Show Notes
This week Jivana and guest Amina Naru share an authentic and vulnerable conversation around trauma, anxiety, loss, and grief.
Amina is the owner of Posh Yoga LLC in Wilmington, Delaware, co-founder of Retreat to Spirit, and an active member of the Board of Directors for the Accessible Yoga Association. A trauma-sensitive yoga teacher, wellness educator, and workshop facilitator, Amina's professional expertise is in the field of yoga service for communities, juvenile detention centers, and adult prisons. Amina is the first Black woman to implement curriculum-based yoga and mindfulness programs for juvenile detention centers in the state of Delaware. Both Jivana and Amina share personal stories about their own trauma and loss and consider how we can use those experiences to show up in service for others. Their conversation includes why trauma-sensitive training is so important for yoga teachers, how our actions on our yoga mat mirror our actions in life, and why seeing and valuing people as whole humans is key to the practice.
Learn more about Amina. Follow Amina's work on Instagram.
Learn more about Yoga Revolution by Jivana Heyman.
Order your copy of Yoga Revolution at Shambala, or wherever books are sold.
Also by Jivana Heyman: Accessible Yoga: Poses & Practices for Every Body (2019, Shambala) The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body (2024)
Connect with Jivana: www.jivanaheyman.com @jivanaheyman facebook.com/jivanaheyman www.accessibleyogaschool.com @accessibleyogaschool facebook.com/accessibleyogaschool
More from The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga
In this final wrap up episode, Jivana offers an overview of his book, The Teacher’s Guide to Accessible Yoga, and highlights a few topics that are of particular importance to him. Whether you’ve read the book or not, this episode addresses many key elements in making yoga accessible for yoga teachers and yoga therapists.
How does being a student of yoga translate into teaching yoga? Loving the practice and wanting to share it with others is at the heart of becoming a teacher. As a teacher, you also continue learning and evolving, deepening your own understanding and practice. This journey of teaching and learning is a continuous cycle that enriches both teacher and students.
“All we're doing is preparing for that moment, where grace just drops in." - Tracee Stanley
According to the yoga teachings, pranayama is among the most powerful practice we have. Yet, many of the common breathing practices are taught in ways that are not accessible or trauma-informed. How can teachers make pranayama more accessible to their students?
Initially, Shavasana may seem like a simple posture. But, when we approach the practice with a little more depth, we can discover a powerful restorative practice with profound and multifaceted benefits.