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Trauma-Informed Chair Yoga & Mindfulness for Youth

Through this course, you will learn chair yoga and mindfulness techniques to support children and teens who have experienced trauma.

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4.67 (3 Reviews)

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Foundations: perfect for all skill levels

Key information

Duration: 6 weeks

Focus: Ages 3-18

Skill Level: Beginner

Format: Self-paced

Access: 1 year

Auto-renew: No

What you’ll learn

In this course, you will understand how trauma affects the bodies and minds of children and teens. You will learn how to use breathing exercises, yoga poses, brain breaks, and relaxation exercises to address symptoms of trauma and support mental health. The tools shared in this course support learning at home, in classroom environments, in counseling settings, and in therapeutic settings. Upon completion of our course, you will be fully equipped with the knowledge and skills to help youth feel safe, empowered, and supported through accessible mindful practices.

Perfect For…

Pediatric mental health professionals introducing mindfulness techniques in therapy settings to youth
Educators sharing mindful moments and brain breaks with their students
Yoga instructors expanding their practice
Anyone who would like to share trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness techniques to kids and teens

Course Schedule

Week 1

Hello! For our first week together, we willintroduce ourselves and review the course materials. We will begin by understanding what is yoga and mindfulness, then dive into trauma and what it means to be “at risk.” We will wrap up the week with a chair yoga practice for teachers so we can start to get a feeling for the work.

Week 2

Trauma and Youth: This week we understand how trauma affects youth. We will examine how yoga and mindfulness support students’ physical health, emotional wellness, mental health, and social relationships. We will also introduce how trauma affects brain development and how mindfulness can influence these domains. You will also experience a trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness class for children.

Week 3

Lesson Planning: This week we will introduce the fundamentals of lesson planning for a chair yoga class, including how to create relevant lesson plans to the age group you are teaching and how to lesson plan to meet standards. We will also learn about the chair yoga tool belt. We will warp the week with a trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness class for teens.

Week 4

Chair Yoga Breathing, Poses, Relaxation: This week we will learn our yoga tools. We will practice chair yoga breathing exercises, yoga poses, brain breaks, and relaxation. Lessons will be interspersed with the benefits of each tool, demonstrations, and tips to put what you learn into practice.

Week 5

Teaching Philosophies: Explore the teaching philosophies that inform your work as a Yoga Educator. We will discuss the impact and importance of these philosophies for effective teaching. Topics include behavior support, positive behavior strategies, how to co-create a classroom community, and how to thoughtfully approach your work with diverse communities.

Week 6

Implementation: Dive into how to implement yoga and mindfulness into your classroom. We will examine optimal frequency, dosage, and how to get started. We will learn how to create a classroom action plan to support you in getting started.

Upon registration, you will get access to the following materials on the online platform…

6 online modules, with interactive video lectures, experiential activities, reflection questions, and practice teaching opportunities

8 hours of instructional videos

70+ yoga and mindfulness practices, including breathing exercises, poses, brain breaks, and relaxation

Monthly community gatherings, hosted by course instructors to dive more deeply into topics of interest and ask any questions you may have. Each gathering will be one hour long. They are optional and will be recorded for you to watch on your own time.

Personalized instructor feedback on your final project

Lifetime Access: Downloadable classroom guide with full instructions for all yoga postures, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques

Lifetime Access: Downloadable pre-made lesson plans

Lifetime Access: A private community group of all Yoga Ed. training graduates, for ongoing peer guidance, support, and connections

Lifetime Access: Certificate upon completing course requirements

Eligible for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) *Optional course credit add-ons

Meet your instructors

Megan McWilliams

Cierra Valles

FAQs

Are yearly payments required to maintain my certification?

No, once you complete the course, you will receive a certificate from Yoga Ed. which is yours for life!

What’s included in my course access?

You will have access to the online platform with all course material for one year from the time of enrollment. Within the course, you will find curriculum, premade lesson plans, and teaching resources that are digital downloads. You will have lifetime access to those once you download them. You will also have lifetime access to a community board of graduates for ongoing peer guidance, support, and connections.

When are the community gatherings for the Trauma-Informed Chair Yoga & Mindfulness course?

Community gatherings will be hosted on the 4th full week of the month. The community gatherings for this course will be held on Tuesdsay of every month at 5:00pm Pacific | 8:00pm Eastern. Each gathering will be one hour long. They are optional and will be recorded for you to watch on your own time. Please see the community gathering schedule here.

How do I extend my course access beyond 1 year?

You may choose to extend your course access beyond 1 year by enrolling in the Yoga Ed. Membership for $12/month or $99/year. Course access will be extended for as long as your membership remains active, including all instructional videos, community discussion boards, and community gatherings for ongoing instructor support. Enrolled in more than one course? Not to worry, your membership will extend access for all courses you’ve enrolled in.

In addition to course access, our training graduates love the Yoga Ed. Membership for continuing education. Download premade lesson plans and instructional scripts from 400+ on-demand classes. Watch and learn how course instructors bring lesson plans to life. And enjoy unlimited access to our growing resource library with additional lesson plans, toolkits, and webinars for deeper learning.

Subscribe when you’re ready. Cancel anytime.

I am new to yoga and don’t have experience teaching yoga. Is this course a good option for me?

Our courses are suitable for all levels. Whether you’re new to yoga or have your 500-hour certification, our courses are a great fit for anyone who wants to learn how to teach yoga and mindfulness to the children and teens in their life.

Do I need to be a teacher or mental health professional to take this course?

No, this course is designed for anyone who works with children (or would like to work with children). Yoga teachers, parents, nurses, counselors, mental health professionals, youth services support staff, and many other professionals have gone through our course and found the knowledge to be invaluable to the youth they work with.

Does this course qualify for credits?

Yes, this course qualifies for the following credits:

+ 24 hours continuing education units with the Yoga Alliance

+ 2 semester hours with Loyola Marymount University – choose Loyola Marymount University credit option at checkout

+ 24 CEUs towards your ISSA certification with International Sports Science Association

Click here to learn more about course credit options. Lastly, feel free to check with your local school or district to see if they will accept course credits.

Can I get CEUs in my state/school district?

Upon completion of our courses or program, you will receive a Certificate of Completion. Many school districts honor this as CEU credit. We recommend reaching out to your administrator ahead of time to ask if they will honor Yoga Ed. courses. We also offer Graduate Level Professional Development Credit through LMU.

Do you accept purchase orders from schools?

Yes! Email us at [email protected] so that we can support you.

Are group discounts available?

Yes! We offer discounts for groups of four or more. Please email us at [email protected] to get your discount code.

I’m still having trouble deciding. How do I choose a course that is the best fit for me?

We are happy to help you with this! Please email [email protected] to request more information about the course(s) you’re interested in, or to schedule a phone call with our team.

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What students are saying

“

Very informative! I am a yoga teacher for over a decade and a social worker for even longer and I learned a great deal about how to support kids in the school setting using yoga practices.

“

The class was very informative with lots of resources. The zoom meet-ups were also useful and helpful. I would have liked people to share more, but maybe it was just a shy group. The instructor was very helpful and flexible. The technology was challenging for me in terms of submission of tasks but the teacher worked with me to make it work. I would recommend this course.

“

It was very helpful and i enjoyed the course

Why learn with us

Start sharing yoga and mindfulness with the youth in your life today.

Informed by experts in the field of trauma.

Our trauma-informed curricula is co-authored by Hala Khouri, MA, SEP, E-RYT and Kyra Haglund, LCSW, SEP, E-RYT, and informed by the work of Drs. Peter Levine, Bessel Van Der Kolk, and Stephen Porges.

It’s the practice you’ve been searching for.

These practices can be adapted to any time frame to quickly reduce stress and increase focus. Depending on how much time you have in your schedule, you can choose to share 3, 5, or 10 minute chair yoga mindful practices.

Global community of learners

Join a global movement of individuals dedicated to improving the health of their communities through yoga. 48 countries, 80K+ classrooms, and 15M+ students worldwide.

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