Yoga for Spoonies:
Exploring Practice & Teaching for Chronic Illness
(now available on-demand)
A 10-part workshop series exploring yoga for spoonies, people who have energy-limiting conditions, as well as people with chronic pain or other chronic conditions
Featuring Dr. Steffany Moonaz, Katie Blecker, Audrey (Auzhó Yoga), Rodrigo Souza, Marsha D. Banks-Harold, Dr. Shailla Vaidya, Astrid van Rens, Cheri Clampett, Monisha Raja, Natalia Tabilo, Sarah Thomas & Jivana Heyman
NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND
20 hours of pre-recorded workshops
Enrollment includes 1 year of access to workshop series replays, recorded live in February-March 2024, and accompanying resources
*Completion of this workshop series will make RYTs eligible for 20 Continuing Education hours through Yoga Alliance.
$399-$499 USD Tiered Pricing
Partial scholarships available
"Chronic pain / illness becomes the individual and collective catalyst for transformational growth that propels each of us into a state of learning, exploring, and being."
– Marsha D. Banks-Harold
Six in ten Americans live with at least one chronic disease, according to the CDC.
Yoga is often recommended for people with chronic illnesses, yet there is very little discussion about how best to practice. If taught consciously, yoga can offer a sanctuary of self-care for spoonies, people who have energy-limiting conditions, as well as people with chronic pain or other chronic conditions.
Check out our new virtual program, Yoga for Spoonies: Exploring Practice & Teaching for Chronic Illness – a series of 10 workshops featuring diverse voices from the yoga community (now available on-demand).
Six in ten Americans live with at least one chronic disease, according to the CDC.
Yoga is often recommended for people with chronic illnesses, yet there is very little discussion about how best to practice. If taught consciously, yoga can offer a sanctuary of self-care for spoonies, people who have energy-limiting conditions, as well as people with chronic pain or other chronic conditions.
Check out our new virtual program, Yoga for Spoonies: Exploring Practice & Teaching for Chronic Illness – a series of 10 workshops featuring diverse voices from the yoga community (now available on-demand).
Yoga for Spoonies is a chance to hear from yoga teachers with chronic illness as well as those who have worked with students with chronic illness for years.
We’ll explore a variety of topics including:
- Chronic Fatigue (ME / CFS)
- Cancer
- Long Covid
- Chronic Pain
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Fibromyalgia
- and more
Whether you are a practitioner or a teacher, this series is an opportunity to learn from teachers who have navigated these conditions themselves so that you can gain insight for your own practice or to help you guide your students in a safe and effective way.
The workshop series was recorded live and online in February-March 2024. Enrollment includes access to the captioned workshop recordings and associated resources for 1 year, within an interactive online portal.
Connecting to Wholeness
"Living with chronic pain can be incredibly challenging and it's something that cannot be ignored or wished away. However, even amidst the clanging noise of the pain, there is a deep sense of wholeness that cannot be damaged by illness or disease. It's a wholeness that can be re-inhabited if we approach our bodies with tenderness and compassion, and sense them precisely. "
– Rodrigo Souza
Coming Back To Yourself
"For me, the hardest thing about living with persistent post-concussion symptoms after sustaining a Traumatic Brain Injury was being consciously aware that my brain and my body were not functioning the way they used to. As a result, I didn't feel like myself. My yoga practice brings me back to myself. It allows me to feel like myself again. It reminds me that I am still here."
– Shailla Vaidya
Yoga for Spoonies Series (On-Demand)
Workshop Outlines
Each workshop is 2 hours duration
Recordings are captioned and include links to relevant resources
Session 1: Yoga for Arthritis
with Dr. Steffany Moonaz
Session 2: Yoga for ME / CFS & Chronic Fatigue
with Katie Blecker & Audrey (Auzhó Yoga)
> Click to learn more about Session #1
During this workshop Dr. Steffany Moonaz will share lessons she has learned in over 20 years of offering yoga tools and practices to people living with arthritis and other chronic pain conditions, both in research settings and in her private yoga therapy practice with individuals and groups.
Dr. Moonaz will present findings from multiple clinical trials evaluating the effects of a comprehensive yoga practice for lifestyle management of rheumatoid arthritis, knee osteoarthritis, chronic low back pain, systemic lupus erythematosus and more. She will also share recommendations for how various yoga practices can be practiced to meet diverse needs through all stages of disease, including flares and joint surgeries. Specific guidelines for yoga professionals to improve safety and accessibility will also be provided. Lastly, she will offer suggestions for identifying a good fit in the search for yoga teachers and classes both in community and online.
Dr. Moonaz will then lead participants through several yoga practices including movement, breathwork, mindfulness, applied philosophy, relaxation and meditation. These practices will be offered with multiple options so participants can engage in whatever way feels comfortable and useful. This practice will be followed by an opportunity for discussion, questions, and sharing among participants. Absolutely anyone is welcome to join and participate in whatever way they choose.
> Click to learn more about Session #2
How can we live a fulfilling life when our energy is so limited? Yoga provides a framework for intentional living, and gives us tools to navigate the unique challenges that come with ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) / CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and chronic fatigue. In this workshop, we’ll explore how yoga can help us meaningfully reconnect with our body-minds, cultivate agency, build community, engage with the world, and create practices of intentional rest, all while remaining within our “energy envelopes.”
Audrey and Katie will lead us through thoughtful discussion about the physical / social / emotional impacts of ME / CFS and chronic fatigue, and the best practices for working with the various severity levels that our students may experience. We’ll discuss some of the personal and systemic barriers that folks with ME / CFS face and how yogic tools such as therapeutic asana, pranayama, restorative practices, and yoga philosophy can help us develop presence, acceptance, autonomy, and a greater sense of ease.
Session 3: Yoga for Traumatic Brain Injury
with Dr. Shailla Vaidya
Session 4: Navigating Chronic Illness as a Yoga Teacher / Yoga Therapist
with Marsha D. Banks-Harold
> Click to learn more about Session #3
In this session, Dr. Vaidya will review what happens in brain injury and neuroinflammatory disorders. We will review the Autonomic Nervous System, how it becomes dysregulated in brain injury, and how that can lead to a worsening of our symptoms.Then, we will explore how practices based in yoga can help us regulate our nervous system and foster neuroplasticity.
We will also explore why self-compassion is key on our healing journey. Finally, we will incorporate all these concepts into a gentle restorative yoga practice to help us feel like our Self again.
> Click to learn more about Session #4
Connect with certified yoga therapist, trauma sensitive yoga facilitator, and current breast cancer survivor Marsha D. Banks-Harold for an interactive and experiential exploration of how to respond to interrupted success, how to move to the next level of achievement, and how to command inner peace and balance in your professional and personal life while living with chronic illness or supporting those who are living with chronic illness.
Marsha will explore the reframing well-being model: implementing self-study; building relationships; amplifying resiliency; and fostering compassionate action, as a tool for adapting well in the face of adversity. This happens when you are experiencing personal or family issues, a serious health concern, chronic illness, work stress, and money worries, and is an essential step in offsetting imbalances and achieving holistic well-being.
Release that which no longer serves you as we collectively hold space with each other through a “My body don’t bend that way” yoga therapy session adapted for all beings - but especially those living with cancer and those supporting clients living with cancer.
Session 5: A Holistic Approach to Yoga for Chronic & Neuropathic Pain
with Rodrigo Souza
Session 6: Tools for Teachers & Students Living with Energy Limiting Conditions
with Astrid van Rens
> Click to learn more about Session #5
Yoga can be a powerful tool to transform pain by meeting it with the tender gravity of kindness.
Rodrigo will lead a short seated practice to get us moving and then we will delve into the world of neuropathic pain. This type of pain affects 70% of people with spinal cord injuries and many others. Rodrigo will share how he learned to live harmoniously with this "not-so-lovely" companion using yoga and mindfulness as his main form of treatment.
During the session, we will learn about neuropathic pain, its causes, and how to manage it in a more holistic, compassionate, and wholehearted way. We will also explore ways to integrate yoga into our daily routines to optimize our physical and mental well-being while living with chronic pain.
> Click to learn more about Session #6
Living with limited energy affects both body image and self worth. This can deeply influence someone's yoga practice. How can understanding this help us teach yoga in ways that welcomes variations and diversity? For people experiencing chronic fatigue or energy-limiting conditions, yoga can be a supportive way to keep or start moving in an accessible way and practicing pacing themselves at the same time.
As a yoga teacher there will be people who come to your classes with chronic fatigue or energy-limiting conditions. But do you know how to provide tools that are supportive and helpful? How can you offer a practice that acknowledges their needs in a loving and supportive way?
In this workshop Astrid, who teaches those with chronic fatigue and has a lived experience of this herself, will talk from her personal and professional experience. She’ll share tools, skills, and practices to adapt your classes to accommodate and address chronic fatigue. You'll gain insights and we will discuss how to integrate these into your classes to support people living with these conditions.
There will also be a special focus on tips, tools, and considerations for teachers living with limited energy themselves and how to manage teaching and preparing for classes while being able to pace yourself in a gentle way. During this workshop we will alternate talking and discussion with supportive yoga practices, which basically means that the emphasis throughout the workshop is creating a space where rest and pacing is part of the learning experience.
Session 7: Therapeutic Yoga for Cancer Care
with Cheri Clampett
Session 8: Yoga for Long-COVID & Pulmonary Health
with Monisha Raja
> Click to learn more about Session #7
In this workshop, certified yoga therapist, Cheri Clampett, will share helpful yoga poses and practices for individuals going through cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
Cancer treatment can include surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy and various medications. Going through treatment can be traumatic and stressful. Therapeutic Yoga gives patients the tools to take an active role in their own healing process while in treatment, with a focus on supportive restorative yoga postures, gentle yoga, guided meditation, and self-healing techniques.
When the student feels empowered and knows ways to self soothe and nurture themselves, they fare better through the healing process.
> Click to learn more about Session #8
In this session, Monisha will explore the physiology of proper breathing, and the various disease-fighting mechanisms activated in the body through the practice of yoga. She will share the breathing practices and restorative postures that have helped her maintain healthy lungs and increase lung volume and strength through Long Covd.
Breathing is of paramount importance. The ancient yogis said that breath is the link between mind and body. If we are in charge of our breath, we are in charge of all aspects of our being. Prana (life force) Ayama (expansion) is the practice of increasing prana in the body to optimize health and reduce dis-ease. We will explore how lung volume and volumes of blood gasses are altered in various breathing exercises and postures.
She’ll offer asanas (postures) supported with cushions, blankets, blocks and/or straps, where you’ll experience a deeper connection with yourself, up-regulating parasympathetic activity, down-regulating sympathetic activity, while expanding, strengthening and draining the lungs of fluid and stale air.
Session 9: Yoga for Migraine & Fibromyalgia
with Natalia Tabilo
Session 10:
Part 1: Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis
with Sarah Thomas
Part 2: Series Summary
with Jivana Heyman
> Click to learn more about Session #9
In this workshop, Natalia Tabilo, founder of Yoga for All Bodies™, will explore tips and techniques to create welcoming and accessible spaces that allow students living with migraine and fibromyalgia to enjoy their yoga practice in a safe way that honors their needs.
Natalia will share from her own experience with these conditions and she will dive into the importance of offering yoga variations and safety tips, and she will explore the implications of living with pain and migraines.
This workshop includes both a theoretical and a practical section.
> Click to learn more about Session #10
Part 1: Discover a tailored yoga experience with Sarah Thomas, author of Chair Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis & Chronic Pain. Explore seated yoga poses and gentle movements designed for individuals with MS and chronic pain, using a chair for support.
Sarah will guide you through breathing exercises and mindfulness practices, aiming to enhance well-being and empower those with physical limitations to enjoy the benefits of yoga.
Part 2: To conclude this series, Accessible Yoga founder, Jivana Heyman, will offer a final wrap-up where he will review highlights of the material shared by our ten presenters and lead a discussion about how to best serve students with chronic illness while also caring for ourselves. The wrap up will serve as a way to integrate the various teachings offered in the series and address questions and share observations that we’ve made during the program.
Yoga for Spoonies Series:
On-Demand Workshop Outlines
Each workshop is 2 hours duration
Recordings are captioned and include links to relevant resources
Session 1: Yoga for Arthritis
with Dr. Steffany Moonaz
> Click to learn more about Session #1
During this workshop Dr. Steffany Moonaz will share lessons she has learned in over 20 years of offering yoga tools and practices to people living with arthritis and other chronic pain conditions, both in research settings and in her private yoga therapy practice with individuals and groups.
Dr. Moonaz will present findings from multiple clinical trials evaluating the effects of a comprehensive yoga practice for lifestyle management of rheumatoid arthritis, knee osteoarthritis, chronic low back pain, systemic lupus erythematosus and more. She will also share recommendations for how various yoga practices can be practiced to meet diverse needs through all stages of disease, including flares and joint surgeries. Specific guidelines for yoga professionals to improve safety and accessibility will also be provided. Lastly, she will offer suggestions for identifying a good fit in the search for yoga teachers and classes both in community and online.
Dr. Moonaz will then lead participants through several yoga practices including movement, breathwork, mindfulness, applied philosophy, relaxation and meditation. These practices will be offered with multiple options so participants can engage in whatever way feels comfortable and useful. This practice will be followed by an opportunity for discussion, questions, and sharing among participants. Absolutely anyone is welcome to join and participate in whatever way they choose.
Session 2: Yoga for ME / CFS & Chronic Fatigue
with Katie Blecker & Audrey (Auzhó Yoga)
> Click to learn more about Session #2
How can we live a fulfilling life when our energy is so limited? Yoga provides a framework for intentional living, and gives us tools to navigate the unique challenges that come with ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) / CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and chronic fatigue. In this workshop, we’ll explore how yoga can help us meaningfully reconnect with our body-minds, cultivate agency, build community, engage with the world, and create practices of intentional rest, all while remaining within our “energy envelopes.”
Audrey and Katie will lead us through thoughtful discussion about the physical / social / emotional impacts of ME / CFS and chronic fatigue, and the best practices for working with the various severity levels that our students may experience. We’ll discuss some of the personal and systemic barriers that folks with ME / CFS face and how yogic tools such as therapeutic asana, pranayama, restorative practices, and yoga philosophy can help us develop presence, acceptance, autonomy, and a greater sense of ease.
Session 3: Yoga for Traumatic Brain Injury
with Dr. Shailla Vaidya
> Click to learn more about Session #3
In this session, Dr. Vaidya will review what happens in brain injury and neuroinflammatory disorders. We will review the Autonomic Nervous System, how it becomes dysregulated in brain injury, and how that can lead to a worsening of our symptoms.Then, we will explore how practices based in yoga can help us regulate our nervous system and foster neuroplasticity.
We will also explore why self-compassion is key on our healing journey. Finally, we will incorporate all these concepts into a gentle restorative yoga practice to help us feel like our Self again.
Session 4: Navigating Chronic Illness as a Yoga Teacher / Yoga Therapist
with Marsha D. Banks-Harold
> Click to learn more about Session #4
Connect with certified yoga therapist, trauma sensitive yoga facilitator, and current breast cancer survivor Marsha D. Banks-Harold for an interactive and experiential exploration of how to respond to interrupted success, how to move to the next level of achievement, and how to command inner peace and balance in your professional and personal life while living with chronic illness or supporting those who are living with chronic illness.
Marsha will explore the reframing well-being model: implementing self-study; building relationships; amplifying resiliency; and fostering compassionate action, as a tool for adapting well in the face of adversity. This happens when you are experiencing personal or family issues, a serious health concern, chronic illness, work stress, and money worries, and is an essential step in offsetting imbalances and achieving holistic well-being.
Release that which no longer serves you as we collectively hold space with each other through a “My body don’t bend that way” yoga therapy session adapted for all beings - but especially those living with cancer and those supporting clients living with cancer.
Session 5: A Holistic Approach to Yoga for Chronic & Neuropathic Pain
with Rodrigo Souza
> Click to learn more about Session #5
Yoga can be a powerful tool to transform pain by meeting it with the tender gravity of kindness.
Rodrigo will lead a short seated practice to get us moving and then we will delve into the world of neuropathic pain. This type of pain affects 70% of people with spinal cord injuries and many others. Rodrigo will share how he learned to live harmoniously with this "not-so-lovely" companion using yoga and mindfulness as his main form of treatment.
During the session, we will learn about neuropathic pain, its causes, and how to manage it in a more holistic, compassionate, and wholehearted way. We will also explore ways to integrate yoga into our daily routines to optimize our physical and mental well-being while living with chronic pain.
Session 6: Tools for Teachers & Students Living with Energy Limiting Conditions
with Astrid van Rens
> Click to learn more about Session #6
Living with limited energy affects both body image and self worth. This can deeply influence someone's yoga practice. How can understanding this help us teach yoga in ways that welcomes variations and diversity? For people experiencing chronic fatigue or energy-limiting conditions, yoga can be a supportive way to keep or start moving in an accessible way and practicing pacing themselves at the same time.
As a yoga teacher there will be people who come to your classes with chronic fatigue or energy-limiting conditions. But do you know how to provide tools that are supportive and helpful? How can you offer a practice that acknowledges their needs in a loving and supportive way?
In this workshop Astrid, who teaches those with chronic fatigue and has a lived experience of this herself, will talk from her personal and professional experience. She’ll share tools, skills, and practices to adapt your classes to accommodate and address chronic fatigue. You'll gain insights and we will discuss how to integrate these into your classes to support people living with these conditions.
There will also be a special focus on tips, tools, and considerations for teachers living with limited energy themselves and how to manage teaching and preparing for classes while being able to pace yourself in a gentle way. During this workshop we will alternate talking and discussion with supportive yoga practices, which basically means that the emphasis throughout the workshop is creating a space where rest and pacing is part of the learning experience.
Session 7: Therapeutic Yoga for Cancer Care
with Cheri Clampett
> Click to learn more about Session #7
In this workshop, certified yoga therapist, Cheri Clampett, will share helpful yoga poses and practices for individuals going through cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
Cancer treatment can include surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy and various medications. Going through treatment can be traumatic and stressful. Therapeutic Yoga gives patients the tools to take an active role in their own healing process while in treatment, with a focus on supportive restorative yoga postures, gentle yoga, guided meditation, and self-healing techniques.
When the student feels empowered and knows ways to self soothe and nurture themselves, they fare better through the healing process.
Session 8: Yoga for Long-COVID & Pulmonary Health
with Monisha Raja
> Click to learn more about Session #8
In this session, Monisha will explore the physiology of proper breathing, and the various disease-fighting mechanisms activated in the body through the practice of yoga. She will share the breathing practices and restorative postures that have helped her maintain healthy lungs and increase lung volume and strength through Long Covd.
Breathing is of paramount importance. The ancient yogis said that breath is the link between mind and body. If we are in charge of our breath, we are in charge of all aspects of our being. Prana (life force) Ayama (expansion) is the practice of increasing prana in the body to optimize health and reduce dis-ease. We will explore how lung volume and volumes of blood gasses are altered in various breathing exercises and postures.
She’ll offer asanas (postures) supported with cushions, blankets, blocks and/or straps, where you’ll experience a deeper connection with yourself, up-regulating parasympathetic activity, down-regulating sympathetic activity, while expanding, strengthening and draining the lungs of fluid and stale air.
Session 9: Yoga for Migraine & Fibromyalgia
with Natalia Tabilo
> Click to learn more about Session #9
In this workshop, Natalia Tabilo, founder of Yoga for All Bodies™, will explore tips and techniques to create welcoming and accessible spaces that allow students living with migraine and fibromyalgia to enjoy their yoga practice in a safe way that honors their needs.
Natalia will share from her own experience with these conditions and she will dive into the importance of offering yoga variations and safety tips, and she will explore the implications of living with pain and migraines.
This workshop includes both a theoretical and a practical section.
Session 10:
Part 1: Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis
with Sarah Thomas
Part 2: Series Summary
with Jivana Heyman
> Click to learn more about Session #10
Part 1: Discover a tailored yoga experience with Sarah Thomas, author of Chair Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis & Chronic Pain. Explore seated yoga poses and gentle movements designed for individuals with MS and chronic pain, using a chair for support.
Sarah will guide you through breathing exercises and mindfulness practices, aiming to enhance well-being and empower those with physical limitations to enjoy the benefits of yoga.
Part 2: To conclude this series, Accessible Yoga founder, Jivana Heyman, will offer a final wrap-up where he will review highlights of the material shared by our ten presenters and lead a discussion about how to best serve students with chronic illness while also caring for ourselves. The wrap up will serve as a way to integrate the various teachings offered in the series and address questions and share observations that we’ve made during the program.
Yoga for Chronic Illness
"Yoga can help us navigate the unpredictability, loss, physical symptoms, and difficult emotions that can arise when living with complex chronic illness. Practices such as deep self-compassion (ahimsa), standing firm in our boundaries (satya), and conserving energy by pacing our activities (brahmacharya) are essential tools to support our wellbeing."
– Katie Blecker
What Graduates of the Yoga for Spoonies series are saying:
“The Yoga for Spoonies workshop series brought me skills, knowledge, community, and hope.”
“This series helped me discover the importance of giving myself grace and respecting my illness. I now feel confident to begin teaching yoga again.”
“All of the sessions included knowledge and tools that helped me understand chronic illness and how to best serve my students, and brought me to a new understanding of yoga as a healing practice. I teach a diversity of students and this training will allow me to help those with chronic illness feel safe and welcome.”
Meet Your Facilitators
Dr. Steffany Moonaz (she/her)
Yoga for Arthritis
Katie Blecker (she/her)
Yoga for ME / CFS & Chronic Fatigue
Audrey (she/her)
Yoga for ME / CFS & Chronic Fatigue
Learn more about Steffany
Dr. Steffany Moonaz serves as Professor and Research Director at Southern California University of Health Sciences where she focuses on understanding the application of yoga and integrative health practices for the management of arthritis and chronic pain conditions. She is a certified yoga therapist, health coach, and founder of Yoga for Arthritis- an organization that provides training and tools to improve the safety, accessibility, appropriateness and effectiveness of yoga practices for this population. She is passionate about using evidence-informed practices with a heart-centered approach and believes that each of us is the world’s leading expert of our own bodymind.
Dr. Moonaz hails from the east coast and now lives outside San Diego with her family. Her first book, Yoga Therapy for Arthritis: A Whole-Person Approach to Movement and Lifestyle is available through Singing Dragon Press. Her second book is a memoir that will be released by FriesenPress in 2024, entitled, Driving Home: Cancer, Concussion, Mom and Me.
Connect with Steffany:
www.arthritis.yoga
@yogaforarthritis
facebook.com/Yoga4Arthritis
youtube.com/@yogaforarthritis923
Learn more about Katie
Katie Blecker (she/her) is a yoga teacher, advocate, and visual artist based in so-called Vancouver, Canada (unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Peoples). Her work as a trauma-informed yoga facilitator centers supporting folks who live with chronic illness and pain, disability, and chronic stress using tools such as therapeutic asana, pranayama, and meditation, while enthusiastically emphasizing the importance of resting practices in our self- and community-care. Katie’s lived experience with complex chronic illness informs her worldview and inspires her passion for disability advocacy. She is a faculty member in the Yoga Teacher Training and Yoga Therapy programs at the Vancouver School of Healing Arts, where she currently leads curricula based on accessibility in yoga.
Connect with Katie:
www.katiebleckeryoga.com
@katie.blecker
Learn more about Audrey
Audrey (she/her) is a yoga asana and meditation teacher, based in France (land of the coloniser). As a disabled and neurodivergent person, her philosophy is that the practice will adapt to the person, not the other way around. Acknowledging her limitations and her limited energy, she had to find a new way to practise yoga. This has led her to become a teacher, taking many trainings including with Accessible Yoga School, and Mind Body Solution. As an activist since a young age, she also welcomed the opportunity to further reflect about her own social position and internalised ableism, and to ensure that her teaching is rooted in transformational justice. Her dream is to share all these tools with other people so they too can find a practice that serves them. She is the founder of Auzhó, an online studio all about community, access, and joy.
Connect with Audrey:
auzho.com
@audrey_auzho
youtube.com/@auzho
Rodrigo Souza (he/him)
A Holistic Approach to Yoga
for Chronic & Neuropathic Pain
Marsha D. Banks-Harold (she/her)
Navigating Chronic Illness
as a Yoga Teacher / Yoga Therapist
Dr. Shailla Vaidya (she/her)
Yoga for Traumatic Brain Injury
Learn more about Rodrigo
Rodrigo Souza (he/him) is an Adaptive & Accessible Yoga teacher with experience in teaching yoga to folks who have undergone Trauma & Disability. Rodrigo endured a devastating spinal cord injury after a fall accident which left him paralyzed from the chest down. The experience of living with chronic pain and trauma has taught him the importance of taking charge of his recovery to optimise long-term well-being. Despite the challenges, he has found purpose in becoming a Yoga teacher and sharing his knowledge with others. Through his Allihopa Accessible & Adaptive Virtual Yoga Studio, he has created a safe and welcoming space for people with diverse abilities from all over the world to practice yoga and find healing. He also teaches for several Non-profits, community centres and newly injured folks in an Active Rehabilitation Center in Sweden. He is part of the Accessible Yoga Association board of directors and is focused on creating a supportive community for those who have experienced trauma, loss & and disability through Adaptive & Accessible Yoga.
Connect with Rodrigo:
www.allihopayoga.com
@allihopayoga
facebook.com/AllihopaYoga
Learn more about Marsha
Marsha D. Banks-Harold, present moment cancer survivor, Director of PIES fitness holistic yoga therapy and yoga teacher training programs, owner of PIES fitness yoga studio, creator of my body don’t bend that way yoga, executive engineering leader, certified yoga therapist, trauma sensitive yoga facilitator is a called intuitive healing trailblazer who empowers clients to compassionately lead while negotiating the intersectionality of trauma, wellness, body positivity, disabilities, chronic illness, cancer, addiction, and social justice. She is published in Yoga Therapy Today: 1) Building the Business of Yoga Therapy and 2) Reclaiming Humanity & Community: Healing the Trauma, Pain, & Suffering of Prejudice and Disparity and is a contributing author in Yoga Therapy Foundations, Tools, and Practice: a Comprehensive Textbook and inYoga Therapy Across the Cancer Care Continuum and serves on IAYT and YA Board of Directors. Marsha is an experienced workshop leader and public speaker advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Connect with Marsha:
www.piesfitnessyoga.com
@piesfitnessyoga
facebook.com/PIESFitness
Learn more about Shailla
Dr. Shailla Vaidya MD MP CCFP(EM) C-IAYT is a physician focused on Mind-Body Medicine in Toronto, Canada. She is trained in Family and Emergency Medicine, as well as Yoga Therapy, and holds a Master’s in Public Health from Harvard University. For over 20 years, she has practiced with diverse and marginalized populations, innovating healthcare. Dr. Vaidya combines Eastern Wisdom with Western Medicine to help people feel like themselves again. She is the creator of many trauma-informed, therapeutic Yoga and Lifestyle Medicine programs, including the Rest, Reset Rise! Burnout Recovery Program. After sustaining a head injury, she created the Reconnect Concussion Program and the Live Better Post-Concussion Program, to help others recover from Brain Injury and Neuro-inflammatory Conditions. She is also teacher-trained in the Mindful Self-Compassion Program, the Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities Program, and is a clinical connector to the Love Your Brain Program.
Connect with Shailla:
www.theyogamd.ca
@theyogamd.ca
reconnectconcussion.com
Astrid van Rens (she/her)
Tools for Teachers & Students Living with Energy Limiting Conditions
Cheri Clampett (she/her)
Therapeutic Yoga for Cancer Care
Monisha Raja (she/her)
Yoga for Long-COVID & Pulmonary Health
Learn more about Astrid
Astrid van Rens lives in the Netherlands and has been teaching yoga for over a decade. She teaches and practices yoga from a lived experience of chronic pain and fatigue. In the first years of teaching she began to experience more and more physical symptoms and fatigue. She even wondered if teaching would still be possible. She also saw that there were many people who stopped taking classes because it didn't match their physical abilities. Over the years she found ways and tools to adapt yoga practices to her personal needs and the needs of people who came to her classes. Since 2013 Astrid has been offering classes to people living with illness and chronic fatigue. In 2016 she started one of the first online yoga schools in the Netherlands with online (live) classes. Offering mindful movement in a sustainable, accessible and gentle way.
Connect with Astrid:
www.deonlineyogaschool.nl
@deonlineyogaschool
Learn more about Cheri
Cheri Clampett, C-IAYT, ERYT-500 is the Founder and Director of the Therapeutic Yoga Training Program. She is a certified yoga therapist with over 25 years of teaching experience and is passionate about bringing the benefits of yoga to those recovering from or living with injury or illness. Cheri has presented Therapeutic Yoga at Beth Israel Medical Center and the Langone Medical Center at NYU. Cheri co-created the yoga program at the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center in 1999, where she continues to teach weekly classes. Cheri’s teaching focuses on the healing aspects of yoga: freeing the body, breath and flow of energy through practicing with awareness, compassion, and love. Cheri is the co-author of the Therapeutic Yoga Kit, published in January 2009 by Inner Traditions.
Connect with Cheri:
www.therapeuticyoga.com
@cheri_clampett
Learn more about Monisha
Born and raised in India, Monisha Raja began her yoga practice at the age of four and has been teaching for over 20 years in New York. While having contracted COVID in April 2020, Monisha healed through her practice of Yogic breathing and asanas. Her medical doctor at Mt. Sinai Hospital, marveling at her excellent pulmonary health, urged her to teach COVID patients. She has been conducting her Yoga-For-COVID classes since May 2020. Monisha has been featured on NY1 News, and presents on the topic of yoga's therapeutic impact. She collaborates with scientist and researchers, Dr. William Bushell and Eddie Stern, lending a scientific lens to her pioneering work. Monisha is the founder of YOGA AID, an organization dedicated to shining light on the source culture of Yoga. Monisha lives in New York City and is founder of LOVE IS MIGHTY, a fashion brand rooted in the principle of Ahimsa (non-harming). She teaches Fashion at F.I.T. and Kent State University.
Connect with Monisha:
monisharajayoga.com
@monisharajayoga
Natalia Tabilo (she/her/ella)
Yoga for Migraine & Fibromyalgia
Sarah Thomas (she/her)
Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis
Jivana Heyman (he/him)
Series Summary
Learn more about Natalia
Natalia Tabilo (she/her/ella) is a Chilean yoga teacher (500 RYT), journalist, and the founder of Yoga for all Bodies™. She lives with Chronic Pain and in a larger body. After feeling left out and unseen in yoga spaces, she decided to create Yoga for All Bodies™, an inclusive, welcoming, and accessible practice based on yoga variations (not modifications) and freedom to invite students of all bodies to enjoy their body and mind where they are right now, all while taking their power back. To fulfill the promise of sharing Yoga for All Bodies she has trained in Accessible Yoga, Yoga for All, Trauma-Informed Yoga, Yoga for Mental Health, Somatics, Prenatal, Postnatal, Restorative, Yoga for Seniors, Yoga for Chronic Pain and more. In 2021 Natalia was featured as a “Game Changer” in Yoga by Yoga Journal and in 2023 she was awarded “Ambassador of the Year” by the Accessible Yoga Association.
Connect with Natalia:
yogaforallbodies.com
@Yogaforallbodies
Learn more about Sarah
Sarah Thomas is a seasoned yogi who, inspired by her mother's prenatal yoga classes, embarked on a lifelong journey of yoga and meditation. Guided by her first teacher, she developed a deep passion for the art. At Sage Yoga, Sarah honed her skills, transitioning from student to teacher, sharing her knowledge in venues such as St. Jude, Johnson & Johnson, University of Arkansas for Medical Science, Zen Studios, and Sixth House Wellness Studio. As the author of Chair Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic Pain, Sarah not only contributes to the yoga community but also actively supports those with specific health needs. As a lululemon legacy ambassador, Sarah goes beyond teaching, fostering genuine connections and aligning with lululemon’s mission of empowering individuals in fitness, health, and wellness.
Sarah is not only a yoga instructor but also a certified health and wellness lifestyle coach by Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. She actively supports pre-diabetic, diabetic, and cardiovascular patients on their journey to better health. Devoted to the well-being of others, Sarah strives to share the transformative power of yoga, inspiring a healthier and happier community.
Connect with Sarah:
www.365yogadream.com
@365yogadream
Youtube Channel
Learn more about Jivana
Jivana Heyman (he/him), C-IAYT, E-RYT500, is the founder and director of the Accessible Yoga Association, an international non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings. He’s the author of Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body, Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion (Shambhala Publications), and The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body (January 2024).
Jivana coined the phrase, “Accessible Yoga,” over ten years ago, and it has now become the standard appellation for a large cross section of the immense yoga world.
He brought the Accessible Yoga community together for the first time in 2015 for the Accessible Yoga Conference, which has gone on to become a focal point for this movement. Jivana is also the creator of the Accessible Yoga Training and the co-founder of the online Accessible Yoga Training School with Amber Karnes, which is a platform for continued education for yoga teachers in the field of equity and accessibility. They also created the Accessible Yoga Podcast in 2020 (now The Love Of Yoga Podcast, hosted by the Accessible Yoga Association and Anjali Rao).
Over the past 25 years, Jivana has led countless yoga teacher training programs around the world, and dedicates his time to supporting yoga teachers who are working to serve communities that are under-represented in traditional yoga spaces.
Connect with Jivana:
www.jivanaheyman.com
@jivanaheyman
facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Meet Your Facilitators
Dr. Steffany Moonaz (she/her)
Yoga for Arthritis
Learn more about Steffany
Dr. Steffany Moonaz serves as Professor and Research Director at Southern California University of Health Sciences where she focuses on understanding the application of yoga and integrative health practices for the management of arthritis and chronic pain conditions. She is a certified yoga therapist, health coach, and founder of Yoga for Arthritis- an organization that provides training and tools to improve the safety, accessibility, appropriateness and effectiveness of yoga practices for this population. She is passionate about using evidence-informed practices with a heart-centered approach and believes that each of us is the world’s leading expert of our own bodymind.
Dr. Moonaz hails from the east coast and now lives outside San Diego with her family. Her first book, Yoga Therapy for Arthritis: A Whole-Person Approach to Movement and Lifestyle is available through Singing Dragon Press. Her second book is a memoir that will be released by FriesenPress in 2024, entitled, Driving Home: Cancer, Concussion, Mom and Me.
Connect with Steffany:
www.arthritis.yoga
@yogaforarthritis
facebook.com/Yoga4Arthritis
youtube.com/@yogaforarthritis923
Katie Blecker (she/her)
Yoga for ME / CFS & Chronic Fatigue
Learn more about Katie
Katie Blecker (she/her) is a yoga teacher, advocate, and visual artist based in so-called Vancouver, Canada (unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Peoples). Her work as a trauma-informed yoga facilitator centers supporting folks who live with chronic illness and pain, disability, and chronic stress using tools such as therapeutic asana, pranayama, and meditation, while enthusiastically emphasizing the importance of resting practices in our self- and community-care. Katie’s lived experience with complex chronic illness informs her worldview and inspires her passion for disability advocacy. She is a faculty member in the Yoga Teacher Training and Yoga Therapy programs at the Vancouver School of Healing Arts, where she currently leads curricula based on accessibility in yoga.
Connect with Katie:
www.katiebleckeryoga.com
@katie.blecker
Audrey (she/her)
Yoga for ME / CFS & Chronic Fatigue
Learn more about Audrey
Audrey (she/her) is a yoga asana and meditation teacher, based in France (land of the coloniser). As a disabled and neurodivergent person, her philosophy is that the practice will adapt to the person, not the other way around. Acknowledging her limitations and her limited energy, she had to find a new way to practise yoga. This has led her to become a teacher, taking many trainings including with Accessible Yoga School, and Mind Body Solution. As an activist since a young age, she also welcomed the opportunity to further reflect about her own social position and internalised ableism, and to ensure that her teaching is rooted in transformational justice. Her dream is to share all these tools with other people so they too can find a practice that serves them. She is the founder of Auzhó, an online studio all about community, access, and joy.
Connect with Audrey:
auzho.com
@audrey_auzho
youtube.com/@auzho
Rodrigo Souza (he/him)
A Holistic Approach to Yoga
for Chronic & Neuropathic Pain
Learn more about Rodrigo
Rodrigo Souza (he/him) is an Adaptive & Accessible Yoga teacher with experience in teaching yoga to folks who have undergone Trauma & Disability. Rodrigo endured a devastating spinal cord injury after a fall accident which left him paralyzed from the chest down. The experience of living with chronic pain and trauma has taught him the importance of taking charge of his recovery to optimise long-term well-being. Despite the challenges, he has found purpose in becoming a Yoga teacher and sharing his knowledge with others. Through his Allihopa Accessible & Adaptive Virtual Yoga Studio, he has created a safe and welcoming space for people with diverse abilities from all over the world to practice yoga and find healing. He also teaches for several Non-profits, community centres and newly injured folks in an Active Rehabilitation Center in Sweden. He is part of the Accessible Yoga Association board of directors and is focused on creating a supportive community for those who have experienced trauma, loss & and disability through Adaptive & Accessible Yoga.
Connect with Rodrigo:
www.allihopayoga.com
@allihopayoga
facebook.com/AllihopaYoga
Marsha D. Banks-Harold (she/her)
Navigating Chronic Illness
as a Yoga Teacher / Yoga Therapist
Learn more about Marsha
Marsha D. Banks-Harold, present moment cancer survivor, Director of PIES fitness holistic yoga therapy and yoga teacher training programs, owner of PIES fitness yoga studio, creator of my body don’t bend that way yoga, executive engineering leader, certified yoga therapist, trauma sensitive yoga facilitator is a called intuitive healing trailblazer who empowers clients to compassionately lead while negotiating the intersectionality of trauma, wellness, body positivity, disabilities, chronic illness, cancer, addiction, and social justice. She is published in Yoga Therapy Today: 1) Building the Business of Yoga Therapy and 2) Reclaiming Humanity & Community: Healing the Trauma, Pain, & Suffering of Prejudice and Disparity and is a contributing author in Yoga Therapy Foundations, Tools, and Practice: a Comprehensive Textbook and inYoga Therapy Across the Cancer Care Continuum and serves on IAYT and YA Board of Directors. Marsha is an experienced workshop leader and public speaker advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Connect with Marsha:
www.piesfitnessyoga.com
@piesfitnessyoga
facebook.com/PIESFitness
Dr. Shailla Vaidya (she/her)
Yoga for Traumatic Brain Injury
Learn more about Shailla
Dr. Shailla Vaidya MD MP CCFP(EM) C-IAYT is a physician focused on Mind-Body Medicine in Toronto, Canada. She is trained in Family and Emergency Medicine, as well as Yoga Therapy, and holds a Master’s in Public Health from Harvard University. For over 20 years, she has practiced with diverse and marginalized populations, innovating healthcare. Dr. Vaidya combines Eastern Wisdom with Western Medicine to help people feel like themselves again. She is the creator of many trauma-informed, therapeutic Yoga and Lifestyle Medicine programs, including the Rest, Reset Rise! Burnout Recovery Program. After sustaining a head injury, she created the Reconnect Concussion Program and the Live Better Post-Concussion Program, to help others recover from Brain Injury and Neuro-inflammatory Conditions. She is also teacher-trained in the Mindful Self-Compassion Program, the Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities Program, and is a clinical connector to the Love Your Brain Program.
Connect with Shailla:
www.theyogamd.ca
@theyogamd.ca
reconnectconcussion.com
Astrid van Rens (she/her)
Tools for Teachers & Students Living with Energy Limiting Conditions
Learn more about Astrid
Astrid van Rens lives in the Netherlands and has been teaching yoga for over a decade. She teaches and practices yoga from a lived experience of chronic pain and fatigue. In the first years of teaching she began to experience more and more physical symptoms and fatigue. She even wondered if teaching would still be possible. She also saw that there were many people who stopped taking classes because it didn't match their physical abilities. Over the years she found ways and tools to adapt yoga practices to her personal needs and the needs of people who came to her classes. Since 2013 Astrid has been offering classes to people living with illness and chronic fatigue. In 2016 she started one of the first online yoga schools in the Netherlands with online (live) classes. Offering mindful movement in a sustainable, accessible and gentle way.
Connect with Astrid:
www.deonlineyogaschool.nl
@deonlineyogaschool
Cheri Clampett (she/her)
Therapeutic Yoga for Cancer Care
Learn more about Cheri
Cheri Clampett, C-IAYT, ERYT-500 is the Founder and Director of the Therapeutic Yoga Training Program. She is a certified yoga therapist with over 25 years of teaching experience and is passionate about bringing the benefits of yoga to those recovering from or living with injury or illness. Cheri has presented Therapeutic Yoga at Beth Israel Medical Center and the Langone Medical Center at NYU. Cheri co-created the yoga program at the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center in 1999, where she continues to teach weekly classes. Cheri’s teaching focuses on the healing aspects of yoga: freeing the body, breath and flow of energy through practicing with awareness, compassion, and love. Cheri is the co-author of the Therapeutic Yoga Kit, published in January 2009 by Inner Traditions.
Connect with Cheri:
www.therapeuticyoga.com
@cheri_clampett
Monisha Raja (she/her)
Yoga for Long-COVID & Pulmonary Health
Learn more about Monisha
Born and raised in India, Monisha Raja began her yoga practice at the age of four and has been teaching for over 20 years in New York. While having contracted COVID in April 2020, Monisha healed through her practice of Yogic breathing and asanas. Her medical doctor at Mt. Sinai Hospital, marveling at her excellent pulmonary health, urged her to teach COVID patients. She has been conducting her Yoga-For-COVID classes since May 2020. Monisha has been featured on NY1 News, and presents on the topic of yoga's therapeutic impact. She collaborates with scientist and researchers, Dr. William Bushell and Eddie Stern, lending a scientific lens to her pioneering work. Monisha is the founder of YOGA AID, an organization dedicated to shining light on the source culture of Yoga. Monisha lives in New York City and is founder of LOVE IS MIGHTY, a fashion brand rooted in the principle of Ahimsa (non-harming). She teaches Fashion at F.I.T. and Kent State University.
Connect with Monisha:
monisharajayoga.com
@monisharajayoga
Natalia Tabilo (she/her/ella)
Yoga for Migraine & Fibromyalgia
Learn more about Natalia
Natalia Tabilo (she/her/ella) is a Chilean yoga teacher (500 RYT), journalist, and the founder of Yoga for all Bodies™. She lives with Chronic Pain and in a larger body. After feeling left out and unseen in yoga spaces, she decided to create Yoga for All Bodies™, an inclusive, welcoming, and accessible practice based on yoga variations (not modifications) and freedom to invite students of all bodies to enjoy their body and mind where they are right now, all while taking their power back. To fulfill the promise of sharing Yoga for All Bodies she has trained in Accessible Yoga, Yoga for All, Trauma-Informed Yoga, Yoga for Mental Health, Somatics, Prenatal, Postnatal, Restorative, Yoga for Seniors, Yoga for Chronic Pain and more. In 2021 Natalia was featured as a “Game Changer” in Yoga by Yoga Journal and in 2023 she was awarded “Ambassador of the Year” by the Accessible Yoga Association.
Connect with Natalia:
yogaforallbodies.com
@Yogaforallbodies
Sarah Thomas (she/her)
Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis
Learn more about Sarah
Sarah Thomas is a seasoned yogi who, inspired by her mother's prenatal yoga classes, embarked on a lifelong journey of yoga and meditation. Guided by her first teacher, she developed a deep passion for the art. At Sage Yoga, Sarah honed her skills, transitioning from student to teacher, sharing her knowledge in venues such as St. Jude, Johnson & Johnson, University of Arkansas for Medical Science, Zen Studios, and Sixth House Wellness Studio. As the author of Chair Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic Pain, Sarah not only contributes to the yoga community but also actively supports those with specific health needs. As a lululemon legacy ambassador, Sarah goes beyond teaching, fostering genuine connections and aligning with lululemon’s mission of empowering individuals in fitness, health, and wellness.
Sarah is not only a yoga instructor but also a certified health and wellness lifestyle coach by Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. She actively supports pre-diabetic, diabetic, and cardiovascular patients on their journey to better health. Devoted to the well-being of others, Sarah strives to share the transformative power of yoga, inspiring a healthier and happier community.
Connect with Sarah:
www.365yogadream.com
@365yogadream
Youtube Channel
Jivana Heyman (he/him)
Series Summary
Learn more about Jivana
Jivana Heyman (he/him), C-IAYT, E-RYT500, is the founder and director of the Accessible Yoga Association, an international non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings. He’s the author of Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body, Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion (Shambhala Publications), and The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body (January 2024).
Jivana coined the phrase, “Accessible Yoga,” over ten years ago, and it has now become the standard appellation for a large cross section of the immense yoga world.
He brought the Accessible Yoga community together for the first time in 2015 for the Accessible Yoga Conference, which has gone on to become a focal point for this movement. Jivana is also the creator of the Accessible Yoga Training and the co-founder of the online Accessible Yoga Training School with Amber Karnes, which is a platform for continued education for yoga teachers in the field of equity and accessibility. They also created the Accessible Yoga Podcast in 2020 (now The Love Of Yoga Podcast, hosted by the Accessible Yoga Association and Anjali Rao).
Over the past 25 years, Jivana has led countless yoga teacher training programs around the world, and dedicates his time to supporting yoga teachers who are working to serve communities that are under-represented in traditional yoga spaces.
Connect with Jivana:
www.jivanaheyman.com
@jivanaheyman
facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Enroll Now (On-Demand)
Tuition for this online on-demand workshop series is $399-$499 USD sliding scale
We also offer partial scholarships.
Tiered Pricing Explained:
- Community Rate (supported by your peers)
- Sustainer Rate (covers your enrollment)
- Supporter Rate (covers your enrollment + supports your peers)
If you are able to enroll at the Supporter or Sustainer Rate, your contributions support the ability to offer a lower rate to community members experiencing financial difficulties.
If you would like to clarify which pricing tier is most appropriate for you, please refer to this helpful graphic by Alexis J Cunningfolk:
The Green Bottle: Where You Fall On The Sliding Scale
Intention of Equity Pricing Structure:
Please take a moment to consider the intention of our scholarship program and equity pricing structure, which was created in order to amplify training access for those who hold marginalized identities and those experiencing significant financial hardship.
If neither of those qualifications apply to you, we ask you to please consider other payment options, including using the tiered equity pricing structure, or supporting others in our community who have decreased access to financial resources by enrolling as a Sustainer or Supporter, if this is accessible to you.
Need a partial scholarship?
Cultivating Compassion
"I have found that Yoga can open up a realm of possibilities to create a life that works with the ebbs and flows of chronic illness, not against it. A life where it's about 'both / and', where curiosity and creativity can flourish, where cultivating compassion and a sense of agency is centered, where interconnectedness with other beings, the land, my breath and my body has been transformative."
– Audrey (Auzhó Yoga)
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any prerequisites for this series?
There are no prerequisites to join except the willingness to stay open to new information.
Is this workshop series all online? How does it work?
Yes this on-demand workshop series is 100% online.
Here's how it works:
- When you register, you'll receive instant access to your online course portal. You can log in to your portal using the email address and password you entered upon registration.
- Your course portal includes a welcome video, session descriptions, and the captioned recordings of the online Yoga for Spoonies Workshop Series, recorded live in February-March 2024. The series consists of 10 x 2-hour video replays.
- Your on-demand enrollment includes access to the workshop recordings and associated resources for 1 year.
- Once you have reviewed all the content, you will self-certify that you've completed the workshop series. You'll then receive a PDF certificate of completion, which can be submitted for CEUs with Yoga Alliance
Will there be asana practice?
There is a sample asana practice included in each workshop recording. The included sample practices include chair and mat / bed practices, which are designed to be suitable for those with chronic pain / illness, or energy limiting conditions.
How is this course different from the Accessible Yoga Training?
Yoga for Spoonies is a 20-hour workshop series (recorded live, and now available on-demand), offered over 10 x 2 hour sessions, with multiple teachers offering individual workshops. With this format, it is more of a survey course with multiple perspectives and ideas shared.
The 40-hour Accessible Yoga Training Online doesn’t go into great detail on specific conditions, whereas the Yoga for Spoonies workshop series, designed to compliment the 40-hour Accessible Yoga Training, will focus on a specific condition or consideration for each full 2-hour workshop. Topics will include Cancer, Long Covid, MS, Chronic Fatigue, Nerve Pain, and more.
Each session will also include a sample practice designed to support the population / condition that that session is focused on.
Our Accessible Yoga Training Online is a 40-hour live, online training, which focuses on adapting practices on a mat, chair, or bed. It also focuses on skills for mixed-level teaching (having students with varying needs / abilities practicing together within the same class, without the need for segregating different groups based on age or ability etc).
This course also includes content on how to teach pranayama and meditation practices in accessible and trauma-informed ways. It covers specialized considerations for practitioners in larger bodies, wheelchair users, those who are neurodivergent and older adults. We also address yoga and social justice, breaking the cycle of white supremacy culture in wellness spaces, race-based traumatic stress and trauma conscious yoga, yoga for mental health, consideration for trans and queer communities, and disability awareness.
This training is a comprehensive training including live online training via Zoom, plus pre-recorded content, a comprehensive training manual, and live online study group sessions facilitated by our trainers.
This training is most ideally suited to those who have previously or are currently completing a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training course, and is designed for those who want to be able to confidently, competently and safely share yoga in a way which not only accommodates, but honors and celebrates, people of all ages, sizes, abilities, and experience levels. It offers tools for teachers to be able to share yoga with anyone who wants to practice, and skills for practitioners to adapt practices in a way that suits their individual body, needs and ability.
Do I need special equipment or software for this workshop series?
Your online portal, where you will access the workshop recordings, is web based and can be accessed through any internet browser, via various devices (computer, phone, tablet etc).
To easily access your course via a mobile device, you can download the free Kajabi app.
Kajabi is the platform we use to host this series and create your online portal. Once you download the free Kajabi app, go ahead and sign in with the email you and password you selected upon registration in the course, and that's it!
With the Kajabi mobile app, you'll be able to access the series content right from your phone. The app also automatically saves your progress, even when you switch between sessions and devices (which is particularly helpful if you are catching up via the recordings, and marking each session as complete when done).
Each workshop recording includes a sample practice.
We recommend having access to the following yoga props for the practical components offered during this workshop series:
- Yoga Mat or comfortable space for practicing
- Chair (supportive back, sturdy legs, preferably no arms)
- 2 Yoga Blocks
- 1 Yoga Strap (or alternative - eg. scarf, plus a green Theraband could be used if you have access to one)
- 1-2 Bolsters (or couch cushions / pillows)
- 3+ Blankets (or Towels)
- 2-3 Bed or Throw Pillows
- Scarf / Unscented Eye Cover
- Any props as needed to lay down / recline comfortably
*Included sample practices include chair and mat / bed practices, which are designed to be suitable for those with chronic pain / illness, or energy limiting conditions.
*Having traditional yoga props available is not a requirement to complete this on-demand workshop series. You are welcome to be creative with supports you have around your home.
How long do I have access to the on-demand workshop recordings?
On-Demand enrollment includes access to the captioned workshop recordings and associated resources, via our online student portal, for 1 year.
Can I share the videos or other resources with other teachers who aren't in the series?
The content shared through this workshop series is for your personal use. We ask that you don't share videos or resources included with anyone who hasn't enrolled.
Any free resources that the facilitators share with overlapping information or links to connect with their work, we encourage you to share those widely (or even better, encourage your friends and colleagues to enroll to access this on-demand series and/or engage with paid resources / offerings from our presenters to support the work they do).
Are scholarships available for this series?
If our sliding scale pricing still isn't accessible to you, we do offer a limited number of partial scholarships.
Please click here to review our equity pricing details and access the partial scholarship application form.
Are payment plans available?
Payment plans aren't available for this on-demand online workshop series, however we do offer tiered pricing and partial scholarships.
What if I need a refund?
Please note - this on-demand workshop series is non-refundable.
Does this workshop series count for Continuing Education with Yoga Alliance?
Yes. This on-demand workshop series is worth 20 Continuing Education hours. Eligible yoga teachers will earn CE credit through Yoga Alliance. Upon completion of the course content, you will receive a downloadable certificate you can submit for credit.
As this series is led by a group of presenters, CEU requests will need to be entered manually, rather than under one individual teacher as a YACEP. Details for lodging hours are provided for those who enroll and complete the series.
What if I need help?
Your success is our #1 priority. If you need help at any time you can contact us and we'll be in touch!
