Trauma & Yoga Series:
Exploring Power, Privilege & Healing
20-hour live, online workshop series, featuring:
Sangeeta Vallabhan,
Michelle Cassandra Johnson,
Hala Khouri, Kelly Marshall,
Mei Lai Swan, Nityda Gessel, Matthew Sanford, Zabie Yamasaki, Jenn Turner & Jivana Heyman
July 29 - August 28, 2025
Tuesdays & Thursdays
2pm-4pm PT | 5pm-7pm ET
REGISTER NOW
Neurological Conditions & Yoga Workshop Series
May 15 - June 16, 2026
Tuesdays & Fridays
9am-11am PT | 12pm-2pm ET
20-hour live online workshop series
a live, online workshop series featuring:
Lian Norris, Abigail Atkinson, Cherie Hotchkiss, Shailla Vaidya, Kim Richardson, Ron Caruso, Renee Le Verrier, Rodrigo Souza, Eve Adler, Natalia Tabilo, Abha Rajbhandari & Jivana Heyman
REGISTER NOW
Our Trauma & Yoga Series: Exploring Power, Privilege & Healing is a 10-part workshop series, examining the impact of trauma across diverse communities, and the role of yoga in addressing that trauma.
Offering perspectives from a team of skilled and inspiring presenters, the workshops in this series will explore ways to adapt the yoga practices to serve various communities, as well as best practices for sharing yoga in a trauma-informed way.
The pathways to healing from trauma are often discussed with a one-size-fits-all framework. This program will bring a nuanced and sensitive approach to discussing how the complexity of trauma intersects with diverse identities and backgrounds.
In our workshop series, each presenter will share a lecture, practice, and discussion in a two-hour session. Topics include:
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How the roots of yoga are already trauma-informed
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Caring for grief, loss, and trauma
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How yoga impacts the nervous system and the trauma response
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Race-based trauma
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Trauma and disability
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Healing our relationships with yoga
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Boundaries and the teacher/student relationship
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The role of yoga in supporting sexual abuse survivors
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Trauma awareness in teaching Accessible Yoga
“A trauma-informed lens should not be optional. There are trauma survivors taking your classes every single day. Many of your students may be navigating experiences of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other somatic-based trauma symptoms. They are worthy of tending to their survival responses without stigma or shame. Remind students that the choices they make with their bodies are always celebrated in the space. And remember that tending to your own nervous system capacity with care, compassion and intention is one of the most powerful tools you can model and mirror for all those you hold space for.” –Zabie Yamasaki
“A trauma-informed lens should not be optional. There are trauma survivors taking your classes every single day. Many of your students may be navigating experiences of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other somatic-based trauma symptoms. They are worthy of tending to their survival responses without stigma or shame. Remind students that the choices they make with their bodies are always celebrated in the space. And remember that tending to your own nervous system capacity with care, compassion and intention is one of the most powerful tools you can model and mirror for all those you hold space for.”
–Zabie Yamasaki
“Our global condition is marked by disconnection, oppression and trauma. Wherever you sit on the spectrum of human experience, it affects each one of us by disrupting our fundamental relationships with ourselves, each other and the earth. If trauma is a condition of deep disconnection and disharmony, then the remedy must be restoring connection and harmony at all of these levels. So trauma healing must be more than nervous system regulation, personal agency and relative ‘safety’ to function as ‘healthy’ individuals within a broken system. We need more than a trauma-informed practice, we need a trauma-transforming practice.” –Mei Lai Swan
“Our global condition is marked by disconnection, oppression and trauma. Wherever you sit on the spectrum of human experience, it affects each one of us by disrupting our fundamental relationships with ourselves, each other and the earth. If trauma is a condition of deep disconnection and disharmony, then the remedy must be restoring connection and harmony at all of these levels. So trauma healing must be more than nervous system regulation, personal agency and relative ‘safety’ to function as ‘healthy’ individuals within a broken system. We need more than a trauma-informed practice, we need a trauma-transforming practice.”
–Mei Lai Swan
SERIES OVERVIEW & SCHEDULE
Our Neurological Conditions & Yoga Workshop Series
is a 20-hour LIVE online workshop series.
All sessions will be captioned and recorded.
Enrollment includes access to workshop recordings and resources for 1 year.
This series will be led by Lian Norris, Abigail Atkinson, Cherie Hotchkiss, Shailla Vaidya, Kim Richardson, Ron Caruso, Renee Le Verrier, Rodrigo Souza, Eve Adler, Natalia Tabilo, Abha Rajbhandari & Jivana Heyman.
May 15 - June 16, 2026
Tuesdays & Fridays (10 sessions total)
9am-11am PDT | 12pm-2pm EDT | 5pm-7pm BST (UK)
(convert to your local time-zone)
Session 1
Friday May 15th, 2026
9am-11am PT | 12pm-2pm ET
TITLE
with Lian Norris
Session 2
Tuesday May 19th, 2026
9am-11am PT | 12pm-2pm ET
Stroke & Yoga
with Abigail Atkinson
> Learn more about Workshop #1
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
> Learn more about Workshop #2
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Session 3
Friday May 22nd, 2026
9am-11am PT | 12pm-2pm ET
Multiple Sclerosis & Yoga
with Cherie Hotchkiss
Session 4
Tuesday May 26th, 2026
9am-11am PT | 12pm-2pm ET
Traumatic Brain Injury, Concussion & Yoga
with Shailla Vaidya
> Learn more about Workshop #3
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
> Learn more about Workshop #4
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Session 5
Friday May 29th, 2026
9am-11am PT | 12pm-2pm ET
ALS & Yoga
with Kim Richardson & Ron Caruso
Session 6
Tuesday June 2nd, 2026
9am-11am PT | 12pm-2pm ET
Parkinson's Disease & Yoga
with Renee Le Verrier
> Learn more about Workshop #5
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
> Learn more about Workshop #6
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Session 7
Friday June 5th, 2026
9am-11am PT | 12pm-2pm ET
Spinal Cord Injury & Neuropathic Pain
with Rodrigo Souza
Session 8
Tuesday June 9th, 2026
9am-11am PT | 12pm-2pm ET
Dementia & Yoga
with Eve Adler
> Learn more about Workshop #7
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
> Learn more about Workshop #8
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Session 9
Friday June 12th, 2026
9am-11am PT | 12pm-2pm ET
Fibromyalgia, Migraine & Yoga
with Natalia Tabilo
Session 10
Tuesday June 16th, 2026
9am-11am PT | 12pm-2pm ET
Neuroscience of the Nervous System
with Abha Rajbhandari
+ Series Wrap Up
with Jivana Heyman
> Learn more about Workshop #9
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
> Learn more about Workshop #10
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
SERIES OVERVIEW
Trauma & Yoga Series: Exploring Power, Privilege & Healing
20-hour online workshop series - now available on-demand!
On-Demand enrollment includes 1 year of access to 10 x 2-hour workshop replays led by Sangeeta Vallabhan, Michelle Cassandra Johnson, Hala Khouri, Kelly Marshall, Mei Lai Swan, Nityda Gessel, Matthew Sanford, Zabie Yamasaki, Jenn Turner & Jivana Heyman, recorded live & online in July-August 2025.
Session 1
Introduction to Yoga for Trauma
with Sangeeta Vallabhan
> More about Workshop #1
Trauma is a reality within our human experience. Bad things happen all the time, to everyone. Yoga is an entire system of philosophy and practices to help people, as individuals, become sovereign beings. Asana is a physical practice that can offer individuals relief and cohesion with any other healing modality they are doing. Healing modalities working together are how many individuals suffering from trauma move out of a painful place and into a place where they slowly have more agency within their lives. Join Sangeeta for a discussion and practice on the power of Yoga for Trauma. Asana offers a lot, but yoga, on the whole, can offer so much more.
Session 2
Finding Refuge: Collective Grief & Resilience
with Michelle Cassandra Johnson
> More about Workshop #2
This workshop is designed to meet your heart where it is, and offer tools to support you in acknowledging the grief arising within you and the collective now. Michelle will offer guidance in identifying places and points of refuge to provide ease and nervous system regulation. You’ll consider how to support yourself as a yoga teacher, and those you serve in your community, as we move through times of personal and collective grief and trauma.
This workshop will include lecture and discussion, as well as various yogic and somatic practices focused on aligning the mind, body, heart, and spirit. These are practices that space holders can implement in their own life, and in their offerings, so that we can move towards finding refuge personally and collectively.
Session 3
The Teacher-Student Relationship
with Hala Khouri
> More about Workshop #3
There’s no doubt that yoga can be a powerful tool in healing trauma, and a healthy teacher-student dynamic can help heal relational wounds. However, without a healthy dynamic between the teacher and student, even the most effective tools can cause harm. Clear boundaries, effective communication, and understanding concepts like transference and countertransference can allow for a trauma-informed teacher-student dynamic that centers the healing and safety of the student and invites the teacher into radical self-awareness and self-care.
This workshop will offer a trauma-informed framework for a healthy teacher-student relationship. For teachers, this is vital work in order to be a responsible and ethical space holder. For students, this information can empower you to discern between a teacher who is skillful and safe and one who may cause you harm, whether or not they intend to.
Session 4
Resilient & Sustainable in a Time of Turbulence: Yogic Approaches to Centering the Nervous System for Social Justice & Activism
with Kelly Marshall
> More about Workshop #4
As a transgender wellness practitioner, community organizer, yoga therapist and social worker, Kelly Marshall is passionate about the importance of finding a sense of safety, home, and empowerment in our own bodies and nervous systems. In this workshop Kelly will share an in-depth discussion and movement experience of orienting toward the five stress responses (fight / flight / freeze / fawn / flop), especially as they arise for those who experience having being a politicized body in a politicized community. We'll discuss and practice various accessible yogic practices and sequences for self-regulation, building nervous system capacity, completing stress responses, and achieving deep rest.
These tools are endemic to the science of yoga and provide a comprehensive methodology to build trauma resiliency and mitigate the symptoms of complex trauma, which can arise with today's increased political upheaval and deep uncertainty. Self-regulation tools from yoga help us feel calmer and more empowered, and they support us in building strong relationships with ourselves, our loved ones, and our powerful communities. When we are resourced in this way, we can instigate radical change and revolution in both our inner and outer worlds.
Session 5
Trauma, Identity & Relationships
with Mei Lai Swan
> More about Workshop #5
Life is relationship: with ourselves, others, and the world we live in. The nature of these relationships and our unique place in them fundamentally shape how we experience ourselves and how the world experiences us, giving rise to identity and our sense of belonging.
In this workshop, we will explore this web of relationships–identity, connection and disconnection–and how they shape and are shaped by our experiences of trauma and wellbeing. Drawing from trauma therapy, yoga, and earth-based practices, we will also explore ways to restore connection and transform our sense of identity for our personal and collective healing and wellbeing.
Session 6
Trauma-Informed Yoga for Survivors of Sexual Assault: How to Facilitate a Compassionate & Sensitive Space for Healing
with Zabie Yamasaki
> More about Workshop #6
Offering survivors of sexual assault a safe, inclusive, sensitive, and compassionate space to practice yoga is paramount for the recovery and healing journey.
The impact trauma has on the body's physiology is immense, and it is essential to provide holistic forms of healing for survivors and support them with the integration of mind, body, and spirit amidst all of the disintegration trauma causes.
Trauma-informed yoga can help survivors gently tend to embodied trauma imprints with care and bring them to the surface. And with greater awareness, time, and patience, survivors often feel empowered with new tools to name and address their symptoms and survival responses and identify ways to work with them. This can ultimately lead to a space where survivors can expand their capacity for neuroplasticity, feel affirmed and seen, and take powerful steps toward post-traumatic growth.
In this workshop, participants will receive foundational tools to create a compassionate and affirming environment for sexual assault survivors. With an emphasis on the neurophysiology of trauma-informed care, healing professionals will be guided through the intersections between science and softness to transform the way they hold space.
Session 7
Trauma, Disability, Asana, & the Mind-Body Relationship
with Matthew Sanford
> More about Workshop #7
Trauma is an intersectional event for our consciousness, potentially cutting across all aspects of what we are. Join Matthew Sanford as he shares his unique view on trauma’s experiential effect on the mind-body relationship—where and how it lands within our experience, paying extra attention to the physical, psychological, voluntary, and involuntary aspects of our nervous systems, especially for disabled people. He also shares insights and tips as to how yoga, and particularly asana, is well-suited to help transform traumatic experiences toward healing and potential wisdom. Come ready to listen, ponder, and practice.
Session 8
Yoga and Somatic Modalities for Healing Race-Based Traumatic Stress
with Nityda Gessel
> More about Workshop #8
What is the relationship between race-based traumatic stress, yoga psychology, somatic healing practices and spirituality? This is what we will explore together in mind and body. Nityda will offer participants a working definition of trauma and race-based traumatic stress, and insight around the alchemical nature of somatic and psychospiritual practices—both for those who are survivors of race-based traumatic stress and those who are carrying racism and other forms of prejudice in their bodies. While part of this offering is educational and informational, much of this practice will be experiential and contemplative. The answers, after all, are within.
Session 9
The Neurobiology of Trauma & Yoga
with Jenn Turner
> More about Workshop #9
The impact of psychological trauma is profound and complex, and can reverberate through the body for years beyond an event or traumatic experience. Understanding the ways that trauma plays out in the body can support us as yoga practitioners in better meeting and holding a safer space for those who have endured it. This workshop will offer a concrete and deep understanding of how trauma impacts the body, pulling from research, neuroscience, and the lived experience of survivors.
Session 10
Teaching Accessible Yoga with Trauma Awareness & Series Wrap Up
with Jivana Heyman
> More about Workshop #10
In this final session, Jivana Heyman will wrap up the Trauma & Yoga Series with a reflection and discussion on the previous sessions. He'll revisit essential points from each presenter, as well as personal reflections on their teachings. This will be an opportunity to digest and assimilate all the diverse views and offerings presented during the workshop series, as well as an opportunity for questions and answers regarding how to move forward with greater awareness around trauma and how it can impact our practice and teaching.
Jivana will also spend time exploring the relationship between Accessible Yoga and trauma, and how we can teach with that in mind. In particular, he’ll explore ways to teach the subtle practices of pranayama and meditation with awareness of trauma and the diversity of people’s lived experiences.
“Just like we are taught to offer safe physical alignment to everyone, not just those with injuries, being trauma informed is a safety protocol that we should offer all students. We are all impacted by stress and trauma. In fact, we are shaped by life’s challenges, and the impact of these challenges. I think of being trauma informed as being 'people informed'. A framework that asks us to consider the impact of trauma and stress on our actions and words asks us to be cognizant of people’s humanity while engaging with them, and values safety and respect as the most important qualities of a teacher.” –Hala Khouri
“We are holding grief in our bodies and bones, often in isolation. And yet, our grief isn’t isolated. It is pervasive. To respond to the grief that we experience as a collective, we need to be present to what is breaking our hearts. We need a spiritual practice to hold and allow us to feel grounded as we begin to recognize our broken-heartedness. When we turn toward our broken-heartedness, we can begin to acknowledge what we are grieving and we can create space to grieve. As we grieve, we also tap into our own capacity to heal. We connect with our resilience and begin to piece back together the parts of ourselves that feel shattered. We come back into wholeness.”
– Michelle Cassandra Johnson
ENROLL NOW
Neurological Conditions & Yoga Workshop Series
May 15 - June 16, 2026
Tuition for this 20-hour live online workshop series is $399-$599 USD sliding scale.
We also offer partial scholarships.
ENROLL NOW
The Art of Teaching Chair Yoga
with Jivana Heyman & guests
Jan 23 - Feb 24, 2026
Tuition for this 28-hour course is $399-$599 USD sliding scale.
We also offer partial scholarships.
Equity Pricing Explained:
Upon registration, you’ll choose from one of three pricing tiers that best suits your financial means:
- Community Rate (supported by your peers)
- Sustainer Rate (covers your enrollment)
- Supporter Rate (covers your enrollment + supports peers)
Need help clarifying which pricing tier is most appropriate for you? Please refer to this helpful graphic by Alexis J Cunningfolk.
Each tier offers 2 ways to enroll:
- Single upfront payment
- 3-month payment plan, with equal installments charged upon registration and on the same date each month for the duration of your plan.
If the pricing options available are not financially accessible, please refer to the partial scholarship application information below.
Intention of Equity Pricing:
Our equity pricing structure and scholarship program was created to amplify training access for those who hold marginalized identities and those experiencing significant financial hardship.
If neither of those qualifications apply to you, please consider enrolling at the Supporter or Sustainer Rate, which supports the ability to offer Scholarships and a Community Rate to folks experiencing financial difficulties.
Click your chosen pricing tier below to access payment options.
In addition to the live course, enrollment includes 1 year of access to the live session recordings, pre-recorded content and associated resources.
Community Rate $399
Sustainer Rate $499
Supporter Rate $599
Partial Scholarships
Please review our above tiered pricing and payment plan options, as well as the intention of our equity pricing structure.
If our tiered pricing and payment plan options are financially inaccessible, you are welcome to apply for a partial scholarship.
PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONSERIES FACILITATORS
LIAN NORRIS
ABIGAIL ATKINSON
CHERIE HOTCHKISS
SHAILLA VAIDYA
> About Lian
Sangeeta Vallabhan (she/her) has been studying movement since she was young, first through dance and then yoga. She has been teaching yoga in New York City since 2003. She has studied vinyasa, prenatal, restorative, advanced vinyasa, trauma informed yoga and yoga philosophy. In total she has studied over 1200 hours.
Sangeeta trains teachers at the 200hr and 300hr levels. She has taught yoga nationally and internationally; she has also been featured in Yoga Journal, Health Magazine and other online publications. Pursuing her studies in trauma informed yoga enabled her to better face her own traumatic experiences and her recovery has inspired her to help others.
In 2019, Sangeeta started training students with her own training, Solemarch - Yoga for Trauma Teacher Training. In 2020, she founded a non-profit, The Practice Coalition, an organization dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence with Yoga for Trauma. Sangeeta aims to help people feel heard, seen, comfortable and empowered within themselves.
Connect with Sangeeta:
sangeetavallabhan.com
@sangeetavallabhan
> About Abigail
Michelle Cassandra Johnson (she/her) is an author, activist, spiritual teacher, racial equity consultant and educator, and intuitive and shamanic healer. She approaches her life and work from a place of knowing we are, can, and must heal individually and collectively. Michelle facilitates workshops and immersions, leads retreats and transformative experiences nationwide, and offers an array of healing services for individuals and groups. For over 25 years as a racial equity educator, she has worked with large corporations, non-profits, and community groups. Michelle is a six-time published author. Her sixth book, The Wisdom of the Hive, published by Sounds True and co-written with her best friend, Amy Burtaine, was released in May 2025.
Michelle was a TEDx speaker at Wake Forest University in 2019 and has been interviewed on several podcasts in which she explores the premise and foundation of Skill in Action, along with embodied approaches to racial equity work, creating ritual in justice spaces, our divine connection with nature and Spirit, and how we as a culture can heal.
Michelle leads courageously from the heart with compassion and a commitment to address the heartbreak dominant culture causes for many because of the harm it creates. She inspires change that allows people to stand in their humanity and wholeness in a world that fragments most of us. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, sweet dog, Jasper, and her honeybees.
Connect with Michelle:
michellecjohnson.com
@skillinaction
> About Cherie
Hala Khouri, M.A., SEP, E-RYT (she/her), is a sought-after speaker and trainer on the topic of trauma informed care, embodied social justice, trauma informed education and resilience. She has been teaching yoga and movement for over 25 years and has been doing clinical work and trainings for 15 years. Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, Hala has dedicated her life to the study of trauma, justice and building resilience. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology and an M.A. in Community Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Hala is also trained in Somatic Experiencing, a body-based psychotherapy that helps resolve trauma and its symptoms.
Hala is the creator of the Collective Resilience Model which she brings to organizations to support them in building vibrant cultures that are trauma-informed, and equity centered. This model is a culmination of her 25 years of experience in the field of healing, somatics, leadership training and social justice.
Hala was a co-founder of Off the Mat, Into the World, a training organization that bridges yoga and activism within a social justice framework and an Adjunct Professor at Pitzer College. She leads a monthly, online membership program called Radical Wellbeing which supports people through embodied practices and community building. She is the author of Peace from Anxiety: Get Grounded, Build Resilience and Stay Connected Amidst the Chaos and editor/ contributing author of Practicing Liberation: Transformative Strategies for Collective Healing and Systems Change.
Connect with Hala:
halakhouri.com
@halakhouri_somatics
facebook.com/halayoga
> About Shailla
Kelly Marshall (they/them) is a non-binary and transgender wellness practitioner, group facilitator and educator, community organizer, and social worker. They are a Licensed Massage Therapist, an E-RYT and C-IAYT (yoga teacher and yoga therapist), and in 2024 completed a Bachelor of Social Work.
Kelly has been involved in various aspects of this work for about 18 years, altogether. As a transgender person, they are passionate about finding a sense of safety, home, and empowerment in our own bodies and nervous systems. From that place, radical healing takes place in our lives and relationships. They believe that revolution is possible when we can move our nervous systems and find radical new ways to be with ourselves, our healing process, our loved ones, and our communities.
Kelly's therapeutic approach integrates touch, somatics, nervous system regulation and resiliency tools and Yoga Therapy, tailored to support individuals in experiencing safe embodiment and overcoming trauma and other challenges.
Connect with Kelly:
@kellymarshallatx
KIM RICHARDSON
RON CARUSO
RENEE LE VERRIER
RODRIGO SOUZA
> About Kim
Born on the unceded Indigenous lands called Australia, Mei Lai Swan (she/her) is the founder of social enterprise yoga school Yoga for Humankind, offering specialised trainings in Trauma-Informed Yoga, Somatics and Embodied Social Change.
Dedicated to the paths of yoga, meditation and community practice for over 25 years, Mei Lai’s approach to yoga is deeply embodied, inclusive and inquiry-based. She is a highly experienced yoga teacher trainer with a professional background in community development, social work and somatic trauma therapy.
Mei Lai is passionate about building community, honouring the roots of yoga, and helping to make the richness of the yoga teachings and practices accessible, relevant and empowering for every body, heart and mind.
Connect with Mei Lai:
yogaforhumankind.org
@yogaforhumankind
> About Ron
Nityda Gessel (she/her) is a somatic psychotherapist, trauma specialist, yoga teacher and educator, mama of two, and heart-centered activist. Nityda is the founder of the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Institute, creator of The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method℠, and author of Embodied Self Awakening: Somatic Practices for Trauma Healing and Spiritual Evolution.
Nityda’s integrative work over the past two decades has significantly contributed to the integration of the mental health and yoga/embodiment professions.
Nityda has devoted her life to supporting the upliftment of others, working at the intersection of Eastern spirituality, holistic mental health, and embodied activism. Nityda founded the Trauma-Conscious Equity Foundation to narrow the health disparity gap between served and underserved communities by providing funding for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ mental health professionals to receive yoga and somatic training.For you,
Nityda wishes a life of ease, joy, freedom and peace.
Connect with Nityda:
traumaconsciousyoga.com
@trauma_conscious_yoga_method
> About Renee
Matthew Sanford (he/him) is an expert in the process transformation through the healing power of yoga. Paralyzed from the chest down at age thirteen and beginning yoga at age twenty-five, Matthew knows firsthand the transformative effect that yoga can have on the mind-body relationship.
He is an internationally recognized yoga teacher, a sought-after public speaker, and founder of the non-profit Mind Body Solutions. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Waking: A Memoir Of Trauma and Transcendence (Rodale: 2006).
Matthew has also been working with people living with a wide array of trauma, loss, and disability since 1997. He also works with leading psychologists, psychiatrists, and neuroscientists, including Bessel van der Kolk, Ruth Lanius, and Wendy D’Andrea, and is a regular presenter at the internationally acclaimed Boston Trauma Conference.
Connect with Matthew:
mindbodysolutions.org
@mindbodysolutions
> About Rodrigo
Zabie Yamasaki, M.Ed., RYT (she/her) is the Founder of Transcending Trauma through Yoga which is an organization that offers trauma-informed yoga to survivors, consultation for universities and trauma agencies, and training for healing professionals. Zabie has trained thousands of yoga instructors and mental health professionals and her trauma-informed yoga program and curriculum is now being implemented at over 30 college campuses and trauma agencies including the University of California (UC) system, Stanford, Yale, USC, University of Notre Dame, and Johns Hopkins University.
She has received countless awards in victim services and leadership, including the Visionary in Victim Services award from one of the largest rape crisis centers in California and the Voice of Courage Award from Exhale to Inhale.
She is the author of the book, flipchart, and affirmation deck, Trauma-Informed Yoga for Survivors of Sexual Assault: Practices for Healing and Teaching with Compassion
Connect with Zabie:
zabieyamasaki.com
@transcending_trauma_with_yoga
EVE ADLER
NATALIA TABILO
ABHA RAJBHANDARI
JIVANA HEYMAN
> About Eve
Jenn Turner (she/her) has had the honor of working with survivors of trauma for all of her career. Along with working in private practice as a trauma-informed therapist, Jenn is the Co-Director of the Center for Trauma and Embodiment where she works to oversee training and supports the development of body-first interventions for healing from trauma.
Jenn also leads trainings in Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) throughout the U.S, provides consultation to organizations on how to become more trauma informed at all levels.
Jenn co-founded the Center for Trauma and Embodiment at JRI in 2018.
Connect with Jenn:
healwithcfte.org
@healwithcfte
> About Natalia
Jivana Heyman (he/him), C-IAYT, E-RYT500, is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings and supporting yoga teachers.
He’s the author of Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body; Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion; and The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body.
Over the past 30 years of teaching yoga, Jivana has focused on welcoming all people to practice and celebrating our individuality and our differences. His work has focused on dismantling ableism in the yoga world, as well as emphasizing the intersection of yoga and social justice. His books, classes, and trainings support yoga teachers and yoga therapists in finding ways to bring creativity and collaboration into their teaching while still respecting the ancient yoga tradition.
Connect with Jivana:
www.jivanaheyman.com
@jivanaheyman
facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Accessible Yoga Podcast
> About Abha
Jivana Heyman (he/him), C-IAYT, E-RYT500, is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings and supporting yoga teachers.
He’s the author of Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body; Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion; and The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body.
Over the past 30 years of teaching yoga, Jivana has focused on welcoming all people to practice and celebrating our individuality and our differences. His work has focused on dismantling ableism in the yoga world, as well as emphasizing the intersection of yoga and social justice. His books, classes, and trainings support yoga teachers and yoga therapists in finding ways to bring creativity and collaboration into their teaching while still respecting the ancient yoga tradition.
Connect with Jivana:
www.jivanaheyman.com
@jivanaheyman
facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Accessible Yoga Podcast
> About Jivana
Jivana Heyman (he/him), C-IAYT, E-RYT500, is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings and supporting yoga teachers.
He’s the author of Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body; Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion; and The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body.
Over the past 30 years of teaching yoga, Jivana has focused on welcoming all people to practice and celebrating our individuality and our differences. His work has focused on dismantling ableism in the yoga world, as well as emphasizing the intersection of yoga and social justice. His books, classes, and trainings support yoga teachers and yoga therapists in finding ways to bring creativity and collaboration into their teaching while still respecting the ancient yoga tradition.
Connect with Jivana:
www.jivanaheyman.com
@jivanaheyman
facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Accessible Yoga Podcast
SERIES FACILITATORS
SANGEETA VALLABHAN
> About Sangeeta
Sangeeta Vallabhan (she/her) has been studying movement since she was young, first through dance and then yoga. She has been teaching yoga in New York City since 2003. She has studied vinyasa, prenatal, restorative, advanced vinyasa, trauma informed yoga and yoga philosophy. In total she has studied over 1200 hours.
Sangeeta trains teachers at the 200hr and 300hr levels. She has taught yoga nationally and internationally; she has also been featured in Yoga Journal, Health Magazine and other online publications. Pursuing her studies in trauma informed yoga enabled her to better face her own traumatic experiences and her recovery has inspired her to help others.
In 2019, Sangeeta started training students with her own training, Solemarch - Yoga for Trauma Teacher Training. In 2020, she founded a non-profit, The Practice Coalition, an organization dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence with Yoga for Trauma. Sangeeta aims to help people feel heard, seen, comfortable and empowered within themselves.
Connect with Sangeeta:
sangeetavallabhan.com
@sangeetavallabhan
MICHELLE CASSANDRA JOHNSON
> About Michelle
Michelle Cassandra Johnson (she/her) is an author, activist, spiritual teacher, racial equity consultant and educator, and intuitive and shamanic healer. She approaches her life and work from a place of knowing we are, can, and must heal individually and collectively. Michelle facilitates workshops and immersions, leads retreats and transformative experiences nationwide, and offers an array of healing services for individuals and groups. For over 25 years as a racial equity educator, she has worked with large corporations, non-profits, and community groups. Michelle is a six-time published author. Her sixth book, The Wisdom of the Hive, published by Sounds True and co-written with her best friend, Amy Burtaine, was released in May 2025.
Michelle was a TEDx speaker at Wake Forest University in 2019 and has been interviewed on several podcasts in which she explores the premise and foundation of Skill in Action, along with embodied approaches to racial equity work, creating ritual in justice spaces, our divine connection with nature and Spirit, and how we as a culture can heal.
Michelle leads courageously from the heart with compassion and a commitment to address the heartbreak dominant culture causes for many because of the harm it creates. She inspires change that allows people to stand in their humanity and wholeness in a world that fragments most of us. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, sweet dog, Jasper, and her honeybees.
Connect with Michelle:
michellecjohnson.com
@skillinaction
HALA KHOURI
> About Hala
Hala Khouri, M.A., SEP, E-RYT (she/her), is a sought-after speaker and trainer on the topic of trauma informed care, embodied social justice, trauma informed education and resilience. She has been teaching yoga and movement for over 25 years and has been doing clinical work and trainings for 15 years. Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, Hala has dedicated her life to the study of trauma, justice and building resilience. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology and an M.A. in Community Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Hala is also trained in Somatic Experiencing, a body-based psychotherapy that helps resolve trauma and its symptoms.
Hala is the creator of the Collective Resilience Model which she brings to organizations to support them in building vibrant cultures that are trauma-informed, and equity centered. This model is a culmination of her 25 years of experience in the field of healing, somatics, leadership training and social justice.
Hala was a co-founder of Off the Mat, Into the World, a training organization that bridges yoga and activism within a social justice framework and an Adjunct Professor at Pitzer College. She leads a monthly, online membership program called Radical Wellbeing which supports people through embodied practices and community building. She is the author of Peace from Anxiety: Get Grounded, Build Resilience and Stay Connected Amidst the Chaos and editor/ contributing author of Practicing Liberation: Transformative Strategies for Collective Healing and Systems Change.
Connect with Hala:
halakhouri.com
@halakhouri_somatics
facebook.com/halayoga
KELLY MARSHALL
> About Kelly
Kelly Marshall (they/them) is a non-binary and transgender wellness practitioner, group facilitator and educator, community organizer, and social worker. They are a Licensed Massage Therapist, an E-RYT and C-IAYT (yoga teacher and yoga therapist), and in 2024 completed a Bachelor of Social Work.
Kelly has been involved in various aspects of this work for about 18 years, altogether. As a transgender person, they are passionate about finding a sense of safety, home, and empowerment in our own bodies and nervous systems. From that place, radical healing takes place in our lives and relationships. They believe that revolution is possible when we can move our nervous systems and find radical new ways to be with ourselves, our healing process, our loved ones, and our communities.
Kelly's therapeutic approach integrates touch, somatics, nervous system regulation and resiliency tools and Yoga Therapy, tailored to support individuals in experiencing safe embodiment and overcoming trauma and other challenges.
Connect with Kelly:
@kellymarshallatx
MEI LAI SWAN
> About Mei Lai
Born on the unceded Indigenous lands called Australia, Mei Lai Swan (she/her) is the founder of social enterprise yoga school Yoga for Humankind, offering specialised trainings in Trauma-Informed Yoga, Somatics and Embodied Social Change.
Dedicated to the paths of yoga, meditation and community practice for over 25 years, Mei Lai’s approach to yoga is deeply embodied, inclusive and inquiry-based. She is a highly experienced yoga teacher trainer with a professional background in community development, social work and somatic trauma therapy.
Mei Lai is passionate about building community, honouring the roots of yoga, and helping to make the richness of the yoga teachings and practices accessible, relevant and empowering for every body, heart and mind.
Connect with Mei Lai:
yogaforhumankind.org
@yogaforhumankind
NITYDA GESSEL
> About Nityda
Nityda Gessel (she/her) is a somatic psychotherapist, trauma specialist, yoga teacher and educator, mama of two, and heart-centered activist. Nityda is the founder of the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Institute, creator of The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method℠, and author of Embodied Self Awakening: Somatic Practices for Trauma Healing and Spiritual Evolution.
Nityda’s integrative work over the past two decades has significantly contributed to the integration of the mental health and yoga/embodiment professions.
Nityda has devoted her life to supporting the upliftment of others, working at the intersection of Eastern spirituality, holistic mental health, and embodied activism. Nityda founded the Trauma-Conscious Equity Foundation to narrow the health disparity gap between served and underserved communities by providing funding for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ mental health professionals to receive yoga and somatic training.For you,
Nityda wishes a life of ease, joy, freedom and peace.
Connect with Nityda:
traumaconsciousyoga.com
@trauma_conscious_yoga_method
MATTHEW SANFORD
> About Matthew
Matthew Sanford (he/him) is an expert in the process transformation through the healing power of yoga. Paralyzed from the chest down at age thirteen and beginning yoga at age twenty-five, Matthew knows firsthand the transformative effect that yoga can have on the mind-body relationship.
He is an internationally recognized yoga teacher, a sought-after public speaker, and founder of the non-profit Mind Body Solutions. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Waking: A Memoir Of Trauma and Transcendence (Rodale: 2006).
Matthew has also been working with people living with a wide array of trauma, loss, and disability since 1997. He also works with leading psychologists, psychiatrists, and neuroscientists, including Bessel van der Kolk, Ruth Lanius, and Wendy D’Andrea, and is a regular presenter at the internationally acclaimed Boston Trauma Conference.
Connect with Matthew:
mindbodysolutions.org
@mindbodysolutions
ZABIE YAMASAKI
> About Zabie
Zabie Yamasaki, M.Ed., RYT (she/her) is the Founder of Transcending Trauma through Yoga which is an organization that offers trauma-informed yoga to survivors, consultation for universities and trauma agencies, and training for healing professionals. Zabie has trained thousands of yoga instructors and mental health professionals and her trauma-informed yoga program and curriculum is now being implemented at over 30 college campuses and trauma agencies including the University of California (UC) system, Stanford, Yale, USC, University of Notre Dame, and Johns Hopkins University.
She has received countless awards in victim services and leadership, including the Visionary in Victim Services award from one of the largest rape crisis centers in California and the Voice of Courage Award from Exhale to Inhale.
She is the author of the book, flipchart, and affirmation deck, Trauma-Informed Yoga for Survivors of Sexual Assault: Practices for Healing and Teaching with Compassion
Connect with Zabie:
zabieyamasaki.com
@transcending_trauma_with_yoga
JENN TURNER
> About Jenn
Jenn Turner (she/her) has had the honor of working with survivors of trauma for all of her career. Along with working in private practice as a trauma-informed therapist, Jenn is the Co-Director of the Center for Trauma and Embodiment where she works to oversee training and supports the development of body-first interventions for healing from trauma.
Jenn also leads trainings in Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) throughout the U.S, provides consultation to organizations on how to become more trauma informed at all levels.
Jenn co-founded the Center for Trauma and Embodiment at JRI in 2018.
Connect with Jenn:
healwithcfte.org
@healwithcfte
JIVANA HEYMAN
> About Jivana
Jivana Heyman (he/him), C-IAYT, E-RYT500, is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings and supporting yoga teachers.
He’s the author of Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body; Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion; and The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body.
Over the past 30 years of teaching yoga, Jivana has focused on welcoming all people to practice and celebrating our individuality and our differences. His work has focused on dismantling ableism in the yoga world, as well as emphasizing the intersection of yoga and social justice. His books, classes, and trainings support yoga teachers and yoga therapists in finding ways to bring creativity and collaboration into their teaching while still respecting the ancient yoga tradition.
Connect with Jivana:
www.jivanaheyman.com
@jivanaheyman
facebook.com/jivanaheyman
Accessible Yoga Podcast
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who is this workshop series designed for?
This workshop series is designed as continuing education for qualified yoga teachers, who wish to increase their knowledge, awareness and sensitivity in serving various populations in a trauma-informed way.
Yoga students, practitioners, and those who are interested in learning about trauma and yoga are also welcome to enroll, noting that this series is not designed to replace personalized support from qualified mental health practitioners. (If you are interested in enrolling but are not yet a qualified yoga teacher, please refer to the following FAQ, "Do I need to be a certified yoga teacher?")
This live online workshop series also includes access to the workshop recordings and resources for 1 year. If you're unable to join live, you are welcome to access the content via the recordings. For those accessing the content live or via the replays, there are opportunities available to introduce yourself and connect with other trainees within the online portal.
Are there any pre-requisites or required reading? Do I need to be a certified yoga teacher?
This workshop series is designed as continuing education for qualified yoga teachers, however it is not a requirement to have completed a 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training to enroll.
Throughout this series we will explore the impact of trauma across diverse communities, the role of yoga in addressing that trauma, and best practices for sharing yoga in a trauma-informed way.
Please note - this 20-hour live online workshop series is not alone designed to qualify graduates to teach Yoga for Trauma classes if they have not also completed a 200-hour (minimum) foundational yoga teacher training and/or comprehensive foundational training in teaching Yoga for Trauma Yoga, in addition to this specialized continuing education workshop series.
We welcome those who are not qualified yoga teachers to enroll to support their personal practice, noting that this series is not designed to replace personalized support from qualified mental health practitioners.
We welcome those who are not yoga teachers but qualified in other complementary fields (eg. physical therapy or psychology) to enroll to further their knowledge and skills to enhance their current associated offerings, within the scope of practice of their qualifications.
There is no required reading, however a number of our presenters have written books on topics relevant to this series which we recommend as complementary resources (our featured presenter bios with further details and links are included above).
Is this workshop series all online? How does it work?
Yes this workshop series is 100% online. Here's how it works:
- Upon enrollment you'll gain access to your online portal, which includes some introductory details, the workshop schedule and outlines, and the link to access the live online workshops via Zoom.
- All live sessions will be offered through Zoom, a video-conferencing application. You can watch and interact on your phone, tablet, or computer. The workshops will be (auto) live-captioned.
- Captioned live session recordings and resources will be available for those enrolled in the series via our online portal for 1 year. (Captions on recordings will be edited for accuracy / accessibility, within 1 week of the live session).
- Once you have reviewed all the content (either live, or via the recordings), you will self-certify that you've completed the workshop series. Then you'll receive a PDF certificate of completion, which can be submitted for CEUs with Yoga Alliance.
Do I need special equipment or software for this course?
You will get the most out of this offering if you attend via Zoom on a desktop / laptop computer with a webcam and microphone. However, you are welcome to watch and participate on your phone, tablet, or other internet-connected device. Appearing on video or speaking on the mic (or active participation during the workshops) is not required for participants.
We recommend installing the Zoom application on your device to get the full functionality.
Your online portal, where you access the series content, is web based and can be accessed through any internet browser, via various devices (computer, phone, tablet etc).
To easily access your course via a mobile device, you can download the free Kajabi app.
Kajabi is the platform we use to host this workshop series and create your online portal. Once you download the free Kajabi app, go ahead and sign in with the email you and password you selected upon registration in the course, and that's it!
With the Kajabi mobile app, you'll be able to access the course content right from your phone. The app also automatically saves your progress, even when you switch between sessions and devices (which is particularly helpful if you are catching up via the recordings, and marking each session as complete when done).
Each workshop will include a sample Yoga for Trauma guided practice, relevant to the focus of that session.
We invite participants to have any props / supports available to make the practices offered as comfortable and accessible to them as possible, which may include the following yoga props, or any household items that offer similar support / comfort, and space to move freely:
- Yoga mat, chair, wheelchair or comfortable space for practicing (which may be your bed or couch)
- yoga blocks
- yoga strap (or alternative - eg. belt / scarf)
- bolster (or couch cushions / pillows)
- blankets (or towels)
- pillows / cushions
- Props for sensory comfort (cozy blankets, fidget toys, cool rocks, furry friends, favorite scents etc.)
- Any additional props as needed to practice seated or reclined comfortably
*Specific prop recommendations for each workshop are provided for registrants within our online course portal
*Please don't let lack of access to 'traditional / official' yoga props deter you from this offering - you are welcome to be creative with supports you have around your home.
You also may like to have a journal and writing utensils or a note-taking device nearby for reflections and/or to take notes.
What if I can't attend the live Zoom sessions? Can I still enroll?
Yes, all sessions will be recorded and uploaded to your online portal within 24-48 hours of each live workshop. We encourage you to attend live if possible, however if this isn't possible due to scheduling or time-zone challenges, you are definitely very welcome to participate via the recordings. Series registrants will have access to the workshop recordings and resources for a whole year from the first live workshop date.
How long is this workshop series?
This series consists of 10 x 2 hour live online workshops, led by Sangeeta Vallabhan, Michelle Cassandra Johnson, Hala Khouri, Kelly Marshall, Mei Lai Swan, Nityda Gessel, Matthew Sanford, Zabie Yamasaki, Jenn Turner & Jivana Heyman (20 hours total, all live and online, with access to captioned replays for 1 year included).
Upcoming live workshop dates are:
July 29th - August 28th, 2025
Tuesdays & Thursdays
2pm-4pm PDT | 5pm-7pm EDT
Will the workshops include asana practice?
Each session will include a guided asana, somatic, pranayama or meditation practice relevant to the focus of the particular session.
A variety of practices will be offered throughout the series, for practice on a mat/bed and/or chair/couch.
We invite participants to have any props / supports available to make the practices offered as comfortable and accessible to them as possible, which may include the following yoga props, or any household items that offer similar support / comfort, and space to move freely:
- yoga mat, chair, wheelchair or comfortable space for practicing (which may be your bed or couch)
- yoga blocks
- yoga strap (or alternative - eg. belt / scarf)
- bolster (or couch cushions / pillows)
- blankets (or towels)
- pillows / cushions
- props for sensory comfort (cozy blankets, fidget toys, cool rocks, furry friends, favorite scents etc.)
- any additional props as needed to practice seated or reclined comfortably
*Specific prop recommendations for each workshop are provided for registrants within our online course portal
*Please don't let lack of access to 'traditional / official' yoga props deter you from this offering - you are welcome to be creative with supports you have around your home.
You also may like to have a journal and writing utensils or a note-taking device nearby for reflections and/or to take notes.
Is active participation from attendees required?
While we welcome questions and engagement with our presenters as invited during the live workshops, it is not a requirement to engage in active participation.
Attendees are welcome to have their web camera on or off during the live workshops. If attendees choose to have their camera on, they will only be captured on the recordings if they choose to come on mic to ask a question or share, while their camera is on.
Each session will have time available for Q&A. Attendees will be welcome to ask questions using the Zoom chat feature, or by coming on mic to verbally ask a question or share, as appropriate / time allows. While facilitators are presenting, attendee microphones will be 'muted' to avoid accidental background noise / distractions.
Each workshop will include a practice component. Attendees are welcome to practice along, however observing the teacher's demonstration, or taking this time to rest / move as needed, is also welcomed.
We invite attendees (and presenters) to honour their own accessibility needs during our workshops. Flexible ways to participate and communicate will be offered. Stim / fidget toys and sensory comfort items are welcome.
How long do I have access to the workshop replays and resources?
You will have access to our online student portal, including captioned recordings of all live workshops and associated resources, for 1 year from the first live workshop date.
Can I earn continuing education credit or contact hour CEUs for this training?
Yes. This workshop series is worth 20 Continuing Education hours. Eligible yoga teachers will earn CE credit through Yoga Alliance. Upon completion of the series content, you will receive a downloadable certificate you can submit for credit.
As this series is led by a group of presenters, Yoga Alliance CEU requests will need to be entered manually, rather than under one individual teacher as a YACEP. Details for lodging hours are provided for those who enroll and complete the series.
Can I share the videos or other resources with other teachers who aren't enrolled in this series?
The content shared through this workshop series is for your personal use. We ask that you don't share videos or resources included with anyone who hasn't enrolled.
Any free resources that the facilitators share with overlapping information, or links to connect with their work, we encourage you to share widely (or even better, encourage your friends and colleagues to enroll in this workshop series and/or engage with paid resources / offerings from our presenters to support the work they do).
Are payment plans available?
Yes, you may split your tuition into 3 monthly payments.
Each pricing tier has this payment plan option available.
Payment installments are charged monthly, based on the date of your enrollment. For example, if you sign up on July 15th, your first installment will be charged upon enrollment, and your remaining two payments will be deducted on August 15th and September 15th.
Are scholarships available for this workshop series?
If our sliding scale pricing options are financially inaccessible for you, we do have a limited number of partial scholarships available. Please fill out this partial scholarship application form to apply.
Can I enroll in one or more individual workshops, rather than the whole series?
We don't have an option to enroll for only some workshops in the series (logistically, the way the series is set up we are unable to separate access to individual sessions), however enrollment in the series includes 1 year of access to the recordings and resources, so if you are unable to attend all (or any) sessions live, you'll have access to work your way through the recordings at your own pace.
We are also passionate about uplifting a variety of voices and experiences, and promoting the value of learning from the different perspectives that a range of presenters with shared and also individual / unique experience and knowledge can offer.
If you are asking this question due from a financial accessibility perspective, we do our best to make our offerings accessible, including financially, and therefore, in the spirit of equity, don't want to provide less to those who have less access to financial resources. We invite you to consider our tiered pricing options, payment plans and partial scholarships, which are designed to make this offering more financially accessible, without restricting access to the content.
What if I need a refund?
Our refund policy for this workshop series is as follows:
- Request for cancellation of enrollment 8 days or more prior to the date of the first live workshop will receive a full refund / cancellation of any pending payment plan charges.
- Request for cancellation of enrollment within 7 days of the first live workshop date will receive a 50% refund of the total enrollment fee (if paid in full), or cancellation of pending payment plan installments equal to 50% of the total enrollment fee.
- No refunds will be granted once the live Zoom sessions have commenced.
What if I need help?
If you need help you can contact our support team and we'll be in touch as soon as possible.
Our contact page - linked above - also includes FAQs which may answer your question/s most efficiently.
