This past December, Maria French added yoga training to her holiday season! Between December 8 and 12 of 2025, Maria completed Teaching with Compassion, Empathy, and Skill – Trauma Informed Yoga from Asheville Yoga Center in Asheville, NC. This five-day, hybrid training provided her with 50 continuing education hours from Yoga Alliance.

Facilitated by Michael Johnson, ERYT-500, and featuring 15 guest speakers (see full list below for background), the training included topics on trauma in the clinical sense, trauma informed yoga, polyvagal theory, somatic practices, compassion, empathy, and resourcing. Maria enjoyed how the training took a holistic approach to understanding trauma through psychology, anatomy, yoga, and Ayurveda. She also found it helpful to hear from many different experts with extensive experience in working with trauma survivors. She is excited to apply knowledge from this training to teaching yoga and to her work as a volunteer advocate at Hope Harbor.

In terms of takeaways, these stick out most to Maria. “Most people will experience or know someone who has experienced trauma. When trauma survivors are feeling activated [also referred to as a trigger] there is a need to have resources to help regulate the nervous system. Trauma informed yoga is a tool to facilitate this through pranayama, asanas, and meditation.”*

Guest speakers list:

• Cricket Greer and Vishnu Dass– Cricket is an Ayurvedic practitioner, RN, MA, LMBT, and educator. Vishnu Dass is Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and LMT.
• Dr. Don Salmon– Licensed clinical psychologist, teacher of Effortless Mindfulness and Yoga Nidra
• Deirdre Smith Gilmer – E-RYT500 and trauma informed yoga teacher
• Gaia Budhai– Yoga teacher and founder of Synergy center for Yoga and the Healing Arts
• Janelle Railey – Psychotherapist and yoga teacher
• Jivana Heyman – C-IAYT, E-RYT500, founder of Accessible Yoga, and author
• Dr. Joey Marion – Physical therapist and professor at Western Carolina University
• Dr. Leslie Temme – Yoga teacher at OASIS Recovery Center in Asheville, NC.
• Shannon Kelly – Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant and Ayurvedic practitioner
• Dr. Shannon Michael Pater – Doctor of psychology, spiritual director and developer of “trauma-informed spiritual direction”
• Sean Johnson – Director of Asheville Yoga Center and founder of Wild Lotus Yoga
• Stephanie Howarth– Somatic psychotherapist and meditation teacher
• Sierra Hollister– E-RYT 500 and author of Moon Path Yoga
• Suzanne Martin – Yoga teacher and founder of The Holistic Youth Project.

*Note: Trauma informed yoga does not replace traditional therapy. Please seek a licensed mental health professional if you or someone you know is experiencing trauma.

Resources:

• National Suicide and Crisis Hotline: 988
• RAINN (national sexual abuse hotline): 1-800-656-HOPE