Trauma-Informed Practice Training (November 2026)

Trauma-Informed Practice Training
 

Levels 1 & 2 | A Training Day for Yoga Teachers

Deepen your understanding of trauma and adversity and explore what it means to create safer, more compassionate and trauma-informed spaces for yoga.

As yoga teachers, we work with people from all walks of life, many of whom may have experienced adversity, trauma, loss or chronic stress. While we may not always know someone’s experiences, understanding how trauma can affect the body, nervous system, behaviour, relationships and sense of safety can profoundly influence how we teach and how we meet the people in our practices.

This full-day training brings together Level 1 and Level 2 of the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland’s Trauma-Informed Practice training.

What will we explore?

Level 1 – Understanding Adversity, Trauma & Resilience

We will explore:

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their potential impact for children and adults across the lifespan.
• The potential impact of trauma and ACEs on the developing brain and possible subsequent behaviour
• Awareness of the use of ACE/Trauma sensitive lens
• Awareness of the importance of preventing and mitigating ACEs
• Appropriate pathways to support wellbeing for staff, volunteers and yoga participants

Level 2 – Developing Trauma-Sensitive Practice

Building on this foundation, we will explore and develop skills that promote a trauma-informed approach practice.

We will focus on:

• The key objectives of ACE and trauma-informed training
• The skills to use a trauma-informed LENS to support and develop resilience for those you work with
• Identifying the impact of secondary and vicarious trauma
• Looking after ourselves and recognising the potential impact of supporting others who have experienced trauma

Why is this relevant to yoga teachers?

Trauma-informed practice is not about becoming a therapist or trying to treat trauma through your yoga practice.

It is about developing greater awareness, curiosity and sensitivity so that we can consider the experiences people may bring with them into the yoga space and reduce the possibility of unintentionally creating experiences of pressure, shame or disempowerment.

For yoga teachers, this can offer a valuable framework for reflecting on how we teach, how we relate, the choices we offer and the environments we create.

This training is for you if…

You are a yoga teacher who would like to:

• develop your understanding of trauma and adversity
• deepen your trauma-informed approach to yoga
• reflect on the relational aspects of teaching
• develop greater awareness of how trauma can impact the body and behaviour
• create yoga spaces that are welcoming, inclusive and responsive
• consider your own wellbeing when supporting others.

No previous specialist knowledge of trauma is required.

This is an opportunity to learn and reflect on how our understanding of trauma can inform the way we teach as yoga practitioners — and how small changes in our language, relationships and practice can contribute to creating spaces where people feel more able to experience safety, choice, connection and agency.

Accreditation for your training: 

The Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland’s Level 1 and Level 2 trauma-informed practice modules are accredited with CPD accreditation (Continuous Professional Development service). Participants are encouraged to set up their own CPD account in order to gain accreditationhttps://www.cpduk.co.uk/.

Trainer - Ciara Boyle

Ciara’s journey with yoga began over twenty years ago with a practice that sparked a lifelong curiosity inside. Since then, yoga has become far more than a physical practice; it has become a way of being in a deeper relationship with herself, others and the world around us.

As a yoga practitioner, Ciara is particularly interested in the ways yoga supports presence, awareness and connection. Ciara’s practice and facilitation are grounded in the understanding that yoga is not about striving, but about meeting ourselves with curiosity and compassion, exactly as we are. Ciara has a particular interest in Trauma Sensitive Yoga and somatic approaches that acknowledge the unique experiences each person brings to practice.

As a committee member of the Yoga Fellowship of Northern Ireland, Ciara looks forward to supporting a welcoming and inclusive community where we can continue to learn from one another and grow, exploring the many ways yoga enriches our lives, both on and beyond the mat.

The Yoga Fellowship of Northern Ireland 

The Fellowship is the governing body for Yoga in Northern Ireland, recognised by Sport NI. 
It aims to promote and support the Yoga community of Northern Ireland. It is a Sangha celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and fostering a deepening understanding of Yoga in all its forms, connecting member practitioners and yoga teachers, and promoting the benefits of Yoga to all levels of society. 
Explore the Fellowship website here.

Practical Details, Registration & Booking

• Location: Maitri Studio, 4 the Mount, Belfast, BT5 4NA. Click for map location
• Accessibility: Please note that the room we’re in isn’t wheelchair accessible
• Date: 21st of November 2026
• Timetable: 
  08.30   Registration 
  09.00   Level 1 training
  12.00   Lunch (bring your own or nip out for a bite)
  13.00   Level 2 training
  16.00   Close
• Price: £40 for Fellowship Members and £60 for Non-Members

Book your place following this link.