A Trauma-Informed Approach to Yoga

April 27-28, 2024 (In-person only)*
Soulside Healing Arts
1311 SW Adams St. Peoria, IL 61602
15 CEs available through Yoga Alliance

*A Zoom only version of this training will be held August 31 & September 1. To be notified when registration opens, please enter your email at the bottom of this page.

WHO IT’S FOR:

• Yoga instructors and other body workers or fitness professionals

• Mental health practitioners seeking to grow their self-care practices and/or integrate somatic experience into their work with clients

• Educators, parents, social workers, and adjacent fields seeking an expanded understanding of trauma-informed practice and self-care tools

• Bartenders, tattoo artists, hair stylists, and other service industry professionals who end up bearing daily witness to other people’s traumas

• Anyone looking to grow in understanding of how to implement trauma-informed practices in their life and/or professions

WHO IT’S NOT FOR: Those seeking urgent therapeutic support. If you are primarily seeking help and tools to process current or past experiences, you may reach out to us for a list of accessible therapy and mental health support options.

WHAT TO KNOW:

Day One is open to all participants.
Day Two is open only to yoga teachers who also attended Saturday’s session. Yoga teachers must attend both days and turn in follow-up homework to receive the available15 Yoga Alliance CE hours and a certificate of completion.
Both days schedule: 9:30am-12pm, 1.5 hour lunch break, 1:30-5:15pm

All participants will have the option to bring a discounted “Leading From a Place of Embodiment” workshop to a work team or community organization they are a part of. Workshops must take place in 2024. More details will be shared in and following the training.


DESCRIPTION:

According to the Journal of Traumatic Stress, 89% of adults have experienced a traumatic event. Mindful movement is key to mitigating symptoms caused by trauma, which often manifest in the body as hormone imbalances, overworked nervous systems, inflammation, and tension.

The weekend will cover the intersection of trauma-informed care and an accessible yoga practice. We'll explore providing somatic tools for others as well as intentions for self-care. You’ll leave with a packet outlining somatic techniques covered as well as resources for further study.

We’ll consider:

• What is trauma? Why do people experience and heal from it differently?

• How stress is stored: the brain, body, and nervous system

• The long term implications of fight, flight, freeze, fold, and fawn

• Completing the stress cycle and honoring intuitive movement

• Autonomy and boundary setting in movement practices and beyond

A trauma-informed approach to teaching yoga is applicable for all classes and all students. Just as we teach physical alignment to all students whether or not they are injured, we can teach all students from a trauma-informed perspective to ensure a sense of agency. This work is about creating safe spaces to empower students and prevent feelings of inadequacy or shame, whether or not students have experienced a trauma themselves, vicariously, or at all.

On Sunday, we’ll look at considerations for trauma-informed teaching, including:

• Invitational language

• Power dynamics 

• Intentional touch and sequencing

• Consent

• Branding and Public Image

We reserve the right to make edits to this agenda, but you can take a look to see the general outline of the training to get a sense if it’s right for you.