Feel free to revisit this recording and share anything that resonated with you from our final live session before graduation. A reflection is not required for this session, but you are more than welcome to share your thoughts or consider the prompts below!
We explored:
- Invitational cueing
- Accessible posture variations
- Supporting agency and safety through language
- Self massage and Yoga Nidra as tools for regulation and rest
Optional reflection prompts:
- What language or cueing approaches resonated most with you?
- Did anything shift in how you think about accessibility or offering choice?
- What are you taking with you from this cohort experience?
- What support do you hope to continue cultivating in your personal practice or facilitation?
This course has helped me SO much, not just in my yoga facilitation and practice but in my personal life as well. I can really appreciate the invitational cueing and choice, it feels like it gives me a sense of agency to choose what variation works for me and instead of telling me what to do which can cause me to grimace sometimes, it feels very welcoming like you're practicing "with" me instead of "at" me. I really like how you say things like "see how it feels when", it makes me really inquisitive about how my body is feeling and reacting to the movements. For somebody with severe trauma that lived "outside" of her body for a long time, yoga has given me the opportunity to get back inside of it safely and connect with it again. The way you facilitate is amazing, and I hope I can give my participants even a fraction of the experience that you've given us. Thank you so much, Jen.
Could not agree more!!
Thank you Jen for another amazing session! I was sad to miss the live session (stomach bug) but happy to follow along afterwards. I really appreciate the care and attention in the yoga nidra session, I'll definitely try to incorporate some of these moments into my own practice and eventually when facilitating. Thank you for always leading with strength and an open heart.
I had originally considered attending the live session tonight, but decided to finish with the recording so I could close out the experience with the group I started with in January. It was meaningful to hear their perspectives and reflect on their growth. I'm now fully caught up, with only my final reflection and practicum remaining. I'll be reaching out to Jen and Alejandro about attending graduation next Thursday, October 15. With my upcoming move, hopefully on October 15 or November 1, I want to give myself time to complete those final pieces thoughtfully rather than rushing through them.
I enjoyed learning more about graduation and the opportunity to register with Yoga Alliance. I also appreciated the information about providing testimonials and becoming a PYP ambassador. As I've mentioned previously, once I complete my finals, I plan to begin volunteer training and hopefully apply to become a Justice System Liaison. Given my lived experiences, I feel this is an area where I could make a meaningful contribution.
I appreciated the conversation with Emma about inclusive language, particularly the use of "ladies." Until around age 30, I frequently used expressions like "girl" in everyday conversations, but I've naturally become more intentional with my language. I occasionally slip back into those habits depending on who I'm with, but I recognize the importance of using inclusive language in the spaces we're facilitating. Similarly, I appreciated the discussion about adapting terminology to different groups. References to the stars, moon, or solstices might resonate with some participants but not others, so it's important to make the practice accessible and relevant to the people we're working with.
The discussion about men's and women's prison yards and outdoor recreation was particularly interesting. My previous roommate described her experience at a large women's correctional facility in Ontario, where she said men from a neighbouring institution would catcall women across the fence. Having experienced incarceration at Vanier myself, I found this especially insightful. However, because I was only there for approximately one week and never received outdoor recreation time, I can't speak to how the yards operate today. It was another reminder of how different people's experiences of incarceration can be.
I actually teared up closing out with seeing Jen’s smiling face as she said, “Goodnight, everyone,” knowing that I’ve now completed all the modules and weekly classes. I’m so appreciative of this entire experience and the opportunity to reflect on my journey through these posts. I can’t believe how perfectly timed this milestone is with everything else happening in my life right now.
Thanks, Jen and PYP, for such a meaningful experience! I’m so excited for graduation next week! 🧡