Somatic Toolkit for a Resilient Nervous System
with Katrin Heuser and Michelle Murray
27th July - 3rd August 2024
Bodhi Bhavan, Algarve, Portugal
How you feel in your body; how you move; how you breathe; and the baseline state of your nervous system are all shaped by the entirety of your lived experience.
In turn, the state of your nervous system will determine your experience of life, and your capacity to hold space for yourself and others when faced with life’s challenges.
Learn somatic practices to develop greater capacity for nervous system regulation, co-regulation and resilience, and the skills to create a more trauma-informed environment for your work. This toolkit will benefit you personally and professionally, so you can support yourself as well as your clients, and feel nourished by your work.
An accredited 50-hour residential training for people working in a therapeutic or supporting profession, or in the field of social impact.
”I really enjoyed participating in the training… I have more and more motivation and less fear to embark on this contact, care and respect for my body. The way Michelle and Katrin presented the different contents (in a calm, light and clear way) and shared their experience, was captivating.
I looked for the course driven by the impulse to take better care of myself, but I inevitably took everything I learned into my professional practice. I became more aware of the importance of paying attention to the signs that my body gives me and by taking care of it I am also taking care of my emotional aspects.
One of my biggest challenges is allowing myself time to stop and take care of myself. And that's why the practical part was one of my favorites in which I experienced disconnecting from thoughts and giving myself the freedom to explore sensations and released stress/tensions.
Finally, I refer to the support material, which is vast and rich. And therefore a great added value. Thank you both for your attention, delivery and availability.”
— Vanina, Clinical Psychologist & course participant
Are you passionate about your work and want to make a difference in the world, but find it increasingly difficult to give your clients the very best of you?
Nervous system dysregulation has become the norm in modern-day society, and none of us are immune to it. Some of the ways dysregulation can show up include emotional reactivity, anxiety, depression, pain, tension, and chronic conditions. All of these are signs that the nervous system is stuck, rather than having flexibility and resilience.
When working with clients presenting complex conditions, it’s not possible to meet them where they’re at, or create a safe and inclusive environment, if you don’t have a resilient nervous system yourself, plus the necessary skills and experience.
It’s not surprising that people working in a supporting profession can end up feeling exhausted, overworked, and even burnt-out. You’re doing your best to hold space, and you also realise that your skillset and toolbox of practices continuously need to evolve to meet the changing needs of people today.
Most training courses have not evolved to be either trauma-informed, nor specifically informed about the nervous system. The Somatic Toolkit has been developed in response to this. We believe a resilient nervous system is fundamental to working in a supporting profession. It underpins not only showing up for your clients in a responsible and meaningful way, but also feeling fulfilled and nourished by your work.
For your work to be both sustainable and effective, it is essential that you:
Understand your own nervous system so that you can self-regulate;
Develop the capacity to co-regulate;
Are educated about trauma and the underlying causes of chronic conditions;
Maintain your integrity and authenticity, amidst the constant pressure to make a living;
Have support by way of mentorship, peers and community.
The Training
This 50-hour Continued Professional Development (CPD) residential training gives you the missing educational piece as well as the space to explore somatic practices including movement, breathing, sounding, and self-touch.
Our approach is both bottom-up to foster and deepen interoception, sensory tracking and enquiry; and top-down with education around neuroscience and trauma.
Together we will explore themes around boundaries, the body-mind connection, nervous system regulation, co-regulation, trauma, safety and inclusivity, embodiment and resilience.
There are no quick fixes to the systemic issues we all face, but during this training you will have the opportunity to develop your own personal Somatic Toolkit to resource from, as well as use with your clients. Our hope is that you will feel deeply nourished by new insights, practices and skills, real connection and community, and being in an authentic space of exploration.
Somatics offers a non-dogmatic approach to working with the body, where focus is given to the inner experience rather than the external form. The emphasis is on curiosity and enquiry into your felt experience on a moment-by-moment basis. This invites you to establish a more accepting and loving relationship with yourself, where the innate wisdom of your body is honoured, trusted, and able to fully express itself. Ultimately, your body becomes your best guide.
Why is this training residential?
It’s all about being nourished. It’s your turn. Allow yourself to receive, learn and practice. Let us hold space for you for a change.
We all know how beneficial it is to take some time out from the daily routine; it’s a gift to yourself that will give back to you many times over. This week offers a space for you to immerse yourself in nature, be held in a deeply nourishing space and learning environment, and to make heartfelt connections with like-minded professionals. And who doesn’t like having healthy wholesome food appear as if by magic?
We are both experienced retreat facilitators with 100+ retreats between us and a combined experience of 50+ years of somatic practice and enquiry.
We’ve chosen Bodhi Bhavan for our venue because the owners have created a beautiful space from the heart, and we resonated with them as people committed to living an authentic life and their vision for the space and regenerative land management.
Course Overview
Pre-training: approx. 2 hours of essential reading/viewing available July 1st 2024
Training: 27th July - 3rd August 2024
Post-training: online integration session on Saturday 21st September 2024, 2-5pm London/Lisbon
This CPD training is 50 hours in total: 42 live contact hours + a minimum of 8 hours for home study, practice, enquiry and reflection to support integration.
Course Learning Objectives
We want you to leave with more curiosity than you arrived with; however, by the end of the training, you will:
be able to identify your own and other people’s nervous system baseline and tendency;
have a wide-ranging and versatile toolkit of somatic practices to support grounding and regulation of specific nervous system states, and an understanding of the importance of specificity - what to apply when;
understand the difference between regulation and resilience, and ways to support both to reset the baseline nervous system state back to the experience of safety;
have a general understanding of the trauma landscape, and know where to take action to make your work and work environment more inclusive and trauma-informed;
have the knowledge of how to integrate the toolkit practices into both 1:1 sessions and group settings;
have a greater capacity to navigate challenges with more strength and support from a space of embodied awareness;
be able to establish clear boundaries and self-compassion so you can hold space for others in a healthy way, have the capacity to co-regulate, and feel more fulfilled by your work.
What to Expect
We start the day with a first-hand experience of all the principles applied in a movement practice. The morning workshops will include a presentation, with time for both personal enquiry and discussion in small groups. The afternoon workshops will be practice-based, followed by reflection and time to apply the toolkit in small groups.
Daily Schedule
Our days will typically unfold like this:
07:30-08:30 Morning movement practice
08:30-09:30 Breakfast
10:00-13:00 Morning workshop
13:00-16:00 Lunch and free time
16:00-19:00 Afternoon workshop
19:30 Dinner
The experiential learning will support integration and also help you develop your capacity to facilitate others. Each day will offer new resources for your somatic toolkit which we will be building up over the duration of the week.
Additional course materials will be made available on a well-structured online platform, including comprehensive hand-outs to support learning and deepening your enquiry, suggested reading material and videos for further study, plus bonus practices.
Spaces are limited to 14 participants on this course to ensure personal attention. We will be able to get to know you and support you during the programme and your personal journey.
Course Content
DAY 1: Boundaries & the Responsibility of Meaningful Self-Care
What is meaningful self-care and nourishment?
Why is meaningful self-care fundamental in creating a sustainable offering?
The ripple effect in your community
The obvious and subtle symptoms of dysregulation
Setting boundaries with clarity and compassion
Knowing your limits and when to refer
DAY 2: Body-Mind Connection
The impact of our modern lifestyle on our health and well-being
The interconnectedness of our being - the landscape of pain and chronic conditions and their impact on day-to-day life
Wholeness - reconnecting to the innate intelligence of the body and nature
The art of befriending
The role of interoception and proprioception
The importance of connection and community
DAY 3: Understanding the Nervous System
Mapping the nervous system with Polyvagal Theory
Baseline state, activation state and tendency
The importance of specificity
What does a healthy nervous system look like?
Recognising somatic releases
Resourcing to regulate the nervous system
Co-regulation
DAY 4: Trauma
What is trauma?
How does trauma show up?
What is the difference between activation and being triggered?
Supporting clients within the larger societal context
The potential of bodymind practices to support the process of healing and integration
What is post-trauma growth?
DAY 5: Creating a Safe and Inclusive Space
Safety is relative and individual
Baseline requirements for creating safe space
Implementing the baseline requirements (within the digital as well physical space)
Trauma-informed language
Consent, agency and autonomy
DAY 6: Embodiment for Resilience
What is embodiment?
What is resilience and why do we need it?
The importance of daily nourishment
Recognising body bypassing and spiritual bypassing
Integrative care
Saturday 21st September, 2-5pm London/Lisbon: Online Integration Session
We meet a few weeks after the training for integration of whatever has arisen in the meantime, and to answer any questions or doubts you may have about using the toolkit. Integration is the key to real and lasting transformation so this call is as important as the course.
About the Venue
Bodhi Bhavan sits at the peak of Picota mountain with amazing panoramic views of the surrounding hills and valleys, where you can enjoy both sunrise and sunset. Peacefully embedded in the magical nature of the Algarve’s second highest peak, the setting offers lots of walking trails, and natural spring water flowing in various locations around the property. The ground has a strong energy supporting any practice of self exploration and peacefulness; and with more than six hectares of land, you can always find a quiet spot to rest and restore your energy.
The space offers a comfortable, relaxed environment you can feel at home in. There are 8 ensuite twin-share bedrooms, interior and exterior communal areas for dining, relaxing and socialising; as well as a pool for a refreshing dip, and a separate fully equipped studio further up the hill for practice.
Who is this training for?
Qualified yoga teachers, bodyworkers, coaches or retreat facilitators who take their continued education responsibility seriously, and want to expand their toolkit for both one-to-one and group settings;
OR psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, social workers, or front-line workers who want to bring more body-based practices into their work;
OR people who work in the field of social impact who recognise how necessary, beneficial and relevant a more embodied approach is;
You are open to a non-dogmatic approach to somatic facilitation;
You are committed and open to the continual process this work requires.
You might particularly enjoy this course if:
You love movement and have experienced or enjoyed Embodied Yoga, Somatic Movement, Feldenkrais or Qi Gong;
You love and practise regular self-care rituals;
You are increasingly coming to trust your gut and body signals when they say yes or no to situations;
You enjoy learning both cognitively and experientially;
You get quite excited by neuroscience, physiology and research studies;
You want to explore new ways of moving and breathing to experience more balance and freedom in your bodymind.
This course may not be the right fit for you at this point in time if:
You are not able or willing to invest the time for this training, including the home study and integration;
You already feel completely overwhelmed by your life;
You are currently going through your own deep trauma process. This training could add to the existing overwhelm for you rather than aid your healing journey.
Register Now
This training course is offered with a scaled pricing structure with three options rather than one fixed price. The intention is to allow more people to access the course, supported by the community and those who have access to more funds. Please choose the option that feels appropriate to you and your circumstances. You will not be asked to justify your choice.
TIER 1
REBALANCING
For those with good financial resources who wish to support the participation of others to help rebalance systemic inequity.
€1,585 €1,385*
TIER 2
FAIR
For those with medium incomes who have sufficient financial resources and can pay the fair value for the training.
€1,485 €1,285*
TIER 3
SUPPORTED
For those who currently have limited financial resources and can benefit from a place supplemented by the community.
€1,385 €1,185*
*The Spring Offer is valid on all tiers until 21st May 2024.
Please note that when you click on any of the payment buttons, you will be redirected to the Little Yoga Space Thinkific platform to register.
If your body is saying a big YES to this training but you need a longer payment plan to make it financially possible for you to join, please do email us to discuss possibilities.
What’s Included
⟣ 7 nights shared accommodation in en-suite twin rooms plus use of all facilities in a retreat space that has been lovingly restored and designed to support your practice
⟣ 11 x 3-hour interactive workshops
⟣ Daily morning practice
⟣ Fully equipped practice space
⟣ Lifetime access to additional online resources for practice and reflection, plus a comprehensive reading list for further study
⟣ Post-training 3-hour online integration session
⟣ Delicious hearty vegetarian meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner (starts with dinner on arrival day and ends with breakfast on departure day)
⟣ Water, tea, coffee, biscuits and fruit available throughout the day
⟣ One organised group transfer from and to Faro airport
Optional extras
⟣ On-site massage therapy
⟣ Afternoon beach excursion
Not included
Costs of optional extras, flights or other travel, and insurance.
Travel Info
Faro is the closest airport, a 1h drive from the venue. The group transfer will leave at 3.30pm on the 27th. The return transfer will leave at 10.30am on the 3rd, so please book your flight for after 1.30pm. If you have different travel times, extra transfers can be arranged at an additional cost.
Parking is available, if you prefer to come in your own car. Alternatively, there are regular fast coaches from Lisbon to Faro.
Additional travel information is included in your welcome pack.
Booking Terms & Conditions
Whether you are paying in full or in instalments, the following T&Cs apply:
In order to guarantee your place on this training, you need to make a minimum payment of at least one instalment.
If you pay in instalments, the first one is due on registration, and the remaining instalments will be charged in one-month intervals from the date of your booking.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations made on or before 27th January 2024: you will receive a full refund minus a €100 admin fee.
Cancellations made between the 28th January and the 27th May 2024: you may transfer your place to another person you know. Alternatively, if we are able to fill your space from the waiting list, we will offer you a full refund minus a €75 admin fee. Otherwise, no refunds of payments made so far will be given.
Cancellations made on or after 28th May 2024: payments are non-refundable. However, you may transfer your place to another person you know.
No-shows or early departures: no refunds will be given.
In the unlikely event that we should need to cancel the whole course due to unforeseen circumstances, all monies paid will be refunded without penalty.
You are responsible for having adequate travel insurance throughout your retreat stay and we will not be held responsible for any injury, loss, or damage you may incur whilst participating in other activities outside of the retreat space.
About Katrin and Michelle
Her whole life, Katrin has been interested in the body and movement. After many years of dance, her Scoliosis led her to Pilates and finally to Yoga, Thai Massage and Osteothai, which then became her path in life.
For Katrin, her work is about the never-ending exploration of the body. As we bring awareness to what is happening inside and where we are in the present moment, the body is encouraged to release where it is holding. Then we can embark on a journey of restoration and growth.
She holds a 500h Level 4 NVQ Yoga Teaching qualification, has completed over a 1,000 continued education hours on therapeutic and somatic approaches, trained in Manual Lymph Drainage and has studied extensively in Thai Yoga Massage and Osteothai, including a Master Osteothai qualification, over the past years. Mostly through her work as a bodyworker comes also her understanding of trauma, chronic conditions and pain, as well as the influence of working with fascia, the craniosacral system, structural support and the nervous system.
Katrin used to run a Yoga Festival in London and launched an online anti-stress breathing programme. Since 2015 she has lived in Lisbon and runs Little Yoga Space, where she teaches and gives Osteothai treatments, and she is the director of Hadadi, offering foundation and advanced training courses in Thai Massage and trauma-informed Yoga worldwide.
Read more about Katrin on her website.
Michelle has worked in the field of somatics since 2002, initially as a massage therapist and yoga teacher in London, followed by various other locations before settling in Portugal. Over the years, Michelle has followed her interests (and her heart) learning from many amazing teachers and facilitators. However, the basis for everything she offers is her personal experience and continued exploration.
Her work is person-centred and responsive to what arises in the moment, and in recent years has evolved to include a deep dive into the field of trauma healing and nervous system regulation. Michelle continues to deepen her understanding with ongoing study including training in Somatic Experiencing®. Focussing on stabilisation, integration, resilience, wholeness and freedom, she invites you to reconnect with who you most deeply are, to find your own voice, and to stand in the power of knowing that you are enough.
What people say about working with Michelle and Katrin
“I want to thank you both for this training and your facilitation! My Wednesdays started having a different meaning since the beginning of this course: self-care and nurturing my own needs. :) I will miss them. The content was clear and very useful, mixing theoretical reflection and bodywork practices. The fact that you made us (me) feel that there was no rush or pressure whatsoever and we could take our time to study and reflect was important to keep that spirit of respect and awareness of our own needs at the moment. The learning platform was very useful as well. This course made me want to deepen my knowledge and resources about trauma and how I can be able to support myself and others in life through our bodies. The duration and weekly basis worked very well for me and enable me to introduce some practices into my own work and experience both as receiver and facilitator.”
“Katrin’s approach is deceptively simple yet the benefits are profound. The careful attentive approach and the kindness of the Yoga make it suitable for people of any age, and I continue to learn from Katrin’s subtle insights into the body/mind connection.”
“Michelle is the most incredible Breathwork Therapist I ever worked with. She showed me three different Breathwork tools and I instantly could feel a difference after the session with her. Michelle is a warm-hearted and gifted woman! I really appreciate working with her on my health.”
“It’s all about ease and becoming friends with your body once again. Quite a complex task, but Katrin is very good at navigating you through. She has all the qualities I value in a teacher - caring and dedicated to her students, paying attention to their individual needs, being serious and fun and giving clear instructions and explanations.”
“Michelle is so kind, generous with her time, words and patience. Her zest for life and her deep self-love and appreciation radiated through the room during our hours of yoga in the morning and at night. I have come back home with my very own practice. It has given me so much joy to continue this practice on my own.”
“I wasn’t sure whether it makes sense to attend the Somatic Toolkit since the topics seemed to be overlapping with the Language of the Body quite a lot. It was the promise of looking at things from the perspective of the practitioner and her well-being as well as the fact there will be another teacher with new sets of tools and her own perspective that eventually made me try it out. I was not disappointed and Michelle turned out to be an exceptional teacher with enormous professional and personal experience... Although the same themes of nervous system regulation, trauma, safety, etc. were re-visited in this course, I felt I was learning many new things. The main theme was how to build our own resilience and resource ourselves to hold the safe space for our clients. And it was a very valid point that is easy to forget about. We looked at how to stay resourced, how to maintain healthy boundaries and it applied to every aspect from the marketing materials to what to do when you yourself get triggered when you’re with your client. I came out with tons of new skills and techniques that I’m already using extensively in my mentoring for people experiencing anxiety and general classes. If you’re interested in yoga training, that’s not the right fit for you. There are not many yoga bits in this course: most of the techniques presented are some forms of somatic or embodied movement, grounding/self-soothing plus some restorative poses. If I wanted to summarise it, this program ‘’2 in 1’’: it’s your own self-care protocol + further deepening of the knowledge on the nervous system.”
“Michelle’s yoga class is a wonderful experience. Highly recommended! The practice feels like a journey to your “true home“. On the way you learn to be soft to your body, to nourish it, to listen to what you need.”
“I think you’ve done a very good job in dealing with all the different needs of the people. I felt seen and I also had the impression that you took me seriously not only as a customer but also as a person. Thank you for that.”
“It is a much-needed approach to teaching yoga and has been of a great help, personally, to navigate current times. Learning to create safe and inclusive spaces and deepening the understanding of the body in all its dimensions have been only a few of the many valuable teachings.”
Certification
The course is registered with the Complementary Medical Association, who promote ethical, responsible, professional complementary medicine to the public and the medical profession.
In addition, the training is accredited by Yoga Alliance Professionals, an internationally recognised organisation promoting best practices for teachers and trainers. On satisfactory completion of the training you will receive a certificate to record your CPD.
Note: To meet the requirements for certification, you need to attend all sessions during the training week.
Orientation Calls
Join a free online orientation call for Q&A as well as some taster practices. This will also be an opportunity to get to know us a little more.
Friday 17th May 5-6pm London/Lisbon
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I’m a qualified professional but not working at the moment. Can I still join the training?
Yes, absolutely. Maybe this course will inspire or enable you to go back to sharing your work.
Q. Is it possible to pay in instalments?
Yes, we want to make sure it’s possible for you to join. You can choose from a one-off payment or monthly instalments.
Q. So many people I work with deal with high levels of anxiety. Will these tools be immediately helpful to me and my clients?
Absolutely. We encourage you to implement the appropriate tools as soon as you feel you have embodied them.
Q. Will this training qualify me to work with trauma?
Trauma is part of the human experience, and this training is to support you in becoming more trauma-informed within the scope of your existing practice. To be able to offer any form of trauma therapy, you need to pursue adequate training according to the regulations of the country you live and work in.
Q. I am worried I might get triggered during the course. Will there be support available?
When working with the nervous system, things may come up for you. If this happens during class and you need support to ground yourself, please let Katrin or Michelle (whoever is not facilitating at that moment) know.
Exploring these themes in a group setting means that our own bodies, and our reactions to other participants, may bring stuff up and this will be a valued part of the learning experience.
If something comes up for you that requires more in-depth support, you are welcome to book a one-to-one session with either Katrin or Michelle after the training, or we can refer you to another practitioner if that feels more appropriate for you.
Q. I have specific dietary requirements. Will they be catered for?
We are able to cater for vegan, as well as basic gluten-free and lactose-free requirements when notified in advance. For any more serious food intolerances or allergies, please contact us before you register.
Additional questions?
Please contact us by email.
Can’t make the date this year?
Register your interest for the next cohort, and you’ll be the first to know future dates when they are released.