Evidence-Based Treatment

Kripalu Schools is excited to partner with David Emerson and Jenn Turner—the originators of trauma-sensitive yoga and the founders of Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY)—to offer a five-day training to deepen your understanding of the complexities of systemic and interpersonal trauma. Emerson and Turner’s pioneering work created the field of trauma-sensitive yoga, and their research continues to serve as the cornerstone for this now widely adopted approach. 

This immersive training will explore the impact of complex trauma on the nervous system and how a trauma-informed yoga practice can support healing and integration. Designed for yoga teachers, yoga therapists, counselors, social workers, educators, coaches, community leaders, and medical professionals, this program offers practical tools for bringing embodied, trauma-informed practices into your work. 

This training is open to the general public and may also be taken as a five-day, 40-hour module toward Kripalu’s 300-hour yoga teacher certification. It is eligible for continuing education credits through both Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT): 40 IAYT CE hours and 40 Yoga Alliance CE hours. 

Through lecture, Q&A, and guided practice, you will explore:

• The latest trauma theories, neurophysiology, and impacts of systemic trauma
• Theoretical underpinnings and methodology of Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY)
• An in-depth look at original research of TCTSY
• Exploration of how power and privilege impact your work
• Opportunities to practice the material.

Developed by the presenters and based on 22 years of research and global direct care, this model of trauma-sensitive yoga has helped thousands of people—from military veterans to survivors of chronic abuse and neglect—dealing with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex, relational trauma.

NOTE This program is for professional development and learning. We recognize that although many of us may have experiences of trauma, the time we spend together will not be an intervention for our own individual healing. Talking and learning about trauma, even in the context of a training, can be triggering.

Recommended reading 

• David Emerson, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga in Therapy: Bringing the Body into Treatment
• Judith Herman, Trauma and Recovery
• Jenn Turner, Embodied Healing: Survivor and Facilitator Voices from the Practice of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga
• Dr. Danielle Rousseau, Yoga and Resilience: Empowering Practices for Survivors of Sexual Trauma
• Dr. Gail Parker, Restorative Yoga for Ethnic and Race-Based Stress and Trauma

Find out more about Kripalu's 300-HOUR TEACHER TRAINING