HLL03 BioMedical Yoga Therapy for Trauma

Yoga for Trauma, Grief & Biology of Loss

Time & Date: Saturday 17th May, 9:30am – 1:00pm
Hosted By: TBA

‘Who we are’ is a complex combination of evolution, ancestry, experience, chemistry, chance and the choices we make. Evidence based research and understanding has now come to solidify the fact that trauma is indeed stored in the body; and, accordingly the Ancient yoga sutras voice the knowledge that our face, body and our posture store the history of our lifetime. Thus, metaphysically and scientifically our past is stored in our cells, our genes, and our DNA; trauma literally changes our body, our gut, our brain wave patterning, our nervous system, and our brains.

This morning workshop will provide an introduction to the theory and research behind Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga – the evidence based program developed for the treatment of trauma, complex trauma and PTSD. Edwina offers foundational yoga techniques to explore the way trauma can affect the nervous system and our (dis)connection to our body and breath, examining trauma theory and the neuroscience behind trauma informed yoga. Furthermore, Edwina will explore with students ways to bring presence to the body and breath in a trauma-informed way. The workshop will provide practices to explore the ways in which this body-based practice can provide ways to (re)connect with your body, your breath, your sense of self.

Edwina guides you experientially and compassionately through the weekend of training, allowing you to experience first hand the benefits of trauma informed yoga.

We will be exploring:

• The Trauma Response and the Nervous System
• An introduction to the theory and science of Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga
• How to guide a participant gently with Trauma Informed Yoga practices
• Trauma Informed Posturing
• When and how to refer students to further services
• Why yoga can support recovery from trauma

Impacts of Trauma on Attachment and Relationship

Time & Date: Saturday 17th May, 1:45pm – 4:45pm
Hosted By: TBA

Experiences of trauma, grief and loss impact how we engage in relationships. The safety established in the student/teacher or facilitator/participant relationship is fundamental to how people experience yoga and their bodies.

This afternoon workshop will explore interpersonal trauma, attachment theory and how this helps us to understand the impact of trauma on how we engage in relationships throughout the lifespan. In this experiential workshop, we will examine power dynamics and how to establish relational safety and empathy in a yoga practice and teaching container. Trauma-informed yoga practices will be offered in providing a felt sense of the ways in which relationships can impact an experience of yoga, of the body, and the self. Breathing and moving together in the context of a safe relationship as a pathway to healing.

We will be exploring:

• Definitions and diagnosis around different experiences of trauma
• Attachment theory and the study of relationships
• The impact of trauma on relationship
• Relational power dynamics within yoga
• Trauma-informed yoga and breath practices and how they provide relational safety

“Trauma is Stored in the Body. Move the Body out of the Past…”

Time & Date: Sunday 18th May, 9:30am – 1:00pm
Hosted By: TBA

This will be a fascinating self-exploratory session, noting where our past is stored in our body.

It will include acknowledging where we store emotions in our body, and you will develop heightened psychosomatic awareness and free your body of the trauma and the memories of the past.

We will be looking at ways to bring unification and harmony through moving meditations and yoga therapy. The practice will be accentuated by using the healing life force (Prana, Qi, Chi, Ki) as a solution to liberate the body from the past patterns.

‘Who we are’ is a complex combination of evolution, ancestry, experience, chemistry, chance and the choices we make.

It is now a known scientific fact that trauma is stored in our body. According to the ancient yoga sutras, our face, body, and posture store the history of our lifetime. Metaphysically and now proven scientifically, our past is stored in our cells, genes, and DNA. Trauma affects our cells and changes our body, our gut, our brain wave patterning, our nervous system, and our brains.

This session will use yoga and meditation techniques to explore how grief and trauma can affect the nervous system, mind, muscles, organs, and fascia. Furthermore, we will bring presence to body and breath, bringing the freedom of movement and mind into the present. Breathing together, moving together, touch and eye contact with trusted others help us dissolve the past in our bodies, even our genes.

Trauma specialist, Peter Levine, comments:
Animals don’t get PTSD. The reason being, once out of danger, they shiver and shake and release the trauma from their bodies. Human beings develop PTSD because of frozen emotions.

We invite you to practice somatic awareness and therapeutic tremoring to assist in the release of trauma.

This morning will introduce the theory and research behind these evidence-informed yoga therapies for grief, shock and trauma. In combination with an understanding of neurobiology, yoga asana will be offered to create lasting changes in body and mind.

Join us to find freedom within your heart, acknowledging the unbreakable human spirit within with respect and humility.

• The Neurobiology of Loss
• Understanding the ache in heartache: Why Grief and Loss is More Than in The Mind
• The Science behind a broken heart: Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy
• Somatic Experiencing and moving into the bodily experience
• Therapeutic benefits of the practice
• Science of the therapeutic relationship
• The evidence base supporting Trauma-Informed Yoga
• Neurobiology of Trauma in the body
• Understanding the Fight / Flight / Freeze Response
• Understanding Generational Trauma
• Exploring the evidence around therapeutic tremoring to help us overcome shock, trauma, PTSD and depression
• Compassion Focused Practices: compassionate posturing, employing the use of compassionate vocal tones and compassionate mind training

Meditations to Pacify the Mind and Heart

Time & Date: Sunday 18th May, 1:45pm – 4:45pm
Hosted By: TBA

Mindfulness is an imperative neural skill to develop on a journey toward an integrated state of being. In recent years there has been much research dedicated to the validity of the historical meditations for pacifying the mind in relation to holistic wellbeing. That is, being in a state of equilibrium and free from suffering involves taking time to learn and understand the practices of soothing and bringing states of peace to the mind as an everyday practice.

We will be exploring:

• Yoga is to cease the fluctuations of the mind and reduce the activity of mind (sutras Ch1 V 1-4) as described by Patanjali.
  • What is yoga and how do we reduce activity of mind (sutras Ch1 V 1-4)
  • The link between breath and thoughts – noting the breath and thoughts.
  • Can we steady the breath and thoughts?
  • How can we use breath to pacify the mind?
  • How do we reduce this activity of mind? (Patanjali gives us 6 sutras 1.34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 to pacify the mind)
  • How to interpret the first three sutras with a gentle asana, pranayama, meditation practice, using long exhales and holding the breath out to quiet the mind.
  • How to use the Use of the forward bend, and exhale pranayama (langhana) to pacify the mind.
  • Final discussion on the last 3 pacifications of mind as described by Patanjali and practice a meditation for sutra 1.36 – A focus on the light in the heart. (This will be a chest opening, inhale focussed practice)