Trauma + Somatics: 15hr CEU

Join Caitlyn Garrison (E-RYT 200/500) for a 15-hour weekend CEU for yoga teachers exploring what trauma actually is—and how it quietly shapes our nervous system, our behavior, our relationships, and the way we live inside our bodies.

We hear the word “trauma” everywhere. But trauma isn’t just what happened—it’s what happens inside us afterward: the patterns the nervous system learns, the protective strategies the body adopts, and the ways we disconnect, brace, fawn, freeze, over-function, or shut down to survive. Whether we identify as “traumatized” or not, trauma-informed understanding changes how we teach, how we hold space, and how we care for ourselves.

Day 1: Trauma + Nervous System Literacy (Top-Down meets Real-Life)

We’ll deconstruct common cultural myths about trauma, build a clear working definition, and unpack the neurobiology of threat, safety, and regulation. From there, we’ll translate the science into practice: trauma-informed teaching methodology, language, pacing, sequencing, and practical ways to make classes more inclusive, choice-based, and genuinely supportive—without watering down your teaching.

Day 2: Somatics + Bottom-Up Healing Tools (Body-led, not mind-led)

Day two is devoted to somatics—the “bottom-up” approach that helps people reconnect with sensation, boundaries, agency, and embodied safety. You’ll learn applicable practices you can use immediately for your own regulation, in group classes, and in private sessions—tools that meet the nervous system where it is, rather than pushing it where we think it “should” be.

This is a high-touch, experiential weekend with a balance of lecture, discussion, and embodied practice. Each day includes 8 hours of content—please bring anything that helps you feel comfortable and supported: a cushion for sitting, layers, snacks, and water.