Frequently Asked Questions

The best place to start with any tech issue is to log out of the Shala (click on the icon at the top right of any page and select the LOG OUT option from the drop down menu) and then sign back in again. Sometimes it's that simple!

If that doesn’t work, check if you are running the latest software / operating system on your device. If you haven’t run the updates in awhile, or haven’t properly shut down and re-started your computer in a while, this could be the problem. Please go ahead and update your device, restart it, and try again.

If you haven't already done so, take a look at the other FAQs in this section, and see if your specific issues is addressed there.

If you have tried all these troubleshooting ideas and it still isn't working, send us an email at [email protected] and let us know all the following:

1. Which program you have purchased
2. The type of the device you are using (e.g. Windows computer, Mac computer, iPad etc)
3. The operating system name or number
4. Whether you have applied all computer software updates and have recently restarted your computer/device (e.g. turned it off and on again)
5. A detailed description of the problem you are having
6. The URL (website address) for the page that you are having difficulties with
7. What you did on the page when the problem occurred
8. A screenshot of the whole page, including any error message you are seeing. Here are some instructions about how to take a screenshot on different devices and applications.

It's important that you provide the above information, so we can understand the issue you're having and can get it working for you asap.

Thanks so much for reaching out, I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with the quiz.

Please start by double checking your answer by looking at the course material to if you have the correct answer 😉

If you still cannot get it to work, and you are sure you have the correct answer, please try logging out of of the Shala (you can find the LOG OUT button in the top right hand corner of this page) and then sign back in again. Sometimes it's that simple!

If that doesn’t work, please check if you are running the latest software / operating system on your device. If you haven’t run the updates in awhile, or haven’t properly shut down and re-started your computer in a while, this could be the problem. Please go ahead and update your device, restart it, and try again.

If it still doesn’t work, send us an email at [email protected] and let us know all the following:
1. The program you've signed up to
2. Which quiz you're referring to (please include the page URL)
3. Which question you're having trouble with and the answer you have provided
4. The type of the device you are using (e.g. Windows computer, Mac computer, iPad etc)
5. The operating system name or number
6. Whether you have applied all computer software updates and have recently restarted your computer/device (e.g. turned it off and on again)
7. A screenshot of the whole page, including any error message you are seeing. Here are some instructions about how to take a screenshot on different devices and applications.

Thanks for providing the above information, so we can understand the issue you're having and can get it working for you asap.

The course is built sequentially, so you need to finish each section before progressing to the next one.

The message you are seeing shows up when you have not completed the tasks on the previous page.

Here's what we suggest:

1. Going back to the previous page (either use the back button in your browser, or navigate to the previous page from the list of pages in the left sidebar),
2. Ensure that you marked everything as complete on the page,
3. Then try accessing this page again by clicking on the NEXT button at the bottom of the page.

If there was a questionnaire on the previous page, you need to have completed this and scored 100% to progress (note that you can retake the questionnaire as many times as you like).

If you have successfully completed the previous questionnaire, could it be that you navigated to another page from the left sidebar, and skipped a page?

Please try going back to the page with the last questionnaire you completed, and then clicking on the NEXT button at the bottom of the page. This will then take you to the next page.

Give it a go, and if you’re still having trouble, try logging out of the Shala and then signing back in again. Sometimes it's that simple!
If that doesn’t work, please check if you are running the latest software / operating system on your device. If you haven’t run the updates in awhile, or haven’t properly shut down and re-started your computer in a while, this could be the problem. Please go ahead and update your device, restart it, and try again.

Hopefully that works!, but if it doesn’t, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to help you figure this out. It would be helpful if you also included:

1. The type of the device you are using (e.g. Windows computer, Mac computer, iPad etc)
2. The operating system name or number
3. Whether you have applied all computer software updates and have recently restarted your computer/device (e.g. turned it off and on again)
4. The URL (website address) of the page with the most recent completed questionnaire on it, and
5. The name of the page you were trying to access when you received this message
6. A screenshot of the whole page, including any error message you are seeing. Here are some instructions about how to take a screenshot on different devices and applications.

You will have access to the online Mental Health Aware Yoga training for the six month period of the training. If you apply for an extension, you will also be able to access the course material during this extension period.

During the course, you are welcome to download and keep the audio lectures, slideshow handouts and the training manual.

Once you graduate from the training, you will be invited to join our global Teachers' Community, where you will not only have access to all the latest course content (including updates to the training material), but also the monthly live group mentoring sessions with Lauren, masterclasses and other resources.

There is a small cost, which is around the same as a yoga class per month, at $29 AUD per month or $290 per year. You will hear more about this when you graduate and we hope that you'll join us!

You will have access to the online Mental Health Aware Yoga training for the six month period of the training. If you apply for an extension, you will also be able to access the course material during this extension period.

We do not offer lifetime access to this course, however during the training you are welcome to download and keep the audio lectures, slideshow handouts and the training manual. They are yours to keep forever!

During the creation of this training, we worked with an experienced online course creation consultant, who recommended that the best way to support our students to finish the training was to provide an end date, rather than leaving access open indefinitely. We know that lifetime access can be a great sales pitch, but we really want to support you to complete the training, and hence made the decision not to offer lifetime access.

Once you graduate from the training, you will be invited to join our global Teachers' Community, where you will not only have access to all the latest course content (including updates to the training material), but also the monthly live group mentoring sessions with Lauren, masterclasses and other resources.

There is a small cost, which is around the same as a yoga class per month, at $29 AUD per month or $290 per year. You will hear more about this when you graduate.

Head on over to the Group Mentoring Calls page to find the dates, times (including the time zone conversion to anywhere in the world) and the Zoom links for the next few months.

We suggest putting these times in your calendar in advance.

If you cannot make it live, but still have a question you would like answered, you can fill out the form on the Mentoring Calls page, and if time permits, we'll explore it during the call, and you can listen in later.

While we would love to see you live at the group mentoring call, we understand that life is full and busy, and that with a global training, it's not always possible to make the times work for everyone all of the time (although we do change the times each month to try to make it work for most people, most of the time).

The good news is that the recording will be available on the Group Mentoring Calls page in the Shala within 48 hours after the call (usually sooner), so you can listen in later.

If you cannot make it live, but still have a question you would like answered, you can fill out the form here, and if time permits, we'll explore it during the call, and you can listen in later.

Head on over to the Group Mentoring Calls page, and put your question in the form you find on the page.

We will review your question, and as best we can (and time permitting), answer the question in the next call. You can listen in to recording afterwards to hear the discussion about your question.

Absolutely, we’d love to see you there!

Just jump in when you can.

We sure can.

We send out an email after the call to everyone who attended the entire live call.

Unfortunately we are unable to provide confirmation of attendance for those who do not attend live, even if you listen into the recording later.

However, depending on the organisation you are claiming these sessions as professional development with, you may be able to enter the details manually, without the confirmation email from us.

I hope you can join us live next time!

The assignments throughout the training are for your own integration and embodiment of the course material and do not need to be submitted to us.

You will be asked to tick a box in the Shala to say that you have completed them, and we trust your answer.

While we are not checking up on them, the assignments are an important part of the training and you will be drawing on them for the Final Assignments, so it is important that you complete them.

When you have completed the lectures and assignments for all six pillars, you will be asked to complete a final questionnaire and final assignments. You will need to upload the final assignments for your mentor to review prior to the final feedback session.

Once you have completed all the lectures and section assignments (including checking all the boxes on the Assignment Checklist page), you will be able to access the final assignments for the course.

The final assignment includes:
* Final multiple choice questionnaire (49 questions)
* Case studies - Comment on the presentations on the four yoga students described in the provided case studies (through western psychology and yoga psychology lenses) and recommend yoga practices for them.
* Plan, teach, record and reflect on a 30-minute yoga class. Submit your video recording and reflections for the mentor to review.
* Write a 500-1000 word article on a topic of your choice related to yoga and mental health.
* An online one-on-one final feedback session with one of our senior Mental Health Aware Yoga Mentors to review your assignments.

When you have completed the course material, you can get started on the Final Questionnaire here.

You have six months to complete the online Mental Health Aware Yoga training and submit your final assignments.

The six month period starts from the date that you gained access to the training material. If you check your emails for the welcome email you received from us, you’ll be able to calculate six months from the date mentioned in this email.

If you apply for an extension, you will also be able to access the course material and submit your assignments, during this extension period.

We're based in Mullumbimby, in Australia, and can recommend the team at the Centre for Mind Body Wellness in downtown Mullumbimby (Lauren founded and works at this integrative centre). If you live locally, this could be a great resource.

However if you live outside this area (and there is a fair chance that you do, as Mullumbimby is a small town in rural Australia), and you don't know any potential health professionals in your area that you could refer to, you could try asking your friends or colleagues for recommendations, or just google local therapists, see who sound like a good fit, and give them a call to ask them about their services and assess yourself if you would feel comfortable recommending them to students.

You could also try jumping into our Mental Health Aware Yoga Teachers’ Community Facebook group, and start a post asking if there’s anyone else in your local area that has some suggestions.

Great question! Thank you for your care in referencing your article.

The answer is (as Lauren is so fond of saying), it depends!

There is no correct number of references to use, rather it is important that you acknowledge all the sources that you reference in the article. If you would like some inspiration, take a look at the Mental Health Aware Yoga training manual, as Lauren has referenced all her sources throughout.

Great question! And hats off to you for your commitment to acknowledging your sources.

When including information from the Mental Health Aware Yoga training manual, you want to make it really clear that your source was the training manual. You can do this by referencing the manual at the end of the sentence, with Lauren's name and the date of publication, and have the full reference at the end of your article. If appropriate, you could also mention the training in the sentence.

When acknowledging the training manual as your source, you can either paraphrase the information in your own words, or if you're quoting directly from the manual, put the quote in italics and inverted commas, and include the page number in your referencing. Copying and pasting sections from the training manual, without using italics and inverted commas, would be considered plagiarism, so this is important. If you are quoting from the manual, be sure to only quote a sentence or two, not whole pages or sections.

Here's an example of referencing using paraphrasing:
Dr Lauren Tober from Mental Health Aware Yoga suggests that all Yoga Teachers develop a professional network of health practitioners who they can refer their students to as needed (Tober, 2021).

Here's an example of referencing when quoting:
Scope of practice is an important consideration for Yoga Teachers. In the Mental Health Aware Yoga training, Dr Lauren Tober says 'to teach within your scope of practice means to only teach within your area of expertise'. (Tober, 2021, p.110).

Here's an example of how to reference the training manual at the end of your article. Please look at the first page of your training manual, and include the date and version of the manual you're referencing, to make sure you're referencing the correct manual:
Tober, L. (2021). Mental Health Aware Yoga Training Manual (3rd ed.). Mullumbimby, Australia. www.mentalhealthawareyoga.com (p. 110).

If you would like to learn more about referencing, feel free to look at the training manual for examples, and also look into APA (American Psychological Association) style at https://apastyle.apa.org. This is the referencing style that we have used in the Mental Health Aware Yoga training manual.

While much of the research we have referenced in the Mental Health Aware Yoga training is available for free online, unfortunately some research is only available if you pay for it, or if you are enrolled in a university or other organisation that gives you access to journal articles.

A great place to find articles is on google scholar: https://scholar.google.com.

If the article is free, you will likely be able to read and download the entire article.

If it is not free, then you will likely only be able to read the abstract, not the whole article, unless you pay for it, or if you are a member of a professional organisation, university or library that gives you access to it.

At present, our mentors only speak English, therefore we cannot review your assignments in a language other than English. Please ensure that you submit everything (written and video) in English.

If English is not your first language, please let us know when you complete the Booking Request Form, and your mentor will take this into consideration when reviewing your assignments (and celebrate you for joining us for a course in English when it’s not your first language).

If you prefer (and you know how to do it), you may choose to video yourself teaching in a language other than English, and add subtitles in English to the video.

For all assignments in the Mental Health Aware Yoga training, we ask that you complete your work using your own knowledge, experience, research, and critical thinking without the assistance of artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, or other AI writing assistants.

The purpose of these assignments is to assess your personal understanding, integration of the material, and your unique perspective. Using AI tools bypasses this learning process and prevents us from evaluating your actual comprehension and integration.

We want to hear your authentic voice, your professional insights, and how you're personally integrating these concepts into your teaching. This authentic engagement is essential for developing the competency and confidence needed to work safely with mental health concerns in yoga settings.

What this means:

• Complete all written work in your own words
• Draw from your personal experience, training, and research
• When citing sources, use proper academic references from your own reading
• If you're unsure about concepts, reach out to instructors rather than AI tools

By submitting assignments, you confirm that the work represents your own learning and understanding and is your own original work. This policy helps ensure the integrity of your certification and supports your genuine professional development.

While we often see blog posts and social media posts not giving credit to their sources, here at Mental Health Aware Yoga we see crediting sources as important, not just for academic rigour (and to avoid plagiarism), but also as a way to live the yamas, particularly satya and asteya.

You are very welcome to share your own ideas and reflections in the article (we’d love to hear them!), however, if you are sharing other people’s ideas in your article, please be sure to acknowledge your sources by referencing them. Lauren has done this throughout the Mental Health Aware Yoga training manual, so if you would like some inspiration, go and take a look.

You can also find out more about referencing at https://apastyle.apa.org. This is the referencing style that we have used in the Mental Health Aware Yoga training manual.

We do not expect you to perfectly use the APA referencing style guide, but we do ask that you to clearly acknowledge and reference your sources.

If you are solely sharing your personal experience or opinion in the article, and are not drawing on anyone else’s ideas or work in any way, and there are no sources to acknowledge, then you will not need to use references in the article.

For confidentiality, we suggest that you only include yourself in the video, and not your students.

However, if you have clear consent from your students to include them in the video for the purposes of your final assignment, then it is okay if we can see them in the video. We will only be viewing the video internally, and will not be sharing it with anyone other than our team.

If you are including students when recording, we suggest asking people to come and be your students for the purpose of filming for your assignment, not filming your regular class of paying students, as this could be challenging for some students, and they might find it hard to say no.

We ask that you teach a 30-minute yoga class for the assignment.

Even though this is likely to be shorter than your regular class length, we would like to see an entire class during this 30-minute period, including the beginning, middle and ending of the class (not just a 30-minute segment of a longer class). Think of it as a creative challenge!

With the recording, we’re just wanting to see you teach. It doesn’t have to be a professional recording, so please record it in the way that feels most comfortable and accessible to you.

We find the easiest way to record a class is on a mobile phone. Either use a tripod, or simply get creative with books or yoga blocks and prop your phone up, making sure that your whole body is visible in the frame, and we can see and hear you clearly.

Filming in a quiet place can help with the audio, and next to a window or with lights on you, can help us to see you clearly when you are teaching.

You could also teach an online class, and save the recording in Zoom.

We do not need to see your students, so if you are teaching in-person then please direct the camera on you, or if you are teaching online, just recording yourself.

We understand that it can sometimes be intimidating to record yourself and share it, but we've found it to be a wonderful educational experience, both for you to be able to see yourself teach and also to receive loving and compassionate feedback from our experienced mentors.

Yes, you are welcome to record yourself teaching either in-person or online, whatever you prefer.

We would love to see a video that you have created after the training, bringing the principles of Mental Health Aware Yoga into your teaching.

We don't need a professional recording, as long as we can see and hear you, that's fine, and we don't even need to see your students.

We know that it can be intimidating to record yourself and share it, but we've found it to be a wonderful educational experience, both for you to be able to see yourself teach and also to receive loving and compassionate feedback from our experienced mentors.

What a great idea to do your video class assignment with the demographic that you're working with!

However, due to issues around confidentiality and consent, it might not be in the best interest of your students to record them.

Instead of recording your students, you could practice teaching the class you've designed with your actual students, and then film it without them there (just pretend that they are there for the sake of the video).

If you do this, when you submit your assignments, please make sure that you let us know the demographic you are teaching to (so we can give you feedback based on this) and why you chose to record the class without them present.

Once you have completed all the course content, the final questionnaire and the final assignments, please do the following:
1. Go to the Final Assignment page
2. Read through the instructions on the page and check all the boxes next to the assignments you have completed
3. Click on the UPLOAD ASSIGNMENTS button
4. Upload your assignments in the new window that opens (it’s hosted by Dropbox)
5. Return to the Final Assignment page and click on the NEXT button at the bottom (if you cannot see it, please ensure you have checked all the boxes above and refresh the page).
6. Complete the Booking Request Form and click SUBMIT

We will then review your assignments and connect you with one of our brilliant mentors for your final feedback session. This process can take several weeks.

It can take a few weeks for the entire process, sometimes longer during busy periods, and we thank you for your patience.

Here's how it works:
1. You upload your assignments and complete the Booking Request Form.
2. Our Student Support Co-ordinator will then review your assignments. If there is anything missing, they will get in touch and ask you to upload anything you missed. This process usually takes around 1 week, sometimes longer during busy periods. It's not a problem if your access to the course expires during the period after you submit your assignments but before you have your final feedback session and graduate, you will not need to apply for an extension if this happens.
3. Our Student Support Co-ordinator will then connect you with your mentor by email, and you can book a time with your mentor that works for both of you. This process usually takes 1-4 weeks, depending on the availability of both you and your mentor.
4. The final feedback session with your mentor is online, and lasts for up to 45 minutes. During the session they will give you supportive feedback on your assignments, including letting you know what they thought you did well and offering refinements to support your growth as a teacher. If they have any concerns, they will talk it through with you in the most kind and loving way you can imagine and may ask you to re-submit, otherwise, they will let you know during the session that you have successfully completed the training!
5. Your mentor will then let Dr Lauren Tober know that the final feedback session has been completed and Lauren will then personally review their recommendations, and email you your certificate of completion and invitation to join our Teachers' Community. This part of the process can take around 1 week.

If you have submitted your assignments and haven't heard back from us in the above time frames, don't hesitate to reach by email (our email address is at the bottom of this page).

Yes please! We’d love to see your video.

If the file size is large, you can reduce the file size of your video (while still retaining the quality) by downloading it as a smaller file from your device or using a service like this to reduce it. Please do not zip the file (our system doesn't like zipped files!). If reducing the file size feels too overwhelming, you can try uploading the file as it is, it might take a little longer, but it will likely still work.

Here are some suggestions that could help:
1. Try turning your device off and on again. Sometimes this works like magic!
2. Check that you are running the most recent software on your device. If not, update it, restart your device, and try uploading again.
3. Make sure you are somewhere that has great internet connection. If the internet connection is slow or unreliable, it can take too long or drop the connection.
4. If you are trying to upload the video from your device and it isn’t working, try moving the video to your computer (if you are using an iPhone/iPad and a mac computer, the easiest way to do this is usually via AirDrop) and upload from your computer instead of the device. Sometimes devices are a little flaky!
5. Try reducing the file size of your video. When the video is on your computer, you could use a service like this to reduce it (this is what we use for our videos). Please do not zip the file (our system doesn't like zipped files!).
6. If none of the above work, try uploading the video elsewhere, and share the link with us (and if necessary, the password). This could be your personal Dropbox account, a Google Drive account, WeTransfer or to YouTube or Vimeo as an Unlisted/private video.

Our preferred way to receive your Final Assignments is by uploading them into the Shala.

Here’s how you can upload your video in the Shala, whether you are doing so from your computer or device:
1. Ensure you are have a good internet connection
2. Go to the Final Assignments page in the Shala (you will need to be logged in to access this page)
3. Click on the UPLOAD YOUR ASSIGNMENTS button
4. When this opens up the Mental Health Aware Yoga Final Assignments Dropbox folder, click on the ADD FILES button
5. Select your video and click ADD (on some devices you can also click OPTIONS and choose a smaller size to send to us before you click ADD)
6. Fill out your name and email address, then click UPLOAD
7. Wait for it to upload (it can take some time if it’s a large file)

If you are having trouble uploading your video due to the file size, if you are on a device, you may (depending on the device you are using) be able to reduce the file size as I mentioned in the FAQ above. If you are uploading on a computer, you could reduce the file size by using a service like this (this is what we use for our videos), before trying to upload the file again. Please do not zip the file (our system doesn't like zipped files!). If reducing the file size feels too overwhelming, you can try uploading the file as it is, it might take a little longer, but it will likely still work.

If you are unable to upload your video into the Shala, we’re happy to receive it another way, for example in your personal Dropbox account, a Google Drive account, WeTransfer or to YouTube or Vimeo as an Unlisted/private video. Please include the details we need to know (e.g. a link, password etc) in the comment section of the Booking Request Form.

Unfortunately we don’t use WhatsApp or Signal, so we can’t receive your videos in this way.

After you have uploaded your final assignments and completed the booking request form, our Student Support Co-ordinator will review your assignments to ensure everything has been submitted, and then will email you to connect you with your mentor.

You can organise a time with your mentor that works for you both.

Please allow for a week for us to review your assignments and connect you with your mentor, or up to two weeks during busy times.

We understand that life happens, so you are welcome to reschedule your final feedback session with your mentor if you need to.

We ask that you give your mentor at least 48 hours notice of any changes. If less than 48 hours notice is given (including not showing up for the session) there is a late reschedule fee of $150 AUD.

Our mentors spend significant time reviewing your assignments and preparing for your final feedback session, and we want to honour their time and care by giving them sufficient notice for any changes.

Please check your final feedback session confirmation email from your mentor to find the best way to contact them about rescheduling.

In the final feedback session, your mentor will let you know if you have successfully completed the training or if there are parts of your final assignment that they would like you to resubmit.

Once you have successfully completed the training, Lauren will then review your mentor's feedback and will email you your certificate of completion, as well as some guidelines on what it means to call yourself a Mental Health Aware Yoga Teacher and an invitation to join our graduate Teachers’ Community.

This process can take around 1 week, or up to 2 weeks in busy periods. If you haven’t received your certificate of completion in this time frame, please check your spam folder (or promotions tab if you are using gmail), and if it isn’t there, please reach by email and let us know (our email address is at the bottom of this page).

Yes, you sure can!

We offer all students a one-month extension without charge, which gives you seven months to complete the training. If you haven't completed the training within five months, we will send you an email where you can simply click a link to request a one-month extension. We will then review your request, and if it's accepted, extend your access by one-month.

If you require a further extension after that, you can apply for a three-month extension. There is a cost of $200 AUD for this.

We suggest first taking the free one-month extension, and if you still require further time, simply get in touch and request a three-month extension.

While the aim is to complete the entire program within the scheduled time frame, as long as you have successfully submitted all your assignments and are ready for your final feedback session, we’re happy to be somewhat flexible with the timing of the final feedback session, and you will not need an extension it it falls outside of the time in which your course access expires.

If this happens, you won’t be able to access the Shala during this time (so it’s important to ensure that you upload your assignments and complete the Booking Request Form while you still have access), but you will be able to go ahead and have the final feedback session with your mentor if it falls a few weeks after your access expires.

Once you graduate, you will be invited to join our Mental Health Aware Yoga Teachers’ Community, and if you choose to join, you will regain your access to the Shala.

When you graduate from the Mental Health Aware Yoga training you will receive an invitation to join our graduate Teachers' Community.

You'll get access to all the training material for as long as you're a member, you can attend our monthly group mentoring calls, and you'll also get access to our growing collection of masterclasses.

If you've already graduated but can't find your invitation to join us, get in touch below, we'd love to help you join.

You can cancel your membership whenever you like. Simply get in touch below.