ABOUT US

Meet The Somatic Yoga Institute Founders: Jeanine and Brooke

Over the years, our Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Trainings have evolved into an ethically grounded, heart-centered, relational, clinically-informed approach to yoga education. The Somatic Yoga Institute emerged as a home for this methodology – bridging trauma theory, nervous system science, somatic practices, and yoga philosophy.

We’re two best friends and long-time collaborators, devoted to creating trainings that are both rigorous and deeply human, and that offer real tools people can use beyond the mat. We’ve both been held by yoga in more ways than we can name and it’s why we care so deeply about how yoga is taught, who feels like they belong, and what it makes possible when it’s truly accessible. Our trainings are designed to equip teachers with the education, language, and embodied confidence to bring trauma-informed yoga into studios and traditional class settings, as well as into communities where safety, choice, regulation, and a return to the body are needed most.

We’re deeply grateful to the teachers and mentors who came before us, and to our 500+ Trauma-Informed Alumni who have helped carry this work into the world. This school is a continuation of what we’ve built together – held with humility, shaped by community, and always evolving.

Jeanine Talento

E-RYT 500, Trauma & Nervous System Educator, Yoga Teacher Trainer, and Somatic Therapy Practitioner.

Originally from New York, Jeanine has had a zest and spunk for philosophical musings, artistic expression, and creative exploration from a young age. Her own personal mental health struggles with anxiety and OCD led her to Yoga in 2006 and sparked what became a love-affair with all things in the realm of body-based therapeutics.

Jeanine received her B.S in Psychology and Communications from CUNY Queens College in New York City and completed her first 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training with School Yoga Institute in 2013. Jeanine started facilitating Yoga Teacher Trainings and Somatic courses in 2015 and has dedicated her life to sharing and studying this necessary and paradigm shifting work. She completed her 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training with Prana Yoga Center in 2017 and has acquired over 3000 hours of advanced Trauma-Informed Training, studying with some of the leaders in the field including Dr. Gabor Mate. As of Fall 2024, Jeanine is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Psychology at Harvard University, Division of Continuing Education.

Jeanine uses a multidisciplinary approach to body-based interventions and believes in the power of healing through reclaiming the body as the central space through which we process and experience our lives. Through nervous system education, somatic curiosity, and embracing vulnerability, she believes that individuals can learn to revere and celebrate all parts of who they are, thus living more full and vibrant lives.

Jeanine created the Trauma-Informed sect of School Yoga Institute in 2018 and is the founder of The Somatic Yoga Institute, alongside Brooke Alexander. Jeanine currently lives in Oceanside, CA but loves returning to NYC regularly, traveling often, and experiencing new cultures to nourish her curiosity, inspiration, and excitement for life.

Jeanine Talento | Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training | Yoga Teacher

BROOKE ALEXANDER

Brooke Alexander, E-RYT 500, is a Trauma-Informed Educator, Yoga Teacher Trainer, and co-founder of The Somatic Yoga Institute.

Brooke’s journey with yoga began nearly two decades ago as a lifeline during her struggles with disordered eating. On her mat, she began to see her body not as a problem to solve, but as an intelligent, dynamic system to honor and befriend. In 2017, she formalized this path by completing her 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training with School Yoga Institute, followed by a 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Yoga Psychology with Ashley Turner.

Since then, Brooke has dedicated over 3,000 hours to advanced trauma-informed and somatic study. Her training includes the Compassionate Inquiry program with Dr. Gabor Maté, Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy through the Embody Lab, and Trauma-Informed Contemplative Leadership at the Nalanda Institute. She has also completed advanced studies in Somatic Nature-Based Trauma Therapy and leadership development through the Generating Transformative Change program at Pacific Integral Institute. Brooke is currently pursuing her Master Degree in Somatic Psychotherapy at Naropa University.

Brooke co-founded the trauma-informed branch of School Yoga Institute and now leads 200-Hour and 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Trainings, as well as trauma-informed continuing education programs. Her work has taken her internationally, guiding trainings and retreats across Central America, Asia, and Europe, including immersive offerings in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, Thailand, Spain, and Portugal.

For seven years, Brooke served as the Director of Yoga and Mindfulness Programs at Los Gatos Therapy Center, where she integrated trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness with teens and adults in residential and therapeutic care. Her facilitation blends a compassionate, science-backed, and soulful approach, exploring embodiment as a pathway to awareness, connection, and authenticity.

A California native now based in Boulder, Colorado, Brooke lives with her pug, Lotus. When she’s not teaching, you can find her dancing wholeheartedly, diving into new areas of study, or savoring deep conversations with friends. She is deeply inspired by shared humanity and believes that vulnerability, connection, and a sense of humor are essential pathways to a meaningful life.

WHAT GUIDES OUR WORK?