Trauma Sensitive Yoga – 20 Hour Training

You are invited to join Martine McDougall, a mental health professional who works as a mental health clinician and also uses yoga therapeutically as a tool for mental health and wellbeing. This 20-hour training is part of the 100 hour Yoga for Embodiment & Healing Training Program and can be booked as an individual module

Trauma survivors may suffer from the physical pain and emotional unrest that have permeated their lived experience long after the incident(s) of trauma occurred. There is no doubt that trauma impacts brain functioning. After experiencing trauma, the amygdala goes into over-drive and anticipates danger even when there is none. Trauma can leave the body feeling dysregulated and unsafe. The practice of trauma sensitive yoga can help survivors establish safety and resource their body in a way that feels authentic, manageable, and unique to their needs.

Trauma impacts all areas of human functioning:  physical, mental, behavioural, social, and spiritual. So often, the impact of trauma is somatic. Survivors often times experience flashbacks, dis-regulated breathing, anxiety, depression, insomnia, GI issues, migraines, and many more. As a result, trauma treatment must consider the person as a whole. In yoga terms, trauma can elicit emotional imprints in the body that often times become deep rooted, hardwired, and lodged in various areas of the body depending on the nature of the trauma. These imprints can impact the nervous system, the endocrine system, and our physiology and cause a variety of trauma symptoms, dissociation, physical pain, and illness. By working to heal the body, we can create a critical pathway to safety and embodiment for our clients.

As a clinician, yoga teacher, Doctor, nurse, teacher or human service worker we come across people who have suffered  trauma on a very regular basis. This training will give you the tools to support your clients to be able to use their bodies as a resource in an empowering way, and over time supporting the rewiring of the brain and fostering the ability to self regulate and self soothe. When we feel safe in our bodies we are better able to relate, learn and grow emotionally.

• Learning the theory behind trauma sensitive yoga.
• Deepen your understanding of how trauma affects the brain and nervous system.
• Understand the role of attachment in working with trauma.
• Learning the differences between trauma sensitive yoga and trauma informed yoga and having a clear awareness of the necessity to have adequate training to use trauma sensitive yoga as a trauma treatment as opposed to creating a trauma informed class.
• Understanding how to create a safe space in which to work with survivors of trauma.
• Practicing the utilisation of invitational language, choice making and supporting students to practice having present moment experiences.
• Understanding the role of interoception in creating opportunities for neuroplascticity.

Who is this training course designed for?

• Yoga Teachers and yoga teachers in training who are  interested in expanding their teaching skills and developing more confidence in working with students / clients who suffer from trauma and mental health difficulties. Yoga teachers will develop a much deeper understanding of the concepts of Yoga Psychology and it’s capacity to empower students by providing safe and inclusive yoga practices with awareness.

• Mental Health Professionals who are interested in bringing the body into treatment. There is now a significant body of evidence that has seen a marriage between yoga and Psychology. Neuroscience has shown that the mind and body are intrinsically linked and that trauma resides in the body. It has been my experience that when clients learn to befriend and trust their body, the capacity for clients to engage in therapy in a much safer and satisfying way is achieved. Yoga engages the nervous system teaching distress tolerance by balancing the nervous system, enhancing opportunities for neuroplasticity to occur by moving and breathing in a community setting with intention and on purpose.
• Wellbeing professionals who are interested in the mind body connection and working in a holistic way towards healing and recovery.
• Students of Yoga who are interested in further and deepening their knowledge in the context of ‘self’,  working on their own journey towards total wellbeing and personal discovery.
• Teachers, nurses, first responders and all human service workers who come into contact with students/ patients who are distressed and overwhelmed and require significant support and containment. This course will give you the confidence to use grounding and stabilising techniques by using the body, breath and awareness of how the brain responds to anxiety.

Spaces are limited for this training, once the spaces are reserved the bookings will close. All payments are non-refundable to minimise last minute cancellations. You are welcome to substitute a friend in your place should you become unable to attend. Please arrive at 9.15am to get set up on the first day of the workshop on Friday 28th October 2022 starting at 9.30am.

All levels of yoga ability are very welcome. You do not need to be a yoga teacher to attend this training.

Martine is a yoga teacher, a psychotherapist and a certified Trauma Centre Trauma Sensitive Yoga teacher, who was trained in this modality at The Boston Trauma Centre.

All equipment is provided, there is no need to bring anything except maybe a bottle of water. You are of course welcome as always to bring your own mat if you prefer.