(STOCKBRIDGE, Mass.) – Richard P. Brown, Patricia Gerbarg, and Yoga of the Mind founder Heather Mason will teach “Breath~Body~Mind: Training for Trauma,” at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health from Sunday, August 28 through Friday, September 2, 2011. This 6-day intensive will enable yoga teachers, yoga therapists, health care providers, and disaster relief workers to use mind-body healing techniques for self-care and to help their clients recover from stress and trauma.

Breath~Body~Mind  is a fusion of ancient and modern mind-body practices that rapidly restore balance to stress-response systems by optimizing brain, heart, and lung function. Techniques developed and researched by Brown and Gerbarg have been used successfully to treat military veterans as well as survivors of mass disasters, including the Southeast Asia tsunami, World Trade Center attacks, earthquake in Haiti, genocide in Rwanda, and war in Sudan. Their programs also relieve burnout and secondary trauma in caregivers.

In this 6-day trauma-sensitive training, didactic sessions will cover neurophysiology, current research, clinical issues, and teaching methods. Experiential training will include movement, breathing, meditation, and practice-teaching under supervision. These unique techniques quickly calm the central fear-processing networks and reduce the physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

This Breath~Body~Mind training is approved for 23.5 to 30 Continuing Education Credits for social workers (SW), psychologists (PSY), athletic trainers (BOC), certified counselors (NBCC), and members of the Yoga Alliance (YA).

For registration and more information call 800.741.7353 or follow the link at Breath~Body~Mind: Training for Trauma.

Dr. Brown is Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University in New York. He gives over 200 medical lectures every year, including full-day courses for the American Psychiatric Association and other professional groups, as well as workshops for non-profits such as Serving Those Who Serve in New York City.  He is a certified teacher of Aikido (4th Dan), Yoga, Qi Gong, and meditation. His workshops have helped thousands of people deal with everyday stress and enabled survivors of trauma and mass disasters to recover their health and well-being.

Dr. Gerbarg is an Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychiatry at New York Medical College.  She graduated from Harvard Medical School and the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.  In addition to her clinical practice, she provides consultation and facilitates the development of research projects on the health benefits of mind-body practices for recovery from mass disasters.

Heather Mason, MA, is the founder of Yoga for the Mind, an integrative approach for  treatment of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. A certified yoga therapist and mindfulness teacher, she spent three years living in Buddhist monasteries in China.

Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health is the largest yoga and holistic living center in the U.S. with over 30,000 visitors each year attending its trainings, workshops, and health retreats.  It is “dedicated to promote the art and science of yoga to produce thriving and health in individuals and society.”  Kripalu Center is located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts and is within driving distance from Boston, Hartford, and New York City.

Drs. Brown and Gerbarg are co-authors of the award-winning How To Use Herbs, Nutrients, and Yoga in Mental Health Care (WW Norton) with Dr. Philip Muskin.  The book is recommended reading before the course.  Brown and Gerbarg have an Internet site at HaveAHealthyMind.com with mental health information and resources. They have co-authored 35 professional publications on complementary and alternative treatments including scientific papers, books, and book chapters. Their upcoming books on non-drug treatments for ADHD and breathing for health and peak performance will be released in 2012.