Psilocybin, a naturally-occurring psychedelic compound found in certain ‘magic’ mushrooms, is being studied as a potential treatment for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). TRD is a type of depression that does not respond to traditional treatments.

You have an innate ability, a body-mind toolkit, that can support you in attending to your own healing. And I know – it happened to me - that with perseverance, the strength, stability and peace that you develop through practicing these tools will follow you into every area of your life, from lifestyle to work to relationships to finances.

PTSD is a debilitating condition that can have a significant impact on the quality of life of those who have experienced traumatic events. Yoga is a form of mindful movement that has been shown to be effective in managing the symptoms of PTSD, and Trauma Sensitive Yoga is a therapeutic approach that has been developed to meet the needs of individuals who have experienced trauma.

Depression is a serious mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Traditional treatment options for MDD include therapy, medication, and a combination of both, however, alternative therapies, such as Yoga and breathwork, are also gaining attention as potential treatment options.

Interoception, the ability to sense the internal state of our body, is increasingly shown by neurobiological research to play a crucial role in maintaining overall health and wellbeing.  

Breathing practices have been used for centuries in various cultures and mindfulness-based practices, such as Yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong, as a vital means of promoting physical and mental wellbeing. In recent decades, there has been increasing scientific interest in the use of such practices as an adjunct treatment for psychiatric and stress-related medical conditions.

Yoga has been gaining popularity as a complementary and alternative therapy for a variety of health conditions, and has been studied as a potential adjunctive treatment for epilepsy, depression and PTSD.

Psychedelics like psilocybin (the psycho-active compound found in magic mushrooms), used respectfully and intelligently, can be a powerful tool for healing.

Yoga (body-breath-mind tools) can be so effective at re-connecting us with the experience of safely living in our bodies, without fear of their sensations minute-to-minute, that Dr Bessel van der Kolk, together with Yoga teacher David Emerson, pioneered Trauma Sensitive Yoga as a therapeutic tool at the Trauma Center in Boston, Massachusetts (now called the Center for Trauma and Embodiment).

I travelled to The Temple of the Way of Light, an ayahuasca retreat centre in the Peruvian Amazon, following some kind of gravitational pull, a sense that under that canopy dwelled something — some knowledge — that I needed. I emerged two weeks later into the same world but seen through completely different eyes.