Heather Mason

Facts

Speciality: Yoga therapy – Trauma

Location: London

Heather Mason is the founder of The Minded Institute (in 2009), a leading yoga therapy training organization known for its focus on mental health and empowering yoga and health professionals to integrate yoga therapy into healthcare. After years of deep depression, PTSD, and anxiety Heather opted for a non-traditional mode of healing and moved to South East Asia to begin intensive meditation practice in Buddhist monasteries, where she spent 3 years developing and transforming her mind. During this time, she also trained as a 500-hr yoga teacher with the Yoga Training Centre in Varanasi, and soon after she shared her yoga teaching with nuns in various Buddhist Monasteries in South East Asia.

By 2003 she had chosen to a ordain as a Buddhist nun, but first wanted more academic knowledge about Buddhist teachings and moved to the UK to undertake an MA in Buddhist Studies at SOAS University London. This decision led her back into the non-monastic world as Heather wanted to share the insights she gained in intensive meditation. Ultimately, she realized that her own struggles were imbued with meaning and purpose, if, she could help others, so she enrolled in MA in Buddhist-Based Psychotherapy in hopes of melding yoga with therapeutic support. Whilst studying Heather realized she was more interested in using mind-body therapies practices than in talking therapy and in 2007 she took a sabbatical from her MA to undertake a yoga therapy training course in India. During a lightbulb moment at the ashram, the pieces of her life fell into place and the vision for 8-week yoga therapy and mindfulness course for depression and anxiety emerged in her mind as though she had been crafting it for years. When she returned to the UK her new course was immediately popular and Heather also began working privately with those with depression and anxiety.

Thereafter Heather has:

Traveled around the world doing various courses in yoga for depression.

Later she continued with an MSc in Medical Physiology.

She was the first person in the UK to train in trauma-sensitive yoga with the Boston Trauma Center (where she later lectured), and finally neuroscience at the graduate level.

Spoken at the House of Commons over the course of 4 years.

Coordinated with a host of other parliamentarians to establish The All Party Parliamentary Group on Yoga in Society, where she acts as secretariat. As part of this work, Heather founded a new organization, the Yoga in Health Care Alliance (YIHA), which she runs with a host of other directors. This charity works towards yoga’s inclusion in health care in the UK and beyond. On request of the West London Clinical Commissioning Group, YIHA developed a 10-week social prescribing yoga course as an early intervention in health management.

YIHA now trains yoga professionals throughout the UK to offer this course throughout the country. The charity also organizes events, conferences, and shares information about effective pathways and best practices regarding yoga in health systems.

During the pandemic, Heather has focused primarily on training professionals in yoga skills necessary to support mental well-being and connection, taught large breathing sessions to help individuals enhance emotional well-being, and co-founded Healthflix; an initiative where world leaders in mind-body science and techniques offered free talks and skills to the public.
When she isn’t working Heather is dancing, writing music, and playing with her magical little dog Minnie Monkey!

You find The minded institute on Instagram: Themindedinstitute and on Facebook: The Minded Institute

Education: