T R A N S F O R M I N G T R A U M A:
Workshops for Yoga Teachers
Professional Development Workshops for Yoga Teachers (‘The Transformative Power of Yoga’)
Celebrate the transformative power of yoga and become a part of the inspired paradigm shift that is changing the way human services are working with people and bringing them closer to yoga. The impacts of trauma (large and small) can be held, felt or hidden anywhere in our bodies, thought processes or emotional make-up. When we teach yoga we know we have thousands of years of heritage behind us, as people are released, at their own pace, onto their unique path towards wholeness. These workshops affirm our own path and the seeds we sow in others as we teach. Social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, youth workers, doctors, nurses, teachers and the like are coming to understand that unresolved trauma lies at the core of most of our social, personal and health problems. There is growing recognition that mindfulness, yoga and other movement therapies are needed as adjuncts or alternatives to talking and drug therapies. In these apocalyptic times when previously hidden difficulties are being revealed, within individuals and our social institutions, it is comforting to be reminded that we, as yoga teachers, have a complete and well-proven package to offer people.
The ‘Transformative Power of Yoga’ workshops give yoga teachers and teacher trainees a gentle, self-nurturing journey using metaphor, distilled wisdom, familiar gentle yoga techniques. Lynn’s yoga is grounded in the Gita tradition and the depths of her own journey, influenced by ‘trauma sensitive yoga‘ wisdom and many years of practice and teaching experience and respects the integrity in all traditions. In these workshops, our yoga is interwoven with current theory, research and distilled wisdom on topics such as: • How yoga understands humanity and our unique challenges at present cross-roads • How trauma sits within us • Continuums of yoga for continuums of trauma • Pathways through neurobiological, sub-conscious and emotional blocks • Yoga as re-stumping • Healing paradoxes • What you are already doing that helps people release the impact of life’s difficulties • Samples and themes of ‘Trauma Sensitive yoga’ developed by the Trauma Centre in Boston. • Bringing yoga and the range of human services towards each other • Models of yoga in human services. These workshops can be offered in your yoga school/centre or in any setting that brings together yoga teachers from any tradition. We have also had success bringing yoga teachers and human service workers together in these workshops, enriching their networks and exploring creative ways of bringing yoga to people and services who are dealing with the effects of trauma. Feel affirmed in all you are doing that makes a real difference to the whole range of people you come in contact with, as these comments from participants reflect: “Surprisingly uplifting and positive”, “Honest, humbling and calm”, “Gentle can be very effective”, “Affirmation that I don’t have to ‘fix’ my students, they have the answers within them”, “The importance of humility and grace”, “How trauma effects all of us”, “Great to have the clarifying metaphors, graphics and handouts”, “Inspiring information provided clearly, simply and lovingly”, “Empowering to know how much the research is reinforcing what we ‘know’ from a yogic perspective”, “Confidence with how to ‘be’ around trauma”, “Start with being more gentle and loving with myself”, “The power of authenticity”, “Amazing how enjoyable such a challenging topic can be”, “Reminder of how many ways we hide ourselves from ourselves”, “The inspiration and power of the real stories woven into the workshop”, “The importance of letting people ‘be’”, “Sensitively handled, with richness and integrity”, “Very real, very gentle”, “It has deepened my compassion, understanding and humility ... for myself and others”. |