TRAUMA SENSITIVE YOGA AND MINDFULNESS WORKSHOP

 

This weekend training provides the knowledge, skills, and practice you need to confidently share trauma-sensitive yoga and mindfulness practices with those living with trauma and other stress related conditions, or any other condition where the capacity to self-regulate mood is beneficial.

For yoga teachers - learn more about trauma and and how you can make simple adaptions to your offering to make it more accessible to those living with a trauma or stress related disorder.

For therapists, mental health professionals, and trauma caregivers. You do not need to be a yoga teacher to share mindful movement and breath with your clients. Learn a somatic modality that you can use to help clients learn to self-regulate and tolerate present moment experience.

The workshop is certified by the Yoga Alliance. It consists of a 6 hour self-study module and 14 in-class hours for a total of 20 continuing education credits.

The workshop focuses on providing participants with the opportunity to practice creating and leading trauma-sensitive yoga and mindfulness sessions for individuals and in small group settings.
 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Workshop objectives are expressed in terms of one of the following three learning outcomes.

Experience: Participants are afforded the opportunity to directly experience relevant practices.

Understand: Through lecture and discussion, participants understand relevant concepts.

Know: Through supervised practice and coaching, participants gain the knowledge, skills and practice to proficiently employ trauma-sensitive yoga and mindfulness techniques.
 

By the end of the two day workshop participants will:

1. Understand the nature of trauma and stress related disorders and how they may be co-morbid with other conditions such as chronic pain and addiction.

2. Understand the fundamental principles of yoga and appreciate why yoga is so well suited to address trauma and other stress related conditions.

3. Experience yoga and mindfulness practices to gain a first hand appreciation for how these practices can regulate mood.

4. Understand a trauma-sensitive yoga framework that can easily be adapted to meet the individual needs of clients.

5. Understand what makes a yoga session trauma-sensitive and mindful and know how to conduct a safe offering.

6. Know how to adopt a trauma-sensitive approach to any yoga pose or mindful movement.

7. Know how to create and lead a a simple sequence of yoga/mindful movement poses.

8. Experience, understand, and know how to lead a number of other techniques that can be employed to help clients self-regulate. These include movement, breath and guided relaxation and meditation techniques.

9. Understand when to work one on one, when to work in small groups, and know how to work with small groups.
 

WORKSHOP OUTLINE

The learning outcomes are achieved by covering the following:

1. What is Trauma: definition, symptoms, and effects.

2. What is Yoga: - Yoga is defined in terms of its fundamental principles which are breath, mindful movement and controlled awareness.

3. Yoga and Mindfulness: the mutually supporting relationship between yoga and mindfulness is made apparent.

4. I Am Not a Yoga Teacher: the premise that one does not need to be a yoga teacher to lead others to experience the fundamental aspects of yoga and mindfulness is confirmed.

5. Exercise - TSY Demo and Discussion: facilitators provide a demo which allows participants to experience a TSY&M session. The session is followed by an interactive discussion to explore what made it trauma-sensitive.

6. Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, Mindfulness, and Empowerment: Addresses how yoga can be made to be mindful and describes how it is possible to take an empowering approach to practicing yoga and mindfulness.

7. Exercise - Teaching Yoga the Trauma-Sensitive Way: A demonstration and practical exercise where participants learn and practice how to teach a yoga pose in a trauma-sensitive way.

8. Exercise - A TSY Session: Builds on the previous exercise to afford participants an opportunity to practice the five parts of a trauma-sensitive yoga session.

9. TSY Demo and Pranayama: A demonstration of how effective breath control can be to help clients self-regulate.

10. Exercise - Needs Adaptive Yoga: Participants practice interacting with clients to determine which type of practice best meets their specific needs (breath, movement, or guided relaxation/meditation).

11. Exercise - Choosing a TSY Offering: Participants are guided to consider all the factors that will help them determine how to shape their offering.

12. Exercise -Practice Teaching: Participants practice designing and teaching a complete session in small groups. They receive feedback from co-participants and workshop facilitators.