Path of Joyful Living — Dani McGuire
Ethics in Energy Medicine — Heidi Light
Calendar at a Glance: February Enrollment.