The 2014 Durham Y.O.G.A. for Youth Teacher Training brought together 14 amazing yogis for a 5-day intensive with Y.O.G.A. for Youth founder/executive director Krishna Kaur and NC regional coordinator Keval Kaur Khalsa. This beautiful diverse group included two undergraduate students from Duke and UNC-CH, yoga teachers, counselors, and education professionals from Durham, Wake, Orange and Chatham counties, as well as further afield, including PA, MA, Brooklyn, Atlanta and San Diego. Keval Kaur noted, “The wisdom and passion to serve that was present in this collective was truly profound. This group arrived open and ready to receive and to give, and I am excited to see how their service to young people will unfold and transform lives.”
Participants appreciated learning aspects of Kundalini yoga practice, the crafting of the curriculum, and the materials included in the training, as well as the safe environment that was created which fostered teamwork and personal development. Speaking about classroom management role-playing sessions, one participant shared, “I loved the practice runs, where disruptions happened.” Besides developing fluency with the Y.O.G.A. for Youth curriculum and classroom management techniques, participants learned about the effects of trauma, how it can manifest physically and behaviorally, and how yoga can help to mitigate the effects of trauma. Y.O.G.A. for Youth NC Lead Teacher Jordan Harrell and Alison Pope, Program Coordinator for Y.O.G.A. for Youth partner Communities In Schools of Orange County, visited the course to share their experiences with the teachers-in-training.