Creating Leaders in Trauma Sensitivity
Three and a Half Acres designed our 20-hour trauma-informed yoga teacher training for yoga teachers seeking to deepen their knowledge of trauma and become more skilled teachers and facilitators. Trainees work with evidence-based practices; rooted around the latest neuroscience. The practices grow into a trauma-informed teaching style and methodology rooted in deep understanding and embodiment.
In this Program you will Explore
- How to define and look for trauma
- What happens to the mind/body system during and after a traumatic event
- The ways in which yoga can regulate the nervous system
- Specific practices for grounding, awakening awareness, and centering
- Common trauma triggers and how to avoid them
- Ways to reframe your teaching to increase accessibility
- How to teach yoga from a chair
- Room set up and teaching in unconventional yoga spaces
- Mindfulness and self care for the trauma informed yoga teacher and why that is important
- Self knowledge and awareness and privilege in the yoga room
When we know better, we do better
70% of the US population has survived some form of trauma which means, trauma is in every room. Whether you work in a yoga studio, online from home, or in a shelter, food bank, or recovery center, you are interacting, probably without even knowing it, with someone who has survived trauma. Our duty as yoga teachers is to do no harm and yet even with best intentions without knowledge of the ways trauma shows up, our actions may be unskillful. Three and a Half Acres trauma informed yoga teacher training will ensure you have the guidance and practices you need to reduce harm and create safer spaces.
Why Get Trained
When we know better, we do better
This program is suitable for yoga teachers with a 200-hour certification or more. Instructors gain access to our curriculum which is proven to be impactful and effective for working with trauma survivors.
Our next virtual Trauma-informed Yoga Teacher Training (TIYTT) will be hosted on
September 27th – 29th, 2024
We offer the following payment options:
- $275 (Discounted Price: With a 26-hour volunteer commitment to be completed within a 6-month period)
- $550 (Full Price: Without a volunteer commitment)
In addition to our payment options, we offer scholarship opportunities to yoga teachers needing financial assistance.
All scholarship applicants must complete our general Trauma-informed Yoga Teacher Training Application and a Scholarship Application. Scholarship applications will open in March, 2024.
We encourage members of the BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and older adult communities to apply for our scholarships.
To receive your Trauma-informed Yoga Teacher Training certification, participants must meet the following requirements:
-
Completion of our 20-hour Trauma-informed Yoga Teacher Training Program,
-
Two class observations, and
-
Two trial teachings for all levels.
We offer additional training throughout the year, so be sure to check back in if you’re unable to attend this session.
Meet Your Instructors
Lara Land
Lara Land is the Founder and Executive Director at Three and a Half Acres Yoga (THAY) and a Level 2 authorized Ashtanga Yoga teacher with 2 decades of yoga experience. She has worked all over the world teaching yoga and mindful living and developing programs to heal and empower.
In 2008-2009, Lara spent three months in post-genocide Rwanda bringing yoga as healing to survivors and from there went to India where she worked with HIV positive children bringing yoga and meditation to their treatment room. In June 2011, Lara opened Land Yoga, a ground floor Yoga, Arts, & Wellness Center in the heart of Harlem. Through Land, she developed programs such as Harlem Earth Day, SOULFest NYC, and Women Who Wow, landing her recognition in The Wall Street Journal, The Daily News, and on Fox5.
About Lara’s Session
Lara is the Lead Instructor of THAY’s TIYTT Program. In this training she delves into the causes of trauma and its impact on our bodies, the brain science around physiological regulation, and how we can soften the influence of trauma through embodied practices. Lara helps yoga teachers consider their definition of yoga and how they can share it with others in a safer way starting with room set up and continuing through savasana and everything in between. Lara will also talk about self care for yoga teachers, mindfulness and how to avoid burn out.
Follow Lara on Instagram
@laralandyoga.
Jivana Heyman
Jivana Heyman is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings and supporting yoga teachers. He’s the author of the books: Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body; Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion; and a new book, The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body. His books, classes, and trainings offer support to yoga teachers and yoga therapists in finding ways to bring creativity and collaboration into their teaching while still respecting the ancient yoga tradition. Learn more at jivanaheyman.com
About Accessible Asana Workshop
Join Jivana in exploring teaching techniques for making asana accessible to all of your students. This includes using a benefit based approach to adapting practices as well as skills for teaching integrated classes where students are practicing on a mat and in chairs in the same class. He’ll also explore the ABC’s of Accessible Yoga: agency, boundaries, and collaboration. The heart of Accessible Yoga is based in service and creativity with a firm foundation in the traditional yoga teachings.
Reggie Hubbard
Reggie is a certified yoga and meditation teacher and the founder/chief serving officer of Active Peace Yoga. His yoga and meditation practice have served as a sanctuary of peace and perspective while he navigates the stresses of being a black man in the world and serving in pressure-filled jobs at the height of politics. Reggie is a teacher, activist, strategist, lover of justice, celebrator of diversity, and unapologetic speaker of truth in love. He’s recently created programming for Kripalu and the Sedona Yoga Festival.
About Reggie’s Workshop
Beginner mind, unconscious Bias and the Necessity of Intentional Practice.
Meet Our Previous Scholarship Recipients
Alexia W
Alexia completed her 200HR YTT in December of 2020 and although it provided her with the foundations, she was left with questions on how to best serve her target community.
“My goal is to continue my yoga education to create offers that are as inclusive and inviting as possible to people who are normally marginalized both within the yoga community and without. Long term, I hope to be able to start a non profit that focuses on bringing yoga to bigger bodied women, and also women who are parents of children with special needs.”
Elise has been teaching yoga for over 6 years, and was active in offering services to youth and families in need in Boston. Now a resident of NYC, she is becoming more involved in her community while continuing her yoga education.
“I want to start teaching yoga again with at-risk youth. Those struggling with eating disorders. Those dealing with loss. Those dealing with grief from the pandemic. I know I have a lot to contribute and this training will allow me to confidently walk in spaces to provide space.”
Helsa is a certified 200-hr yoga instructor, meditation teacher and life coach with a passion for empowering communities of color.
“I want to be equipped to better support the community of color in dealing with trauma through my passion for yoga. I am passionate about making yoga and healing more accessible to communities of color.”
Roz has been practicing yoga for many years, and decided to dive deeper into the practice and take the 200HR course in 2013. She is a dedicated mother in Long Beach, CA and is hoping to offer more classes in her community.
“Being part of the black and brown community which usually does not have access to health and wellness I find that being able to teach in the community and tap into the psychological, emotional and spiritual traumas that our people carry gives me so much fulfillment. I would love to deepen that understanding and education so that I can further continue to serve my community.”
Demetrius received his 200-hr yoga certification in India! He currently teaches children ages 5-16 how to nurture their mental development through mindfulness and yoga.
“I want to deepen my understanding of trauma informed yoga, since many of my students/clients also have grave trauma, so the greater my knowledge and experience, the better I can serve others.”
Living in Memphis, Tennessee, Jacqueline offers yoga as a tool for healing to her clients of hers as a life coach. Although she has a focus on supporting members of the Black community, her classes and offerings provide non-judgement, inclusive experiences for folks from all walks of life.
“I desire to have a broader understanding of how trauma affects the spirit, mind and body and gain additional practices and competencies I can incorporate in my restorative yoga classes and all of my offerings to further support the nervous system and provide gentle healing.”
Malikia is the author of a mindfulness journal and has been practicing yoga for over 11 years. She started Yoga4Us in Raleigh, NC as a space for here community to leave their perceptions of how yoga behind and arrive as a clean slate.
“I work in predominantly Black spaces. This training will allow me to lead in a more informed and impactful way. I look forward to applying trauma informed training to better serve people experiencing atypical birth journeys.”
Alanah found yoga to be a healing tool in her own mental health journey. She became a registered teacher and now enjoys teaching classes in Harlem!
“Clients especially POC who experience trauma are most times overlooked or not catered to. This In depth training would allow me to better serve the population I currently work with using meaningful & studied techniques.”
FAQ’s
Do I need to have a yoga certification to take this course?
What does the volunteer commitment entail?
Where are your programs located?
What is required to receive my certification?
Is the training Yoga Alliance certified?
How do I apply?
Click on the “Register Today” button to fill out the registration form. We will review your application and contact you by email to confirm your acceptance into the training.
For additional questions, please contact [email protected].
