Question I’ve been asked often: “Are you a trauma informed yoga teacher?”
(Awkward pause as my mind slips and more questions emerge)
My short answer: Well I am very much informed by my own personal traumas, and I’ve taken my fair share of trainings, but I’m unsure if I should/could/would label myself as “trauma-informed”.
My long answer: this entire blog that unfolds very much like a stream of consciousness, and is the result of many conversations with my therapist and other friends, uncomfortable memories and stories, and sitting with questions around uncertainty (and purpose) of labels
TW: this exploration includes mentions of abuse, suicide attempts and suicidal ideations, mental health issues, drug use
This exploration is extremely personal to me, and as I’m typing these words I’m sitting with the question “are you sure you are ready to share on this topic?”
AND this topic has been rolling around my subconscious for quite some time and feels like it’s ready to be released.
Let's begin with some shared definitions:
Trauma
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or SAMHSA shares this working definition: “trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being”. Trauma doesn’t care about your age, gender, background, or status; although statistics show that folks in underserved communities tend to be impacted at higher rates, with less access to resources. Most often, trauma is divided into 3 categories: Acute trauma (a single event), Chronic trauma (repeated and prolonged events, like domestic violence) and Complex trauma (exposure to multiple traumatic events that combine exponentially).
More recently, we have expanded our understanding to also include:
Race-based trauma: The impact of colonialism, genocide, slavery, and white supremacy on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) folks
Refugee trauma: Trauma related to war or persecution
Terrorism and violence: Mass violence, acts of terrorism, or community trauma
Sexual trauma: Any unwanted or non-consensual sexual experience or violation
Historical, collective, or intergenerational trauma: Trauma that affects communities or groups of people, and is passed down through generations
Vicarious or secondary trauma: Trauma that occurs when someone speaks to someone who has experienced a trauma or witnessed a trauma first hand
PTSD and cPTSD
As humans, it’s inevitable that we will experience some type of traumatic event throughout our lives. Most people will recover from the symptoms over time. Post traumatic stress disorder occurs when a person is unable to move past the traumatic events within a reasonable amount of time (may vary based on event).
This diagnosis was originally created for veterans who returned from war with a unique set of symptoms who were unable to integrate back into their pre-war lives. Symptoms included: irritability, anger outbursts, excessive fear and worry, headaches, fatigue, depression and apathy, loss of appetite, problems sleeping, changes in behavior or personality. PTSD was officially included in the DSM III (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - used by mental health professionals to aid in diagnosis) in 1980 following the Vietnam War. But our awareness goes back to the Civil War and also may have some early mentions via the words of Shakespeare.
As spoken by Lady Percy regarding her husband who although has just returned from war, but will be leaving again to battle:
"In thy faint slumbers I by thee have watched, and heard thee murmur tales of iron wars, speak terms of manage to thy bounding steed, cry “Courage! To the field!” And thou hast talk’d of sallies and retires, of trenches, tents, of palisadoes, frontiers, parapets, of basilisks, of cannon, culverin, of prisoners’ ransom and of soldiers slain, and all the currents of a heady fight. Thy spirit within thee hath been so at war and thus hath so bestirred thee in thy sleep, that beads of sweat have stood upon thy brow like bubbles in a late-disturbèd stream; and in thy face strange motions have appeared, such as we see when men restrain their breath on some great sudden hest. O, what portents are these?”
—Henry IV, Part 1 (2.3)
Initially, PTSD was lumped in with anxiety, but it was given its own category in the DSM-V (2013). According to the Veterans Administration, “Neurobiological research indicates that PTSD may be associated with stable neurobiological alterations in both the central and autonomic nervous systems. Psychophysiological alterations associated with PTSD include hyperarousal of the sympathetic nervous system, increased sensitivity and augmentation of the acoustic-startle eye blink reflex, and sleep abnormalities.”
The DSM V doesn’t currently list cPTSD (complex post traumatic stress disorder) as a separate entry, but it was included in a 2018 update to the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The ICD treats the two diagnoses as similar, but different - like siblings. The main difference is that cPTSD describes the more complex reactions that are typical of individuals exposed to chronic trauma (versus a one time event), which can in turn lead to slightly different social and behavioral outcomes. Also, cPTSD is more common when the chronic trauma occurs in our early childhood years, and often features a caregiver and/or family member and/or other trusted individual. This nuance often greatly impacts the nervous system, specifically regarding our development of healthy attachments and relationships.
And now, some personal truths:
I am officially diagnosed with PTSD (potentially straddling the cPTSD line, but haven’t sought diagnosis, nor does it feel necessary). While this path was laid down in my nervous system in my early years, it was reactivated in 2020 and super charged in 2023 (I wrote in depth about it here, but the very short version is A LOT happened in a very short period of time). I score between a 5 and a 6 on the ACE scale. While these things aren’t necessarily my fault, they are my responsibility to heal. So I am currently in therapy utilizing EMDR to move through things - both recent and latent.
Someone that I once trusted and went to for comfort told me that “I’ve given (them) every tragedy (they) could ever not want.”
First, thanks for the reminder that portions of my life have been filled with circumstances that no one would ever wish for themselves, or others. Second, thanks for blaming me (and my traumas) for your -ish?! ? Becasuse I'm pretty sure I NEVER asked for any of this in the first place. This statement alone is representative of a deeper rooted trauma as it formed a foundation of my nervous system that I’ve been consciously working to dismantle as it’s built on insecurities, untruths, and manipulation - and also NOT MINE.
Briefly, I’ve experienced physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, and sexual abuse (and also manipulation) over the course of my life - much of it from my childhood. These early planted seeds germinated into a trend of mirrored choices in my early adult relationships and choices. Most of these experiences were from family members or family-adjacent, and my first very serious (and rocky) romantic interest that spanned my rather formative ages of 15-32.
(The original version of this blog (written during a Balinese coffee (aka rocket fuel) infused afternoon where I sequestered myself in a dark bungalow suite and let my thoughts, stories, and worries pour onto the page) went into further details, but the editing phase decided it wasn’t necessary to be so specific - whew.)
As band-aid, but more accurately, fertilizer, I did more than my fair share of drugs (both prescribed and not-so-much), drank until I blacked out more times than anyone should, have attempted suicide a few times, and still have suicidal ideations. I stopped “party” drugs after a panic attack (first of many) in the Dominican Republic airport in 2014, and quit drinking alcohol in 2021 - after another panic attack. I still actively use plant medicine and am fully aware of when I’m being intentional, and when I’m not. I truly believe that any tool can be medicine or poison, it’s all about the user’s mind state, awareness, dosages, and patterns.
I share all of this succinctly for the first time, maybe ever, and only to establish some sort of back story as I proceed on this topic. Each admittance probably deserves its own exploration - AND that’s between me and my therapist ;)
In 2019, I went through a wild month - I visited Costa Rica for the first time, experienced a friend/business partner break up, fell into and out of love with someone with lots of secrets, and had the City of Charlotte string me along for months and eventually reject a major idea of mine only to later “steal” it and sell it to someone else. I used all of that as fuel and reinvented myself only to be bitch-slapped by 2020-ish and told to sit back down. I felt absolutely helpless during these months. I was unemployed, and having previously been so identified with that title, I felt so disconnected to my purpose, and therefore myself. This created a ripple effect of new and old traumas bubbling to the surface. Synchronistically, I finally had time to read some of the books collecting dust on my shelf - specifically, Waking the Tiger By Peter Levine + The Body Keeps Score by Bessel Van der Kolk. Quite easily, the floating pieces in my mind my BANGed together, and a new world was formed - one that couldn’t be so easily ignored, or numbed.
After a particularly dark night (and rejection by a former partner), I bargained with myself. I promised myself that I wouldn't make any final decisions while Fizzgig was around - partially out of duty to my favorite lil dude, and partially out of weird fears fueled by random readings. I finally asked for help in the late summer of 2020 and joined Open Path Collective, a service with a one-time joining fee that offers access to sliding scale therapy for folks without insurance. Based on my readings/research, I was intrigued by EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) as a methodology for healing. My first therapist wasn’t quite the right fit, and when I was able to find reasonable insurance (#thanksObama) I immediately started looking for someone new. I spent months negotiating with my insurance company to finally find someone (legit, there were TWO options in the state of NC). Luckily, my current therapist said YES and we began in May 2021 - everything was right on time. AND not without sustained effort, which is its level of exhaustion when already in struggle mode.
EMDR utilizes bilateral (both sides) brain stimulation via a moving light (or light tapping) as a way to “hop onto” negative cognitions (and their surrounding neural-networks) and replace them with positive cognitions. I meet with my therapist virtually so we use the tapping method on either the tops of my thighs, or over my chest/heart center. This methodology was discovered by Francis Shapiro in 1987 while she was walking in the park and observed that her side-to-side eye movements appeared to decrease the negative emotions stemming from her own memories. She continued to experiment with her findings, and eventually developed a protocol that could easily be repeated. In 1990 she created the EMDR Institute to train mental health professionals in this modality. It took another 5 years (1995) for EMDR to be officially accepted by the scientific community through rigorous testing and research. Since then, her discoveries have been tested, published, shared, and recognized worldwide for treatment of many types of trauma.
For me, rejection (of any kind) can be a major trigger. I have quickly gone from “everything is awesome” to “I will never be good enough” in the blink of an eye. Whether it’s a simple (and often understandable) NO’s from friends, breakups (of all kinds), and/or requested communication from students - I’ve witnessed myself spiral again and again. These patterns left a trail of clues all leading back to the same worn out record on repeat in my brain - AND never waste a good trigger!
Recently, through the magic of synchronicity and circumstance, my therapist and I identified 6 events throughout my timeline that we are targeting. Our sessions have gone like this…
We first identify moments of my life in which my negative cognition was reinforced, or reignited. When my therapist asked when I thought my issues started I confidently replied “at conception” - not being dramatic but rather being burdened with the story of my conception that was thrust upon me by a former yoga teacher reaching WAY beyond the scope of her practice (another story for another day, but also keep reading).
We then work through curating a replacement positive cognition - this was honestly harder than I ever imagined. In theory, it seems so obvious what the opposite of my negative cognition “should” be AND in reality it was super challenging for me to find it. My therapist lovingly reminded me that “this is so hard because it’s a way of thinking that is new to you. It’s a way of being that’s never been done.”
We arrived at “I am wanted by the Universe” which is a MAJOR flex to anyone who has ever rejected me. Like I don't need you, I've got the Universe 💁🏼♀️
Now we are ready…I take a purposeful breath, hold the negative cognition + the charged memory in my awareness and then I start tapping. Now maybe it’s all the hallucinogens from my early-ish years or maybe it’s just my amazing imagination, but I’m able to see/visualize/imagine some pretty vivid images. We follow the random/not-so-random images for a bit to see where they lead, and then we work to implant (and tap) the positive cognition in its place.
It all feels a bit woo-woo* and that shit works! While it HASN’T taken away the bad memories, it HAS lessened the charges around my memories and thus made me less reactive in some situations. (I mean who hasn’t at least considered the possibility of erasing someone completely from our minds a la Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?) I still experience triggers from some of these situations, but I am able to recover faster or not go so far down the rabbit hole of memories and false stories.
*Brief soapbox: I personally consider woo-woo and science on the same spectrum; science just has more access to monetary support. Both are REAL and have value. One just has money, and therefore statistics and papers. (Often the funding agents have vested interest in the topics…Example: when I worked in research, we studied the effects of blueberries on memory, and guess who sponsored the study?! Yep - the folks from the Blueberry Council.) When I use woo-woo it’s not from a place of disrespect, it’s more of a way to separate it from the funding. I believe that one of my superpowers is my ability to accept BOTH as truth, with firm footing on the ends of the spectrum.
Sidenote: I can’t help but make correlations between Sankalpa and Yoga Nidra and EMDR. Some layers of our minds are more receptive than others, and at times we may need to bypass our bodyguard (frontal cortex) to access more receptive layers to implant new ideas. Yoga Nidra is the tool prescribed to help us receive new ways of being.
While I don’t formally have credentials in the mental health field nor do I plan to, I have taken my fair share of workshops, read many studies and books, and have my eyes on some CEU’s to further bolster my ability to serve folks from both the yoga and massage perspectives. I have often found myself triggered in these trainings and feeling victimized, or like my traumas have doomed me. My therapist reminds me that healing happens on a spectrum: victim → survivor → victor. In reality, I have felt myself slip-sliding all over this line based on circumstance, and my own bandwidth of tolerating bullshit.
Which brings me to the Adverse Child Experience (ACE) test: designed as a measure of traumatic experiences that examines the relationship between adverse childhood experiences with adult health and social outcomes. The foundational ACE study was conducted by the CDC in the 1990’s by combining data from confidential surveys regarding childhood experiences, current health statuses and behaviors. The ACE test consists of 10 questions regarding so-called “adverse events” prior to the age of 18.
Conclusions: Through statistical magic they “found a strong graded relationship between the breadth of exposure to abuse or household dysfunction during childhood and multiple risk factors for several of the leading causes of death in adults” (quote from a 1998 published paper that shared the findings - linked below)
Specifically, folks with ACE scores higher that 4 are 12x more likely to have attempted suicide, 7x more likely to be alcoholic, and 10x more likely to have done street drugs. People with ACE scores of 6 and higher also have an almost 20-year shortening of lifespan.
Reminder: correlation does NOT equal causation. Meaning that just because two things are related that does NOT necessarily indicate that one caused the other.
Also, the ACE doesn’t take into consideration all of the positive early life events, people, and/or influences. We are so much more than our traumas, our scores, and our diagnosis. These things don’t define me and they don’t necessarily mean that I’m destined for a sh*tty life.
A powerful reframe is to also connect to all the positive memories: my _____ read to me and made sure I could participate in after school activities by working a 2nd job, I heard “i love you special” to the point of being annoyed by it (angsty teen years, anyone?), and have been super blessed with adjacent/chosen family who wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for some of the trauma.
Recovery is all about choice. For me, it’s been a slow grind to (re)building trust, learning how to (re)interpret my body’s signals, and clear and unapologetic communication with others (and myself). I’ve stumbled and gotten it wrong many times along my own personal journey. And in the words of my favorite, Maynard James Keenan, “Spiral out, keep going.”
Recovery requires a type of fierce honesty with oneself and understanding our own role and responsibility in our own healing. My pattern is to isolate and I’m often reminded that healing can happen in community. And I’ve also been hurt by fake communities (and insincere teachers) who preyed on my vulnerability and pain.
Often, folks who experience trauma may dissociate from the present moment and/or from their bodies. Dissociation, different from a dissociative disorder, may look like disconnecting from one’s thoughts, feelings, memories or sense of identity. In most cases, the dissociation resolves without the need for treatment. Dissociative disorders include amnesia, depersonalisation disorder and dissociative identity disorder, and would require the help of a professional. Many of us don’t even realize that this crack has happened, and continue to live our everyday lives in a dissociated state unaware of our own triggers and active role in repeated stories and patterns.
Side pondering: If you run into an asshole in the morning, ok that’s one asshole. If you run into assholes all day long, then maybe it’s actually YOU that are the asshole - but how many of us are aware enough to sit with that idea?! And how many more of us are willing to take opposite action to move away from our own asshole tendencies.
The practices of Yoga - the asanas (poses/postures), breath work, ethics of the practice, and the sitting with oneself and potentially tapping into deeper layers of the mind-stuff (meditation) - are almost inherently triggers, and arguably by design. They were meant to reveal our hidden desires and thoughts as a way to no longer be driven by that which can not be seen.
I personally believe that much of modern day yoga is sending ourselves (and our students) further into dysregulation. It probably wasn’t always this way, but in my very biased opinion, most of us are already overstimulated and would benefit from invitations to rest versus being driven to be our “best”. Pushing our students to their edge may be unintentionally creating more moments of disharmony, rather than showing them how strong they are in the face of adversity, or chair pose. We like to pretend that these heated rooms, complex asanas, or boot camp style cueing is somehow the essence of a good yoga class, but in reality we are doing a disservice to ourselves, our students, and the practices. It’s no wonder that so many people often categorize yoga classes as workouts, and will gauge their success by how much they sweat or how little water they sipped or by how few breaks they need or by how many asanas they can check off their list.
Full disclosure: I have previously judged myself as a yogi on all the above criteria, so truly, I see YOU as a teacher. When I used to practice hot power yoga, I would only want to show up to the 90 minute classes. This was after a full day of work with at least a 45-minute (one way) commute. I would push and perform - I could, so I MUST. And when I arrive home, I collapse into a hot, sweaty puddle on the floor unable to convince myself to eat or shower and then be confused because I thought yoga was supposed to make me feel good. It took a solid understanding in Ayurveda (the sibling science of yoga and the study of our Universal rhythms) for me to course-correct and practice in a more aligned way.
What happens when we tell our students to take the class one breath at a time, but cue in a way that doesn’t actually allow for a full breath?
What happens when we make asana the MVP of our yoga classes and don't offer useful options to the folks who are right in front of us?
What happens we prioritize ourselves over our students?
And wow is this any different than our regular lives?
What if instead of stronger, tougher we all invited in more softness and space?
I get it, this type of yoga doesn’t always pay the bills. I’ve witnessed so many studios who don’t fit the hot/power model close down. As yoga teachers, it’s our duty to educate our students, not try and break them so we can take credit for the rebuild.
In yogic philosophy, there's a topic of tapas, often loosely translated to discipline or austerity, and it's our path to expressing our tejas - or our radiance that shines through. Contrary to popular opinion, Tapas doesn’t always mean hot, power, push - tapas can also come from remembering that NO is a complete sentence, rest is resistance in the current climate of the world, and choosing to not compromise your own understanding of yoga to fit a studio model that doesn’t match - even if the classes are packed.
Which brings me back to my original inspiration for this post…
Do I call myself a trauma-informed yoga teacher? Not officially.
Which leads to a bigger inquiry: who can (versus who does) call themselves trauma-informed? Mehhh
But also…what should I call myself (if not trauma-informed)? hmm
And also…are yoga teachers prepared to handle folks with trauma + their potential triggers? Probably not
My quandary stems from my commitment to the practices of ahimsa and satya: two truths from yogic philosophy that are loosely translated to non-harming and truth, respectively. With an understanding that ahimsa (non-harming) is the foundation of every other principle.
The part of me that thrives in absolutes wants to create clear rules which state that only folks with specific mental health credentials are “allowed” to call themselves “trauma-informed”. Other parts of me are (un)learning capitalistic models and standards and recognize that these systems are just one of many. The mental health professional track can be expensive, time-consuming, and may often negate (and sometimes even steal from) time-honored practices of cultures that existed long before these credentials - but may have just as much value and success (the woo-woo/science spectrum fits here too). There will also always be a human component to this work that requires a commitment to ethics and empathy within the proven protocols.
Some insights from a discussion with my therapist who has been working since 1982 and specializes in trauma, but also doesn’t quite understand the popularity of “trauma-informed” everything:
There’s no trauma-informed committee or panel that regulates this type of self labeling.
There’s no official check-list or required trainings in order to gain some extra letters behind one’s name.
There’s no certification exam to stress about or to pass/fail.
There’s no sort of regulation at all.
AND the more folks who are aware that trauma exists and adjust their teachings/practices/offerings/lifestyle to reflect this awareness the better, right?!
BUT if we mindlessly self-label because it’s trending and/or we took a weekend workshop, are we actually creating more trauma by virtue signaling the depth of our understanding?
My truth is that I am fully aware how trauma shows up in the yoga spaces based on my own lived experiences, others who have generously shared their lived experiences, and having a voracious appetite to learn more about myself.
The question remains: if I self-label as “trauma-informed” am I sending a signal that I am able to hold space for other folks with similar, but different trauma, or am I potentially creating opportunities to further harm others?
And now here’s our story that I promised a few times above:
My former teacher was a yoga teacher, hard stop. She was reading a lot, friends with a neuro/mental health person, and well established within the yoga world. AND her scope of practice should NOT have included anything related to emotional intelligence, nervous system regulation or safe boundaries. She tested out protocols on her yoga students during week-long intensives cleverly disguised as yoga teacher trainings that never actually met the standards of the organizations to which she was registered.
So guess what!?
I had a super intense experience during one of these training sessions where I flashed back to a rather scary time in my life - could literally feel someone’s hands around my neck even though I was miles (and years) away from the person and the experience. I talked to her at the end of the class, and her advice was to ground myself by looking around the room and establishing the outer boundaries of the space. Honestly, at the time I thought it was pretty cool and was looking forward to returning home and sharing these new tools with my students. The buzz I experienced lasted for days, and can best be described as a slightly manic episode where I made a few questionable, and rash decisions but nothing with lasting consequences. When I came down, and finally sat with how I should/could/would share these new tools, I found myself looking into mental health certifications so I would feel more qualified to use them. I eventually realized that IF I was looking into more credentials (that I really didn’t want) then MAYBEEEE I shouldn’t be sharing them. My true awareness wouldn’t come until yearsss later when I started unpacking these experiences with a licensed trauma therapist. In retrospect, I recognize how dangerous it was for me to go through this without proper support, and how wreckless it is to share tools outside the scope of my practice. My former teacher denies any wrongdoing, and in fact has called me (and others who chose to speak out about her) liars and blocked us on all social platforms.
Ahimsa versus satya - always a fun task to relook at their intricacies and overlap.
I currently manage ahimsa versus satya as a yoga teacher (and licensed massage therapist) by being more clear about what my scope of practice IS and also equally, if not more important, what it ISN’T. I train my YTT students to be truthful about their abilities and credentials.
Truly, my best resources are my resources. The most helpful thing we can ever say to a client/student is “that’s out of my scope of practice, but I know a person who I can recommend.”
One day, after a brief thought storm, I became curious about what trauma-informed even means because at this point it appears to have lost all meaning. Also, all my googling has informed my social media timelines and they are now FULL of trauma-informed trainings of questionable value. #thanksalgorithm
In no particular order, a quick rundown of easy-to-Google definitions of “trauma-informed”:
As leaders, providers, educators, and individuals, to be "trauma-informed" is to recognize the pervasiveness of trauma in the world and seek to be responsive to this unfortunate reality. It means becoming aware of trauma's many personal and societal consequences, anticipating how trauma survivors may respond to our words and actions, and doing our part to create a world that does not cause further harm. Even more, being trauma-informed means helping to create a world that can foster growth, resiliency, and healing as well.
Organizations that use a trauma-informed approach fully integrate awareness of individual, historical, racial, and systemic trauma into all aspects of functioning to provide environments for everyone in the organization that intentionally reduce the likelihood of further harm and allow opportunity for healing and growth.
There are many definitions of Trauma Informed Care and various models for incorporating it across organizations, but a “trauma-informed approach incorporates three key elements: (1) realizing the prevalence of trauma; (2) recognizing how trauma affects all individuals involved with the program, organization, or system, including its own workforce; and (3) responding by putting this knowledge into practice
~ SAMHSA
In addition, six key principles of practice are briefly outlined: safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural consideration.
I have this theory that this generation of living/breathing humans is filled to the top with traumas: personal + collective + the last 7 generations of ancestors. Combine this with our 24/7 access to social media which is a non stop barrage of trauma-porn clickbait with our lack of access to tools that clear these massive levels that continue to accumulate more with each passing day.
As one of my friends who is a therapist reminds me, “consider that trauma is always in the room.” But also we can’t assume that every individual is holding the same circumstances in the same ways, we all show up differently albeit to similar meeting points.
With all things considered, it’s practically mandatory for yoga teachers to be aware that (1) trauma exists and (2) the practices of yoga can be amazing tools for trauma but like any tool, it can become medicine or poison depending on how it’s shared and received. AND there’s also a major difference in a teacher/person to be trauma-informed VERUS offering a class/workshop specifically for folks with trauma.
And with 200 hours being the bare minimum amount of hours required* to teach yoga, is this topic being covered in a manner that truly equips people to share what we know can often be triggering for people. I sure wasn’t prepared, and I have zero complaints about my 200 hour training.
*required is used super loosely here as there isn’t really any regulation about who can and can’t call themselves a yoga teacher. Yoga Alliance tries to regulate but there’s no requirement to register with them, and there’s a strong argument for NOT registering with them as well. I personally opt to register with them, and have literally never been asked to show that registration.
So back to our original line of questioning:
Do I call myself a trauma informed yoga teacher? still nope!
But still stuck on: what should I call myself (if not trauma-informed)?
Iniitally, I had hoped to arrive at some of conclusion by the end of this exploration, maybe even an official title to walk away with.
But just like healing, answers may be messy and a moving target.
Final note on yoga teacher trainings that use "trauma-informed" techniques: If you are a yoga teacher and haven't had trauma techniques inlucded in your training, here's your sign to make it happen! But first, do your research before signing up. And nope! I'm not going to recommend a specific program. Each offering will have some value, it just depends on what you are looking for, and who you are wanting to serve. Ask questions about these programs and their resouces or idealogies.
Examples:
Do they include topics around race, gender, sexuality based traumas?
Is their program backed by current research?
Does the program have a specialized focus or is it more general?
Are there licensed (or credentialed) mental health professionals included on the training staff?
What other specialties (modalities) are included?
Are their diverse voices (and opinions) shared?
Are you wanting to offer specialized classes or are you looking for more general background information?
Resources:
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