Beyond Trauma

In times of rapid change, how do we stay grounded, heart-centered, and open to new possibilities? In this episode of Beyond Trauma, meditation teacher Spring Washam shares the deep practices needed for navigating uncertainty—not by over-processing in the mind but by dropping into the wisdom of the heart and body. We explore how to work with anger, why truth is sharper than fire, and how ancestral wisdom can guide us through upheaval. Spring reminds us that “the heart carries the joy and the sorrow of this life”, and that true meditation isn't an escape into the intellect but a full-bodied practice of presence. As she puts it, “First awaken, then guide, then serve and build.” Join us for a conversation about transformation, resilience, and the sacred call to step into deeper service as the world shifts around us. Spring Washam is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based meditation practices to diverse communities; She is a well-known teacher, healer, and visionary leader and author of A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment and The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. Spring is one of the founding teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center, an organization that offers Buddhist teachings with attention to social action and multiculturalism. She is a member of the teacher's council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, offering teachings on Buddhist philosophy, Insight meditation, and loving-kindness practices. Spring is also the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, a one-of-a-kind organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom for transformative retreats in South America. She has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism since 1999. Spring is also a shamanic practitioner and has studied indigenous healing practices since 2008. Spring's Website | Instagram -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this episode of Beyond Trauma, we delve into the transformative world of energy healing with Dr. Jamil Sayegh. Dr. Sayegh shares his holistic approach to health, emphasizing the interplay between energy and physical well-being. He discusses how aligning one's energy can lead to profound physical healing, offering insights into the body's innate ability to heal from the inside out. Through compelling testimonials, Dr. Sayegh illustrates the effectiveness of energy medicine in overcoming various health challenges. Join us as we explore the principles of energy healing and discover how removing obstacles can pave the way for a healthier, more balanced life. Leaders, champions, and high-performers hire Dr. Jamil Sayegh as their secret weapon & trusted advisor to remove their invisible emotional, mental, and energetic performance blocks so they can experience their 10 year goals in 10 months. Operating at the intersection of high performance and healing, Dr. Jamil helps his clients achieve peak success while deeply transforming from within. An international spiritual self-mastery teacher, energy healer, life-transformation coach, integrative naturopathic physician, and host of the Transformation Starts Today podcast, Dr. Jamil has worked with world-champion athletes, best-selling authors, entrepreneurs, and business professionals – unlocking their true potential and guiding them to create extraordinary lives. By combining cutting-edge mental and emotional release work, energy healing, and holistic coaching, he empowers his clients to break through limitations, heal at the deepest level, and become the unstoppable force they were meant to be—living extraordinary lives and leaving an undeniable impact on the world. Learn more at https://jamilsayegh.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this episode of Beyond Trauma, mindfulness and meditation teacher Mark Coleman explores the deep connection between the natural world and meditation. We discuss the history of nature-based contemplative practices, the difference between concentration and awareness meditation, and how the elements can support our personal growth. Mark shares why practicing meditation outdoors can enhance mindfulness, how nature fosters a deeper sense of self, and what to do if you don't have access to outdoor spaces. We also confront a common dilemma—how to process the guilt of not doing enough to protect the environment while still finding joy and presence in nature. You will learn: *The difference between concentration meditation and awareness meditation *How the elements can support and deepen your meditation practice *Why meditating outside may feel more easeful and natural than meditating indoors *How nature helps awaken the senses and cultivate a more connected sense of self *Ways to use nature to aid in trauma recovery *Practical ways to bring nature into your meditation when you can't be outside *The role of mindfulness in navigating eco-anxiety and environmental guilt *How to walk through the natural world with greater reverence and respect Mark has trained extensively both in the Insight meditation and Tibetan tradition. He is a senior teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and has taught insight meditation retreats since 1997. Mark is passionate about guiding people to meditate in nature. He has led wilderness nature retreats for over twenty years worldwide. Through his organization Awake in the Wild Mark leads year-long nature meditation teacher trainings in the US and Europe. Co-founder of the Mindfulness Training Institute Mark also leads year-long mindfulness teacher trainings. He is the author of many books including Awake in the Wild - Mindfulness in nature as a path to Self-discovery; Make Peace With Your Mind - How Mindfulness and Compassion can free you from the Inner Critic; From Suffering to Peace The True Promise of Mindfulness; and his recent book A Field Guide to Nature Meditation - 52 mindfulness practices for joy, wisdom and wonder. Find out more about Mark's work at www.markcoleman.org & www.awakeinthewild.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this fantastically informative episode with Dr. Bonnie J. Kaplan, we explore the direct connection between mental health and nutrient intake. The evidence detailed in this episode and in Bonnie's book, The Better Brain is clear and consistent across populations. It is my hope that by releasing this episode folks will be inspired to change their diets and see for themselves the mental health benefits that transpire. I believe that a proper diet can keep us off medications or help us decrease them, but if you are on psychiatric medications make sure to work with a professional if you plan to take micronutrients. You may need medication adjustments. In this episode, we uncover: * what happens to our mental health when we eat processed foods * the definition of what Bonnie calls a "hungry brain" * how the brain gets vitamins and nutrients and what it does with them * the ways focus changes the brain's needs * what it means to eat your cofactor * why focusing on one single nutrient or vitamin will not fix your brain health * why eating whole foods isn't always enough for brain health and what to do about it * how minimally processed foods could be better than nonprocessed * what to look for in a broad spectrum multi-nutrient * cases of psychosis and trauma being modulated by micronutrients * what Bonnie hops all mental health clinics will tell their clients when they're first referred * and so much more... Bonnie's formal training and degrees (masters, PhD, postdoc) were from the University of Chicago, Brandeis University, the West Haven, Connecticut, VA Hospital Neuropsychology Laboratory, and Yale University Department of Neurology. When Bonnie is asked how she became interested in Nutrition and Mental Health, she explains that her training in psychology and neuroscience led her to focus on the biological basis of human behaviour. For many years she studied the role of nutrition in mental illness and brain development. Three awards that she feels very honoured by: are her election in 2017 as one of 150 Canadian Difference Makers in Mental Health, the Dr. Rogers Prize for excellence in complementary and alternative medicine because of her research on nutrition and mental disorders, and in 2021 chosen as one of the top7over70 in Calgary. As Bonnie approached retirement, she decided to focus on two tasks. One was knowledge translation -educating the general public about the role of diet in creating vulnerability to mental health problems. From that goal, her book The Better Brain emerged, written for the general public with Professor Julia Rucklidge, and published in 2021 by Harper Collins. Her second goal was to raise funds to support her junior colleagues who were leaving the field because of their inability to convince government funding agencies that scientific research on nutrition and mental health was worthwhile. She established two charitable funds, one in Canada (managed by the Calgary Foundation) and one in the U.S. (managed by the FJC Foundation in New York City). So far, the two funds have attracted over $1 million CAD. All of it has been distributed, mostly to support clinical trials and biomarker research in relation to nutritional treatment of mental health. Scientists in Canada, the U.S., and New Zealand have been recipients of those funds, and now additional money is being sought for further assays of epigenetic, microbiome, and metabolomic indicators of the benefit of micronutrient treatment. Follow Bonnie on Instagram. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this immensely informative episode with Dr. Samantha Harte, we discuss the kind of work it takes to break our toxic cycles and make changes that last for the long run. Samantha talks about the role our pain plays in helping us to identify the places we need to change and the importance of looking deeply and honestly at our patterns if we want those adjustments to last. She describes the multiple ways we can deceive ourselves, from fixing others to trying to control and perfect ourselves, and offers an alternative that modernizes and incorporates the 12 steps of recovery as a trajectory for spiritual growth. In this episode, we cover: Ways family patterns get passed down through generations. The signs you are ready for change. How to identify your true inner voice. What growth really looks like. Why spirituality is integral to personal development. Plus... Samatha shares the 5 part check-in practice she has been doing daily for the last decade! Dr. Samantha Harte is a physical therapist, author, performing artist, podcast host and sober mom of two. She has been featured on abc7 and CBS and has been written up in People magazine, Time magazine, Best Life and The New York Post for her expertise on the intersection of mind-body health and wellness. Her self-help memoir, Breaking The Circuit: How to Rewire Your Mind for Hope, Resilience and Joy in the Face of Trauma is a reinvention of the 12 steps of recovery so that anyone, addict or not, can turn heartbreak into hope. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

This deeply informative episode is recommended for therapists, yoga instructors, yoga practitioners, and anyone interested in managing their stress levels. Licensed clinical psychologist and certified complex trauma professional, Dr. Arielle Schwartz offers insight into her tremendous work combining the modalities of therapeutic yoga, polyvagal theory, and trauma healing. Arielle shares the central elements necessary for creating a therapeutic space for healing trauma and how she has used these elements to create a vibrant online yoga community. Dr. Schwartz also explains and makes relatable polyvagal theory, mapping it onto ancient yoga and ayurvedic models and providing some accessible two-minute practices that we can use to regulate our nervous systems and offer either calm or energy depending on our body's needs. In this episode, you will learn: What is optimal vagal tone. How to "talk to" your vagus nerve. Which systems of yoga asana are in alignment with nervous system regulation and when to practice them. The central components of creating a safe enough space for healing And so much more... Dr. Schwartz shares specific stories of individuals she has helped using polyvagal theory and provides two-minute practices we can all do to align our nervous systems. Dr. Arielle Schwartz is a clinical psychologist and a leading voice in the healing of trauma. She is an internationally sought-after teacher and author of seven books including The Complex PTSD Workbook, The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook, EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology, and Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga. As the founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy, she offers a mind-body approach to therapy for trauma and informational mental health and wellness updates through her writing, public speaking, social media presence, and blog. She believes that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart. Follow Arielle at her links below: Website | YouTube | Instagram -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this nuanced and elevated episode of Beyond Trauma, David Treleaven shares the core of his findings on best practices for trauma sensitivity in mindfulness and how his recommendations have evolved since his book, Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness, came out five years ago. David gives suggestions for what mindfulness and meditation teachers and practitioners can do if they become stuck in their practice to proceed safely while honoring the tradition of mindfulness.  In the self-paced The Complete Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Training, David has compiled recommendations from the best in the field including Tara Brach, Rich Hanson, Rhonda Magee, and others who are a part of his guest faculty. This two-part, twelve-module course sets the foundation for safety and distills advanced tools for practicing and teaching mindfulness. It has been fundamental for me in my work. David is now offering $400 off this training when you use code: Lara at check out.  David's current focus which you will hear about in this episode is the combination of Mindfulness and Internal Family Systems for trauma healing. His Internal Family Systems for Trauma Sensitive Practitioners course starts TOMORROW, January 7th, and runs every Tuesday for four weeks. Recordings and hand-outs are available after each session.  David Treleaven, PhD, is a writer, educator, and leading expert on the intersection of mindfulness and trauma. Author of Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing, David trains mindfulness, yoga, and mental health professionals to integrate trauma-sensitive principles into their work. With over a decade of experience, he has collaborated with organizations like the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion and universities including Brown and UCLA, helping practitioners create safer and more effective spaces for healing. You can learn more about his work at www.davidtreleaven.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this powerful conversation with Rev. Elizabeth Riley, we discuss what it means to get raw and real in our prayers, something Elizabeth has become well known for on TicTok where she Rage Prays for all to see. We discuss why religion appealed to Elizabeth from a young age and how she sees her place advocating for marginalized communities through her work in the church. Working with Elizabeth's prayers has helped me to open up and reconnect to my spirituality. I hope you might find the same and gain some direction for where to find social justice in the spiritual community. In this episode, we cover: The importance of community in one's healing What kinds of communities to seek out and how to find them Why messy prayer is the best prayer How toxic positivity is weaponized against women How to fit prayer into your day Ways to pray authentically Tips for healing the impacts of trauma with prayer Rev. Elizabeth Ashman Riley is an Episcopal priest serving in the Diocese of Olympia, WA. The former rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Mercer Island, she was called as their first female rector at the age of thirty. An Alaska native, Riley was ordained through the Diocese of Alaska as a deacon in 2012 and as a priest in 2013. She received her bachelor's degree from St. Mary's College of California, and her Master of Divinity from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley. Rage Prayers is her first book. It's based on her “rage praying” videos on TikTok, where she has more than 60,000 followers. Find @therevriley on TikTok, Instagram, and Threads, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this especially informative and timely episode with Mindful Meditation Coach Shawna Emerick, we deeply investigate self-compassion, an important practice, especially during the holiday season. You will learn: How to define self-compassion Why to practice self-compassion Misconceptions about self-compassion Methods for eliminating blocks to self-compassion How to start your self-compassion practice even if it feels impossible How to use mindfulness as a pathway to self-compassion What healers can do to support their clients in building self-compassion How to get your new practices to stick What special accommodations should be made for trauma survivors when working with self-compassion Shawna Emerick is a Yogini‚ Dancer‚ Thai Yoga Bodywork Therapist‚ Life Coach‚ and Dreamer who loves to look out the window of a plane; a Spiritual Activist; an Explorer; a Lover; a Woman; Ohioan; New Yorker; Daughter; Sister; Mother; Wall Fly; Leader; World Traveler; Planner who likes to Improv; Contemplative; Human Being. She guides yoga classes, facilitates workshops, and hosts retreats of various flavors. I continue to have the humbling honor to connect with others through yoga, Thai massage, coaching, and more so that we don't feel like “other” but feel our Oneness. Follow Shawna on Instagram. Learn more about Three and a Half Acres Yoga. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this episode with world-famous relationship experts Harville Hendrix and Hele LaKelly Hunt, we get into the interpersonal nature of trauma and how to set the stage to heal it (or at least not retrigger it) in your most intimate relationships. We discuss: How to foster safety in your relationships The difference between how we usually talk to each other and true dialogue What nature can teach us about communication The biggest problem most couples have What our childhood trauma does to predict our future partner How to diffuse tension in your relationship Why we should make an appointment when we want to discuss our needs with our partner And so much more... Harville Hendrix Ph.D. and Helen LaKelly Hunt Ph.D. are internationally-respected couple's therapists, educators, speakers, and New York Times bestselling authors. Together, they have written over 10 books with more than 4 million copies sold, including the timeless classic, Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples and their newest book How to Talk with Anyone about Anything. In addition, Harville has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey television program 17 times! Harville and Helen co-created Imago Relationship Therapy to promote the transformation of couples and families by a creating relational culture that support universal equality. In addition, they've developed resources that help couples, families, and educators strengthen their relationship knowledge and skills. They are the co-founders of Imago Relationships International, a non-profit organization that has trained over 2,000 therapists and educators in 51 countries around the world. Harville and Helen are co-creators of Safe Conversations®, which helps people learn how to talk without criticism, listen without judgment, and connect beyond differences. Using a simple three-step process, they teach people how to become more present in all of their relationships. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this riveting episode with Juliette Watt, we get detailed about why every one of us needs to become more aware of compassion fatigue. This debilitating syndrome has spread as more and more of us are being asked to care for parents and children while maintaining demanding careers and trying to run a home. Compassion fatigue can be hard to recognize, and it's imperative we do, because it has a high correlation with both physical illness and suicidal ideation. In this episode you will learn: Signs you or someone you know may be experiencing compassion fatigue. The most dangerous point in the timeline of compassion fatigue. The differences between trauma and grief and how they co-occur with this syndrome. Steps you can take to reduce compassion fatigue. Tips for folks who aren't into meditation. Juliette Watt has been an ATP airplane pilot and Master Flight Instructor; a Playboy Bunny; a soap opera writer for ABC Television and a theater writer/performer. She has won two Writers Guild Awards and has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy. She also is an animal rights advocate who worked for Best Friends Animal Society for almost a decade. Juliette most recently added TEDx Fargo speaker to her extensive resume. Her current mission is twofold; to help people who are struggling with the debilitating and potentially lethal symptoms of Compassion Fatigue; the emotional and physical burden created by caring for others in distress or neglecting your own life-stress and guiding people to create the true life of their dreams. Purchase Juliette's book, In Between the Magic. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this compelling conversation with Dr. Aziz Gazipura, we unpack the risk factors for, symptoms of and remedies for social anxiety. Dr. Aziz offers a creative, multi-faceted approach to supporting folks in breaking harmful patterns. We discuss his techniques and how they can help anyone who is on the path to becoming more true to themselves and more honest in their relationships. This conversation addresses the ways all of us are programmed and how the pressure to conform gets in the way of our deeper desire to be loved and accepted for who we are. You will learn about: Assertiveness Training Authenticity as a Moving Target Surviving verses Thriving How Anxiety and Avoidance Work Together How to Determine how much Social Interaction is Right for You Questioning Norms and Breaking Patterns How to become Skilled at Hard Conversations Dr. Aziz Gazipura is a clinical psychologist, best-selling author, and host of the popular podcast Shrink for the Shy Guy. With over 20 years of experience, he specializes in helping people overcome social anxiety, self-doubt, and people-pleasing. His best-selling books, including Not Nice and Less Nice More You, provide actionable tools to build confidence and express one's true self. Through his programs like Confidence University and his mastermind groups, Dr. Aziz has empowered thousands to break free from fear and live boldly, both socially and professionally. As the founder of the Social Confidence Center, Dr. Aziz has developed coaching programs, courses, and books that help individuals eliminate their fear of rejection and develop lasting self-esteem. His approach blends psychology with practical tools, creating transformative results in the lives of his clients. His dynamic and supportive style allows people to cultivate boldness, connect authentically, and thrive in their relationships and careers. Dr. Aziz is known for his insightful and transformative messages. Whether through his podcast or programs, he inspires audiences to overcome social anxiety, break through self-limiting beliefs, and live with more confidence and authenticity. His work, including Confidence University and mastermind programs, has become a beacon of hope for those looking to break free from self-doubt and live life on their terms. Social and Web Links: Website: https://www.socialconfidencecenter.com/ Podcast: https://www.socialconfidencecenter.com/podcasts/shrink-for-the-shy-guy Books: https://www.socialconfidencecenter.com/books Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GetMoreConfidence Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drazizconfidencecoach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAzizGazipura/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this episode with Dr. Edmund J. Bourne we address the epidemic of anxiety and anxiety related disorders. Edmund has been researching panic, phobias, anxiety and OCD for over three decades and has a comprehensive program for overcoming each one. Edmund is highly researched and detailed and in this episode he describes each detail of the various disorders and the most evidence based research for how to reduce their symptoms and live free of their hold. Edmund has combined best practices to create a holistic prevention, healing, and maintenance plan for these common conditions. You'll want to get your pen out and be taking notes for this one! We cover: Which personality types are more likely to have anxiety and panic Lifestyle changes for decreasing anxiety  Which types of physical exercise are most highly recommended for anxious personality and for how long we should move our bodies. How to do progressive relaxation What to do before trying interoceptive exposure. The importance of alternative coping statements The four-step process to dealing w panic attacks  Exposure response prevention and the differences between incremental exposure, coping exposure, full exposure and flooding. When medication is recommended for the anxiety related diagnosis. And so much more… Make sure to listen all the way to the end where Dr. Bourne shares some important final thoughts on anxiety. Dr. Edmund Bourne, Ph.D. has specialized in the treatment of anxiety disorders and related problems for more than three decades. For many years he was director of the Anxiety Treatment Center in San Jose and Santa Rosa, California. His best-selling anxiety workbooks, which have helped hundreds of thousands of readers throughout the world, include The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, Healing Fear, Beyond Anxiety & Phobia, Coping With Anxiety, and Natural Relief for Anxiety. Dr. Bourne is frequently interviewed by the media, and his work has been featured in numerous magazines, such as Psychology Today, Natural Health, Cosmopolitan, Fitness, and Bottom Line Personal. Dr. Bourne currently lives and practices in California. He maintains a commitment to helping create world peace by teaching people how to create greater peace in their lives. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this long anticipated conversation, Sharon Salzberg joins the Beyond Trauma Podcast to discuss the ways in which loving-kindness practice can shift our reactivity over time. Sharon takes us back to her discovery of loving-kindness practice, fourteen years into her meditation journey and how it changed her life forever. Sharon shares the benefits of this practice including when and where one is most likely to discover them and gives recommendations for how to adjust your practice if you are feeling triggered or experiencing pain. We talk about the famous loving-kindness phrases and the difference between loving-kindness practice and the loving awareness that she believes is central to mindfulness. Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is among the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture 50 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of thirteen books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. In 2023, Sharon released two books: Real Life, from Flatiron Books in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats, and Finding Your Way, a small gift book from Workman Publishing in hardcover , ebook and audiobook formats. Sharon's podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed seven million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond. www.sharonsalzberg.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

On today's conversation, previously released on Chat off the Mat, Lara Land speaks with Rose Wippich about the profound impact trauma can have on the nervous system and how yoga can serve as a pathway to recovery. Lara guides us through the differences between trauma-sensitive yoga and traditional yoga classes. We explore how this specialized approach creates a sanctuary for students who have experienced trauma by emphasizing safety, choice, and non-judgemental exploration. Our discussion covers the spectrum of trauma responses, acknowledging that each student's healing journey is unique. Lara illuminates how trauma-sensitive practices such as gentle asana, breathwork, and tristana can facilitate reconnection with the body and a sense of empowerment. Lara is a deeply compassionate yoga teacher trainer, author, and trauma-sensitivity coach. She is the Executive Director of Three and a Half Acres Yoga, a nonprofit whose mission is to broaden access to yoga, breathing, and mindfulness techniques focusing on communities who have experienced trauma. Three and a Half Acres Yoga offers trainings for yoga teachers who want to create safer classes for their students. Their next trauma-informed virtual training is being held September 27th-29th. Lara also travels to yoga studios nationwide to train yoga teachers in trauma sensitivity. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Lara! www.laraland.us Instagram. Facebook. YouTube. Podcast. The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga My Bliss Book

In this in-depth conversation with longtime friend Greg Nardi, we discuss the ability yoga has to facilitate healing at every level. Greg walks us through the ways yoga enhances healthy embodiment and personal power. He then connects how restoring these aspects of self leads to a more just world. Greg details what one can expect from a yoga therapist and from a trauma-informed yoga teacher and where those modalities overlap. He shares recommendations for yoga teachers, practitioners, and trauma survivors who may have an interest in the ancient practice of yoga and yoga philosophy. Greg Nardi, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500 began his yoga journey in 1996 when a good friend asked him to “try” yoga. From that first class he knew that this was something he was meant to do. Yoga helped him feel healthy after years of childhood illness, anxiety and depression and most importantly yoga gave him a sense of meaning and purpose. He dedicated himself to a yogic lifestyle as part of his healing journey. Greg took four separate teacher trainings in the United States and Europe between 1997 and 2003. He took a dozen extended trips to Mysore, India between 1999-2016 to learn yoga with a focus in asana, yoga history and philosophy, pranayama, meditation, and chanting. Greg is a graduate of the Kripalu School of Integrative Yoga Therapy and was formerly authorized level 2 with the KPJAYI in Mysore, India. Since resigning his authorization in 2018 Greg has dedicated himself to educating yoga practitioners about power dynamics and consent-driven, person-centered, and trauma-informed approaches to the teaching and practice of Yoga. Greg has always considered yoga to be both a form of individual healing and social healing justice. He is the South Florida Program Director for Yoga 4 Change, a trauma-informed yoga services non-profit organization, and sits on the Board of Directors for Chainless Change, a community of recovery offering second chances to those negatively impacted by the criminal legal system. Greg believes in the healing power of yoga for all. IG: @Greg Nardi, FB: Greg Nardi, Yoga 4 Change: www.y4c.org, Chainless Change: www.ccifl.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lara Land is a trauma-informed yoga teacher trainer, author, mindfulness coach. IG Laralandyoga, www.laraland.us, www.threeandahalfacres.org

In this brave and transparent conversation, Fostering Meditation founder Demetrius Napolitano shares how his experiences in foster care and detention systems caused him trauma and how he was able to foster various seeds of light and hope to heal himself, make meaning, and support others. We discuss: *typical trauma reactions to abandonment *the impact of the environment on healing *race and belonging *spirituality *yoga in schools *Three and a Half Acres Trauma-Informed YTT *trauma-informed considerations for meditation *and so much more... When he was under a year old, Demetrius Napolitano was placed in New York City's foster care system. He was adopted at ten and then put back into foster care three years later before getting adopted a second time at 20. After experiencing 30 different placements, he transitioned from the system when he was 22. During his time in foster care, he was physically, verbally, and sexually abused; placed on psychotropic medications to treat depression, ADHD, and PTSD; and he experienced a short stay inside juvenile detention and a psychiatric hospital before deciding to take charge of his life. After graduating from St. John's University with his associate's in business management, he graduated from New York University with a bachelor's in political science. In 2019, after being introduced to the practice of meditation, he started a GoFundMe, raised over $17,000, and traveled to India to study further how to use Yoga and Meditation to help him heal from the complex trauma he incurred from the foster, criminal and mental institutions. Once Demetrius returned from his healing journey in June 2020, he founded Fostering Meditation (FM) to help young people nurture their mental development through the same tools he would later call "The Five Steps 2 Wellness": Meditation, Yoga, Expressive Writing, Community, & Nutrition. Demetrius envisions brining FM to youth within and without the foster care system nationally, creating more communities of people breathing, meditating, and healing together! Support Demetrius at www.fosteringmeditation.org Instagram -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lara Land is a trauma-informed yoga teacher trainer, forest therapist, death doula and mindfulness coach. Lara is the founder of Three and a Half Acres Yoga (THAY) nonproft. THAY trains yoga teachers in trauma-sensitive yoga and places them in organizations that serve survivors. Their next training is September 27th- 29th. Connect with Lara at www.laraland.us or on Instagram. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this connected conversation with Henry Fersko-Weiss, the creator of the first End-of-Life Doula program in the United States, we discuss what it means to be a Death Doula. Rather than focus on the technical services a Death Doula can provide, Henry and I dive into the spiritual and generational support that can come from this uniquely powerful role in the dying person's life. We talk about legacy work, about agency in the dying process, and about why and when you might want to hire a Death Doula. In addition, Henry and I speak at length about the Death Doula training and how going through it has helped me and so many others to live life more meaningfully, gratefully, and expansively. Henry Fersko-Weiss is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) as well as a death doula. He has worked with hundreds of dying individuals and their loved ones as a hospice social worker, volunteer coordinator, and manager. As a doula he has been at the bedside of a great many people as they journeyed through the dying process. He has also maintained a private practice for 25 years, focused on helping people face death and grieve their losses. In 2003, while working at a large hospice in New York City, Henry created the first end-of-life doula program in the U.S. to serve people in the months before death, through the final days of life, and to guide loved ones into the early days of their grief. The training he developed then was based on what he learned from birth doulas and his experience with the dying. Henry is the author of Finding Peace at the End of Life, A Death Doula's Guide for Families and Caregivers. Henry has a number of trainings coming up which can be found on his site. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lara Land is a trauma-informed yoga teacher trainer, mindfulness coach, death doula, forest therapist, and crisis counselor. Follow Lara: Website / Instagram. Lara is leading her next trauma-informed yoga teacher training through the nonprofit Three and a Half Acres Yoga virtually from 9/27-9/29. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this very special and meaningful episode with Kate Thompson, we discuss the role of journaling in healing wounds and softening the impacts of trauma. Kate shares in such depth, the unique benefits of journaling and recommendations for how to incorporate it into ones health practice. She shares her favorite journal prompts including two beautiful poems. Through her invitation, I share I very personal poem called "Cherry Tomatoes"* that I recently wrote to process a trauma. Kate also advises therapists who would like to include journaling the healing resources they share with clients. We talk about existential and narrative therapy in particular and how journaling supports these theoretical frameworks. Kate Thompson, MA, CJT is a BACP (British Association of Counseling and Psychotherapy) senior accredited Supervisor & amp; Counsellor who trained at The Center for Journal Therapy. Her first degree was in English Literature after which she taught and lectured for several years before re-training. he is a registered psychotherapist in Colorado as well as a journal therapist and writer. Kate is a faculty member at The Therapeutic Writing Institute and The New School of Psychotherapy. Her publications include: Therapeutic Journal Writing: an introduction for professionals, Writing Works: a resource handbook for therapeutic writing workshops and activities, and Writing Routes: a resource handbook of therapeutic writing. She works with adults both online and in person to help them to tell their story and understand their life. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *"Cherry Tomatoes", by Lara Land will appear in the summer 2024 issue of Maintenance of the Species, a journal devoted to practices of care. It will be available for purchase online at www.bushelcollective.org

In this thorough episode with Dr. Sharon Martin, we explore the different types of boundaries people have and how to determine if yours are healthy. Sharon breaks down the questions you should ask yourself in order to decide if the boundaries you are setting are the right ones for you and if they are working or need to be adjusted. We suggest doable ways for reforming your boundaries and what to do before you set new ones in place to ensure success, how to evaluate if your boundaries are working and a process for adjustment. Sharon details boundary considerations within personal relationships, with children, and at the workplace and gives special attention to how to implement these boundaries in a safe and long lasting way. Sharon Martin, DSW, LCSW is a psychotherapist and author specializing in codependency recovery. For the past 25 years, she's been helping adult children recover from difficult childhoods, overcome feelings of unworthiness, and learn to set boundaries. Dr. Martin is the author of The CBT Workbook for Perfectionism and The Better Boundaries Workbook. She also writes the popular blog Conquering Codependency for Psychology Today and has been featured in various media outlets including PsychCentral, Web MD, Women's World, Therapy Chat, and the Adult Child Podcast. For more information, visit her website: LiveWellwithSharonMartin.com. Instagram. Facebook. YouTube. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this enlivening episode with Chris Rackliffe, we discuss the four attachment styles with a deeper examination of the anxious style. We discuss how to determine your attachment style and how to become more securely attached. We talk about social media and texting habits and how those play into attachment. We also discuss what your romantic history might be telling you about your attachment style, common triggers for the anxious personality type, and what anxious and avoidant attachment types have in common. We also investigate how anxious and avoidant attachment types can build better relationships, our feelings through this process, and concrete ways to work on and practice better communication. Chris shares the biggest trap with folks when it comes to healing, the one question you should ask yourself to regulate your nervous system right now, and his favorite practices for self-healing. Chris Rackliffe is a trauma healer, mental health advocate, anxious attachment style coach and author of the self-help book, It's Good to See Me Again; How to Find Your Way When You Feel Lost. Chris has worked with hundreds of people around the world to help them heal their anxious attachment style and grow more secure. With a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Miami- and an honorary Ph. D in the "School of Life". Chris can be found at https://www.crackliffe.com/ and at @crackliffe on Instagram and TikTok -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this important episode with Adriana Bucci, we discuss narcissistic personality disorder. Adriana walks us through the signs that you are dealing with a narcissist. We detail what the narcissist wants and how they go about getting it. Adriana unpacks the specific cycle the narcissist takes their targets on and the emotional states they put you through to gain control. She explains the layers of this abuse and how it culminates in a trauma response for its targets. We go through the signs that you are suffering from repressed trauma, the connection between chronic pain and previous trauma, learned hopelessness and so much more. Plus, the only three boundaries you can have with a narcissist. And how to start getting away from a narcissist including techniques that you can use immediately to change their behavior towards you. Adriana is the founder of Let's Get Your Shift Together. After nearly 3 decades of enduring narcissistic abuse and 4 years of dealing with severe chronic pain, she made the choice to embark on her own healing journey. Doing her inner work not only helped her heal from the physical pain, but it also helped her heal from the narcissistic abuse she endured from being raised by a narcissistic mother, other close relationships, and even colleagues/toxic workplaces. She is a certified professional life coach, mind-body fitness coach, stress management coach, and SafeSpace trauma informed practitioner. Her goal is to empower survivors of narcissistic abuse to heal, set boundaries, and live life on their own terms! Links: https://linktr.ee/letsgetyourshifttogether Main website: https://www.letsgetyourshifttogether.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsgetyourshifttogether/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@letsgetyourshifttogether Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/letsgetyourshifttogether YouTube: https://youtube.com/@LetsGetYourShiftTogether?si=Y0rxxB2QqcYA2N8p  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this riveting episode with Alicia Racine, we go deep into a number of important therapeutic topics. We cover the incredible overlap between developing oneself as an artist and as a therapist. The root of most eating disorders and the kinds of therapeutic interventions that work best for folks with an ED. The crucial element of the therapeutic process that is often missed and how that causes eating disorders to return. The difference between eating disorders and disordered eating. Modalities such as brain spotting, EMDR, DBT, and Exposure Response Prevention. Trauma and policing. Co-occurrence of OCD and trauma and the current therapeutic standards. Going to the places that scare us. And so much more! Alicia Racine is an accomplished performance artist and therapist, who has worked with several demographics including people diagnosed with schizophrenia, eating disorders and more recently, high profile clients dealing with traumas ensued by the media.  During her time working with eating disorders, she created a group that supported women and their relationship with food called Sexy Delicious Healthy. She hosted a retreat in Bali for those struggling with Eating Disorders and served as a board member for the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (iaedp), Los Angeles chapter. Her private practice began with a focus on ed until the pandemic where she could no longer practice her two-session weekly method of talk therapy and exposure meals. During the pandemic, she created a consulting program that placed hundreds of people in therapy with a clinician that matched them. Her self-imposed criteria included economics, treatment style, expertise in their diagnosis, temperament match, and cultural appropriateness.  As a lifelong performer, Alicia is currently using humor to make mental health more accessible, She creates fun and often irreverent meditations that are aware of their own woo wooness, and is about to launch a mental health podcast where she collaborates with stand-up comedians. She is also insanely passionate about supervising associate clinicians in her group practice. Alicia has a Tedx talk coming out within the next few months created for the Gex z population.  Website - Instagram -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this special second-anniversary episode of Beyond Trauma, Lara is joined by Three and a Half Acres Yoga Trauma Informed Teachers Angela and Yana as we flip the script and take questions from the audience for host, Lara Land. Lara bridges the gap between Ashtanga and Trauma Informed Yoga, discusses her experience teaching kids yoga and her Chloe the Yogi song and app, and shares her insights on yoga retreats, workshops, and festivals. Make sure to listen all the way through to the second half where we discuss discipline, marriage, self-development, mindfulness, boundaries, and breaking harmful cycles. Lara Land shares many upcoming and ongoing offerings in this episode including: The Complete Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga, Universal Power Yoga, Omega Institute, Catskill Mountain Yoga Festival, and coaching opportunities, plus her books, My Bliss Book and The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga. Yana is a certified trauma-informed and Vinyasa yoga instructor, photographer, and artist.  Angela is an intuitive healer, herbalist, philanthropist, and resolute wellness guide. holds certifications in Core Power Yoga, THAY Trauma-Informed Yoga, Core Strength Yoga, Vinyasa Hot Yoga, and is a continued student in life. RYT Yoga Alliance --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All

For this first anniversary of the publication of my book, The Essential Guide to Trauma-Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All, I'm releasing the Outside the Studio episode I was featured on with Tessa Tovar. We discuss suggested language for shifting power in group settings, how to create after environments, how to practice to reach yoga in a way that includes all, as well as other topics. The Essential Guide to Trauma-Sensitive Yoga has received outstanding reviews and remains an important resource for yoga teachers and practitioners as well as an intro for the yoga curious. "I was so excited to receive this book in the mail. I am an amateur yogi and an aspiring school counselor who believes that trauma-informed ANYTHING is important. I especially love that photos were added to this book for added clarification. I am excited to use this book as a guide for myself and looking forward to eventually sharing this knowledge with others! This book is essential for any instructor who wants to be trauma-informed and very helpful to anyone who practices yoga or wants to start but doesn't know how. I would give this book more stars if I could!" - Melissa Smith “The Essential Guide for Trauma Sensitive Yoga is a comprehensive resource for teachers to understand the complex nuances of trauma and the subtle and overt ways it can present itself in our students. As teachers, we have a responsibility to serve the whole person and that includes sensitizing ourselves to the various ways that trauma lives uniquely in each body, how it influences the mind and perceptions and can affect one's health and emotional wellness. Lara Land deftly provides the necessary guidance, insights, and best practices so that facilitators can support their students on their journey toward healing with more mindfulness, awareness, and skill. This excellent resource should be required reading in any teacher training course.”—Seane Corn, Yoga Teacher, author of Revolution of the Soul ----------------- Tessa received her degree in Human Communication with honors at the University of Southern Oregon in Ashland. It was at Southern Oregon University that Tessa found and developed her passion for the practice of Yoga. Since 2001 she has been practicing Yoga and in 2015 she acquired her first 200HR RYT. Since then she has accumulated over 500HRS of accredited teaching certifications with a focus on Vinyasa, Nidra, Restorative, Reiki Level I&II, Pranayama, and guided meditation.  Lara Land is a deeply compassionate life coach, consultant, and yoga teacher trainer specializing in trauma sensitivity. Her work is in helping to heal trauma both subtle and significant and train others using trauma-sensitive yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and breathing practices. Lara has spent the last 25 years studying Ashtanga yoga and sharing yoga asana, chanting, meditation, and philosophy directly from her teachers in India. -------------------- Coming UP! Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training, Universal Power Yoga, MA, 5/17-5/19 Forest Therapy Walk, Steady Slope, NY, 6/22 Catskill Mountain Yoga Festival, NY, 7/27 Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training, Omega Institute, NY, 8/9-8/11 Virtual Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training w/Reggie Hubbard and Jivana Heyman, 9/27-9/29

In this pivotal episode featuring Annie Chen, we delve deep into the fundamental concepts of attachment theory and the distinct indicators of each attachment style. Annie illuminates how early life experiences, particularly traumatic events, can shape these attachment styles and influence recurring patterns within our relationships as we mature. We explore strategies to mend negative behavioral cycles and emphasize the paramount importance of prioritizing healthy relationships. Additionally, we dissect the role of the nervous system and stress in our interactions, examining the profound impact of triggers on relationship dynamics. Our conversation extends to the correlation between relationship quality and overall happiness, alongside insights into the neuroscience behind our learning processes. Annie Chen is an author, therapist, consultant, and coach who holds two master's degrees in counseling and psychology. With over 17 years dedicated to studying the mind, nervous systems, and relationships, Annie has developed a unique approach to relationships and working with people. Her work integrates research from neuroscience to help clients navigate the complexities of relationships and emotional safety. Annie maintains a practice of seeing individuals and couples in Berkeley, CA, and virtually. Her books, The Attachment Theory Workbook and I Want to Connect, have inspired over 100,000 people to work towards healthy relationships and promote a deeper understanding of the mind-body connection. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All

This detailed episode with Dr. Mark Harper, author of breaks down the benefits of cold water swimming for trauma, chronic pain, depression, bipolar disorder, and other illnesses plaguing so many of us these days. Dr. Mark Harper shares the findings of his cold swimming studies and the direction his research is going. We discuss the various reasons you might consider cold water swimming as a priority in your wellness habits and how to start, if, like me, you are terrified of being cold and unable to breathe. Mark explains how cold the water should be to be effective, how long one should stay immersed, and how often to engage in cold water swimming to receive its benefits. He shares the many stories of those whose health has been drastically improved by cold water swimming and many other recommendations for blue therapy, and why this therapy works to reduce stress in all areas of our lives. Dr. Mark Harper is a consultant anesthetist. His first field of research was investigating the best way to keep patients warm during surgery and thereby reduce the incidence of postoperative complications. The results of these studies have been incorporated into national and international guidelines and Mark was invited to be an expert clinical adviser to NICE, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence. Shortly after taking up his consultant post in Brighton in 2003, he started swimming in the sea throughout the year. Around the same time, whilst working on his PhD, he brought together his clinical research and the physiology of cold-water adaptation to show how outdoor swimming could be employed to reduce surgical complications. Further insights – both from his personal experience and the experimental literature - led him to propose that cold water swimming might be an effective intervention for mental health problems. In collaboration Dr Chris van Tulleken and the Extreme Environments Lab in Portsmouth, he had the opportunity to test this in practice on the BAFTA award-nominated BBC television program “The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs.”  Following this success, he set up and ran the first-ever clinical trial using sea swimming as a clinical treatment - for anxiety and depression – the outcomes of which were incredibly positive. In the process, he helped set up Chill UK which now provides outdoor swimming courses for hundreds of people around the UK. His book, ‘Chill – the cold water swim cure' was published in 2022 and is being translated into three other languages. Website | Instagram | Book ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All

In this riveting conversation with cult expert Dr. Steve Eichel, we uncover the common recruitment strategies of some of the most notorious cults. Dr. Eichel shares his personal experience infiltrating a cult and the tactics they used on him and the rest of his cohort. That early encounter with cult culture informed his decades-long work supporting survivors of cult trauma and their families. We cover human psychology and how it impacts politics, signs you might be in a high-demand organization, and the parallels between intimate partner violence (IPV) and cult practices. Dr. Steve Eichel has been a licensed psychologist since 1982. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania after which he spent many years as a child and family psychologist and as a director of child and family services. Currently, in addition to his private practice, Dr. Eichel serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Delaware. He has a specialty in drug and alcohol counseling and cultic practices, a subject he has written many articles dissecting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All

It was an honor to sit down with April Dinwoodie to learn more about a topic I am admittingly not enough informed on. Until recently, I had not considered how innately traumatic the relinquishing of a child is both for that child and the birth parents. In this episode, we discuss both the personal and political implications of adoption. We talk about what happens when a child is taken away from their family of origin especially if their family of experience (as April likes to call them) is a different race. We interrogate trauma adaptions and how many of those show up later in life to protect against future abandonment. April clarifies how that word sits for her and the difference between processing the initial relinquishment from her mother of origin and her mother of origin's inability to be able to build a relationship with her later in life. We discuss what both individuals and society as a whole can do better in terms of adoption advocacy and April's number one recommendations for families considering adoption. Plus April and I dive into our favorite healing modalities and the layered approach to healing we both subscribe to. April Dinwoodie is an Adoption Activist, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Consultant, and Parent Coach. Dinwoodie's podcast Born in June, Raised in April: What Adoption Can Teach the World! helps facilitate an open dialogue about identity, relationships, and differences of race, culture, and class. April is fiercely dedicated to helping individuals, companies, and organizations develop stronger teams, and ultimately find even more purpose in our individual and collective work. Follow April: @juneinapril (x, IG, FB) @April Dinwoodie (LinkedIn/Threads/YouTube) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All

In this information-packed conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Guthrie, we discuss the incredible power of herbs in assisting with nervous system regulation. Elizabeth shares ways to work with herbs as a beginner including special herbal considerations for trauma survivors. She describes the benefits of teas versus tinctures and other herbal creations and goes into detail about specific herbs such as Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Dandelion, and many others. Elizabeth and I explore the importance of nature as part of healing, the power and the dangers of slowing down, polyvagal theory, and the three gunas. We also talk about titration, diet and so much more... Elizabeth Guthrie is the founder of Herbal Somatics. She is a clinical herbalist, certified aromatherapist, and yoga teacher with a Ph.D. in Natural Medicine with a specialization in Naturopathic Psychology and a Master's of Public Health in Functional Nutrition. They are also the best-selling author of The Trauma-Informed Herbalist and hold multiple other certifications from conventional and traditional schools. Elizabeth's personal experiences led them to begin studying trauma and its effects on the body and mind. Now they help others to learn how natural wellness and somatic herbalism practices can be safely implemented as part of a trauma recovery journey. Check out Elizabeth's work: Website/Instagram/Facebook ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All

In this very vulnerable and candid conversation with esteemed psychologist Dr. Jessa Navide´, we dive into the truth of about suicidality. Jessa details who is at the highest risk for suicidal attempts, the signs that someone you know might be suicidal, as well as how to approach a loved one you suspect is having suicidal thoughts. Jessa shares deep insights from her own experience as a survivor of multiple suicide attempts and what she wishes someone would have done for her. We discuss ways out of these thoughts including the particular power of trauma-sensitive yoga and the science behind why Ashtanga yoga may be so supportive a practice for suicide attempt survivors. This episode comes in advance of a longer virtual Suicide Prevention training Jessa is leading for the nonprofit Three and a Half Acres Yoga on February 8th, 6-8 pm Eastern time. This training is designed to have you walk away with core skills for showing up if a loved one in your community is experiencing these thoughts. Jessa recommends Three and a Half Acres Yoga trauma-sensitive classes and trauma-informed yoga teacher training in this episode. Suicidal thoughts do not have to be dealt with alone. If you, or someone you know needs immediate support, please contact the National Crisis Hotline at 988. Dr. Jessa Navidé is a licensed clinical psychologist who has a passion for suicide prevention stemming from lived and professional experience. She believes that by teaching skills to engage in compassionate conversations with those experiencing suicidal thoughts, everyone can play a role in suicide prevention. This belief led her to become an ASIST (Applied suicide intervention skills) trainer. Dr. Jessa is a graduate of Three and a Half Acres trauma-sensitive yoga teacher training and has experienced that this form of yoga is a powerful healing resource in suicide prevention work Find Jessa at https://www.claritytherapynyc.com/nyc-therapist/jessa-navide-psy-d/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All

In this detailed and important conversation with Dave Emerson, the man who coined the term trauma-sensitive yoga, we get insights into Dave's extensive research on the impacts of trauma-informed yoga for survivors including his most recent paper comparing trauma-sensitive yoga and cognitive processing therapy. We explore the difference between Complex Trauma and PTSD and the implications of those differences on survivor validation and services. We discuss the harmful power dynamics that occur within abusive relationships and the importance of healthy interpersonal encounters in yoga spaces which propose to heal trauma adaptations. Dave shares why yoga is one of, if not the strongest embodied practice for healing the impacts of trauma and just how much of this style of practice is needed as well as other deep insights from his work and what he's learned about research and forming research studies for yoga claims.  Dave Emerson (he/him/his) is the founder of Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) for the Justice Resource Institute in Massachusetts, where he coined the term “trauma-sensitive yoga”. from 2009-2011 he was responsible for curriculum development, supervision, and oversight of the yoga intervention component of the first-of-its-kind, NIH-funded study to assess the utility of yoga for survivors of trauma. Dave has developed, conducted, and supervised TCTSY groups for rape crisis centers, domestic violence programs, residential programs for youth, active duty military personnel, survivors of terrorism, and Veterans Administration centers and clinics, and more. He is the co-author of Overcoming Trauma through Yoga, released in 2011 by North Atlantic Books, and Author of, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga in Therapy (Norton, 2015). In 2018, Dave Emerson co-founded the Center for Trauma and Embodiment at JRI. Instagram: @tctsy & @centerfortraumaandembodiment Web: https://www.traumasensitiveyoga.com/ & https://www.healwithcfte.org/ Yoga vs Cognitive Processing Therapy for Military Sexual Trauma-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All

In this episode, I share the most impactful moments of 2023 and a preview of guests and topics you can expect in the coming year, including the exceptional first guest of the year! I also share some of my own experiences this year and the modalities I have been using to release stress and heal. Thank you to all my listeners, especially those of you who have been reaching out with specific comments about episodes. This enlivens me so much. Please keep commenting, reviewing, and sharing the podcast! Coming up in 2024 I'll be releasing the on-demand training of The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga! Make sure to get your copy and reach out to be on my list for when the course drops! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All

I get asked on almost a daily basis for recommendations for yoga teacher training programs. You would think that after 25 years in yoga, I would have some, but the truth is very different. Yoga teacher training programs vary widely, change regularly, and come with a host of problems. On this episode with my friend and colleague, Michelle Lehrman, we discuss some of the biggest issues with YTTs, including forcing participants to make and accept hands-on adjustments, shaming people who hold different opinions or do things differently, and forcing a one-way approach to this ancient, adaptable practice. Michelle Lehrman is a certified 200-hour and trauma-informed yoga instructor who has been teaching in New York City since 2016. She currently teaches at Crunch (yoga and spin), Sacred Space Astoria, and Lionheart Health, and works with private clients. I met Michelle when she participated in the Three and a Half Acres Yoga Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training a 20-hour supplemental training for teachers with a 200 + hour yoga teacher certification. This training hopes to undo some of the damage caused by many YTTs and offer a safer approach to teaching yoga. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this episode with Deborah Draves-Legg, we discuss the healing power of horses, how they communicate, and what it looks like to receive coaching in partnership with a horse. Deborah shares some secret horse language and some out-of-this-world experiences she has had witnessing horses lead her clients to healing. She also does a session of her Quantum Physics coaching on me! Deborah is a certified Transformational Presence Coach, ICF Accredited Associate Coach, RN, Certified Death Doula, Advanced Eponaquest Facilitator, and author of Pony's Girl Parables. Her coaching philosophy centers around the concept that the power within us lights the way to realize our purpose, potential, and reason for being. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

Joy Holden is a long-time member of the Margaretville Central School staff. She was a special education teacher for 19 years and then transitioned into an administrative role in 2017. Joy's responsibility as Director of Pupil Services is to support all students with learning and accessing school programming, including being the CSE/CPSE/504 chairperson and Dignity Act Coordinator. Recently, Joy has been taking the lead in training staff on supportive responses to students when they are struggling emotionally and unable to use socially appropriate coping strategies. In 2022, Joy was certified to train staff for Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools (TCIS). She is enthusiastically working towards training all staff on the principles of TCIS.   In this episode, we discuss how to identify a child who is in a trauma response and what we can do within a school setting to help that child. We also explore the stress, trauma, and burnout of adults in the school system particularly since Covid-19, and specific techniques teachers can lean on to reduce burnout and frustration. As an aid in this school, I particularly enjoyed this episode and a chance to learn more about my supervisor. To bring trauma-sensitive training to your school reach out to me here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

Grab a cup of tea, a notebook, a pen, and a quiet spot, for today you and I have the chance to sit down with a legend. Dr. Pauline Boss coined the term Ambiguous Loss as part of her thesis in the 1970s and has pursued and expanded its definition and treatment ever since. At 89 years old she is still writing, still learning, and as we get into in this talk, has seen quite a large amount of trends come and go in society and in the way we parent, teach, and treat. We discuss all different kinds of ambiguous loss including identity change, loss of a relative to dementia, and those who go missing and are never found. We also talk about the COVID-19 pandemic and the losses we are still suffering as a world community. I have never been so honored and so touched to have a guest make time for me. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do. Pauline Boss, PhD, Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota is a Fellow in the American Psychological Association and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and a former president of the National Council on Family Relations. She practiced family therapy for over 40 years. With her groundbreaking work in research and practice, Dr. Boss coined the term ambiguous loss in the 1970s and since then, developed and tested the theory of ambiguous loss, a guide for working with families of the missing, physically or psychologically. She summarized this research and clinical work in her widely acclaimed book Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief (Harvard University Press, 2000). In addition to over 100 peer reviewed academic articles and chapters, her other books include Loss, Trauma, and Resilience: Therapeutic Work with Ambiguous Loss (W. W. Norton, 2006) and Loving Someone Who Has Dementia: How to Find Hope While Coping with Stress and Grief (Jossey-Bass, 2011). Her most recent book is The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change (W. W. Norton, 2022). Her work is known around the world wherever ambiguous losses occur, and thus her books are now available in 18 different languages. For more information about Dr. Boss, her writings, and the ambiguous loss online training program, see www.ambiguousloss.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

Part 2 of my audio gift to you! Please enjoy the next 25 pages of my book, The Essential Guide to Trauma-Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All read to you by me! If you haven't heard the first pages make sure to go back to the last episode of this podcast. If you do enjoy this reading, please support with your purchase of the book which has over a hundred photos and and many more chapters not read to you here. Other ways to work together are to hire me as a coach, bring me to your yoga studio to train your teachers in trauma sensitivity, and purchase my first book, My Bliss Book, a life purpose planner, and my on-demand course, The Complete Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga. You can find me on Instagram and YouTube. Lara Land is a deeply compassionate life coach, consultant, and yoga teacher trainer specializing in trauma sensitivity. Her work is in helping to heal trauma both subtle and significant and train others using trauma-sensitive yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and breathing practices. Lara has spent the last 25 years studying Ashtanga yoga and sharing yoga asana, chanting, meditation, and philosophy directly from her teachers in India. Her commitment is to honor the traditions of yoga by responding to the needs of each individual, using a unique combination of practices and techniques that are appropriate for their personal growth. In addition to providing trauma-sensitive workshops and training for facilitators of all types, Lara guides folks in awakening, deep connection, and healing practices through Mindful Outdoor Guiding and Forest Therapy. Lara has been featured in and contributed to New York Magazine, Huffington Post, Yoga Journal, Apartment Therapy, and on Fox5, CBS, NY1, and SiriusRadioXM. She is the author of My Bliss Book and The Essential Guide to Trauma-Sensitive Yoga. She is also the host of the Beyond Trauma Podcast.

An exciting gift for you! Today, listeners can enjoy the first 25 pages of my book, The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All read by yours truly, Lara Land. I hope you will enjoy and support my first book with Shambhala Publications by purchasing and reviewing your hard copy which includes over 100 photos! Other ways to support/work with me include hiring me as your coach, to lead a workshop in trauma sensitivity for your school, studio or business or purchasing my first book, My Bliss Book, an undated life-purpose planner or my on-demand course, The Complete Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga. You can find me on Instagram and sometimes on YouTube. Lara Land is a deeply compassionate life coach, consultant, and yoga teacher trainer specializing in trauma sensitivity. Her work is in helping to heal trauma both subtle and significant and train others using trauma-sensitive yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and breathing practices. Lara has spent the last 25 years studying Ashtanga yoga and sharing yoga asana, chanting, meditation, and philosophy directly from her teachers in India. Her commitment is to honor the traditions of yoga by responding to the needs of each individual, using a unique combination of practices and techniques that are appropriate for their personal growth. In addition to providing trauma-sensitive workshops and training for facilitators of all types, Lara guides folks in awakening, deep connection, and healing practices through Mindful Outdoor Guiding and Forest Therapy. Lara has been featured in and contributed to New York Magazine, Huffington Post, Yoga Journal, Apartment Therapy, and on Fox5, CBS, NY1, and SiriusRadioXM. She is the author of My Bliss Book and The Essential Guide to Trauma-Sensitive Yoga. She is also the host of the Beyond Trauma Podcast.

In this episode, I detail my own experiences with birth trauma and the ways multiple people in different areas of the medical field have used unskillful methods and communication along the way. I hope that the telling of my story helps others. You can find me on Instagram and sometimes on YouTube. Lara Land is a deeply compassionate life coach, consultant, and yoga teacher trainer specializing in trauma sensitivity. Her work is in helping to heal trauma both subtle and significant and train others using trauma-sensitive yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and breathing practices. Lara has spent the last 25 years studying Ashtanga yoga and sharing yoga asana, chanting, meditation, and philosophy directly from her teachers in India. Her commitment is to honor the traditions of yoga by responding to the needs of each individual, using a unique combination of practices and techniques that are appropriate for their personal growth. In addition to providing trauma-sensitive workshops and training for facilitators of all types, Lara guides folks in awakening, deep connection, and healing practices through Mindful Outdoor Guiding and Forest Therapy. Lara has been featured in and contributed to New York Magazine, Huffington Post, Yoga Journal, Apartment Therapy, and on Fox5, CBS, NY1, and SiriusRadioXM. She is the author of My Bliss Book and The Essential Guide to Trauma-Sensitive Yoga. She is also the host of the Beyond Trauma Podcast. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can support this podcast with any level of donation here.

You are going to want to sit back and take notes for this one. Today's guest Bintou Diarra and I get in-depth about birth trauma and the current state of maternal health care in the US. We discuss the origins of the issues infecting the medicalized birth system which has taken hold today, including our earliest indoctrination into the female body as pathology in sex ed and structural racism and implicit bias. Bintou details the culture most physicians are steeped in and how it leads directly to negative outcomes in the birthing process. She explains why having a doula may help mitigate some of this and also why a doula can not fix it all. We discuss preeclampsia, endometriosis, and the horrific birth outcome inequities for people of color. Finally, we cover power inequity and imagine a restructuring of the system which would allow for empowering birth stories for all. In this episode, Bintou references and recommends the book Birth Control by Allison Yarrow and the documentary Below the Belt, the Last Health Taboo both of which are excellent resources for continued education on this topic. Make sure to check out both Bintou's individual links and the work she does at MamaGlow. https://beacons.ai/bintouhq instagram.com/bintouhq mamaglow.com instagram.com/mamaglow -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this heartfelt conversation with my longtime friend and colleague, Harmony Slater, we discuss many life transitions that can result in a trauma response and loss of sense of self. Harmony details her own personal experience with divorce and why divorce or any significant relationship end can trigger our most primal survival instincts and leave us in a fight or flight mode for long after the separation has passed. We also get into a deep discussion about different types of practice and how some of even the "best practices" can end up taxing our nervous system or numbing us out. We talk about finding balance, self-acceptance, and love, especially as women, the toxic wellness culture, and the small practices that make the most difference. Harmony is a Certified Ashtanga Yoga Teacher. She is one of less than 20 women in the world to hold this honor. Harmony is also a National Board Certified Wellness Coach. She began traveling to East Asia in 2002 to study Buddhism and Indian philosophy and spent five years living between India and Thailand. She holds BA degrees in both Philosophy and Religious Studies and founded two yoga schools in Canada. For the past 20+ years Harmony's been focused on sharing the deeper teachings of yoga to support greater health and spiritual integration with students around the world, and has taught workshops in over 30 different countries. She's the host of the Finding Harmony Podcast and has been featured in two anthologies on yoga, pregnancy, and motherhood: ‘Yoga Sadhana for Mothers' and ‘Strength and Grace: A collection of Essays by Women of Ashtanga Yoga.' Harmony is also a contributing editor for SONIMA online magazine. Currently, she's actively helping individuals design their unique Spiritual Wellness practice to find deeper fulfillment both personally and professionally. Harmony can be found teaching online within her Inner Circle Community and her Ancient Breathing 2.0 course. Website/Instagram -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this honest and raw conversation, Whitney Lyn Allen shares the details of her husband's tragic accident and later death in service of others also dealing with trauma and loss. Whitney used her experience to catapult her into a career and life change and became a certified grief coach. She shares her extensive knowledge in this episode of what survival mode is and feels like, grief hijacking and how to maintain boundaries, tips for flashbacks, and her feelings on finding love after loss. Whitney is an author, attorney, and certified grief educator. Her book, Running in Trauma Stilettos is about grief and life after loss and is available everywhere books are sold. Instagram/TikTok-@whitneylynallen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this powerful episode, we discuss a potential outcome of trauma that is often ignored: Post-traumatic growth. Discover how to get through a traumatic experience to growth and the difference between post-traumatic growth and resilience. Learn what makes the difference between people who remain stuck in trauma response and those that are able to make the leap forward. Trauma is relational and generational. Understand how we are all connected to it and impacted by it as well as why the body is so important in relation to our own trauma. Gain new insights you may not have heard before including the importance of and how to create safety as a friend, family member, yoga teacher, or therapist so that survivors can move forward using Edith's powerful stages. We also discuss the impact. of working with folks with terminal diagnoses and how loss and death can lead to meaning-making. If you or someone you know is going through the end of life, or you are interested in understanding more about how recognizing the inevitability of death can allow you to live more fully and meaningfully, check out my work as an End of Life Doula and upcoming workshop on learning to live life more fully by embracing death. Dr. Edith Shiro is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Miami, Florida. She specializes in trauma nd posttraumatic growth, holding space and guiding her patients to achieve greater potential and higher consciousness. Dr. Shiro is a cofounder of the Trauma and Resilience Center, a board member of the World Happiness Foundation, and an active member of Cadena International, providing humanitarian aid and disaster prevention worldwide, and is on the advisory board of international humanitarian organization HIAS. She has worked at the Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture, the Cambodian refugee clinic at Montefiore Medical Center, and the Human Rights Clinical Support Network at REFUGE, among others. Dr. Shiro offers workshops on trauma-based therapy for mental health professionals and is a frequent guest on various TV shows, podcasts and radio programs. Follow her on Instagram. Linda Sparrowe, author, mentor, and teacher, with deep roots in both ancient and contemporary yoga and meditation, specializes in practices for physical, emotional, and spiritual health. She has served as editor-in-chief of Yoga International and Natural Solutions magazines and as managing editor, acting editor, and contributing editor of Yoga Journal.  She has lent her writing and editing skills to a variety of book projects, from celebrity memoirs to spiritual self-help books; from the psychology of pleasure to posttraumatic growth. She has authored six books of her own including the award-winning Yoga At Home: Inspiration for Creating Your Own Personal Practice (Rizzoli Publications); A Woman's Book of Yoga and Health: A Lifelong Guide to Wellness (Shambhala Publications, Boston); and Yoga for Healthy Bones (also a Shambhala publication).   Outside the office, Linda has continued her commitment to holistic health. She was instrumental in launching the Courageous Women, Fearless Living retreats for women with breast and reproductive cancers (her heart's work) and she also speaks about and leads workshops on grief and loss, moving through the stages of our lives, and how yoga helps us learn to love ourselves. Follow her on Instagram. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this episode, we discuss how to work with kids and teens in a way that opens them up instead of closing them off. The information my two guests share so generously is applicable to therapists, parents, teachers, or anyone with a child in their life. Learn what it means to attune to the young people in your life. Some areas of interest are the importance of early intervention, correct attachment, and coregulation. From listening to this episode you will gain a greater understanding of how trauma specifically affects those affected in childhood, about soothing a child and how we might be getting it wrong, and the right and wrong ways to repair harm. Discover how play therapy and how it is used to learn and teach things, regulate the body, and explore big feelings. Ann Beckley-Forest, LCSW, RPT-S, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice in Buffalo, New York. Her specialties include attachment and child and adolescent trauma, and she also works with adult survivors. She is certified in EMDR and is an EMDR Approved Consultant and Trainer and a faculty member of the Child Trauma Institute, as well as a Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor and Approved Provider of play therapy continuing education through the Association for Play Therapy. She provides consultation in person and remotely, and gives trainings locally and internationally and is the co-founder of Playful EMDR, an online hub for training and consultation. Her primary interest is in the intersection of play therapy and EMDR and has published on this topic including as co-editor of EMDR with Children in the Play Therapy Room: An Integrated Approach (2020). Annie Monaco, LCSW, RPT, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Registered Play Therapist and a faculty member of both the Child Trauma Institute and of University at Buffalo School of Social Work. Annie travels throughout the US and internationally providing trauma-informed trainings and agency and therapist consultation. She is a trainer of EMDR, Progressive Counting and Attachment & Dissociation. She a contributor and co-editor of the 2020 book, EMDR with Children in the Play Therapy Room: An Integrated Approach. She has extensive training in complex trauma, family therapy, play therapy, and restorative justice and over 25 years' experience in serving children, teens, families and adults. Her private practice in Amherst, New York includes complex issues such as foster care, out of country adoptions, juvenile justice and dissociation. She is also the co-founder of Playful EMDR, an online hub for training and consultation.  Join the Virtual Playful EMDR Summit for EMDR therapists who work with children or teens and want to incorporate EMDR: https://cvent.me/0Xz3wz -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

This episode of Finding Harmony Podcast with Harmony Slater and Russell Case- aired in Feb to promote the pre-sale of my book, The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga which is now available everywhere. If you haven't gotten your copy please go to my site www.laraland.us and order. If you have ordered- THANK YOU - I appreciate you. Please take a minute to go on Amazon or Goodreads or both and write a review! Reviews make a big difference in getting this work viewed. If you are feeling really generous you can do one here of the podcast while you are on that review train! In this podcast, I think you will enjoy this flip of the script as Harmony and Russell interview me about my experience of generational trauma, insights from my yoga practice, and how I coach folks to be more trauma-sensitive in any field. You will witness me in action coaching Russell a bit in this show. It's pretty cool! I also wanted to let you know about my upcoming trauma-sensitive Ashtanga weekend training- at Miami Life Center from August 18th-20th. This training is a yoga informed training for teachers and long time practitioners using essential Ashtanga techniques. More details and registration HERE. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this conversation with activist and healer Reggie Hubbard, we discuss how to be real as a yoga teacher by using your true voice, sound bowls, gongs, and DJs. This truth (Satva) when the students experience it disrupts and creates real change which Reggie has termed “Active Peace”. Reggie illustrates this through his story and his actions. Tune into this episode to grow a deeper understanding of the chakra system and how it helps to express truth with love, how to find your community, get out of hopelessness, wake up, and make change. Reggie is the founder/chief serving officer of Active Peace Yoga. His yoga and meditation practice has served as a sanctuary of peace and perspective while navigating the stresses of being a black man in the world, serving in pressure-filled jobs at the height of politics, and have helped him navigate complicated emotions (anger, grief, disappointment) to find and nurture peace of mind and ease of spirit.   Reggie shares his practice in service to helping people navigate this thing called life with more creativity, authenticity, peace, and ease.  He has extensively studied with leading teachers in yogic, meditative, and dharmic disciplines while also remembering that the best teacher is an eternal student.  He is a graduate of the MMTCP (Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program) 2023 cohort and is always seeking new ways of sharing ancient wisdom with modern audiences.   Through Active Peace Yoga, he offers asana and meditation classes to help others nurture peace of mind, creativity, and equanimity in spirit and physical health - helping people nurture well-being as foundational, rather than an afterthought. Reggie has taught Members of Congress, Congressional Staff, major labor unions, leading progressive organizations, and individuals from all walks of life - simple tools for managing stress and bringing peace to mind, body, and spirit.  Active Peace also offers strategic guidance on creating healthier cultures and organizational norms rooted in well-being, compassion, and results. Reggie's life work sits at the intersection of bringing more peace and balance to activists; guiding the wellness community toward being more engaged, concerned citizens; and, enhancing the well-being of all walks of life.   Achieving this balance is how we catalyze transformative change in our society, which we are desperately in need of at this moment. He also is passionate about justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI); normalizing grief and loss; and, sharing healing rituals with marginalized communities to enhance our collective well-being. He received a B.A. in philosophy from Yale University and an MBA in international strategy from the Vlerick Business School in Belgium.  You can find out more at www.activepeaceyoga.com.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I also wanted to let you know about my upcoming trauma-sensitive weekend - at Kripalu supporting survivors with embodied practices - for all to look into grief and trauma and stress held in your body and grow more compassionate toward yourself and others also holding these tensions and reacting from them- all about Kripalu- food, extra yoga classes, nature walks, quiet, etc. - June 20th - July 2nd so coming into July 4th time and a great gift to give yourself or come to the campus w a friend you will feel serene just arriving there. I'll also be leading a three-day retreat and trauma training workshop in the western Catskills. This ecological area is very healing and special to me. Details on that July 28th-30th. Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

In this episode, author and clinician, Dr. Trudy Gilbert-Eliot, explains how exposure to other people's trauma can cause post-traumatic stress. She breaks down how that occurs in the brain of the person exposed, the signs one will experience, and what to do both to prevent against it and help heal it. We talk about the specific professions most likely to encounter that exposure and practices such as mindfulness and CBT for helping change the narrative of one exposed. Dr. Gilbert-Eliot is rich with knowledge and deeply impressed me during our hour together. We will be working on the prevention of and healing of secondary trauma using embodied practices at my Kripalu workshop from June 30th-July 2nd. If you enjoyed this episode consider registering for that experience HERE. Trudy Gilbert-Eliot is a consultant and mental health practitioner. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She also obtained a Ph.D. in General Psychology from Capella University in Minnesota. Her book, “Healing Secondary Trauma”, was released May 2020. She has served as an expert witness for psychiatric court commitments, provided assessments in Emergency Room's for those who recently attempted suicide, worked as a pediatric therapist in residential treatment, as Director of Admissions for a psychiatric facility, Director of Therapeutic Services for an outpatient clinic, and worked as an Adjunct Professor of Psychology. In the course of her work she has spoken at various conferences and as a workshop presenter on such topics as Critical Incident Response in Mental Health, Trauma-informed Care, Co-occurring Disorders in Treatment, Advanced Clinical Supervision, ASAM, Working with the Military in Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Burnout/Compassion Fatigue/Secondary Trauma for First Responders, Clinical Applications in Trauma, PTSD, and a presentation as part of the recertification of CIT personnel for LVMPD. Dr. Gilbert-Eliot has trained extensively in Trauma and is EMDR certified. She has also trained with the Gottmans in couples therapy and in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy with Behavioral Tech Research (Marsha Linehan, Ph.D.) and Alan Fruzetti, Ph.D. She is a member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and the American Psychological Association.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Any amount helps with production costs for the show. You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

I discovered Katarina "Kato" Wittich in Gwyneth Paltrow's documentary series “Sex, Love and Goop” episode five, where she guides a client through a Family Constellation session which allows them to understand and process family trauma. It was and remains one of the most powerful moments of television I've ever witnessed, so I was deeply honored when Kato agreed to be in conversation. In doing my research for this interview, I learned much about Kato's dedication to healing through practices that demand deep acceptance and reverence for the interwoven body-mind system. In this conversation, we discuss the Rosen and Family System techniques, the importance of touch, and how ancestral trauma informs our lives. We talk about the need to feel all our feelings and how critical it is to have someone that can allow us to be with those vibrations no matter how strong or seemingly negative. It was a meeting of spirits being in shared space with Katarina. I hope you will benefit from our musings. Katarina Wittich, known as ‘Kato', is a certified Rosen Method Practitioner, Conscious Dance facilitator, Yuen Practitioner, and facilitator for the group transformational modality called Family Constellations. She has had the great privilege to spend the last 25 years using her practices to help other humans voyage past the limitations that come from survival patterns created by trauma, toward wholeness and resilient self love.  Rosen Method is a form of somatic therapy which uses touch as well as verbal interaction in order to contact the contractions in our bodies which we have created in order get through trauma when we do not have enough support to remain open and flexible. In accessing these contractions in the body, we also access all the unconscious patterns that have been necessary to move through the world, but may no longer be useful, and instead now holding us back from living fully. Family Constellations work directly with the unconscious inheritance of survival patterns created to handle trauma by our ancestors. Often we are more susceptible to the difficult things that happen in our lives because of the epigenetic and family culture patterns once needed for survival of the family system, but now hindering us without our knowledge. Constellations are mysterious and incredibly powerful because they function through the group practice of resonance, in which perfect strangers with no knowledge of the client's issues or family system, will easily and accurately be able to represent the client's family members and ancestors, unveiling what was hidden and allowing flow back into the system.  Kato's Family Constellations work is currently featured in Episode Five of Gwyneth Paltrow's documentary series “Sex, Love and Goop”, available on Netflix. She is grateful to have had the opportunity to facilitate in the first mainstream television exposure for this profound and life changing work, in which you can witness the impossible wonder of our interconnectedness, unlimited by time or physicality. For more information on Kato's practices go to her website - RosenConstellations.com In the rest of her life, she is a screenwriter, director, painter, dancer and general lover of all things creative, embodied and human. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

Amy B. Scher had a debilitating case of Lyme Disease that resulted in her being bedridden in her twenties. She tried every available solution from intravenous antibiotics to flying all the way to India. Though some of the medicines she tried helped, in the end, she only became completely healthy and relapse-free when she began looking at her traumas, thoughts, and beliefs and neutralizing them. In this conversation, Amy describes her core healing practices which she has taught countless others via workshops, private sessions, her YouTube, and books. Many of these practices I have personally tried and incorporated into my daily protocol to stop stress from building in my system and causing negative health outcomes. As Amy details, if you can catch and deal with the "little" stuff, you can heal a lot. Amy B. Scher is an expert in mind-body healing and helping people release blocks to become their happiest, healthiest, and most creative selves. She's the award-winning and bestselling author of four books which are translated into 20 languages and endorsed by notable authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray Love), Sanjiv Chopra, MD, Harvard Medical School and (Brotherhood with Deepak Chopra), and more. Her work has been featured in Oprah Daily, CNN, CBS, Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Good Morning America, and more. She lives in New York City with her beautiful wife and bad cat. Amy can be found online at AmyBScher.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

Timothy Lewis walked into my yoga studio, Land Yoga on one New Year's Eve and never turned back. He became a regular and dedicated yoga practitioner, got his yoga teacher certification, and then did his Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training with Three and a Half Acres Yoga where he now teaches classes for trauma survivors. Timothy is a born scientist, full of a curiosity which he allows to take him on the journey of life. He is featured in my book, The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga which is out TOMORROW. Make any level donation to Three and a Half Acres Yoga and receive an invite to our special private book event on Saturday, May 13th where you will have the opportunity to meet Timothy and many others who were involved in this project. Purchase the book today (May 1st) for the final day to receive your online BONUSES. Timothy Lewis is a Jay Shetty certified mindfulness coach and educator at heart with over 20 years of dynamic experience honoring unique individuality and nurturing innate curiosity. An avid researcher of epigenetics, human psychology, and the new human biology, he allows a love for learning and growth to fuel his zest for life. Timothy is a 200-h RYT with training in the foundations of Yin and trauma-sensitive yoga. Timothy teaches an Everyday Mindfulness & Meditation course, works with individuals and groups looking to explore how mindfulness can neutralize the effects of stress and modern living, and offers embodied movement classes including yoga and capoeira. Timothy enjoys training and teaching, traveling, and exploring the contrast of being deeply drawn to nature while embracing the hustle and bustle of New York City. Learn more about Timothy and his offerings here. Also, Timothy shares short practices and insights on Timothy Lewis (@mindfulnesswithtimothy) • Instagram photos and videos, and LinkedIn. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Pre-order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.