We are saddened to say that we have to postpone this class for the time being. Heather and her family experienced an unexpected loss of an immediate family member. We will share information when it is timely to reintroduce this meaningful class to our schedule.
With the onset of Covid-19, and other complex events unfolding in our nation, many are experiencing feelings of loss, anger, sadness and uncertainty. Emotions, fluctuating from one end of the spectrum to the other, can feel out of control and exhausting. The stresses we were aware of from “pre-pandemic” daily life may now be exaggerated and result in poor sleeping and eating patterns, overwhelm, mood swings, and feeling disconnected from self and community. If you are experiencing challenging emotions, we are here to share practices specially designed for managing stress from a trauma informed perspective.
“Our emotions and our health are intimately connected. Moods and attitudes directly influence our bodies. The emotions act as a bridge between our bodies and minds, which are intimately intertwined and connected with our emotions.” ~ Bija Bennett Emotional Yoga, How the Body Can Heal the Mind).
This weekly Healing with Yoga practice provides participants the opportunity to:
Decrease feelings of stress through guided, trauma-informed yoga practice, breath-work and meditation
Build skills and coping strategies for managing multi-layered emotions
Regain power and control through mindful movements and reconnection to the body
Exercise choices to move their body in ways that feel comfortable
Explore the benefits of mindfulness through the connection of breath with movement in a trauma sensitive and safe space
Led by Heather O’Neill, RYT500, is specially trained and certified as a trauma-informed yoga teacher and particpants will be able to build community in a safe, supported and peaceful environment. Heather holds sacred space and guides students with compassionate encouragement for self-exploration and attentive listening to the soul’s teachings and wisdom. Life events led her to the study of trauma’s impact on the body, mind and spirit and the intersection of trauma and yoga. In addition to completing a 300 hour yoga teaching certification, she earned certification in Trauma Informed Yoga and studied with Zabie Yamasaki, Founder, Transcending Sexual Trauma through Yoga. She encourages the practice of connecting mindfulness with conscious movement in relationship to the self to illuminate our inner strength, potential, and light.
Being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most important aspect of mental health. Safe connections are fundamental to meaningful satisfying lives.” (Bessel van Der Kolk) Isolation, mask wearing, an inability to physically connect with loved ones can lead to unease in the body. While the logic brain may understand the necessity of such things it is still normal to experience feelings of mistrust and disconnection from the community as well as self. Healing Yoga provides a safe and supportive community to explore reconnection. ~ Bessel Van Der Kolk
To best serve our community during this time, this class can be attended either live IN-STUDIO or ONLINE. This class will be held virtually and in-person simultaneously, and will NOT be recorded. In-studio attendance is limited to 6 participants and registration is required. The online option will be live-streamed through Zoom.
This is a weekly class and and not a series, so participants can attend all or some of the classes using their regular studio class pass. We are currently listing this class on the schedule for 8 weeks but we will extended it to be ongoing if this practice is servicing our community.