Intro to Teaching Trauma Sensitive Yoga
Help your students feel safer, more empowered, and more at home in their bodies.
With Kelsey Maeve, SEP, TCTSY-F, RYT-500
Sat. August 24, 11:00 am - 5:30 pm
@The Green Yogi, Telegraph, Berkeley
Sliding Scale $150-250
This immersive daylong workshop is designed for yoga teachers who want to teach with more sensitivity, agency, and trauma-awareness without losing the heart of what they love about yoga.
You’ll learn practical skills to refine your cueing, sequence with consent, and navigate nervous system dynamics in your classes, while staying resourced and authentic in your own teaching practice.
What you’ll learn:
The physiology of trauma and how it impacts your students' bodies and behaviors
How to apply the core principles of TCTSY (Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga)
Trauma-informed language and cueing that supports interoception and choice
How to recognize and respond to nervous system dysregulation (in students and yourself)
Tools to regulate your own nervous system while holding space
Sustainable teaching practices to reduce burnout and vicarious trauma
What you’ll experience:
A TCTSY-inspired trauma-sensitive yoga practice to feel it in your own body
Journaling + personal reflection to explore your teaching lineage and nervous system
Small group discussions and scenario practice
A chance to practice trauma-sensitive cueing in pairs (no pressure, just exploration!)
Spacious breaks, time to digest, and a resourced container throughout
What you’ll take home:
A sample class structure + trauma-sensitive cueing template
Regulation and resourcing practices to support nervous system health
A curated list of resources for continued learning and self-care
This Training Is For You If:
You’re a yoga teacher who wants to deepen your trauma-informed skills
You’ve recognized that yoga spaces can sometimes unintentionally cause harm
You’re looking for practical tools to better serve students with trauma histories
You want a resourced, sustainable approach to your own teaching path
You’re curious about healing through embodiment & want to grow your somatic toolkit
Modalities That Shape the Work
Somatic Experiencing® (SE)
Somatic Experiencing® is a body-based approach to healing trauma and chronic stress. Developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine, SE works by gently guiding the nervous system out of fight, flight, or freeze responses and toward greater regulation and resilience. Rather than revisiting traumatic events in detail, SE helps clients tune into bodily sensations and renegotiate incomplete survival responses at a pace that feels safe and empowering.
Learn more at traumahealing.org
Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY)
TCTSY is an evidence-based somatic practice developed at the Trauma Center in Brookline, MA, under the leadership of Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. Rooted in yoga and informed by neuroscience and trauma theory, TCTSY offers a healing pathway for trauma survivors through invitational language, interoception, and personal agency. Rather than emphasizing external forms or goals, TCTSY supports participants in making choices about how to move and feel in their bodies on their own terms.
Learn more at traumasensitiveyoga.com
About the Facilitator
Kelsey Maeve (she/her), is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), certified Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Facilitator (TCTSY-F), and trauma-informed educator with 15+ years in the healing arts.
In 2014, she became the first certified TCTSY teacher in California, and has since trained hundreds of students and professionals across the country. She brings warmth, nuance, and deep embodiment to her teaching, drawing from her private practice in Oakland and a background in somatic movement, expressive arts, and trauma recovery.
Pricing & Registration
$150-250 Sliding Scale
In an effort to make this training accessible while honoring the labor behind it, we offer a sliding scale of $150–$250 (suggested rate: $200).
Please choose the amount that aligns with your current access to financial resources.
Here’s a guide to help you orient to the scale:
$150 – for those with limited income or financial access; this rate is supported by those who can pay more
$200 – the true cost of the training; covers time, materials, and preparation
$250 – for those with financial abundance who wish to redistribute resources and help keep this work sustainable for all
There’s no application or justification required. Thank you for practicing care, integrity, and collective support.
Student Testimonials:
“I loved being in a community where all of me (and my trauma) was welcome and held with gentleness and invitation.”
”Before working with Kelsey, I experienced anxiety and freeze states linked to emotional trauma. Now, I have less anxiety and feel more empowered in my embodied safety and inner guidance.”
”Kelsey is very attuned and brings compassionate presence, inquiry and guidance, with her heart, soul, poetry and humour. I felt really seen, cared for & supported in this grounding and inspiring container.”
”I loved all the beautiful body-based, creative and symbolic approaches Kelsey used. I loved the way she brought in education about the nervous system which helped me understand the process on an even deeper level.”
”This course changed my life. I learned how to be kinder to myself and that changes everything.”
FAQ:
Q: Do I have to teach during the workshop?
A: Not at all. Every element of the training is optional and we’ll be practicing consent along the way. There’s an optional opportunity to practice cueing in pairs, but you're always welcome to observe or pass.
Q: Will there be a break for lunch?
A: Yes! We’ll take a full 60-minute break around 1:00 PM. You’re welcome to bring lunch or step out.
Q: Is this training accessible if I’m still healing my own trauma?
A: This space is designed to be trauma-sensitive for teachers as well. You’ll have full permission to opt in, opt out, take breaks, or modify any activity to support your nervous system.
For additional questions, email hello@kelseymaeve.com