9. Nityda Gessel - Dismantling the Systems of Opression Through Trauma-Conscious Yoga

In this talk Nityda discusses the importance of movement for healing and her integration process of Yoga and Social Work. She talks about Yoga philosophy, the influence of African spirituality, and the need to develop skills in action for social justice. We discuss some of the ways in which patriarchy and white supremacy have influenced us and what can we do individually and collectively to heal what is unconscious, with one of the main issues being the lack of inclusivity in the yoga world, with language as a big barrier, and how to minimize the teacher's position of power in the classroom. We both agree that we require more and more trauma-informed, healing-centered spaces for marginalized groups that need it the most, and she mentions colonization as one of the biggest issue, how descendants of colonizers have a lot of shame and trauma being associated as the oppressor, and how the guru figure arises and is protected by its followers. Nityda is a licensed somatic psychotherapist, yoga teacher, trauma specialist, speaker, writer, and heart-centered activist, working within the intersections of yoga, mental health, embodied activism, and community advocacy. She is the founder of The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Institute (TCYI) and The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method℠, a healing modality that marries trauma-informed yoga with somatic psychotherapy practices. She facilitates certification trainings in The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method℠ online and across the U.S. for mental health professionals, yoga teachers, helping professionals, and survivors interested in learning skills to support their resiliency and post-traumatic growth. You can find more information about Nytida at https://traumaconsciousyoga.com She is also in Instagram as trauma_conscious_yoga_method