SOAS-BWY Autumn Summit Explores Yoga's Impact on Health and Healing

The British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and SOAS University of London (SOAS) will be hosting global experts on yoga and health at their first major summit this Autumn.

Yoga: Health, Harm and Healing will take place on 2 November and is a unique day-long event that brings together seven distinguished scholars and leading yoga practitioners to explore the latest research on yoga and its relationship with health, harm and healing.

Sat Bir Singh Khalsa PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School will headline the event. As an authority on yoga as therapy, he will evaluate the efficacy of yoga for mental health conditions, such as insomnia, chronic stress, and anxiety-related disorders, based on his most recent research findings, and discuss his work that paves the way for integrating yoga therapy into modern medicine.

Professor Rosie Meek from Royal Holloway, University of London, and Rose Parkes, Associate Dean at the Institute of Law in Jersey, will examine yoga’s role in rehabilitation and prison reform, which is informed by Prof. Meek’s report to the UK Ministry of Justice.

Umā Dinsmore-Tuli PhD, founder of the Yoga Nidra Network, will substantiate the power of rest through Yoganidrā (yogic sleep), a technique that integrates traditional guided visualisation methods with modern relaxation, and challenge ideas that yoga can do no harm. Carola Chiarpenello MSc from Kings College London will present the results of innovative cognitive neuroscience research into Yoganidrā as a tool to downregulate inflammation in the body.

Professor Ulrich Pagel, Chair of SOAS Centre of Yoga Studies, said: " This summit is a testament to the growing interest in understanding yoga's impact on personal and social wellbeing We are excited to provide a platform for experts from diverse fields to converge and explore the research and applications of yoga in the wider community.”

Diana O’Reilly, Chair of BWY, said: "Yoga is more than a physical practice; it's a holistic path to wellness. Through this summit, we aim to bridge the gap between academic research and practical application, unraveling the potential of integrating yoga into community settings for greater inclusivity."

Attendees can join online or in person, with Earlybird tickets at £60 (in-person) and £30 (online) until Friday 2 August. Prices increase to £70 and £40 after that date.

For details and to secure your spot, please visit our website. New visitors will need to register for a ‘free user account’ here.

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About BWY

The British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) is committed to sharing yoga’s transformative power and rich heritage through events and education. Guided by yoga’s principles and traditions, BWY’s mission is to enrich lives through yoga, increasing accessibility and inclusivity. Established as a registered charity in 1965 and recognised as the National Governing Body for Yoga by Sport England and Sport Wales, BWY serves more than 5000 members and is supported by a 100-strong volunteer network and a small central team.

About SOAS

SOAS University of London is the world’s university. At SOAS, we use our expertise in Africa, Asia and the Middle East as a lens through which to interrogate the planetary questions of our time. We challenge perspectives, broach debate, and empower our students to question the global status quo and find solutions to the issues facing the world today. Our programmes are taught by respected international academics with inter-disciplinary expertise who are engaged in fieldwork and research that influences governments, industries and communities across the world. The SOAS Centre of Yoga Studies (CYS) is globally recognised as the most important institutional hub for the fast-growing field of Yoga Studies and is home to the uniquely specialised MA in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation.

For media inquiries

Natalie Lyndon

BWY PR & Communications Officer

Tel: 07843 389985; Email: communications@bwy.org.uk