2nd YOGA IN HEALTHCARE CONFERENCE – a Medical & Holistic Perspective –

Senior Yoga Tutor with YTI. C-IAYT. YACEP

Elma Toland trained as a yoga teacher with the Irish Yoga Association in 1993. In 1997-1999 Elma took further yoga training with the Biomedical Trust (London) and qualified as a yoga therapist. In 2000, Elma co-founded Yoga Therapy Ireland – a training organisation that trains yoga teachers with a therapeutic approach to yoga practice and to teaching yoga.

Elma lived on the outskirts of Dublin and taught yoga there for over 25 years. For the last 20 years she has worked as a senior tutor for Yoga Therapy Ireland on their many training courses, training yoga teachers and yoga therapists.

PhD, MIACP

Dr Pádraic Dunne is a research scientist (immunologist) and accredited psychotherapist and based at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Centre for Positive Psychology and Health (CPPH). He is  co-director of an MSc in Positive Health Coaching and leads the Digital Health Research Gorp within the centre.

As an RCSI Lecturer, Dr Dunne is interested in the development of Health and Wellbeing programmes for postgraduate healthcare professionals, corporate work forces, as well as for patients suffering with chronic disease and the general public. He is also keenly interested in the interaction between mental stress and the immune system. Pádraic is also a co-developer of the RCSI MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on the Science of Health and Happiness as well as the Science for Health and Happiness for Young People that were launched freely for the public in 2021.

Dr. Mackey graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1992. She
completed 9 years of Obstetrics and Gynaecology training.
She was admitted as a member of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 2000. As part of her training, she completed three years of research in Sydney, Australia in the area of the menopause.
From 2001 to 2005 Rachel worked in the Womens Medical Clinic in Blackrock, combining womens health with aspects of general practice. Dr Mackey opened the unique Womens Health Clinic in May 2007 in the Dun Laoghaire area, offering a wide range of services using her extensive obstetric and gynaecological expertise. Rachel has written the Women’s Health Book: A Guide for Irish Women covering health issues from teenage years up to later life.

Patrick McKeown is creator, CEO and Director of Education and Training at Oxygen Advantage®, Director of Education and Training at Buteyko Clinic International and President of Buteyko Professionals International. He is a leading international expert on breathing and sleep, and author of bestselling books including The Oxygen Advantage. His focus — to empower more people every day to breathe better, feel better and achieve their
potential.
Patrick’s interest in breath training began when he discovered the Buteyko Breathing Method, aged 26. After a lifetime of asthma medication and inhalers, he found immediate relief from his symptoms and has remained asthma-free ever since. He travelled to Moscow, Russia, to learn from Dr. Konstantin Buteyko, and was accredited to teach the Buteyko Method in 2002.
For the last two decades, Patrick has provided breathwork training and breath-based sports
and mindfulness coaching to thousands of people. In that time, he has:

• Written bestselling books including Asthma Free, Naturally, Close Your Mouth, The Oxygen Advantage and The Breathing Cure
• Been awarded fellowship of the Royal Society of Biology in the UK
• Contributed to scientific journals including the Journal of Clinical Medicine
• Trained hundreds of breathing instructors
• Founded Buteyko Clinic International — the foremost Buteyko breathing clinic in the UK
• Been featured on many popular health and fitness podcasts, TedX, and in publications including USA Today, MindBodyGreen and Men’s Health
• Devised his own research-backed breathwork training program, Oxygen Advantage®, which continues to develop and grow in line with his clinical experience as a breathing coach, and with the latest scientific researchMany people first discover Patrick McKeown’s work by reading his 2015 bestselling book, The Oxygen Advantage. The book has an important place in the growing body of literature about the breath. It is referenced in James Nestor’s New York Times Bestseller, Breath, The Science of a Lost Art, which is shortlisted for the 2021 Royal Society Science Book Prize.

Patrick is deeply committed to communicating his knowledge to the people who need it. He is passionate about conveying the importance of breath therapy in traditional healthcare and sports coaching. And he is determined to break down barriers that prevent an accessible, holistic, empowering approach to wellbeing and performance.  Healthy breathing changed Patrick’s life for the better.

Carmel has over 30 year’s experience in the field of advice and guidance having worked previously for Durham Careers Service, NICS Careers service, Royal National Institute of Blind People and AFASIC (Supporting young people with Communication difficulties.) A Psychology graduate from the University of Ulster she has worked as a Social Prescribing Co-ordinator/ link worker with Inishowen Development Partnership for the past 10 years. Initially working part- time she is now employed full-time under Slainte care covering all of Inishowen. She is a passionate believer in the power of Social prescribing and has been practicing it in her own personal life for many years!  Carmel endorses and recommends yoga on a regular to participants as a way of benefitting them physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Ursula Courtney was appointed as a Director at ARC Cancer Support Centre, 65 Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland in December 1997 to promote the vision and deliver the Mission Statement of ARC. This new role incorporated many areas of expertise and offered opportunities to use her initiative in the identification, delivery and evaluation of community based cancer support services for people who have been affected by a cancer diagnosis.
Ursula was responsible for the selection of all staff responsible for the delivery of services ensuring that the standard of care provided to clients was in line with best international practice and consequently ARC enjoyed considerable growth and public awareness under the professional leadership of Ursula Courtney.
ARC became recognised for its high standards of care under the direction of Ursula Courtney and she has been the recipient of several national and international Awards for her innovative research work and leadership of the team in ARC .She is a superb national and international ambassador in highlighting the need for supportive cancer care in Ireland. As a strong leader she has demonstrated considerable innovation and advocacy while delivering the mission of an organisation, and her initiative, enthusiasm, and hard-working ethos have been exemplary for staff, clients and the wider community. She offers her professionalism,
leadership, business acumen, enthusiasm and initiative as a world class top professional in her broad field of expertise.  Since 2014, Ursula has been actively involved in Coaching and Nursing Education.

Dr Ronan Kearney [FFSEM, MFSEM (UK), MB, BCh, BAO, MICGP, MSc (SEM), Dip (MSK, FIFA, Occ. H)] is a Consultant Sports and Exercise Medicine Physician at the UPMC Sports Surgery Clinic, Dublin alongside sporting roles with Sport Ireland Institute, European Tour
Golf and Louth GAA.  He completed undergraduate medical training at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland.
After working across a number of Orthopaedic and Emergency Medicine roles in Ireland and Australia, he completed an MSc in Sports and Exercise Medicine at Trinity College Dublin. Subsequently he undertook General Practice training at RCSI/Dublin before completing Higher Specialist Training in Sports and Exercise Medicine with the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine (RCSI/RCPI).

Dr Kearney has worked as Team Doctor across a number of sports including: Soccer (Rep. of Ireland Men’s U18, U21, Rep. of Ireland Women’s U16, Women’s National Senior Team, Shamrock Rovers FC), Rugby (Trinity Rugby, Easts Rugby Union Brisbane), GAA (Louth GAA, Castlebar Mitchells), Athletics (Sport Ireland Institute, Dublin Marathon Series) and Rowing (Commercial Rowing Club Dublin). He has also been an Expedition Doctor on Mount Kilimanjaro and has worked as Medical Officer at multiple European Tour golf events.
He is an Associate Editor for the BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine Journal having previously held the role of Lead Author for Education from other Journals section of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. He is a Sports and Exercise Medicine lecturer to the MSc Sports and Exercise Medicine (Trinity College Dublin) and Paramedic Studies (University of Limerick) postgraduate courses. He is Chairman of the Gaelic Athletic Medical Association,
Secretary of the Football Association of Ireland Medical Committee as well as member of the Irish Society of Lifestyle Medicine and FSEM Education Committee.
Ronan is an active sportsman having previously played underage intercounty gaelic football for Louth and now enjoys running, cycling, hiking and golfing.