The Brilliance Trauma-Informed Resilience-Focused training is a professional 30-hour certification program for yoga teachers and others who want to understand how trauma impacts the whole person, learn techniques to support those with trauma histories, and integrate resilience-building mind-body practices into their professional work.
Like any tool, yoga has the potential to help or harm. In this program you will learn to share these potent practices in a skillful way that prioritizes students’ safety and guides students to build their internal sense of agency and safety.
This training is for you if you’d like to:
● Learn practical, evidence-based mind-body practices to support the whole-being well-being of your students
● Better understand how trauma is stored in the body, the role of the nervous system, polyvagal theory, and other modern science along with yogic and Ayurvedic philosophy and science relevant to trauma and resilience
● Learn how specific practices work with the nervous system to help students shift their mental, emotional, and physical states, and build self-efficacy
● Learn how to practice non-harming (Ahimsa) by understanding how trauma affects individuals and groups; avoid unintentional retraumatization; recognize symptoms of trauma if they show up; respond skillfully when they do.

This program includes whole-self learning, through our minds, our bodies, our innate intelligence, and with and from one another.
When we engage the whole self in learning, concepts are not only retained, they become a part of who we are.

Learn and practice the theory and application of trauma-informed principles; the neuroscience and physiology of both trauma and resilience; and practices to support, build and sustain resilience from modern scientific and ancient yogic perspectives, including:
● Establish a shared definition of trauma (e.g. relational, historical, cultural)
● Build foundational understanding of its characteristics, neurophysiology, and impact
● Explore the role and responsibilities as trauma-informed yoga teachers
● Trauma-informed Care Principles (SAMHSA’s principles, nationally recognized and utilized across fields)
● Apply SAMHA’s Trauma-informed Care Principles to yoga teaching
● Recognize and support a student who is re-experiencing trauma
● Empowered Consent
● Polyvagal Theory, The Autonomic Nervous System + The Science of Safety
● Resilience + Post-Traumatic Growth
● Yogic and Ayurvedic frameworks, philosophy + applications for understanding and working with trauma and resilience
● Evidence-based practices that build resilience, grow capacity, 1 and develop internal resources.

The 30-hour program is a mix of independent study, multimedia learning, participatory and experiential in-person learning, and virtual connection.
● PRE-PROGRAM PREP: We start with a two-hour online workshop for pre-training preparation. Before we dive into the waters of trauma, we want to be sure we are caring for and preparing ourselves for the experience by learning skills and building connections.

● IN-PERSON PROGRAM: Our 21-hour in-person training includes a Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Focused class so you can bring the principles to life in your own body, participate in discussions and share your experiences and wisdom, and practice applying principles and teaching practices in a supportive environment.

● POST-TRAINING INTEGRATION + SUPPORT: We will also gather for a two-hour followup online to offer further support and integration once you've had a chance to live your learnings out in the real world. You're also invited to continue evolving your journey alongside others in a community to stay informed of emerging science and practices, and connect with others who care about creating whole-being well-being for all.

● TEACHING TOOLKIT: You’ll receive resources and a workbook so you can have concrete tools to support planning, building, leading, and communicating your classes, as well as support your own nervous system.

● CERTIFICATION: Receive a Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Focused Yoga Certificate upon completion of the in-person and online trainings. This training is eligible for 30 Yoga Alliance continuing education hours (25 contact and 5 non-contact).

Online Orientation Tuesday, Jan. 14: 6-8pm - Zoom

*Online sessions will be recorded and available for you to watch if you aren’t able to make it the day of.

In-Person Dates at Shanti: Jan. 24-26 Friday, Jan. 24: 5pm - 9pm Saturday, Jan. 25: 8:30am - 6pm Sunday, Jan. 26: 8:30am - 6pm

*Online Post-training integration + retention: Monday, Feb. 3: 6-8pm - Zoom

Price: $599

Mollee Sheehan, RYT-500, YACEP, AYS, TIYT is a certified trauma-informed resilience-focused yoga educator, Ayurvedic yoga specialist, and whole-being well-being consultant.

For the past 20 years, Mollee has shared these life-supportive practices in a way that welcomes and honors the unique brilliance of those she is privileged to work with.

She leads mind-body workshops, teacher trainings, and organizational well-being consultations in the upper Midwest, and online.


RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:
This training program is built upon over a decade of intensive personal experience studying, working with and healing from my own complex trauma, childhood trauma, traumatic-event related PTSD, and career burnout using the tools of mindfulness, meditation, yoga, Ayurveda and other trauma-supportive mind-body practices.

After coming to know first-hand these powerful tools, I felt an unyielding pull to share with others – not just understanding and supporting people with trauma histories, but moving beyond trauma into sustained, embodied resilience.

Much of what I have learned and now share has come from participants in trauma-informed resilience-focused yoga series I’ve led with groups of sexual assault survivors, students experiencing mental health challenges, and professional educators, entrepreneurs and caregivers; and the hundreds of yoga teacher trainees in 200- and 500-hour yoga teacher programs across Minnesota and Wisconsin the past several years.

RELEVANT EDUCATION:
● B.A. Psychology: Neuropsychology and Mass Communications: Journalism; Winona State University
● 220-hr Yoga teaching certificate; Yoga Center Minneapolis
● 300-hr SomaYoga/Yoga Therapy Level I yoga teaching certificate; Yoga North International SomaYoga Institute
● Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist certificate; Himalayan Institute
● Four year trauma-focused yoga apprenticeship with Lucinda Pepper and Tracy Williams LICSW, The Emily Program
● Trauma-Informed Yoga for Youth certificate; Street Yoga Seattle
● Level I and II Trauma-Informed Yoga Therapy certificate; Sundara Yoga Therapy
● Applied Polyvagal Theory in Therapeutic Yoga Level I and II certificate; Dr. Arielle Schwartz and Dr. Steven Porges
● Somatic Abolitionism certificate; Education For Racial Equity; Resmaa Menakem MSW SEP
● Trauma-Informed Yoga Clinical Facilitator; Sundara Yoga Therapy - in progress