Workshops
Learn & Move
Releasing Stress & Trauma Through the Psoas
Friday, October 17
5:30-8:00 PM
$47 for Members
$59 for Non-members
Open to all levels, no prior yoga experience is necessary. We invite you to slow down, listen to your body, and lean in with curiosity.
Join Heidi Malnar (RYT® 200, 140-hour YogaFit® for Warriors, PLPC, M.A.) in this transformative workshop to release chronic tension stored in the psoas—the “muscle of the soul.” Far more than just a core stabilizer, this muscle is deeply connected to our survival instincts and desire to flourish. In fact, every position of our fight-or-flight response involves contraction of the psoas! While animals naturally release stress through trembling, humans tend to suppress this innate response, preventing the body from returning to equilibrium.
In this workshop, we will delve into the physiology of the stress response, how trauma is stored in the body, and effective techniques for its release. Through a gentle approach, incorporating breathwork, slow, mindful movement, postures that encourage subtle shaking for traumatic release, techniques to neutralize the pelvis, and guided relaxation, we will gently address the deep-seated holding patterns in both our bodies and nervous systems.
What to Expect:
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Gentle yoga sequences to engage, lengthen, and release the psoas.
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Supportive postures to neutralize the pelvis and reduce psoas contraction.
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Somatic techniques for releasing body tension and trauma.
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Insights into the anatomy and function of the psoas.
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An overview of the sympathetic nervous system and how the body stores trauma.
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A safe, nurturing space for deep release and renewal.
Open to all levels, no prior yoga experience is necessary. We invite you to slow down, listen to your body, and lean in with curiosity.
Heidi Malnar, former Indy resident and major fan of Fire & Flow, earned her RYT® 200 certification at Free to Be Power Yoga in New Orleans, LA in 2020. In addition, Heidi holds a 140-hour YogaFit for Warriors certification, a 25-hour Restorative Yoga Certification, and is currently pursuing certification in Sound Healing. Her extensive training includes Power Vinyasa & Journey into Power, Laughing Lotus Restorative Yoga, YogaFit for Warriors (PTSD), YogaFit for Warrior Kids (Childhood Trauma), YogaFit for Emotional and Physical Trauma, Restoring Balance: Training the Parasympathetic Nervous System, YogaFit for Addiction & Recovery, YogaFit for Balancing Moods, Sound & Mantra Healing, and Therapeutic Applications of Sound & Mantra.
Heidi is a Provisionally Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC) and recently earned her M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Saybrook University. She aspires to work as a Yoga Therapist and Somatic Practitioner. Originally trained in dance performance and education, Heidi discovered her passion for the helping professions during a YogaFit for Warriors® (PTSD) training.She is the founder of Hoofing for Heroes℠, an adaptive tap dance and cognitive fitness program for Veterans, and is now leading Hatha for Heroes at the New Orleans VA Hospital. Heidi also co-founded Screaming Kids Goat Yoga, supporting a nonprofit Equine Therapy program, and has taught Yoga for Athletes at The Sun Belt Conference. She is also on the dance faculty at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. Heidi is "over the half-moon" about developing a therapeutic yoga workshop series and sharing it with yoga communities everywhere!
“I believe that our bodies hold the memories of our defenses, the wisdom of our experiences,
and an innate capacity to heal.”