Awakening the Spirit Workshop

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Cape Cod Center for Well-Being, LLC - Vital Heart Yoga Teacher Training

1046 Main St suite 8

Barnstable, MA

Program Instances

Hybrid

Dates: TBD

100 hours • TBD

Barnstable, MA, US

Led by

Kate McHugh

CYT-L3

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Purpose

The intention of this program is to provide participants with in-depth knowledge and practice in the application and integration of several traditional eastern-based wisdom practices and modern evidence-based western clinical and counseling practices. The program’s theoretical framework is designed with several modalities: instruction, lectures and videos, physical asana, breathing and meditation practices, off-site readings, a yoga as therapy research project and a supervised “practicum”. We will explore various yoga as therapy for recovery techniques that promote the optimal health and well-being of persons in long term (“second stage”) recovery.

What to expect

A unique blending of yoga, ayurveda, philosophy, neuroscience, embodiment, breath and movement, in this integrative training we will:

Weave the ancient wisdom traditions of yoga and ayurveda with tools of recovery to enhance your understanding of yoga as therapy for recovery
Instruct, guide and practice mindful yoga and meditations ~ offering basic therapeutic interventions, an understanding of proprioception, neuroscience, and current evidence-based trauma-informed research
Provide a framework of yoga as therapy for recovery, incorporating a trauma sensitive lens, including practices to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and other co-occurring symptoms
Invite participants to engage in comprehensive approach to emotional sobriety & well-being ~ by embracing the concepts of surrender, letting go, acceptance, growth, awakening, gratitude, and seva (selfless service)
Offer support for when and how to introduce specific yoga and ayurvedic techniques in daily living, adapting and modifying the practices during challenge, and offering special considerations in trauma-informed care for young people and seniors in recovery
Offer a range of powerful healing modalities for mind, body and spirit to master life balance while juggling the complex demands of the world

Style/Lineage

Yoga is a consciousness-based system of healing founded in India thousands of years ago. Yoga is a sanskrit word meaning union. Bringing union of the body and mind by listening to signals of the body and making conscious choices that improve balance, strength and flexibility are fundamental to a healthy yoga practice. Yoga also provides an approach to psychological issues that can heal the body, mind and spirit. Scientists are now looking at psychology in a way that parallels the ideas of philosophers and sages of ancient times. Current research reveals by shifting the focus of our attention, new possibilities for health, happiness & well-being become available. Our center offers natural and energetic approaches, including yoga and ayurveda, to improve individual well being. By correcting the root causes and imbalances in attitudes, behaviors and life-style, clients gain personal power and better health.

Core competencies

By the end of this program, graduates will be able to…

Yoga History & Theory	Describe how selected sutras connect to specific recovery themes such as surrender, truth, non-attachment, concentration, and spiritual awakening. Analyze how integrating 12-step principles with yamas, niyamas, and sutras creates a coherent philosophical framework for therapeutic yoga in addiction recovery.
Practice Skills	Demonstrate a complete five-section therapeutic yoga session (centering, warm-up, standing, mat work, savasana) with appropriate modifications for emotional health and recovery populations. Describe the three categories of pranayama (calming, balancing, energizing) and their distinct physiological effects on the autonomic nervous system, mood, and recovery. Analyze how meditation and mindfulness practices support the inner limbs of yoga and their recovery equivalents of withdrawal, focus, and spiritual awakening. Demonstrate savasana, guided relaxation, and pratyahara practices with clear, calming instruction and appropriate modifications for clinical recovery groups.
Teaching Skills	Adapt therapeutic yoga sessions for clients experiencing depression by applying appropriate pose selection, pacing, sequencing and language. Apply anxiety-informed teaching principles to a yoga session, including appropriate pose categories, breath techniques, and invitational language for anxious clients. Apply clinical knowledge of addiction presentations to adapt therapeutic yoga sessions for clients in early, middle, and sustained recovery. Describe the therapeutic purpose, implementation approach, and population-specific benefits of each of the eight program components in emotional health and recovery contexts. Apply group cohesion principles to facilitate safe, inclusive therapeutic yoga groups that cultivate authentic connection, deep listening, and collective healing. Develop a comprehensive multi-model client intake process using both the Kosha and Chakra frameworks, with session planning guidance derived from assessment findings. Identify the core principles of trauma-sensitive yoga including choice-making, invitational language, body autonomy, titrated exposure, and non-coercive facilitation. Design an individualized adaptation of the eight-week protocol for a specific client or group, with documented modifications, rationale, and outcome indicators. Identify the intake and assessment tools used in the Awakening the Spirit program including Kosha model assessment, Chakra model assessment, client presentation forms, disclosure forms, and liability waivers. Evaluate personal practicum performance against program competency standards, documenting specific strengths and growth areas with evidence from supervised practice hours.
Lifestyle & Ethics	Apply yamas and niyamas as therapeutic frameworks by integrating relevant principles into session cues, intentions, and affirmations for recovery populations. Apply relational attunement skills through co-meditation, deep listening, and authentic speaking practices that model and support healthy therapeutic connections. Describe the ethical obligations governing therapeutic yoga relationships including confidentiality, informed consent, mandatory reporting, professional boundaries, and liability.
Business Skills	Identify the key professional requirements for establishing a therapeutic yoga practice including payment policies, liability waivers, cancellation policies, documentation protocols, and continuing education credits

AYC allows each school to state and evaluate the competencies each student acquires. Students rate how well the program delivered them.

Program Emphasis

Evaluation methods

Program evaluations

Oral Exam
Written Exam
Direct Observation
Graded Skill Demonstration
Solo Project Or Presentation
Written Submission

Students will be evaluated through a combination of oral and written submissions

Program Faculty

Featured Faculty

Kate McHugh

Kate started teaching in the eighties and has been studying the practices of yoga for decades. She is a certified E-RYT 500 and C-IAYT through Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists, a health coach and a mental health clinician of about 40 years.

capecodcenterforwellbeing.com

Barnstable, MA, US

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