Education

1. General Background in the Specialty Area (12 hours)
2. Techniques, Training and Practice (20 hours)
3. Teaching Methodology (15 hours)
4. Anatomy & Physiology (10 hours)
5. Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle and Ethics for Yoga Teachers (12 hours)
6. Practicum (18 hours)
7. Electives (8 hours)

In this experience, our time together will be shaped by our exploration and practice of the four Bs: brain, breath, body, and balance. We’ll engage in these efforts in various settings with some of Lumin’s amazing business and non-profit community partners. Your experience will be hands-on right from the get-go. You’ll have time in the “classroom”, but much more out in the world, in our community, making change.

1. Techniques, Trainings, and Practice: Asana, Pranayama and Subtle Body, and Meditation (75 hours)
2. Anatomy & Physiology: Anatomy, Physiology and Biomechanics (30 hours)
3. Yoga Humanities: History, Philosophy and Ethics (30 hours)
4. Professional Essentials: Teaching Methodology, Professional Development and Practicum (50 hours)

Our children are crying out for help. Unfortunately, as parents and providers, caregivers and caretakers, we’re not always equipped to meet the needs of those we love, care for, and serve. The good news is we can change this sad reality. We can learn to be the rock our kids need us to be, the calm, steady nervous system for them to plug into, the role models for resiliency they need to not just survive, but thrive in this dynamic, ever-evolving landscape. The challenges young people face are profound. Our response needs to be even bigger.

Our time together in this workshop will focus on why things are the way they are, how we can become trauma-informed and create trauma-informed spaces, and strategies we can use for better self-care to avoid compassion fatigue and vicarious traumatization, as well mind-body skills for emotional regulation that we can utilize with young people.

This workshop is designed for teachers, childcare providers, counselors, parents, or anyone else who is interested in practicing mindfulness, in finding a better way to serve those who need our help the most, and in rediscovering the passion and purpose that inspires us to love and care for our most vulnerable.

As a result of meaningful engagement with session material & practice, participants will be able to:

1. Develop greater awareness of the emotional backpacks our children carry around;
2. Enhance capability to assess their personal mind/body connection;
3. Expand capacity to offer sensory interventions to address problematic behaviors, including breathing exercises and chair/desk yoga; and
4. Facilitate more meaningful conversations about trauma & self-care.

For a complete listing of available workshops, contact us.

The 12th century Sufi poet Rumi writes, “The wound is the place where the light enters.” If this is true, then the world we live in today must be abundantly bright. It’s easy to look around and see lots of issues, lots of wounds: war, violence, cultural and political division, the list goes on.

This is Your Brain on Trauma is designed for any individual who is experiencing the symptoms of trauma or post-traumatic stress and is interested in learning strategies that promote mindful self-care, as well as for family members, providers or friends of someone suffering with traumatic stress, mental health clinicians, yoga teachers, school teachers, or anyone else who is interested in learning more about how we can use our bodies to heal our bodies. Utilizing the work of Peter Levine, Bessel van der Kolk, Richard Miller, and others, and incorporating training from the Veterans Yoga Project, we will explore where we see trauma manifesting in society, in our yoga classes, classrooms, clinical settings and homes, as well as how trauma implants on our brains and in our bodies. Two hours of the workshop will be devoted to some of the neurological features of trauma’s impact on the nervous system and how the practice of mindful resilience, yoga and meditation can complement other therapeutic interventions in promoting self-care and wellness. The final hour will be a Yoga Nidra practice, which can enable participants to experience first-hand the benefits of connecting breath to body sensation, of noticing versus judging, and of finding gratitude in our moment-to-moment awareness.

Would you like to deepen your practice by exploring the roots of yogic philosophy?

In our time together we’ll examine and discuss the impact and influence of two core texts, The Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and unlock connections between the mythology and movement of yoga. For yoga students, we’ll provide the contextual background, the behind-the-scenes connections of the 8-limbed philosophy that often guides an asana practice. For yoga teachers, we’ll explore some simple ways to incorporate philosophy and mythology into your asana scripts and sequences.

No previous experience with the texts is required, just a willingness to dive deeper into the origins of yogic thought and how it connects to your body, your mind, your energy, your emotions, and your spirit. We’ll examine core concepts like the principle of non-attachment, the subtle distinctions of jnana, karma, and bhakti yoga, and examine the roots of the practice of physical, mental, and spiritual science.  No shoes required.

The body is continuously sending us messages that our minds, our energy, our feelings and emotions, and our spirit unfortunately tune out. Our time together will focus on learning to tune into these messengers in order to transform our asana practice and ourselves. This workshop is designed for yoga students who are interested in deepening their understanding of the asana practice, and for yoga teachers who are interested in building a greater awareness of anatomical trains and energetic lines to aid in asana instruction.

In the first half of our sessions, we’ll provide an overview of the overview of the musculoskeletal system covering the spine and core, upper extremities and lower extremities, and learn about the anatomical structure and function of the spine and its supporting core muscles. We’ll learn about all of the core muscles that promote stability throughout the asana practice, plus we will discuss safe movement at every part of the spine to promote health and well-being and ideal mobility. In the second half of the session, we’ll focus our discussion on the arms and their supporting rotator cuff muscles that protect the shoulder joint, as well as finding stability of the knee through the foot and hip. We will discuss why hip openers are not for everyone and ensure ideal alignment to prevent yoga injuries.

Lecture material with notes, pose analysis, and asana practice will be provided.

This workshop is all about creating a yoga practice that is accessible to all populations, no matter what the physical abilities. We will learn modifications and variations of common asanas (poses) through use of props, walls, chairs, or bed. We will review common medical conditions and the benefits and concerns of integrating yoga practice. We will discuss the impact of aging on the body and be aware of different conditions which have precautions and contraindications for yoga poses and/or pranayama. We will discover the powers of our own body’s ability to heal ourselves, strengthen, reduce stress and tension and discuss the many therapeutic benefits of this practice while improving overall health and well-being. We will empower teachers to offer safe and therapeutic practice of yoga and build a yoga community that integrates individuals of all levels, abilities, and backgrounds.

This workshop with consist of lecture material with notes, partner and group work with presentation on modifications of asana and pranayama.

Utilizing the work of Peter Levine, Bessel van der Kolk, Richard Miller, and others, we will explore where we see trauma manifesting in society, in our yoga classes, classrooms, clinical settings and homes, as well as how trauma implants on our brains and in our bodies. We’ll discuss trauma’s impact and how mindful resilience practices can complement other therapeutic interventions in promoting self-care and wellness.  And we’ll share a Yoga Nidra practice to enable participants to experience connecting breath to body sensation, of noticing versus judging, and of finding gratitude in moment-to-moment awareness.

Topics include:

1. understanding trauma and its impact on students
2. viewing trauma as an experience
3. the link between private logic and behavior
4. prioritizing social-emotional skill development
5. establishing safety
6. fostering connections
7. promoting play
8. collaborating with families and the community
9. supporting staff
10. collecting and utilizing data

In addition to these topics, the movie, Paper Tigers, is shown and discussed. This movie depicts the dramatic transformation in troubled teens when the staff at their school incorporates findings from the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study into their education and support services. It captures the pain, danger, beauty, and hopes of struggling teens and their teachers and support staff armed with the new science and fresh approaches that are changing their lives for the better.

Designed for educators working with students who exhibit problematic behavior, this course builds upon the Circle of Courage® philosophy; providing a framework for implementing its principles in a school setting.

Topics covered include

1. Values-based classroom management practices
2. An overview of the Circle of Courage® philosophy
3. “Broken Circles” and pain-based behavior
4. Punishment & reward systems vs. the Circle of Courage®
5. Fostering resilience
6. Integrating the Circle of Courage® with existing behavior management models
7. Characteristics of a “Courageous Classroom”

Brains in pain have a hard time learning. “Breaking Bad Behaviors” will examine how a balance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), mind-body interventions, and creating trauma-informed, resilient spaces can transform student learning. By helping to keep those who struggle the most in the classroom learning instead of in the principal’s office or on suspension, we can transform students’ lives. Sessions will include a variety of case studies and data collected in our work with PreK-college students in various Sioux City, Iowa schools, as well as embodied prevention and interventions practices and activities.

Because so much of our work centers around cultivating a more mindful generation of young people, it’s only natural that we devote significant time and attention to our collaborations with Siouxland school districts. We’ve offered multiple enrichment sessions to several private and public school teachers and administrators all throughout Siouxland and have had multiple significant grant partnerships with the Sioux City Community School District, where we’ve created experiences for both struggling students in the classroom and for those who serve them in more formal conference and workshop settings outside the class. Some of our most meaningful experiences have been with students who struggle behaviorally and in high-need special education classrooms. Lumin is a willing partner in collaborating with schools and school districts to write grants and secure funding. If you’d like some more information about how your school or school district can integrate Lumin into its program offerings, please contact us.

It has always been core to Lumin’s mission to bring yoga, meditation, and mindfulness to EVERYbody. Our organization began as an attempt to bring these practices and services to underrepresented, underfunded, at-risk ‘special’ populations. In doing so, we’ve practiced alongside individuals with Down syndrome, Autism, Cerebal palsy, ADD & ADHD, traumatic-brain injuries, and PTS(D), to name a few. We specialize in making these therapeutic and educational interventions open and accessible to all. Lumin also collaborates with non-profit entities to write grants and secure funding. Some of the organizations we’ve partnered with include Gigi’s Playhouse, Boys and Girls Club of Siouxland, Opportunities Unlimited, Sanford Center, Community Action Agency, and many others. If you’d like some more information about how your non-profit organization can integrate Lumin into its program offerings, please contact us.

Practical strategies on how to most effectively integrate yoga and mindfulness into a workplace regardless of the setting. Lumin offers customized assessments and recommendations based on your business or organization need, as well as specialized modules on Chair/Desk Yoga, Ergonomics, Brain Breaks/Mindful Minutes, Cross-Body Training, Breathing Exercises, Mindful Communication/Conflict Resolution, Team-Building, and Inclusion & Accessibility, among others.

Lumin yoga and mindfulness experiences are focused on 4 Bs: brain, breath, body, and balance. We offer a variety of different types or paths of yoga classes, depending on organizational need: from power flows to gentle, restorative myofascial release, to yoga nidra (yoga sleep) and meditation, among many others. All yoga and mindfulness class offerings are priced based on the number of students participating.

Companies and organizations have unique opportunities to not only increase their employees’ satisfaction, but also to decrease turnover, foster a sense of community, increase productivity, and reduce healthcare costs. Lumin offers participants some simple take back to your desk and boardroom strategies on how to become healthier, happier, and more mindful in each of your moments throughout the day. Professional development sessions include practicing breathing and moving mindfully, as well as data and research on stress, repetitive use injuries, office syndrome, and how yoga and mindfulness can enhance the personal and professional spheres of our lives. Lumin also provides more in-depth retreats and team-building/development days to foster teamwork, collaborative decision-making, crisis management and conflict resolution.

Tier 1: Structured Sensory Play-Based Interventions, Community-Building, Personal & Group Awareness

Tier 2: Academic Interventions, Social Academic Intervention Groups (SAIG), Check-in/Check-out (CICO), After-School Tutoring, Summer Programs

Tier 3: 1-1 Coaching, Home Visits, Digital Storytelling

Tier 1: Summer Institute (for admin.), Self-Care Boot Camp (for teachers & staff), Monthly Special Topic Sessions, Weekly Email Blasts

Tier 2: Self-Care SAIG Groups

Tier 3: 1-1 Coaching