Bringing together philosophy and science with hands-on exercises, journaling, and charts, this practical workbook by psychologists and best-selling authors C. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D., and Annellen M. Simpkins, Ph.D., is organized to include: The tools to get you started: preliminaries, quick tips, neuroscience and efficacy research Clear instructions to guide you in the practices of yoga and mindfulness Application of the practice to anxiety, stress, depression, trauma and substance abuse An appendix created especially for the clinician answers questions about how and when to introduce the techniques, ways to adapt to your office, and special ways to address children and seniors “The Simpkins have unified three areas that have rarely, if ever, been pulled together: yoga (not just the body moves, but the deeper psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects as well), mindfulness practices and therapeutic methods…filled with exercises, tips and inspiring stories.” - Bill O’Hanlon, featured Oprah guest and author of Out of the Blue: Six Non-Medication Ways to Relieve Depression

This book attempts to bridge the considerable gaps that exist between spiritual philosophies and evidence-based medicine and between the psychotherapeutic models of the East and the West. Based on the insights of both the ancient wisdom and modern medicine, this book presents Yogic science not just as a set of physical exercises or religious rituals but as theories about the mind that have bio-psycho-social implications in relation to health and illness. Drawing on his years of monastic training and his extensive experiential, clinical and research knowledge on the utility of Yoga meditation in standardized and evidence-based medicine protocols, the author describes symptom-specific clinical applications of Yogic/meditative techniques using standardized protocols for the various psychiatric and psychosomatic conditions. In addition, he explains the value of these techniques in reducing stress and improving quality of life in healthy populations. Dr. Pradhan names the proposed integrative model of psychotherapy Yoga and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (Y-MBCT). Unlike other models, Y-MBCT uses Yoga in its entirety (all eight limbs, including meditation) rather than piecemeal. The standardized and evidence-based format of Yoga meditation described in this book will help all aspiring Yoga practitioners and will hopefully also provide the impetus for multicenter research studies on the value of this ancient wisdom.

Bringing together philosophy and neuroscience with hands-on exercises, journaling, and charts, this practical workbook by psychologists and best-selling authors C. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D., and Annellen M. Simpkins, Ph.D., is organized to include: • The tools to get you started: preliminaries, quick tips, neuroscience and efficacy research • Clear instructions to guide you in the practices of yoga and mindfulness • Application of the practice to anxiety, stress, depression, trauma and substance abuse • An appendix created especially for the clinician answers questions about how and when to introduce the techniques, ways to adapt to your practice, and special ways to address children and seniors.

Praise for Meditation and Yoga in Psychotherapy "From the wisdom of ancient cultures to modern neuroscience, the authors skillfully create a bridge of understanding between the practice of meditation, yoga, and psychotherapy. The Simpkins are at their best in describing how everyone can learn to integrate their own brain, body, and mind to facilitate a creative synchrony of healing and well-being." —Kathryn Rossi, PhD Coeditor, Collected Works of Milton H. Erickson: The Nature of Therapeutic Hypnosis "This reader-friendly text is directed toward therapists and healthcare workers who are considering incorporating yoga and meditation into their work. These technologies are time-honored and appear to have beneficial effects on contemporary clients and patients. Meditation and Yoga in Psychotherapy serves as an informative introduction to these¿practices, and explains how a therapist might integrate such practices into their work. The chapters on neuroscience research and healthy aging are unique in books of this nature, and the discussion of alleviating depression alone is worth the price of the book." —Stanley Krippner, PhDProfessor of Psychology, Saybrook UniversityCoauthor, Haunted by Combat: Understanding PTSD in War Veterans A thoughtful and pragmatic guide for integrating meditation and yoga techniques into traditional psychotherapy Meditation and Yoga in Psychotherapy is an inspiring "how-to" guide grounded in the neuroscientific and clinical evidence that supports the use of meditation and other yoga practices to improve clients' mental health. Drawing from the authors' decades of practice, teaching, and writing, this inspiring book is focused on applying meditation, yoga, and Zen to therapy, with discussion of: The latest neuroscience findings, showing how the brain and larger nervous system are altered by yoga methods Philosophical and psychological principles upon which yoga is based The how, when, and why for use of specific techniques with common psychological problems Fundamental stretching exercises and meditation techniques Filled with vivid case examples and writings from renowned yoga masters, Meditation and Yoga in Psychotherapy encourages a therapeutic process in which clients move their attention from outside concerns to inner mindfulness. With a range of techniques that embrace the diversity and uniqueness of clients, this book offers methods to creatively individualize techniques for a wide variety of presenting problems.

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Many mental health clinicians--even those well acquainted with mindfulness--still view physical, body-oriented techniques as outside their scope of practice. In this accessible book, clinical psychologist, exercise physiologist, and yoga and mindfulness teacher Paul Salmon gives therapists of any orientation the tools to use mindful movement with clients. Salmon shows how simple practices like breathing, walking, and yoga-like stretches can help clients center their attention in the present moment with curiosity and self-acceptance. He summarizes research on the benefits of movement for specific mental and physical health conditions and provides vivid case examples and scripts. Purchasers get access to a companion website where they can download audio recordings of 29 guided practices.