Module Integration Lab: From Principle to Practice
Bringing sensory awareness, evidence, scope, nervous-system language, and the whole student experience into one set of teaching decisions
Throughout this module, you examined trauma-informed teaching from several directions: the Three Es, three pathways of embodied awareness, the principles of trauma-informed care, the boundaries of your professional role, the limits of the research, the careful use of polyvagal language, the S.A.F.E. S.P.A.C.E. Framework™, and the many contact points that shape a student’s experience beyond the sequence. In this lab, those threads come together.
You will move through six parts that build on one another. First, you will observe a class and name what you notice. Next, you will revise specific moments, discern the edges of your scope, and design a practice segment of your own. Finally, you will plan how that segment will be implemented beyond the mat and reflect on what has changed in your teaching. Plan on 60 to 90 minutes, and feel free to work across more than one sitting.
Important: Kajabi does not save your responses on this page.
If you leave or refresh this page, your writing will be lost. The Download My Integration Lab button at the bottom works at any time, so if you plan to take a break, download what you have first. Nothing entered here is submitted to Pointe of Grace. You are never required to disclose a trauma history or other sensitive personal information; hypothetical examples are always welcome.
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Part 1 of 6: Observe
Case Study: “Restore and Release”
Read the scenario below as though you were a mentor observing a colleague. The teacher is warm, sincere, and clearly cares about the students. Your task is not to judge the teacher but to notice where stated intentions and student experience may diverge.
The class listing. “Restore and Release: a trauma-informed class that releases stored trauma from the body and resets your nervous system. All levels welcome. $28 drop-in.” The listing includes no other information about class content, pricing options, or accessibility.
Arriving. Mats are arranged in tight rows facing the front of the room, and the teacher’s mat sits directly in front of the only door. Along the side wall, blocks, bolsters, blankets, and straps are stocked on open shelves beneath a sign that invites students to take whatever they would like.
Opening. The teacher welcomes everyone and says, “We’ll finish at 7:15.” Then: “This is a safe space. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. This breathing practice will regulate your nervous system.”
Mid-class. “Remember, everything is optional. Let’s come into Pigeon.” Moments later: “Beautiful, Dana! That is the full expression, and that is what we are all working toward.” As the teacher walks the room, students who placed a green consent card at the top of their mats receive hands-on adjustments.
A quiet moment. A student in the back row becomes very still and stops moving with the class. The teacher kneels beside them and says softly, “It looks like you’ve dropped into dorsal vagal shutdown. Let’s do some breathing together to bring you back.”
Closing. The class ends with three rounds of chanting Om, which the listing had not mentioned, and finishes at 7:15 as promised. Afterward, a student shares that the chanting made them uncomfortable. The teacher smiles and replies, “Oh, it isn’t really religious. It’s just a vibration.”
Audit the class
Check each observation you would flag as a concern. Leave unchecked any observation you believe reflects supportive practice. Not everything on this list is a problem, so read carefully.
Part 2 of 6: Revise
Rewrite Five Moments
Choose language that fits your own voice. Write your revision first, then open the example to compare. The examples are one possibility, not the correct answer; a revision that differs in wording can be just as strong.
Revision self-check (use it for every rewrite in this part)
Compare with an example revision
“We have about an hour together, and we’ll finish at 7:15. You’re welcome to move, adjust, rest, or step out at any time without explaining. As we begin, you might keep your eyes open with your gaze resting on the floor, soften your gaze, or close your eyes. Some people like to notice their breath, while others prefer the feeling of the mat beneath them or the sounds in the room. Choose whatever feels useful, and you can change your mind at any point.”
Compare with an example revision
“Here are three ways to explore this hip shape: Pigeon with a block or blanket under the hip, Figure Four lying on your back, or Figure Four seated in a chair. Each is a complete option. You might notice which one gives you enough support today, or rest in any position you like.” Any acknowledgment afterward stays neutral and is offered to the whole room, so no single expression becomes the goal.
Compare with an example revision
From a respectful distance, and without drawing the room’s attention: “I notice you’ve become still. You’re welcome to stay as you are, try a different option, or let me know if you’d like anything.” The teacher then continues guiding the class, remains available, and may check in privately after class. If a student appears to be in crisis, the teacher follows the studio’s emergency and referral procedures.
Compare with an example revision
“Thank you for telling me. You’re right that the chanting wasn’t listed in the class description, and I understand it left you in an uncomfortable position. I’m sorry. I’m updating the description, and in future classes I’ll mention the chant at the beginning so everyone knows they can rest quietly or leave early.” The teacher then makes the change and does not ask the student to reassure them.
Compare with an example revision
“Restore (Trauma-Informed, All Levels). A slow, grounding practice with floor and chair options, plenty of props, and room to move at your own pace. Class closes with an optional chant; you are welcome to rest quietly or leave early. Hands-on assists are not used during class, and the room is arranged with open pathways and a clear exit. Some participants report feeling calmer or more connected, though experiences vary, and this class is not a substitute for mental health care. Drop-in $28, with a sliding scale available and no explanation needed. Contact us about accessibility needs before your first class.”
Part 3 of 6: Discern
Where Does This Belong?
For each situation, decide whether it falls within the trauma-informed yoga teacher’s role, calls for referral or collaboration with a licensed professional, or falls outside the teacher’s role altogether.
1. Offering a wall, a chair, and a block as equally valued options for a standing balance pose.
2. After class, a student shares that nightmares and flashbacks are disrupting their sleep and asks whether yoga can fix it.
3. Designing a sequence intended to help a student “process” a specific traumatic memory.
4. Telling a student that the tightness in their hips shows where trauma is stored.
5. Teaching yoga within a treatment program led by licensed clinicians, with your role clearly defined and documented.
6. Telling a prospective student that research suggests some structured yoga programs may complement PTSD care, and that outcomes vary.
Part 4 of 6: Design
Build One Practice Segment
Choose a 10 to 15 minute segment from a class you teach or plan to teach, such as an opening orientation, a transition from standing to the floor, a standing sequence, or a closing. You do not need to redesign an entire class. A single, carefully examined segment will show more than a whole class sketched quickly.
Apply S.A.F.E.: design the conditions
S: Safe Sequencing and Transitions
A: Alignment and Agency
F: Focus on Regulation
E: Embodied Anchoring
Create S.P.A.C.E.: support noticing and responding
S: Sensory Integration
P: Perception
A: Acceptance
C: Compassion
E: Education
Cue one moment through three pathways
Choose one moment within your segment and write a cue for each pathway of embodied awareness.
Part 5 of 6: Implement
Beyond the Sequence
A well-designed segment can still be undermined by what happens around it. Plan the contact points that will surround the segment you designed in Part 4.
Part 6 of 6: Integrate
Final Reflection
The question at the heart of this module: Does my teaching merely sound trauma-informed, or does it meaningfully increase transparency, choice, and student authority?
Save your work before leaving this page.
Your download includes your audit results, scope decisions, and every written response. Bring it to the next Advanced YTT session and share only what feels appropriate.
Closing Thought
Advanced trauma-informed teaching is not a script you finish memorizing. It is a way of attending: to the conditions you create, to the evidence you cite, to the edges of your role, and to the students whose experience is the final measure of your intention.