Embodied Healing: Trauma-Informed Yoga and Meditation for Survivors of Sexual Assault

An Online Course with The Breathe Network

Deepen your healing journey through trauma-informed yoga and meditation with The Breathe Network‘s first online course for sexual assault survivors.

Embodied Healing: Trauma-Informed Yoga and Meditation for Survivors of Sexual Assault is an online course co-taught by a team of 16 instructors who are seasoned professionals in the realms of trauma, psychology, sexual assault, yoga and meditation. We have designed this course to be an accessible and empowering way for survivors to embark upon or simply deepen healing practices that are sustainable and holistic.

As the only national nonprofit organization with a single focus on connecting sexual assault survivors with sliding-scale, trauma-informed, holistic healers, The Breathe Network is a pioneer in the anti-sexual violence movement. Therefore, we are uniquely positioned to deliver a course that is sensitive to the unique vulnerabilities of survivors and also holds up the tremendous strengths of this community.

You’ll not only learn about trauma-informed yoga and meditation from a variety of lenses and instructors, but you will also be introduced to cutting-edge insights on stress and resilience physiology, managing triggers and flashbacks, self-care and more.

We know that beginning to work with somatic/body-based practices like yoga and meditation can feel vulnerable, and this course allows you to participate from the comfort of your own home, and also, to move through it at your own pace. You can follow along with us each week, or you can take your time to digest and integrate the materials over a period of months.

This course will support you in nurturing the nonlinear journey of sexual assault recovery by inviting both your body and mind to that process as your allies.

What’s included in this online course:

• Accessible teachings on nervous system functioning, integrating body-mind practices for healing, an understanding of trauma-informed yoga and meditation, navigating triggers and flashbacks, sustainable self-care and 6 experiential yoga and meditation practices to support a home practice
• Over a dozen video interviews with experts on the topics of trauma, stress and resilience physiology, holistic healing, yoga and meditation
• Supporting reading materials selected by our teaching team to enhance the video learning
• Weekly live calls with The Breathe Network’s founder, Molly Boeder Harris, who is also a trauma-informed yoga teacher and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner.

Our course, is a combination of; psycho-education on how sexual violence and trauma impact the brain, nervous system, and functioning of body and mind, an in-depth look at how yoga and meditation practices can uniquely support an integrated and sustainable approach to healing the wounds of sexual trauma, and importantly, includes lead yoga and meditation practices that will give you a home practice to engage with at any time.

As a bonus to the course, you will have the option to access a moderated discussion forum through a closed Facebook group where participants can connect with one another about the course.

Your Instructors-

Melissa Appleton Berry, Kate Busby, Jane Clapp, Hiroko Demichelis, Lisa Erickson, Mark Gerow, Peter Gold, Laura Khoudari, Ryan Maher, Nkem Ndefo, Jennifer Patterson, Jessica Schaffer, Manisha Tare, Lara Veon, Greg Wieting and Zabie Yamasaki

Format-

Each week, on Sunday evening, you will receive an email including the course videos for the week, supplemental reading and/or videos associated with the course content, and a reminder about the live call.

Live, one-hour calls will happen once a week on Wednesdays at 9am PST to discuss the course content in community. These calls will be recorded and will be shared to the Facebook group as well as included in the following week’s email.

You will receive 3 yoga practices in varying lengths (10 min, 20 min, 45 min) and you will receive 3 guided meditation practices in varying lengths (5 min, 15 min, 30 min). These will be a combination of either audio or audio and video.

Syllabus-

Week 1 – How Trauma Impacts the Nervous System and the Wisdom of Survival

Week 2 – The Benefit of Integrating Mind, Body and Soul Inclusive Practices within Trauma Recovery

Week 3 – What is Trauma-Informed Yoga and How Can it Increase Resilience After Trauma?

Week 4 – What is Trauma-Informed Meditation and How Can it Increase Resilience After Trauma?

Week 5 – Compassionate Collaboration with Your Body: Resourcing Before, During and After Triggers and Flashbacks

Week 6 – Self-Care: Nourishing the Nonlinear Process of Healing

Schedule-

Course Launch – You will receive your first email of course content on Sunday, November 11th.

Live Zoom Calls – Wednesday mornings, November 15th, 22nd, 29th and December 5th, 12th and 19th.

Course Fees and Registration- 

The course fee is $275*, which will include 8+ hours of video training, 75 minutes of yoga practices and 50 minutes of guided meditation practices, weekly readings, and 6 hours of live, facilitated discussion calls.

We have reserved a number of sliding-scale scholarships for this course, contact molly@thebreathenetwork.org to learn more. 

Registration is open!

Disclaimer-

This course may stir up issues that may cause participants to experience emotional or physical responses that may cause stress. The objective of this online course is educational and not psychotherapeutic in nature. It is not designed to be a substitute for therapy or any other form of professional consultation. If you have been treated for, or believe you may have suffered from a psychological disorder or injury, you may want to consider if you are in a position to participate in the course at this time, and/or consider enlisting the ongoing support of a professional who can be a resource to you during and after the course.