Falling Awake with Yoga Nidra: Integrative Tools for Trauma Healing and Neuroregulation

Did you know? With an active FMHCA membership, this and other CEU webinars are free—activate before checkout!

Description: This presentation explores the neuroscience and therapeutic potential of Yoga Nidra through Dr. Kathryn Shafer’s original qualitative research and clinical application. Falling Awake with Yoga Nidra reframes rest as an active process of awareness—inviting clients to access healing states where the mind quiets, the body restores, and the nervous system reorganizes toward balance. Based on a qualitative study (N=217) and four decades of integrative practice, Dr. Shafer’s YogaFun™ Nidra protocol demonstrates measurable improvements in calmness, clarity, and self-awareness after even brief guided sessions. The practice gently moves through the body’s five energetic layers (koshas), activating parasympathetic regulation and increasing resilience to stress and trauma triggers. Attendees will learn the evidence-based mechanisms of Yoga Nidra, how to adapt the practice clinically for trauma and burnout recovery, and how to integrate guided rest into EMDR, Brainspotting, and other therapeutic modalities. Participants will leave with a practical framework for “falling awake”—helping clients transform rest into a powerful gateway for healing, insight, and restoration.

This event is sponsored by FMHCA, an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider. FMHCA NBCC Provider# 2058. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  FMHCA is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. This course is approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, LMHC, LMFT, LCSW – FMHCA CE Broker #: 50-748

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the neurophysiological and psychological processes underlying Yoga Nidra and its clinical benefits.
2. Identify how Yoga Nidra can support trauma integration and nervous system regulation.
3. Apply principles of attunement and safety when guiding clients through Yoga Nidra practices.
4. Integrate Yoga Nidra as a complementary tool within EMDR, Brainspotting, and mindfulness-based therapies.

About the Presenter: 

Dr. Kathryn Shafer is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Addiction Professional, Certified Brainspotting Therapist and Consultant, Certified EMDR Practitioner and EMDRIA-Approved Consultant, and Certified Yoga Therapist. With over 40 years of clinical experience, she integrates trauma-informed psychotherapy with somatic and mindfulness practices in her private practice, Limitless Potentials, in Jupiter, Florida. A seasoned speaker with more than 40 national presentations, Dr. Shafer blends neuroscience, psychology, and yoga to promote resilience and emotional healing. Certified as a yoga teacher since 2009 and yoga therapist since 2016, she developed YogaFun™ Nidra—a structured, trauma-sensitive approach to promote deep rest, emotional integration, and neuroregulation. Her latest book, Falling Awake, explores the bridge between neuroscience and the ancient wisdom of yogic sleep as a path toward embodied healing.

Please Click Here to view our Refund Policy