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Relationship is priority in trauma-informed yoga

2020-05-11T12:03:23+00:00

Nicole Marcia’s self-esteem tanked after she was assaulted by a neighbour more than two decades ago. She shut up the negative voices in her head with drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. In her early 20s at the time, she didn’t connect her behaviour with the assault. Essentially, she just thought she sucked.  One day she heard a celebrity talking about yoga on TV, and thought, ‘Huh! I should try that.” A few classes turned into a regular yoga practice, and after a while her mood started to lift as well. But it wasn’t her mastery of  backbends, or attaining Madonna's yoga body. [...]

Relationship is priority in trauma-informed yoga2020-05-11T12:03:23+00:00

Why use invitational language in trauma-informed yoga?

2020-01-13T11:41:18+00:00

  Directly commanding someone to move their body in a certain way can trigger a defensive response, particularly for survivors of trauma. By swapping “invitational language” for a more direct style of instruction, teachers may help students to recover feelings of autonomy, self-esteem, and even joy in their bodies.  “Invitational language creates an opportunity to experiment in their body and to build awareness of sensations on their terms. It’s a skill I would argue is more useful in daily life than nailing a perfect form according to one particular yoga lineage or another,” says Sarah Holmes de Castro.  Holmes de Castro [...]

Why use invitational language in trauma-informed yoga?2020-01-13T11:41:18+00:00

Do grouchy, judgemental smokers belong at yoga? Yes!

2019-03-11T18:49:16+00:00

Q and A with Julie Peters In preparation for Yoga Outreach's first conference (May 25), we asked the scheduled panelists what turns people OFF about yoga. Here's a thoughtful response from Julie Peters, yoga teacher, writer, and owner of Ocean and Crow Yoga studio in East Vancouver. YO: Can you smoke, drink, or eat McDonald’s, and still claim to practise yoga? JP: Food and substances aren’t good or evil; the important thing to consider is why we are consuming them. Lately, I’ve been working a lot with the differences between desire and craving, pleasure and distraction. True desires move us [...]

Do grouchy, judgemental smokers belong at yoga? Yes!2019-03-11T18:49:16+00:00

Yoga in your Socks

2018-11-23T12:51:34+00:00

By Wendy Goldsmith In teacher training, we learned yoga MUST be done barefoot. What if your student split in half doing wide-legged forward fold on your watch? Yikes. Plus, they can’t draw energy up from the earth through a barrier of cotton-acrylic blend. With the exception of savasana, socks are a no-no in the studio.   But when I started teaching in social service settings, my students were often low-income or newcomers to Canada. I discovered nobody was taking off their socks. I tried to lead by example, worrying aloud about danger, talking about the foundational significance of the feet. Still, [...]

Yoga in your Socks2018-11-23T12:51:34+00:00

3 Top Takeaways from Trauma Training with Yoga Outreach

2018-11-07T16:31:37+00:00

About a month ago, I took a weekend course on teaching trauma-informed yoga. Trauma-informed means the instruction style is modified to better serve people who have been physically or mentally abused, or sexually assaulted. After completion, you can apply to volunteer at a transition house for women and children fleeing domestic violence, at an addiction recovery centre, or in a prison - anywhere in BC that Yoga Outreach has established a program. Plus, I’m hoping I can apply the training to classes I teach at my local Neighbourhood House. None of my students have disclosed having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but [...]

3 Top Takeaways from Trauma Training with Yoga Outreach2018-11-07T16:31:37+00:00

Rika Lange on Volunteering with Justice Involved Youth

2018-04-20T10:04:07+00:00

How did you get involved with yoga outreach? It was through a friend who was volunteering with Yoga Outreach after taking the core training. I had just completed my teacher training and wanted to volunteer with Yoga Outreach.   What were your thoughts of the Core Training? It was outstanding …one of the best trainings that I have done. The space that Nicole created to learn in was amazing, and the information taught made sense; it really applies to so many situations.   What was your first impression of Yoga Outreach? My first impression of Yoga Outreach was through the Core [...]

Rika Lange on Volunteering with Justice Involved Youth2018-04-20T10:04:07+00:00

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