Somatic Toolkit for a Healthier Nervous System
​with Michelle Murray, Katrin Heuser and guest tutor Kirsten Wilkinson

Develop your capacity for co-regulation with somatic practices and  skills, so that supporting others professionally doesn’t leave you feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

An accredited 40-hour trauma-informed training for yoga teachers, bodyworkers, coaches, retreat facilitators and all others in a therapeutic profession.

26th October to 7th December 2022
In-person, at Little Yoga Space, Lisbon

You’re passionate about your work, and find it increasingly difficult to show up for your clients and students in a meaningful way. 

The world has become a more challenging and disconnected place to live in, resulting in heightened stress levels and dysregulated nervous systems. These days, so many people suffer from anxiety, depression, pain, chronic conditions, and unresolved trauma. You may feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to deal with these issues and the heaviness of the stories your clients share with you. You’re doing your best to hold space, and you also realise that your skillset and toolbox of practices continuously need to evolve. 

Creating an environment that feels safe and inclusive for clients with complex conditions can be challenging, and even exhausting, if you don’t have the necessary skills or experience. Most training courses have not evolved to be either trauma-informed, or specifically informed about the nervous system, even though people’s needs have changed significantly. ​

​In order for your work to be both sustainable and effective, it is essential that you:

1. Understand your own nervous system so that you can self-regulate;
2. Are educated about trauma and the underlying causes of chronic conditions;
3. Develop the capacity to co-regulate;
4. Maintain your integrity and authenticity, amidst the constant pressure to make a living;
5. Have support by way of mentorship, peers and community.

This 40-hour in-person Continued Professional Development (CPD) training gives you the missing educational piece as well as the space to explore somatic practices that will be useful for you both personally and professionally. Together we will explore themes around boundaries, the body-mind connection, nervous system regulation, co-regulation, trauma, safety and inclusivity, embodiment and resiliency. 

Our approach is both bottom-up drawing on somatic practices including movement, breathwork, sensory tracking and enquiry; and top-down with education around neuroscience and trauma.

There are no quick fixes to the systemic issues we all face, but during this training you will have the opportunity to develop your own personal Somatic Toolkit to resource from, as well as use with your clients. Our hope is that you will feel deeply nourished by new insights, somatic practices, real connection and community, and being in an authentic space of exploration.​

Course overview

26th October - 7th December 2022
Every Wednesday for seven weeks, 10:30-12:30 & 14:00-16:00
At Little Yoga Space, Rua da Assunção 42, 1100-044 Lisbon​

What to expect

This 40-hour CPD training includes 28 in-person contact hours, plus 12 hours of home study, practice, enquiry and reflection which will be fundamental for integration. Typically, the morning sessions will include a presentation, with time for both personal enquiry and discussion in small groups. The afternoon sessions will be practice-based followed by reflection for integration. Each module will offer new resources for your somatic toolkit which we will be building up over the duration of the seven weeks. 

Course materials will be made available on a well-structured online platform, including comprehensive hand-outs to support learning and deepening your enquiry, suggested reading material and videos for further study, and bonus practices.

Email support is available throughout the duration of the training course for any question about practices, your process and materials covered. ​​

Course modules

Wednesday 26th October - Module 1: Boundaries & the Responsibility of Self-Care - Why is it fundamental to you and your clients’ wellbeing?

• What is meaningful self-care and nourishment?
• Why is meaningful self-care fundamental in creating a sustainable offering?
• The ripple effect in your community
• The obvious and subtle symptoms of dysregulation
• Setting boundaries with clarity and compassion
• Knowing your limits and when to refer 

Wednesday 2nd November - Module 2: Body-Mind Connection

• The impact of our modern lifestyle on our health and well-being
• The interconnectedness of our being - the landscape of pain and chronic conditions and their impact on day-to-day life
• Wholeness - reconnecting to the innate intelligence of the body and nature
• The art of befriending
• The role of interoception and proprioception 
• The importance of connection and community

Wednesday 9th November - Module 3: Understanding the Nervous System

• Mapping the nervous system with Polyvagal Theory
• Baseline state, activation state and tendency
• What does a healthy nervous system look like?
• Somatic releases
• Resourcing to regulate the nervous system
• Co-regulation ​

Wednesday 16th November - Module 4: Trauma

• What is trauma?
• How does trauma show up?
• What does it mean to be triggered?
• The potential of bodymind practices to support the process of healing and integration
• Supporting clients within the larger societal context
• Post-trauma growth

Wednesday 23rd November - Module 5: Creating a Safe and Inclusive Space

• Safety is relative and individual 
• Baseline requirements for creating safe space
• Implementing the baseline requirements (within the digital as well physical space)
• Trauma-informed language
• Consent, agency and autonomy 

Wednesday 30th November - Module 6: Embodiment for Resilience

• Recognising spiritual bypassing 
• What is embodiment?
• What is resilience and why do we need it?
• The importance of daily nourishment
• Integrative care

​Wednesday 7th December - Module 7: Integration
This module is intentionally left open to allow for integration of whatever arises during the training. Integration is the key to real and lasting transformation so this module is as important as the others, and perhaps even more so.

Who is this training for?

There are a few prerequisites for joining this training:

• you are a qualified yoga teacher, bodyworker, coach or retreat facilitator;
• or you are in a supporting profession such as counsellors, social workers, front-line workers;
• you take your continued education responsibility seriously and want to do further training;
• you are open to a non-dogmatic approach to somatic facilitation;
• you have a solid self-practice;
• you are open to work on yourself.

You might particularly enjoy this course if:

• you have experienced and enjoyed Embodied Yoga, Somatic Movement, Feldenkrais or Qi Gong;
• you love and practice regular self-care rituals;
• you are increasingly coming to trust your gut and body signals when they say no to situations;
• you are a great listener;
• you get quite excited by neuroscience, physiology and research studies;
• you love movement and want to experience more freedom in the way you move. 

This course may not be the right fit for you at this point in time if:

• you are not able or willing to invest 40 hours for this training;
• you are not able to join a minimum of 5 of the Wednesday modules in person;
• you are currently dealing with your own deep trauma process. This training could be too overwhelming for you and not aid your own healing process at the moment.

If you are reading this and the course really resonates with you, even though you are not in a supporting profession, please get in touch with us, so we can organise a quick chat to see if the course is a good fit for you. 

What people say about working with Michelle and Katrin

I learned so many new poses and techniques for releasing tension/ trauma in the body, soothing the nervous system and relaxing.
~ Michele Hallahan, yoga teacher

Katrin’s approach is deceptively simple yet the benefits are profound. The careful attentive approach and the kindness of the Yoga make it suitable for people of any age, and I continue to learn from Katrin's subtle insights into the body/mind connection.
~ Michelle W., long-term student

It’s all about ease and becoming friends with your body once again. Quite a complex task, but Katrin is very good at navigating you through. She has all the qualities I value in a teacher - caring and dedicated to her students, paying attention to their individual needs, being serious and fun and giving clear instructions and explanations.
~ Katya Everatt, Thai Massage practitioner

It is a much-needed approach to teaching yoga and has been of a great help, personally, to navigate current times. Learning to create safe and inclusive spaces and deepening the understanding of the body in all its dimensions have been only a few of the many valuable teachings.
~ Inês Prata, yoga teacher

Michelle’s yoga class is a wonderful experience. Highly recommended! The practice feels like a journey to your “true home“. On the way you learn to be soft to your body, to nourish it, to listen to what you need.
~ Cristina, retreat participant

Michelle is the most incredible Breathwork Therapist I ever worked with. She showed me three different Breathwork tools and I instantly could feel a difference after the session with her. Michelle is a warm-hearted and gifted woman! I really appreciate working with her on my health.
​~ Annalena, 1:1 client for Nervous System Healing and Breathwork

I think you've done a very good job in dealing with all the different needs of the people. I felt seen and I also had the impression that you took me seriously not only as a customer but also as a person. Thank you for that.
​~ Anne, retreat participant

Michelle is so kind, generous with her time, words and patience. Her zest for life and her deep self-love and appreciation radiated through the room during our hours of yoga in the morning and at night. I have come back home with my very own practice. It has given me so much joy to continue this practice on my own.
~ Elle, retreat participant

Certification

We and all courses are registered with the Complementary Medical Association, who promote ethical, responsible, professional complementary medicine to the public and the medical profession.

In addition, the training is accredited by Yoga Alliance Professionals, an internationally recognised organisation promoting best practices for teachers and trainers. On satisfactory completion of the training you will receive a certificate to record your CPD. 

Register now

The full price for this training is €345. ​

This is a one-time offer. The next time we will run this training, it will be €475. 

Why are we offering this training at a reduced price? 

1) We recognise the financial strain everyone is under at the moment and want to make this training accessible to as many people as possible.
2) We’re passionate about creating safe and inclusive spaces within the wellbeing sector and the benefits of your participation will ripple out to your community.
3) This will be the first cohort of this training and we would love to have a full group.​

One time payment: 345€

Four payments of 87€

Scholarship

There are two scholarship places available at €195 for people experiencing financial need and/or working with vulnerable communities. Applications can be submitted until midnight on the 20th of September 2022.​

Apply for the scholarship

Booking terms and conditions
​Whether you are paying in full or in instalments, the following T&Cs apply:

In order to guarantee your place on this training, you need to make a minimum payment of at least one instalment. 

If you choose to pay in instalments, the first one is due on registration, and the remaining three will be charged in one-month intervals from the date of your booking. 

Cancellations made on or before the 27th of September 2022: if we are able to fill your space from the waiting list, then you will be offered a full refund minus a €25 admin fee. Alternatively, you may transfer your place to another person you know.
Cancellations made after  the 27th of September 2022: you may transfer your place to another person you know.
Cancellations made after the start of the course: no refunds will be given for no-shows.

In the unlikely event that Katrin and Michelle should need to cancel the whole course due to unforeseen circumstances, all monies paid will be refunded without penalty. ​

Frequently asked questions

I can’t attend some of the Wednesday workshops. Can I still sign up for this training? 
We ask that you attend a minimum of 5 out of the 7 Wednesdays. Part of this training is to make a commitment to yourself. The workshops build upon one another, and are designed to give you a meaningful toolkit, which requires practice and time to integrate. 

I’m a qualified professional but nor working at the moment. Can I still join the course?
Yes, absolutely. Maybe this course will inspire or enable you to go back to sharing your work. 

The last couple of years have been challenging financially. Is it possible to pay by instalments?
Yes, we want to make sure it’s possible for you to join. You can choose from a one-off payment or 4 instalments. 

So many people I work with deal with high levels of anxiety. Will these tools be immediately helpful to me and my clients?
Absolutely. We encourage you to implement as many of the tools as much as possible as soon as you feel you have embodied them. 
​
​I am worried I might get triggered during the course. Will there be support available? 
When working with the nervous system, things may come up for you. If this happens during class and you need support to ground yourself, please let Katrin or Michelle (whoever is not teaching at that moment) know. 

Exploring these themes in a group setting means that our own bodies, and our reactions to other participants, may bring stuff up and this will be a valued part of the learning experience. 

For questions about your process, the practices or topics covered, additional support is available via email between workshops. 

If something comes up for you that you need more in-depth support with, then you are welcome to book a 1:1 session with either Katrin or Michelle, or we can refer you to another practitioner if that feels more appropriate for you.

Do you have any other questions? 

Can't make the autumn 2022 dates?

Feel free to register your interest for the next round, and you will be the first to know the dates. 

About Michelle and Katrin

Michelle has been a yoga practitioner since 1997, and working in private practice and retreat settings as a massage therapist and teacher of yoga, meditation and breathwork since 2002. In recent years, she has taken a deep dive into the field of trauma healing, and continues to deepen her understanding of developmental, relational and intergenerational trauma with ongoing study. Working in all these fields gives her a unique insight, and intuitive approach, into how best to support others in recovering their own wellbeing. 

Michelle is passionate about many things, but in particular nervous system regulation, the body-mind-breath connection, and how somatic enquiry can support transformation of old wounds and invite a deep relaxation and ease from the inside out. Integration, wholeness and freedom are the driving forces behind everything she offers and she celebrates radical authenticity, self-love and self-acceptance.
​
Although Michelle has taken a deep dive with many amazing teachers and facilitators over the years, her approach to facilitating others is based on personal exploration and experience, and is responsive to what arises in the moment. Michelle is the owner of Vitality Retreats & Wellbeing in Portugal.

Her whole life, Katrin has been interested in the body and movement. After many years of dance, her Scoliosis led her to Pilates and finally to Yoga and Thai Massage, which then became her path in life.

For Katrin, her work is about the never-ending exploration of the body and mind, and a way of discovering the beauty of life. As we bring awareness to what is happening inside and where we are in the present moment, the body is encouraged to release where it is holding. Then we can embark on a journey of restoration and transformation.

She holds a 500h Level 4 NVQ Yoga Teaching qualification, trained in Manual Lymph Drainage and has studied extensively in Thai Yoga Massage and Osteothai, including a Master Osteothai qualification, over the past years. Through her work as a bodyworker comes also her understanding of trauma, chronic conditions and pain, as well as the influence of working with fascia, the craniosacral system, structural support and regulation of the nervous system.

​Katrin used to run a Yoga Festival in London and launched an online anti-stress breathing programme. Since 2015 she has lived in Lisbon and runs Little Yoga Space, where she teaches and gives Osteothai treatments, and she is the director of Hadadi, offering foundation and advanced training courses in Thai Massage and Yoga worldwide. ​

With guest tutor Kirsten Wilkinson

MA, TCTSY-F, E-RYT 500, RCYT, Qi Gong and iRest Certified, Thai Yoga Massage Certified, Ayurvedic Health Practitioner, Mind/Body Practitioner, Breathe to Heal Facilitator 
Somatic Experiencing Advanced Cohort
CSU Psychology and Mental Health Counselor Masters Candidate 

Kirsten has over 20 years of working with moving bodies, trauma, and building trauma informed curriculum.  She is the Executive Director of Legacy Motion, an NGO that supports individuals and communities impacted by trauma by offering sustainable programing and trainings to community members in trauma informed, restorative movement based practices and somatic therapy modalities.  Each program and project honors traditional healing methods, supports the collective human experience, and provides learning opportunities to aid in accessible and equitable mental healthcare through the mind/body connection. She is also the founder of Healing Motion, a private practice that offers somatic coaching and embodied practices that support mental health by assisting individuals in discovering their innate wisdom, restoring their embodied strength, and transcending to holistic wellbeing.

For more information: 
www.healing-motion.org / @healingmotionkw 
www.legacymotion.org / @legacymotionorg