Embodied Healer: 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training

Established 2014

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Open Way Yoga

Huron, OH

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Purpose

Learn trauma-informed yoga, breath-work, somatic movement, nervous system regulation, real world anatomy, and embodied teaching. Develop your own voice, work skillfully with pain and trauma and learn to live and teach yoga as a tool for genuine healing.

What to expect

What You’ll Learn

Healing Physical Pain

- Anatomy that serves real bodies, not ideal ones

- How to work with chronic pain, injury, and limitation

- Movement practices that restore function and reduce suffering

- When to refer students to other practitioners

Mental & Emotional Health Through Yoga

- Polyvagal theory and nervous system regulation

- Breath-work and somatic practices for anxiety, depression, and trauma

- How to hold space for emotional processing without becoming a therapist

- Staying within your scope of practice while offering genuine support

Trauma-Informed Teaching

- What trauma actually is and how it lives in the body

- Creating safety through invitational language and student autonomy

- Recognizing signs of dysregulation and knowing how to respond

- Teaching practices that support healing without retraumatizing

Post-Lineage Yoga Philosophy

- Understanding yoga’s roots, honoring lineage without diefying lineage founders

- Critiquing appropriation, colonization, and guru culture

- Building your own practice and teaching philosophy

- Teaching yoga that serves contemporary bodies and lives

The Art of Teaching

- How to sequence intelligently for different goals and populations

- Cueing that creates clarity without controlling

- Reading a room and adapting in real time

- Teaching from your voice, not someone else’s script

Style/Lineage

Level 1, Post Lineage, Trauma-informed, 200 Hour Training

Additional Information

Training Dates & Requirements
250 Total Hours

50 OWY Class Hours: These hours are accumulated by attending classes at OWY in Huron, OWY Sandusky Rec, and any other public community classes offered by OWY

200 Training Hours

Teaching Practicum: 18 hours

Mentorship Hours: 38 hours

Home Practice Journals: 10 hours
Class Room Observation: 5 hours
Yama / Niyama Journal: 5 hours
Out-of-studio classes:
10 hours (5 classes, plus write ups)
Plan and teach a class: 8 hours
1 outline
1 peer review with class mates
1 (minimum) teach and feed back

Core competencies

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

Yoga History & Theory	Identify the seven primary chakras, including their Sanskrit names, locations, associated qualities, and their relevance to personal self-inquiry and yoga teaching Identify the historical arc of yoga from ancient India to modern American practice, including key figures, lineages, and the major styles that emerged through Krishnamacharya and Sivananda Identify the foundational teachings of the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, including key sūtras from Books 1 and 2, their major themes, and their relationship to the eight-limbed path
Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics	Identify the primary components of the somatic and autonomic nervous systems, including the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and social engagement systems as described in polyvagal theory Identify the primary structures of the spine and musculoskeletal system relevant to yoga practice, including vertebral regions and major joints Identify the anatomical structures of the pelvis and pelvic floor, and the anatomical relationships relevant to Mūla Bandha, Uḍḍīyāna Bandha, and Aśvini Mudrā
Lifestyle & Ethics	Analyze the nuances and tensions within a daily Yama and Niyama practice, examining how ethical principles interact with each other and with the complexities of modern life Demonstrate consistent personal practice through two completed ten-day mentored home practice journals, documenting observations, challenges, and insights with specificity and honesty Apply practical Shatkarma principles to personal lifestyle, including appropriate hygiene, mindful nutrition, and accessible cleansing practices aligned with yogic values and modern health understanding Explain the business dimensions of a sustainable yoga teaching career, describing differences between holding space in studio structures, independent teaching, community classes, and the ouside environements. Understand credential options and scope of practice.
Practice Skills	Demonstrate accurate instruction of all five prāṇāyāma techniques in the curriculum—three-part breath, Ujjāyī, Nāḍī Śodhana, Kapālabhāti, and Bhastrīkā—including appropriate pacing, contraindications, and modifications Design a complete, annotated yoga class plan that expressed personal style, trauma-informed awareness, somatic sensitivity, and intelligent sequencing suitable for a general public class Analyze through the experience of practicing internally sourced movement and meditative awareness the intersection with trauma-informed teaching, identifying what practices create conditions of safety, nervous system regulation, and authentic embodiment.
Teaching Skills	Apply trauma-informed principles to class structure, verbal language, and environmental setup, creating conditions in which students feel safe, in control, and able to self-regulate. Explain the evidence-informed rationale for using yoga in grief support and recovery contexts, describing how movement, breath, and somatic awareness function as tools for processing loss and regulating affect Explain how standard yoga practices must be adapted for special populations, describing specific modifications, props, pacing adjustments, and language changes required to serve each group effectively Design and deliver a fully annotated yoga class plan that meets Open Way Yoga practicum standards, demonstrating integration of sequencing, trauma-informed awareness, alignment knowledge, and responsive teaching