SOMATIC YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Student Testimonials
Read our student’s reflections. Each voice reflects a lived experience of embodied learning, inquiry, and trauma-informed practice.
Student Testimonial: Jamie | Costa Rica Training
Her Experience in Our Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training in Costa Rica
I have had an ongoing love for yoga for over 20 years. My first introduction to the practice was in a typical gym setting; cold, mechanical, and rigid. And despite that, I still felt a deep connection to the movement and the feeling it brought to my mind-body. I continued in the gym, did self-guided practices, and found online classes. For many years, I struggled to find anything that felt like a perfect fit. In 2019, I finally found that place at a local studio. I was there for at least five embodiment classes each week. Until the pandemic forced the doors to be closed and classes were moved online.
Online classes were not a good fit for me, and I found that my practice fell to the side. Early in 2023, I managed to roll out my mat and for the first time in nearly three years, allowed myself to move and reconnect with a part of myself that had felt lost. And in one of those moments, while feeling angry over no longer having a teacher or a space to practice in, I became very aware that I was supposed to become a yoga teacher!
So began my journey to finding a 200 YTT that felt good to me. I started with a fully online option just to find that the content wasn’t what I was looking for. I struggled because I knew there was no way I could entertain being gone from home for 20+ days for in-person training. I looked for weeks, trying to fulfill what seemed like a ‘crazy idea to become a yoga teacher.’ Feeling discouraged, I quit looking until one of my friends asked if I had found a course. Later that same day, I figured I would try again and Googled “Trauma-Informed 200 YTT.” School Yoga Institute’s Hybrid Training in Costa Rica was the first to show up! It didn’t take long for me to know that this was the perfect training for me, and I instantly reached out to sign up.
The hybrid training was exactly what I needed to fit into my schedule. We spent an incredibly engaged two weekends and two weekday evenings together over Zoom. Brooke and Jeanine led the lectures with such grace and their level of expertise in teaching and sharing is unmatched by anyone I’ve met before. We learned the foundations of yoga, the basis of trauma-informed teaching, including gentle language and cues that offer students the opportunity to move and explore their bodies in their way. The best surprise about the online portion was the connection all of us students had with each other. We all felt an energy amongst the group that was amazing and looked forward to each class.
Before we knew it, we were gearing up to meet in Costa Rica. Ten days of fully immersive, in-person training that exceeded all expectations. Again, Brooke & Jeanine blew me away. Their thoughtfulness and attention to detail from beginning to end made this the perfect experience. We had in-depth lectures on topics such as social justice and mental health considerations, the anatomy of yoga, and the business of yoga and integration. Most important to me, was the trauma-informed education. Jeanine states “Trauma-informed yoga honors the complexity of the human experience. We invite students to come as they are, and all emotional realities are welcome.” This resonates so deeply within me.
A domestic violence survivor, both in childhood and in my first marriage, I can say that this training truly allowed me to feel seen, heard, and understood. It provided an abundance of healing and understanding of my own trauma and gave me an opportunity to meet others that have been through similar situations, as well as those that have been through things I have not personally experienced. Knowing we are all on a path to healing and being around like-minded individuals in this group setting was both liberating and empowering.
Since completing my 200 YTT, I have begun teaching classes in an outdoor summer series. This fall, I plan to offer three classes per week in the studio I came to love so much. Eventually, I will create a program (12 weeks long with 1-2 classes/workshops per week) designed specifically for women survivors of domestic violence. It is important to me to take this vital information to others so they can begin or continue their healing process in a safe and supported way. Further down the road, I will co-host wellness retreats in Hawaii and potentially other locations.
To Brooke and Jeanine, thank you! From the bottom of my heart, the gratitude and love I have for you both carry me forward in my journey. I could not have come this far without your support and guidance. I am forever grateful to you both! Namaste.