Through a Trauma-informed Lens: Soma, Psyche and Soul

In this podcast episode I had the pleasure of talking with Norman Blair. We chat about Norman’s journey as a Yoga Practitioner, Teacher and Trainer, his passion for taking social justice action, and being part of the Union for Yoga Teachers fighting for a fairer pay.

Norman began practising yoga in the early 1990s and he has been teaching since 2001. His practice and teaching embrace both Ashtanga yoga and Yin yoga as well as mindfulness meditation. Through significant periods of training with teachers such as Alaric Newcombe, Judith Hanson Lasater, Richard Freeman and Sarah Powers, he has gained the Yoga Alliance 500 hour accreditation. He believes that yoga is accessible to all of us and through regular practice we can experience profound changes in our mind and body. His own experience has taught him that yoga is an enjoyable way to release and make available energetic potential to enhance our lives. Yoga can help us to become more flexible, physically stronger and improve our stamina, focus and awareness.

Norman teaches intuitive/dynamic flow yoga and Yin yoga classes and workshops throughout London, as well as leading retreats. His Yin Yoga Training courses are respected and popular. He has run yoga teacher mentoring groups for more than ten years.

In this podcast episode I had the pleasure of talking with Sophie Rey. We chat about Sophies’s journey as an Artist, Yoga Teacher and Trauma-informed Somatic Teacher and Coach, and her passion for creating safe inclusive spaces for her clients to connect with their Inner Child and express their creativity.

Sophie is an Artist, Yoga Teacher and Trauma-informed Somatic Teacher & Coach for women, in training. 

Sophie has been an artist all her life, working as an illustrator since 2010 & began guiding community Yoga classes, art workshops & working 1-1 with clients in 2018. 

Her Yoga & Somatic teaching supports older adults with encouraging deeper self-awareness and independence, through practices that improve functional mobility, balance and strength, whilst working on mindset. Sophie has worked with clients with a wide variety of health conditions, and through an accessible and collaborative approach, works closely with her clients to explore their needs. Sophie aims to create accessible spaces, and is committed to providing safe, trauma-aware support to anyone who experiences marginalisation, due to any aspect of their identity or culture, including the disabled community and the LGBTQIA+ community.

A main theme in Sophie’s work is creativity and self-expression, and the importance of inviting play and joy in. Sophie believes we can all access this magic within us and use these practices as tools for inner resourcing and inner child healing. 

Sophie’s workshops encourage a playful approach with a focus on the process of art making and teaches in a way that helps support her clients to reclaim their inner joy, trust in their bodies and reconnect with their creative inner child, whilst working through the challenges of life and holding space for those difficult emotions.

In this podcast episode "Embracing a Trauma-Informed Approach: Transforming Your Business Practices", I explore a strange phenomena I observed over the past decade of mentoring and coaching conscientious practitioners, and I invite you to reflect on your business practices. Is your business model and structure built on your own personal definition of success? Is your business truly sustainable and nervous system friendly?

I share with you my insights and how they impacted my business, and my plans for next year. I introduce you to a new approach to fostering a business environment that is both nurturing and effective, using an embodied, gentle and nervous system-friendly marketing approach. And how through the process of creating small collaborative, co-regulated, compassionate, and supportive communities, we can finally give ourselves permission to practice what we preach within our business, and make an impact within our communities and our own lives.

In this podcast episode I had the pleasure of talking with Shulamit Ber Levtov. We chat about the challenges of being a woman business owner and the impact of business on our mental health.

Shulamit (she/her) is the Entrepreneurs' Therapist. She works with women business owners to care for their mental and emotional wellbeing and their money psychology in an era of relentless stressors that can make you want to lose your crap on the daily.

She is also a certified facilitator of the Trauma of Money method and supports her clients to address their money psychology so that they can have a flourishing relationship with the money in their businesses and lives.

Shulamit has been an entrepreneur for over 27 years and has more than 22 years of professional experience in the field of mental health and personal growth. Shulamit also teaches in private and university business programs and speaks locally, nationally and internationally about mental health, money and entrepreneurship.

As an award-winning entrepreneur, masters-level, licensed trauma therapist and trauma survivor, with certifications in Brené Brown's Dare To Lead™ methodology, Nonviolent Communication and Yoga, Shula brings a unique perspective and approach to supporting women in business.

In this podcast episode "The Difference between 80-Hr Trauma-informed Yoga TT and 160-Hr Trauma-informed Somatic Teacher & Coach for Women Certification", I answer a question I've been asked a lot over the past few months. To help you understand the difference between those two trainings I explore the history and intention behind creating both training certifications, who they are best for, and what to consider when deciding which training is right for you.

I hope you will find it helpful if you are considering training with us at Golden Mandala Yoga-Soma Institute. I look forward to connecting with you soon.

In this podcast episode I had the pleasure of talking with Ron de Brito. We chat about the power of being in a relationship with our vulnerability and simplicity, showing up fully as ourselves and finding our voice, and living in connection with nature and others.

Ron de Brito is a Powerful Embodied Peace Coach and Non-violent Communication and Embodiment Facilitator. Ron was born in London to African/ Indian Trinidadian parents and attended Grammar School in Finchley, North London. She is a Certified Facilitator of Radical Wholeness and Embodied Presence, an Empowerment and Compassion Coach, Nonviolent Communication Facilitator and I hold Grief Circles. 

Ron is passionate about helping discover all that’s alive within us in relationship with the world. Our sensitivity and vulnerability connect us to vitality of feeling human experience dulled by our culture. When we meet lovingly the parts of ourselves that have been hidden or dismissed, in alignment with our grounded and spacious awareness, we can become empowered to show up in the world in our truths, in radical authenticity and fullness. In this way we can change what’s around us and grow more love.

Ron is a former secondary schoolteacher, research biochemist, children’s tutor and a mother. She is in love with aliveness and being a vast and humble being connected to everything in a vibrant interconnected universe.

In this podcast episode “Befriending Your Nervous System: A Game Changer for Practitioners” I explore the critical importance of understanding the human nervous system for any practitioner. As a practitioner your ability to create a safe enough space to facilitate learning, growth and healing for your clients and students depends on your own physiology and nervous system state. Understanding your own nervous system's conditioned reactions, your triggers and your needs - as well as ways of taking care of yourself and your needs is a game changer. Today I want to invite you to take time to reflect on what currently works for you and what doesn't in the way you approach your self-care and your work, and follow your own wisdom in choosing how you work and hold space for others. 

In this podcast episode I had the pleasure of talking with Isabelle Griffith. We chat about Isabelle’s journey from burnout to embodiment, the challenges of embracing the role as a leader, and her vision for creating an embodied feminine leadership movement.

Isabelle is the Founder of The School Of Somatic Leadership For Women™, a Somatic and Embodied Feminine Leadership Coach and Trainer for women and practitioners working with women.

As a Somatic and Embodied Feminine Leadership coach and trainer, her life’s work is to help women break the internalised narratives that are keeping them feeling stressed, burnt out, doubting themselves and playing small. She helps women to embrace more fully who they are, their potential and the imprint they desire to leave within their families, communities, and workplace.

Isabelle founded her coaching practice in 2017, after spending 20 years in the corporate world. Her doorway into this work was a severe burnout. While it shattered her life and her sense of self, left her feeling broken and wondering how she could move forward - it also served as a catalyst to reorient her life, her purpose, her work, and her impact. She is deeply committed to this work and the women she supports.

In this podcast episode “The Dandelion Effect - Trauma-informed Yoga for Social Impact” I invite you to explore the essence of our actions as powerful seeds, much like the dandelion’s – carried by the winds of our intention, creating a powerful influence and landing in unpredictable places, where they can sprout roots and create environments safe enough for healing, growth and recovery. These little seeds can help build resilience and create transformation in the lives of our students and communities.

In every safe space we hold for our students and the stories we share, we are sowing seeds of that impact. With each practice, each moment of shared connection, vulnerability, and strength, we create more possibilities, encouraging growth, recovery, and deep transformations. The impact of our interactions, seen and unseen, reverberate through our students' lives and their families, nurturing communities marked by empathy, compassion, understanding, and profound social inclusion.

As yoga is becoming more popular within our society and more people from various backgrounds are joining the classes, it is our responsibility as yoga teachers and therapists to be trauma-informed and learn skills and practices that allow us to support our students effectively in our chaotic and unpredictable times. I want to invite you to join me in creating safer and more inclusive spaces for our students and communities to experience the healing and transformative power of yoga teachings.

In this podcast episode I had the pleasure of talking with Anna Kerry. We chat about Anna's experience of having a stroke as a young person, what helped most with her recovery and her passion for supporting other stroke survivors.

Anna is a trauma informed Yoga teacher and wellbeing coach, she specialises in helping stroke survivors on their recovery journey using a holistic approach. During Anna's own experience of stroke recovery she leaned into her Yoga practice to help her through this experience. The practices and tools she has gained on this journey now form the basis of her work with other stroke survivors. From Anna's 121 programme which focuses on the whole person to her Nervous System Workshop, Anna addresses the imbalance between physical and psychological recovery that arises with stroke recovery. 

Anna says "in stroke recovery there is a lot of emphasis on the physical recovery, our physical self is what we present out to the world and can cause extreme difficulties for the person this affects so I understand the importance of this, but what is lacking in stroke recovery is looking at the psychological impact and working in a holistic way so that nothing gets left behind - we can't truly move forward with our lives if we only work on our physical recovery". 

Anna's stroke may have altered the direction of her life but she feels passionate about using her own experience to help others on their recovery journey. Anna believes that even though all strokes are different there is a common thread that pulls survivors together and is creating a safe space for stroke survivors to explore and rebuild the trust with themselves and their body.

In this podcast episode “The One Thing I Do Daily to Heal My Imposter, Be More Visible and Grow My Business” I explore the nature of our inner part called the Imposter and the challenges that it can create for us - especially those of us who want to be more visible to build impactful and thriving businesses.

I invite you to approach your inner landscape and your relationship with the Imposter part from a more holistic and compassionate perspective, one that will help you nurture self-trust, authenticity and visibility, and help you build a sustainable and thriving business you love.

I share with you my favourite practice that can support you on your journey of healing, growth and integration, so you can share your passion and wisdom with others. 

In this podcast episode “Three Reasons Why Trauma-informed Somatic Training Should Not be an Add-On for All Practitioners” I dive deep into the essential nature of trauma-informed somatic training for yoga teachers, coaches, and all practitioners working closely with people. I explore three profound reasons why incorporating trauma-informed somatic practices should be more than just an additional skill, but rather a core component of every practitioner’s approach.

Join me for a powerful conversation that illuminates why trauma-informed somatic training is not merely an ‘add-on,’ but an integral, transformative, and healing pillar in the practice of yoga teachers, coaches and wellness practitioners dedicated to making a meaningful impact.

In this podcast episode "Navigating Feelings: Unpacking Our Human Responses to Shared Sadness" I am taking you through on a journey of emotions and reactions that unfolded following a heartfelt Facebook post I recently shared. The post was a reflection of my vulnerability at that moment, where I expressed deep sadness and feelings of the relentless impact of the world's events over the past few years. It sparked a lot of unexpected comments, which showed how we react to others' vulnerability in our shared virtual spaces. I'd like to invite you to share these reflections with me and unpick the impact our reactions might have on us and our communities.

In the podcast episode "Cultivating Self-compassion for nervous system regulation” I explore the transformative power of self-compassion, how it can impact our nervous system state and physiology, and why it is the essence of all my work and my personal daily somatic practice. I consider the challenges that might come up when starting practicing and teaching compassion practices – especially if you or your client experienced trauma, and how we can invite inner sense of safety and change our language to reduce internal resistance from our inner critical parts. I also share with you some of my favourite practices to cultivate self-compassion. Hope you find it useful.

In the podcast episode "Your Body as Your Ally: Embodied Healing through Trauma-informed Somatic Coaching for Women," we explore the profound connection between the body and trauma healing within the context of Somatic Coaching. I discuss how important it is for women to feel empowered and to view their bodies as allies in the healing journey, rather than as sources of confusion, pain or disconnection. 

This year we are celebrating Autumn Equinox on 23rd September. It's a day when day and night are of an equal length and an important point within the cycle of a year. I love working with seasons and cycles, and they are an important part of the way I work with my clients and all trauma-informed somatic training certifications I facilitate. Today I want to reflect on the power of honouring cycles and invite you to celebrate Autumn Equinox through creating your own rituals. 

Today I want to talk about the essence of trauma-informed somatic work – which is community and collaboration. Why? Because healing comes from co-regulation and from our experience being witnessed and acknowledged. This is a different path. A healing path. A path of connection and co-regulation. A deeply transformational path. This is also the essence of my Trauma-informed Somatic Teacher and Coach for Women training certification and community.

This week I'm celebrating living one year alcohol free and in this episode I'm sharing my reflections from last year. It's been an interesting journey with lots of learning, healing and growth. I experienced many significant and positive shifts within my wellbeing, relationships and in my business. As a 50 year old woman who is going through peri-menopause and who runs her own business and training other practitioners in trauma-informed somatic coaching and yoga approaches it's important to me that I prioritise my health and wellbeing so I can support others from a regulated, stable and connected place.

I'm often asked a question about why is my Trauma-informed Somatic Teacher and Coach training certification for women only? This is a really important question. This is why in this episode I am exploring all the reasons why I chose to focus on women and women's wellbeing, even though I work in an inclusive way too.

If you are a self-employed practitioner or business owner there are two types of skills you need to learn. First you have to learn your 'modality' skills, second you have to learn business skills to make your business sustainable. From my own experience and working with many practitioners I know that many of us focus on learning how to be better in our work but don't spend enough time to learn how to make our business sustainable and thriving. And without learning how to build our business that is right for us we can easily hit burnout or give up doing what we love.

Welcome to my new podcast Through a trauma-informed Lens - Soma, Psyche and Soul.

Thank you for taking time to listen to this episode. Today I'd like to share with you a little about my journey and what inspired me to work, mentor, coach, and train others in trauma-informed somatic approach. My inspiration and commitment to share this work with my clients and other soul-led practitioners (female and male) comes from my own life experiences including moving on my own to London from Poland when I was 18, practicing Yoga and Mindfulness for last 30 years, and my experience of working with trauma, crisis intervention, mental health, substance use, DV and intensive family work in Social Care and the community for past 25 years, teaching Mindfulness Yoga and Meditation and other therapeutic yoga, Somatic Movement and Somatic and Embodiment approaches for past 13 years, and working with Thai Yoga Massage and somatic bodywork, as well as attending many holistic, therapeutic and coaching trainings over the past three decades.

I deeply believe that if you are a practitioner working with and supporting others in their healing and growth you need to be trained in trauma aware and informed approach, and work in a holistic and body-focused way. I feel very passionate about sharing this knowledge, understanding and practices, and in this way be part of creating positive impact within our communities and the world.