Innovative Learning

 

ONE OF A KIND TRAINING

The Karma Yoga Foundation’s curriculum just celebrated 20 years! We have the depth of knowledge cultivated over time and also the flexibility to meet the moment with intelligent and caring updates. In this session, lead teachers Michele Vinbury and Tierra Barber (along with other amazing featured teachers!) will guide the curriculum in a therapeutic direction.

MORE INFO COMING SOON!!


EMBER YOGA TEACHER TRAINING

 

(Please check back for future dates)

EMBER (Mindfulness-based Emotional Resilience) is a twelve-week resilience training program geared toward women and men from underserved communities who are rebuilding their lives after trauma. In this weekend workshop, EMBER co-founders Marybeth Hamilton and Michele Vinbury offer an in-depth introduction to the curriculum, which they have implemented in prisons, hospitals, and organizations responding to substance abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking. YOHI’s co-founder Marcia Miller draws on her long experience of teaching traumatized populations to discuss the psychology of trauma and the principles of trauma-sensitive yoga, an approach to practice that lies at the heart of the EMBER curriculum. Psychiatrist and yoga teacher Lee Shackleford shares the growing understanding of and evidence for the benefits of yoga for people who have experienced trauma.

The workshop offers teachers an opportunity to experience the EMBER curriculum while exploring the concepts and methods that underpin it. It is intended for yoga teachers, meditation instructors, and practitioners with relevant professional experience who are interested in bringing mindfulness-based tools of proven effectiveness to underserved or at-risk populations.

The weekend training will include:

-       An exploration of EMBER’s evidence-based, trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive methodology for working with women in prison, in transition, and in recovery.

-       Detailed discussion of the foundations of the EMBER curriculum: trauma-sensitive yoga, restorative yoga, pranayama, and mindfulness-based yoga nidra.

-       An experience of two full EMBER classes

-       A review of clinical research on the practical application of mindfulness-based practices for emotional and psychological issues, including PTSD.

-       An exploration of the dynamics of creating “safe space” for practice in challenging institutional settings, particularly the singular environment of prison.

-       Instruction in specific asana, pranayama and meditation practices that have been proven effective with women and men in challenging settings and circumstances.

-       Exploration of student-teacher dynamics, including issues of transference, boundaries, and the importance of teacher self-care

-       How to get started: practical strategies for establishing EMBER classes in prisons, therapeutic communities, hospitals, detention centers, and rehabilitation facilities.