Audio classes with images on the web.
Learn the science of sleep, relaxation, stretching, breathing, memory, and more.

The Science of Sleep 
The Science of Insomnia: How to Sleep Better Without Drugs 
Snoring & Sleep Apnea: What To Do About Breathing Problems During Sleep 
The Science of Relaxation 
The Physiology of Stretching 
The Physiology of Inversions 
The Neurophysiology of Breathing 
Sleeping Well as We Grow Older 
FREE OpenLine: Ask the Expert Anything about Sleep and Relaxation 
How the Body Breathes 
How Sleep Affects Memory 

These classes are audio recordings of Tele-Classes (classes delivered by conference telephone call), supported by images on the web. 

The Science of Sleep 
Sleeping is one of the great joys of life. It also keeps you healthy and safe, and helps you look your best and perform at your peak. This three-part lecture/discussion series will help you understand how sleep works and how to get the most out of it. It answers questions such as: 
    • Why is sleep good for me? 
    • How much sleep do I need? 
    • What happens to my brain and body during sleep? 
    • How does my brain turn sleep on and off? 
    • Why do I get sleepy in the afternoon? 
    • Is it OK to nap? 
    • When am I most likely to have dreams? 
    • What causes insomnia? 
    • What causes snoring and sleep apnea? 
    • How do things like drugs, alcohol, light, melatonin, sleep deprivation and aging affect my sleep? 
    • What are the most important habits to practice to ensure good sleep? 

The Science of Insomnia: How to Sleep Better Without Drugs 
Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? This two-lecture series will teach you practical, drug-free, state-of-the-art techniques that have been scientifically proven to combat insomnia. Topics include: 
    • stimulus control 
    • scheduled sleep restriction 
    • cognitive behavior therapy 
    • sleep hygiene 
    • relaxation methods 
    • physical strategies for promoting sleep onset and 
    • how to use light to shift your body clock. 

Snoring & Sleep Apnea: How to Deal With Breathing Problems During Sleep 
Do you, or does someone you love, snore loudly and/or have interrupted breathing during sleep? Even moderate snoring can rob both the snorer and those nearby of a good night’s sleep, while heavy snoring is often a sign of sleep apnea, a very common and potentially serious breathing disorder. Fortunately, highly effective treatments are available for both conditions. This tele-class will teach you what causes snoring and apnea and the pros and cons of various therapeutic options. It may be just what you need to get you on the road to sleeping soundly again! 

The Science of Relaxation 
Anyone can learn to relax deeply once they know how it works. This lecture will teach you what relaxation really is, at the physiological level, why it’s good for you, and how to reliably trigger your own innate relaxation reflexes using both physical and psychological techniques. It will give you essential tools for reducing stress and feeling calm and in control. 

The Physiology of Stretching 
This lecture will teach you what happens in your body when you stretch, from the molecular structure of muscles, tendons and ligaments to complex control of movement by the brain. You will learn how to use stretch reflexes and other principles of physiology to safely and efficiently increase muscle length, strength and control. 

The Physiology of Inversions 
Do head-down poses like Headstand, Shoulderstand and Downward Facing Dog really increase blood flow to your brain? No, but when you turn upside-down, your physiology does change dramatically. Your blood pressure, heart beat, circulation, breathing, hormones, and brain activity are all affected. This class will teach you what happens, how it works, what good it does, what to avoid, and how to use this knowledge to get the most out of your practice of both head-up and head-down yoga postures. 

The Neurophysiology of Breathing 
Breath and brain are so tightly linked that your breathing pattern reflects your state of awareness, and regulating your breath profoundly modifies your state of mind. This class will teach you how your brain and nerves control respiration, and how the effects of breathing – from the stretch of your lungs to carbon dioxide levels in the bloodstream; feed back to your brain and alter your EEG patterns and conscious experience. You will learn practical ways to apply this knowledge to the practice of relaxation techniques, yoga postures, pranayama and meditation. 

Sleeping Well as We Grow Older 
Most of us don’t sleep as well after middle age as we did when we were younger, but many people do continue to sleep remarkably well into old age. Those who sleep better maintain their alertness, mental sharpness, and memory better than those who don’t. What happens to sleep as we age? How do sleep changes affect our daytime functioning? What can we do to protect and nourish our sleep year after year? This class will teach you the science of promoting healthy sleep as we grow older. 

FREE OpenLine: Ask the Expert Anything about Sleep and Relaxation 
Listen in as sleep expert Roger Cole answers callers’ questions about the art and science of sleep and relaxation. Topics include how to fall back to sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night with your mind racing, what is the optimal sleep duration for a long life, how to deal with anxiety about falling asleep, how to get off of sleeping pills, how sleep position may affect snoring, sleep apnea, and left vs. right brain function, troubleshooting cognitive behavior sleep therapy programs, the difference between relaxation and sleep, what to do about excessively intense dreams, effects of L-tryptophan on sleep, effects of light brightness, color and timing on sleepiness, circadian rhythms, and jet lag, the value of dark window shades or an eye cover for promoting sleep, how to help late-sleeping teenagers awaken more easily using dawn simulation and bright light treatment, and more. 

How the Body Breathes 
    Various systems of yoga, bodywork, psychology, and self-help teach widely different breathing techniques, but they all rely on the same physical structures to move air in an out of the body. To get the most out of any breathing system, it is invaluable to know how these structures work and how to use them to get the effects you want. 
    This audio archive will give you a firm foundation in the mechanics of breathing, including the dynamics of the lungs, airways, diaphragm, ribcage, the many muscles that move the ribcage, abdominal movements, and related topics. More than just a step-by-step anatomy lesson, this session provides you with the opportunity to manually locate many of the relevant muscles, bones, cartilages, etc. on your own body, feel how they work, and use them in new and sometimes surprising ways to modify your breath. 
    The class doesn’t advocate any particular breathing method, but it includes instructions on how to keep your practice safe and comfortable, how to deepen your existing practice, and how to intelligently explore the broad and powerful world of breath-based techniques. 

How Sleep Affects Memory 
    Our ability to remember things does much more than simply allow us to function effectively in the world, it helps define who we are as people. Good memory is intimately tied to good sleep. During sleep, our brain processes temporary mental traces of our daily experiences, replaying nerve patterns that occurred during the day, organizing concepts, and storing information for later recall. With insufficient sleep, much of what we learn is lost, and it’s likely that some of the memory impairments associated with aging may result from poor sleep. This audio archive will introduce you to the fascinating world of memory and sleep, including: 
    • the basics of how memory works 
    • what causes memory loss 
    • how various stages of sleep may enhance different types of memory, and 
    • suggestions on how to improve the quality and timing of sleep to maintain and possibly improve memory. 

Note: Roger Cole’s lectures do not offer medical diagnosis or treatment. The techniques described are not suitable for everyone. Check with your health care provider before initiating any type of care. 

Contact: Yoga Spirit, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Phone: 416-529-3939
E-Mail: info@yogaspirit.ca
Web Site: www.yogaspirit.ca