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The Yoga of 12 Step Recovery: Peer Support Guide Training Step 1

The Yoga of 12 Step Recovery: Peer Support Training offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to understanding and addressing addiction through the ancient wisdom of yoga, the practical tools of 12-step programs, and trauma informed practices. The Y12SR Peer Support Guide Certification Training is a 36-hour comprehensive program designed to equip individuals with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to bring Y12SR (Yoga of 12-Step Recovery) meetings to their communities. The full program combines online self-study through the Yogaversity Platform and live (in person and online) interactive components, structured into two key units: Understanding and Application.

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Nikki Myers

Dynamic Learning

Engage in 45 modules encompassing 20 hours of study, practice, office hours, assessments, and certification, ensuring a thorough and well-rounded learning experience. Qualifies for 20 Yoga Alliance CE Credits.

Monthly Office Hours

Gain access to office hours designed specifically for Y12 students and graduates, offering dedicated support to help you understand and integrate course material into your teaching.

Unlimited Access

Enjoy lifetime access to the online materials, allowing you to study at your own pace and revisit materials anytime for continuous learning and growth.

An Integrated Approach to Addiction Recovery

This course is for yoga teachers, yoga therapists, and healthcare practitioners

The Y12SR Peer Support Guide training is a two-part certification that offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to understanding and addressing addiction through the ancient wisdom of yoga, the practical tools of 12-step programs, and trauma-informed practices.

Grounded in the principles of harm reduction and guided by yogic texts, trauma research, modern neuroscience, and the 12-step program – this training unites cognitive and somatic approaches to support deeper levels of healing for all types of addictions.

What is a Y12SR?

Y12SR (Yoga of 12-Step Recovery) is the flagship program of Y12, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to healing addiction in all its forms. Drawing from ancient yogic texts, trauma research, and modern neuroscience, Y12SR offers a unique approach to addiction recovery that addresses both the physiological and psychological roots of addictive behavior. Y12SR is widely recognized for its capacity to create supportive community spaces where individuals can explore the deeper aspects of healing.

What is a Peer Support Guide?

As a Y12SR Certified Peer Support Guide (formerly known as Y12SR Space Holders) you will be prepared to contribute meaningfully to the recovery community by integrating cognitive and somatic practices for addiction healing. This certification provides you with both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to lead in the field of addiction recovery, supported by an academic framework and a holistic, integrative approach.

Curriculum Overview

The Y12SR Peer Support Guide Training marries the ancient teachings of yoga with the principles of 12-step recovery and modern science to offer a comprehensive understanding of addiction and healing. Grounded in the principles of harm reduction and guided by yogic texts, trauma research, modern neuroscience, and the 12-step program, this training unites cognitive and somatic approaches to support deeper levels of healing for all types of addictions. Participants will gain the knowledge and tools to hold space for Y12SR meetings in diverse community settings, blending theory and practical skill-building to support holistic recovery.

In addition to addressing the individual experience of addiction, this course expands the understanding of addiction as a societal, collective, and institutional issue. It examines the broader systems that contribute to addiction and explores how healing must occur on these levels to achieve true recovery. This recognition informs a deeper, more inclusive approach to healing, acknowledging that addiction is often rooted in societal disconnection, structural inequities, and collective trauma.

Key Areas of Study

Addiction and the Brain: Examine how addiction affects brain function and behavior, with a focus on neuroplasticity and brain repatterning.
Trauma and the Nervous System: Explore the impact of unresolved trauma on the body and nervous system, and learn methods for self-regulation and managing triggers.
Yoga and Somatic Practices: Study how yoga and somatic techniques facilitate physical, mental, and spiritual healing, supporting the recovery process.
12-Step Recovery Principles: Delve into the cognitive framework of 12-step programs and learn how to integrate these principles into the practice of yoga for deeper recovery.
Addiction as a Societal Issue: Understand addiction through the lens of systemic structures, collective trauma, and social disconnection, and explore strategies for healing at the community and institutional levels.
Professional Boundaries and Ethics: Understand the importance of maintaining clear boundaries, avoiding projection, and recognizing spiritual bypass in the role of a Peer Support Guide

In this training program, participants will gain an understanding of addiction’s effects on the brain, the impact of trauma on the body and nervous system, and how addiction manifests disconnection from oneself and others. Through an exploration of the Yoga Sutra and the 12-step program, trainees will learn how to apply these principles to encourage healing and connection.

This online training is part one of a two part program which certifies graduates as Y12SR Peer Support Guides. As a Certified Peer Support Guide, you are equipped with the necessary knowledge, understanding, and tools to confidently and safely offer Y12SR meetings in your community.

"Nikki is raw, authentic, generous, funny, open-hearted, and brilliant and gives all of herself to this work and to her students. I'm in awe of her commitment and her love. I cannot recommend her work enough and know that anyone who works with her will cultivate the essential skills to support them on their own path of healing and embodied recovery."

Seane Corn

Yoga Teacher, Speaker, Activist

"Nikki is a dedicated student, an inspired and passionate teacher, and a masterful trainer of teachers. She is committed to the ongoing study and practice of yoga and sharing its life-changing benefits with those working to overcome addictive behavior. I was honored to have her as a student in the Viniyoga teacher and therapists training programs, and am honored to have her as a friend."

Gary Kraftsow

Founder, Viniyoga

"It is not an exaggeration to say that Y12SR saved my life. The practice of yoga along with the camaraderie and support of other addicts in recovery has helped me to repair and reintegrate my fractured and battered body, mind, and spirit. Along with the 12 steps of Narcotics Anonymous, yoga and weekly Y12SR meetings are the best tools I have to support and sustain my recovery from alcoholism and opiate addiction. I am grateful for Y12SR and all that it has given to me and I'm eager to share this powerful tool with my new community."

Y12SR Graduate

Summer 2024

Nikki Myers, MBA, E-RYT500, Yoga Therapist

Born from her personal struggles with addiction, deep study, and work with countless students, Nikki is the founder of Y12SR: Yoga of 12-Step Recovery. Based on its theme ‘the issues live in the tissues’, Y12SR is a relapse prevention program that weaves Yoga, Vedanta, neuroscience and trauma healing with the practical tools of 12-step and cognitive behavioral programs .

Y12SR meetings are available internationally and the curriculum has rapidly becoming a feature of addiction recovery treatment centers. Nikki’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Black Enterprise, The Huffington Post, Origin Magazine, CBSnews.com and countless podcasts. She is honored to be a co-founder of the annual Yoga, Meditation and Recovery Conferences at Esalen Institute and Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. Nikki has been featured as a speaker at the International Association of Yoga Therapist (IAYT) conference, International Conference on Integrative Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the 2022 Clinton Global Initiative. She was named a Yoga Journal Game Changer and is an honored recipient of the esteemed NUVO Cultural Visionary Award

FAQs

Who is this course for?

This training is designed for yoga teachers, yoga therapists, mental health and healthcare professionals as well as dedication and curious yoga students.

Do I need to be a yoga teacher to take this training?

No, you do not need to be a yoga teacher to take the Y12SR Peer Support Training. Many people take this training to deepen their understanding of addiction, healing, and somatic practices for their personal journey. Others in helping professions, such as therapists, social workers, and recovery specialists, incorporate elements of the training into their work.

However, if you want to serve as a Y12SR Peer Support Guide leading open, public meetings that are listed on the Y12SR website, you must either be a certified yoga teacher or partner with a yoga teacher who has also completed the training.”

Can I get CEUs for Yoga Alliance?

Yes, currently Yoga Alliance is accepting all continuing education completed online. This includes both contact and non-contact hours. This course qualifies for 20 credits. In order to receive continuing education hours for the training, you will need to complete all sessions,