Unveiling the Light Within: Niki Saccareccia's Trauma-Informed Yoga Journey Episode 91

Yogalebrity

Welcome to another episode of Yogalebrity, the podcast where yoga teachers share their incredible origin stories. I'm your host, Angelica Govaert, and this week, I have the pleasure of interviewing Niki Saccareccia. Niki is a Los Angeles-based, trauma-informed yoga teacher and forever student. In 2010, she founded her private practice, Light Inside Yoga, leveraging her background in Clinical Behavioral Psychology. Today, Light Inside Yoga is a Registered 200hr Yoga School (RYS200), offering a wide range of trainings, workshops, seminars, retreats, private lessons, and group classes both online and in person, reaching students all around the world.

Niki's passion lies in guiding her students practically, helping them build an age-appropriate wellness lifestyle for each stage of life. Drawing upon her expertise in Behavioral Psychology, she empowers her students to overcome excuses, fostering consistency and discipline so they can witness the tangible results of their efforts firsthand. Niki's teaching approach is evidence-based and systematic, ensuring that the transformative effects of yoga practice are not merely coincidental, but purposefully and reliably recreatable day after day. One of Niki's specialties is a therapeutic and trauma-sensitive approach to yoga and wellness. Through education and mindset training, she equips her students with the tools to navigate old habits, pain, aging, and real-world stressors. By embracing the physical body as an ally in spiritual wellness, her students develop their spirituality in a refreshed and inspired way.

Niki's impressive educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a focus on the nature of consciousness. For eight years, she worked as a clinical behavioral therapist, effecting life-changing behavior modifications for special needs children and their caregivers at the personal, social, and academic levels. She holds the designations of eRYT-500, YACEP, and has been a Level 1 trauma-informed yoga teacher, sound bath practitioner, and Yoga Nidra facilitator. Niki's commitment to knowledge extends to her extensive anatomy training, encompassing over 350 hours with a special focus on Integral Anatomy under the tutelage of Gil Hedley. She has shared her expertise by teaching anatomy in various teacher trainings across southern California and is currently a co-leader of the 300hr YTT at One Down Dog in Los Angeles, CA. In addition to her teaching endeavors, Niki is currently co-authoring a book slated for release in August 2023. This book aims to revolutionize the academic landscape for middle and high school learners, offering mindfulness, contemplative practices, and Ayurveda principles as tools to understand, accept, and develop stress intelligence within the classroom environment. Niki is also the author and developer of "Roadmap to Mindful Living: Turning Good Intentions into Long Term Habits." This research-backed curriculum for creating sustainable changes in wellbeing has been successfully implemented at Van Nuys Medical Magnet High School and the University of Southern California's Novus Think Tank for Social Change between 2017 and 2019. The program is available for individuals and organizations alike, offering a transformative journey towards mindful living.

Now, let's talk about how you can connect with Niki and take advantage of the incredible offerings she has for our listeners. First, she has an exclusive monthly community membership available for only $27. By joining, you gain access to over 200 videos ranging from 5 to 75 minutes in length. The membership includes breathwork, meditation, a Patanjali's Yoga Sutra study course, and a variety of yoga styles, such as yoga for back pain, yoga for people over 55, and assistance with anxiety and sleep issues. Use the code "Yogalebrity333" to get 25%. Connect with Niki at https://www.lightinsideyoga.com/