Finding Ground:

A Yoga & Meditation Series for Nervous System Healing in Community

Tuesdays, 5:30-7:00pm

July 7-28, 2026

***drop in or sign up for the series

Led by Laurie Brockhaus, LCSW, E-RYT500 C-IAYT (she/her)

Finding Ground is a 4-week yoga and meditation series to help you reconnect with yourself, calm your nervous system, and find steadiness—both within and around you—during uncertain and challenging times. If you're feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or in need of a gentle retreat, this series is here to support you—whether you’re new to yoga and meditation or already have a practice. 

The practices and teachings of yoga offer a path of slowing down, tuning into the wisdom of the body, and releasing stuck energy and emotions. Practicing in a shared space adds to these already-powerful benefits by fostering community, connection, and support.

Each session will include an intentionally-sequenced practice of:

• gentle yoga asana (movement/ physical shapes)

•  yin yoga (a slow, meditative practice that involves holding seated or reclining shapes for longer durations)

• breath work, meditation, mudra (symbolic hand gestures)

• opportunities for reflection (with optional sharing). 
  

You'll also receive encouragement and guidance for building a simple home practice, including audio recordings to support you between sessions. Over our four weeks together, we’ll explore what it means to feel grounded—physically, emotionally, and in community.

This series is based on the teachings of The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method. Laurie teaches in a trauma-informed way: offering choices throughout the practice, inviting each participant to move at a pace that feels physically and emotionally safe, and guiding with verbal cues and demonstration (no physical touch).

Note: This series is not a replacement for mental health therapy; it is intended as a supportive, educational, and experiential class that focuses on embodied practice rather than discussion.

Weekly themes:

July 7: Exploring our nervous system and the wisdom of the body

July 14: Creating a strong foundation and a sense of safety

July 21: Navigating strong emotions with kindness and compassion

July 28: Maintaining hope amidst challenge

REGISTRATION

To support connection and continuity, registration for the full 4-week series is highly recommended, as each class builds on the last, encouraging a gradual building of a stress management toolkit. You may also register for individual classes. Please register for the first class or the whole series by July 6. 

Registration for each class includes a 90-minute in-person session and an audio meditation for home practice.

Fill out this form to register.

EQUITY PRICING:

At Empowered Spaces we value community care, we are committed to making our offerings accessible, and we believe in leveraging our privilege and resources when we can in order to support one another. This Equity Pricing Scale acknowledges that as a result of systemic injustice our ability to pay for services, and access those services, varies. Choosing a rate that is accessible and meaningful is a justice-oriented practice that honors our interconnectedness.

Registration for each class includes a 90-minute in-person session and an audio meditation for home practice.

• Supporter - “I can help support my community.” -  $200/series; $50/class

• Sustainer - “I can pay my own way.” - $140/series; $35/class

• Community - “I could use some support from my community..” - $80/series; $20/class

  You may also choose to pay an amount between these three levels or request a scholarship. Pay what you can; everyone is welcome.
  
  Full & Partial Scholarships:

  At Empowered Spaces, we believe healing spaces must be intentionally accessible—not just in theory, but in practice. Our Equity Scholarships prioritize access for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BI&POC), as well as others who have faced systemic or financial barriers to participating in yoga and other healing modalities. This is part of our ongoing commitment to equity, collective care, and justice-rooted healing. To inquire about the Empowered Spaces Equity Scholarship, please contact Kelly at kkcaul@yahoo.com.

Questions: reach out to Laurie at lkbrockhaus@gmail.com

HEALTH AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

We value community care and showing up for one another. Currently: Masks are optional. Please stay home if you have symptoms, test positive, or were exposed to someone with COVID-19. We use a HEPA air purifier in the studio. If anyone would like to participate and would only feel comfortable if everyone is masked, please email Kelly kkcaul@yahoo.com.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Empowered Spaces studio is located on the ground floor. There is a 12-car parking lot adjacent to the studio & additional free parking on neighborhood streets. Restroom is wheelchair-accessible and ramp-accessible in the main building. Please reach out to Kelly kkcaul@yahoo.com if there is anything more we can do to make our offerings more accessible. Empowered Spaces is committed to accessibility, and strives to be accessible and inclusive of all abilities and all individuals.

Meet Laurie

Laurie Brockhaus, LCSW, E-RYT500 C-IAYT, brings together over two decades of experience in education, social work, mental health therapy, and yoga/mindfulness. She has taught yoga since 2004—in school, community, and studio settings—and served as a yoga teacher trainer for over a decade, focusing on trauma-informed and accessible teaching and teaching yoga and mindfulness toward social justice and as a resource for mental health and wellbeing. She is a compassionate and empowering yoga teacher who offers practical tools through a genuine approach.

As a licensed clinical social worker (since 2012) and a certified yoga therapist (since 2017), Laurie firmly believes in the mind-body connection and integrates somatic practices and talk therapy to help clients navigate strong emotions and the impact of mental health issues. She is skilled in supporting teens and adults through the experiences of anxiety, depression, and trauma, through an individualized approach using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy, Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method (Level 2 Practitioner), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Laurie currently serves as Bachelor of Social Work Program Director at the School of Social Work of University of Missouri-St. Louis. She co-founded and is a board member of  The Oxygen Project: Yoga for Youth, which empowers youth through the tools of yoga and mindfulness by offering low or no-cost programming at schools and youth agencies in underserved communities. 

Finding Ground:

A Yoga & Meditation Series for Nervous System Healing in Community

Tuesdays, 5:30-7:00pm

July 7-28, 2026

***drop in or sign up for the series

Led by Laurie Brockhaus, LCSW, E-RYT500 C-IAYT (she/her)

Finding Ground is a 4-week yoga and meditation series to help you reconnect with yourself, calm your nervous system, and find steadiness—both within and around you—during uncertain and challenging times. If you're feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or in need of a gentle retreat, this series is here to support you—whether you’re new to yoga and meditation or already have a practice. 

The practices and teachings of yoga offer a path of slowing down, tuning into the wisdom of the body, and releasing stuck energy and emotions. Practicing in a shared space adds to these already-powerful benefits by fostering community, connection, and support.

Each session will include an intentionally-sequenced practice of:

• gentle yoga asana (movement/ physical shapes)

•  yin yoga (a slow, meditative practice that involves holding seated or reclining shapes for longer durations)

• breath work, meditation, mudra (symbolic hand gestures)

• opportunities for reflection (with optional sharing). 
  

You'll also receive encouragement and guidance for building a simple home practice, including audio recordings to support you between sessions. Over our four weeks together, we’ll explore what it means to feel grounded—physically, emotionally, and in community.

This series is based on the teachings of The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method. Laurie teaches in a trauma-informed way: offering choices throughout the practice, inviting each participant to move at a pace that feels physically and emotionally safe, and guiding with verbal cues and demonstration (no physical touch).

Note: This series is not a replacement for mental health therapy; it is intended as a supportive, educational, and experiential class that focuses on embodied practice rather than discussion.

Weekly themes:

July 7: Exploring our nervous system and the wisdom of the body

July 14: Creating a strong foundation and a sense of safety

July 21: Navigating strong emotions with kindness and compassion

July 28: Maintaining hope amidst challenge

REGISTRATION

To support connection and continuity, registration for the full 4-week series is highly recommended, as each class builds on the last, encouraging a gradual building of a stress management toolkit. You may also register for individual classes. Please register for the first class or the whole series by July 6. 

Registration for each class includes a 90-minute in-person session and an audio meditation for home practice.

Fill out this form to register.

EQUITY PRICING:

At Empowered Spaces we value community care, we are committed to making our offerings accessible, and we believe in leveraging our privilege and resources when we can in order to support one another. This Equity Pricing Scale acknowledges that as a result of systemic injustice our ability to pay for services, and access those services, varies. Choosing a rate that is accessible and meaningful is a justice-oriented practice that honors our interconnectedness.

Registration for each class includes a 90-minute in-person session and an audio meditation for home practice.

• Supporter - “I can help support my community.” -  $200/series; $50/class

• Sustainer - “I can pay my own way.” - $140/series; $35/class

• Community - “I could use some support from my community..” - $80/series; $20/class

  You may also choose to pay an amount between these three levels or request a scholarship. Pay what you can; everyone is welcome.
  
  Full & Partial Scholarships:

  At Empowered Spaces, we believe healing spaces must be intentionally accessible—not just in theory, but in practice. Our Equity Scholarships prioritize access for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BI&POC), as well as others who have faced systemic or financial barriers to participating in yoga and other healing modalities. This is part of our ongoing commitment to equity, collective care, and justice-rooted healing. To inquire about the Empowered Spaces Equity Scholarship, please contact Kelly at kkcaul@yahoo.com.

Questions: reach out to Laurie at lkbrockhaus@gmail.com

HEALTH AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

We value community care and showing up for one another. Currently: Masks are optional. Please stay home if you have symptoms, test positive, or were exposed to someone with COVID-19. We use a HEPA air purifier in the studio. If anyone would like to participate and would only feel comfortable if everyone is masked, please email Kelly kkcaul@yahoo.com.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Empowered Spaces studio is located on the ground floor. There is a 12-car parking lot adjacent to the studio & additional free parking on neighborhood streets. Restroom is wheelchair-accessible and ramp-accessible in the main building. Please reach out to Kelly kkcaul@yahoo.com if there is anything more we can do to make our offerings more accessible. Empowered Spaces is committed to accessibility, and strives to be accessible and inclusive of all abilities and all individuals.

Meet Laurie

Laurie Brockhaus, LCSW, E-RYT500 C-IAYT, brings together over two decades of experience in education, social work, mental health therapy, and yoga/mindfulness. She has taught yoga since 2004—in school, community, and studio settings—and served as a yoga teacher trainer for over a decade, focusing on trauma-informed and accessible teaching and teaching yoga and mindfulness toward social justice and as a resource for mental health and wellbeing. She is a compassionate and empowering yoga teacher who offers practical tools through a genuine approach.

As a licensed clinical social worker (since 2012) and a certified yoga therapist (since 2017), Laurie firmly believes in the mind-body connection and integrates somatic practices and talk therapy to help clients navigate strong emotions and the impact of mental health issues. She is skilled in supporting teens and adults through the experiences of anxiety, depression, and trauma, through an individualized approach using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy, Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method (Level 2 Practitioner), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Laurie currently serves as Bachelor of Social Work Program Director at the School of Social Work of University of Missouri-St. Louis. She co-founded and is a board member of  The Oxygen Project: Yoga for Youth, which empowers youth through the tools of yoga and mindfulness by offering low or no-cost programming at schools and youth agencies in underserved communities. 

Rejuvenate: A Somatic Yoga + Sound Healing Experience

Saturday, July 18 9:00 AM – 10:45 AM

Led by Gayla Downey, RYT-500 (she, her)

Founder of Grateful Heart Rituals

Class Description

This session is an invitation to step away from the noise of daily life and return to a place of deep rest, nourishment, and renewal.

Rejuvenate is a calming, restorative experience designed to support nervous system regulation and replenish your energy from the inside out. Through gentle somatic yoga, breath awareness, and sound healing, you’ll be guided into a state of deep relaxation where the body can reset and restore.

This session emphasizes slowing down and softening—creating space to release stress, quiet the mind, and reconnect with a sense of inner ease. Movements are slow, supported, and accessible to all bodies, with a focus on how each posture feels rather than how it looks.

The experience will conclude with a soothing sound bath using Himalayan singing bowls, gongs, and chimes, allowing the vibrations to calm the nervous system and support deep, restorative rest.

This offering is perfect for anyone experiencing stress, burnout, or fatigue—or simply in need of intentional time to pause and receive.

This session is 1 hour and 45 minutes; 9:00 to 10:45AM.

What to expect:
• Gentle, slow somatic movement
• Breath practices for relaxation and grounding
• Restorative postures supported by props
• Extended sound healing for deep rest

What to bring:
• Water
• Yoga mat or props (if you have your own) We have some here.
• Optional: journal for reflection

Register here

Equity Pricing

At Empowered Spaces we value community care, we are committed to making our offerings accessible, and we believe in leveraging our privilege and resources when we can in order to support one another. This Equity Pricing Scale acknowledges that as a result of systemic injustice our ability to pay for services, and access those services, varies. Choosing a rate that is accessible and meaningful is a justice-oriented practice that honors our interconnectedness.

Choose your rate below:

Sustainer Rate - "I can pay my way" - $40 - Use discount code: SUSTAINER$40

Community Rate - "I can use support from my community" - Use discount code: COMMUNITY$30

Supporter Rate - "I can help support my community" - “I can help support my community.” - $50 as listed

Rest deeply. Restore fully. Rejuvenate from within.

Full & Partial Scholarships:

At Empowered Spaces, we believe healing spaces must be intentionally accessible—not just in theory, but in practice. Our Equity Scholarships prioritize access for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BI&POC), as well as others who have faced systemic or financial barriers to participating in yoga and other healing modalities. This is part of our ongoing commitment to equity, collective care, and justice-rooted healing. To inquire about the Empowered Spaces Equity Scholarship, please contact Kelly at kkcaul@yahoo.com.

Health and Safety Precautions

We value community care and showing up for one another. Currently: Masks are optional. Please stay home if you have symptoms, test positive, or were exposed to someone with COVID-19. We use a HEPA air purifier in the studio. If anyone would like to participate and would only feel comfortable if everyone is masked, please email Kelly kkcaul@yahoo.com.

Accessibility

The Empowered Spaces studio is located on the ground floor. There is a 12-car parking lot adjacent to the studio & additional free parking on neighborhood streets. Restroom is wheelchair-accessible and ramp-accessible in the main building. Please reach out to Kelly kkcaul@yahoo.com if there is anything more we can do to make our offerings more accessible. Empowered Spaces is committed to accessibility, and strives to be accessible and inclusive of all abilities and all individuals.

Questions?

Email Gayla at gayla@gratefulheartrituals.com

Meet Gayla

My path to healing began more than eight years ago and continues to shape the way I support others today. Through my own recovery journey, I discovered the power of holistic healing practices to reconnect the mind, body, and spirit—and I now feel deeply honored to guide others as they navigate their own paths toward wholeness.

As a holistic recovery coach and trauma-informed practitioner, I offer compassionate, integrative support for individuals healing from substance use, trauma, mental health challenges, stress, and burnout. My work weaves together somatic practices, yoga, mindfulness, sound healing, nervous system regulation, and compassionate self-inquiry to create space for meaningful and lasting transformation.

I believe healing happens by cultivating a felt-sense of being safe, seen, and supported. Whether you are beginning your journey or deepening your healing process, I strive to hold a supportive and nourishing space where you can reconnect with yourself, cultivate resilience, and move toward a more grounded and empowered life.

I am currently continuing my professional training in Somatic Experiencing® at the Intermediate Year level, deepening my understanding of nervous system healing, trauma resolution, and embodied resilience.

*Coach for SHE RECOVERS® Foundation, which means that I am trained in, and my work aligns with the SHE RECOVERS® Intentions & Guiding Principles. I support the foundation as a volunteer facilitator and trauma-informed yoga teacher.

Finding Ground:

A Yoga & Meditation Series for Nervous System Healing in Community

Tuesdays, 5:30-7:00pm

July 7-28, 2026

***drop in or sign up for the series

Led by Laurie Brockhaus, LCSW, E-RYT500 C-IAYT (she/her)

Finding Ground is a 4-week yoga and meditation series to help you reconnect with yourself, calm your nervous system, and find steadiness—both within and around you—during uncertain and challenging times. If you're feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or in need of a gentle retreat, this series is here to support you—whether you’re new to yoga and meditation or already have a practice. 

The practices and teachings of yoga offer a path of slowing down, tuning into the wisdom of the body, and releasing stuck energy and emotions. Practicing in a shared space adds to these already-powerful benefits by fostering community, connection, and support.

Each session will include an intentionally-sequenced practice of:

• gentle yoga asana (movement/ physical shapes)

•  yin yoga (a slow, meditative practice that involves holding seated or reclining shapes for longer durations)

• breath work, meditation, mudra (symbolic hand gestures)

• opportunities for reflection (with optional sharing). 
  

You'll also receive encouragement and guidance for building a simple home practice, including audio recordings to support you between sessions. Over our four weeks together, we’ll explore what it means to feel grounded—physically, emotionally, and in community.

This series is based on the teachings of The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method. Laurie teaches in a trauma-informed way: offering choices throughout the practice, inviting each participant to move at a pace that feels physically and emotionally safe, and guiding with verbal cues and demonstration (no physical touch).

Note: This series is not a replacement for mental health therapy; it is intended as a supportive, educational, and experiential class that focuses on embodied practice rather than discussion.

Weekly themes:

July 7: Exploring our nervous system and the wisdom of the body

July 14: Creating a strong foundation and a sense of safety

July 21: Navigating strong emotions with kindness and compassion

July 28: Maintaining hope amidst challenge

REGISTRATION

To support connection and continuity, registration for the full 4-week series is highly recommended, as each class builds on the last, encouraging a gradual building of a stress management toolkit. You may also register for individual classes. Please register for the first class or the whole series by July 6. 

Registration for each class includes a 90-minute in-person session and an audio meditation for home practice.

Fill out this form to register.

EQUITY PRICING:

At Empowered Spaces we value community care, we are committed to making our offerings accessible, and we believe in leveraging our privilege and resources when we can in order to support one another. This Equity Pricing Scale acknowledges that as a result of systemic injustice our ability to pay for services, and access those services, varies. Choosing a rate that is accessible and meaningful is a justice-oriented practice that honors our interconnectedness.

Registration for each class includes a 90-minute in-person session and an audio meditation for home practice.

• Supporter - “I can help support my community.” -  $200/series; $50/class

• Sustainer - “I can pay my own way.” - $140/series; $35/class

• Community - “I could use some support from my community..” - $80/series; $20/class

  You may also choose to pay an amount between these three levels or request a scholarship. Pay what you can; everyone is welcome.
  
  Full & Partial Scholarships:

  At Empowered Spaces, we believe healing spaces must be intentionally accessible—not just in theory, but in practice. Our Equity Scholarships prioritize access for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BI&POC), as well as others who have faced systemic or financial barriers to participating in yoga and other healing modalities. This is part of our ongoing commitment to equity, collective care, and justice-rooted healing. To inquire about the Empowered Spaces Equity Scholarship, please contact Kelly at kkcaul@yahoo.com.

Questions: reach out to Laurie at lkbrockhaus@gmail.com

HEALTH AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

We value community care and showing up for one another. Currently: Masks are optional. Please stay home if you have symptoms, test positive, or were exposed to someone with COVID-19. We use a HEPA air purifier in the studio. If anyone would like to participate and would only feel comfortable if everyone is masked, please email Kelly kkcaul@yahoo.com.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Empowered Spaces studio is located on the ground floor. There is a 12-car parking lot adjacent to the studio & additional free parking on neighborhood streets. Restroom is wheelchair-accessible and ramp-accessible in the main building. Please reach out to Kelly kkcaul@yahoo.com if there is anything more we can do to make our offerings more accessible. Empowered Spaces is committed to accessibility, and strives to be accessible and inclusive of all abilities and all individuals.

Meet Laurie

Laurie Brockhaus, LCSW, E-RYT500 C-IAYT, brings together over two decades of experience in education, social work, mental health therapy, and yoga/mindfulness. She has taught yoga since 2004—in school, community, and studio settings—and served as a yoga teacher trainer for over a decade, focusing on trauma-informed and accessible teaching and teaching yoga and mindfulness toward social justice and as a resource for mental health and wellbeing. She is a compassionate and empowering yoga teacher who offers practical tools through a genuine approach.

As a licensed clinical social worker (since 2012) and a certified yoga therapist (since 2017), Laurie firmly believes in the mind-body connection and integrates somatic practices and talk therapy to help clients navigate strong emotions and the impact of mental health issues. She is skilled in supporting teens and adults through the experiences of anxiety, depression, and trauma, through an individualized approach using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy, Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method (Level 2 Practitioner), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Laurie currently serves as Bachelor of Social Work Program Director at the School of Social Work of University of Missouri-St. Louis. She co-founded and is a board member of  The Oxygen Project: Yoga for Youth, which empowers youth through the tools of yoga and mindfulness by offering low or no-cost programming at schools and youth agencies in underserved communities. 

Finding Ground:

A Yoga & Meditation Series for Nervous System Healing in Community

Tuesdays, 5:30-7:00pm

July 7-28, 2026

***drop in or sign up for the series

Led by Laurie Brockhaus, LCSW, E-RYT500 C-IAYT (she/her)

Finding Ground is a 4-week yoga and meditation series to help you reconnect with yourself, calm your nervous system, and find steadiness—both within and around you—during uncertain and challenging times. If you're feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or in need of a gentle retreat, this series is here to support you—whether you’re new to yoga and meditation or already have a practice. 

The practices and teachings of yoga offer a path of slowing down, tuning into the wisdom of the body, and releasing stuck energy and emotions. Practicing in a shared space adds to these already-powerful benefits by fostering community, connection, and support.

Each session will include an intentionally-sequenced practice of:

• gentle yoga asana (movement/ physical shapes)

•  yin yoga (a slow, meditative practice that involves holding seated or reclining shapes for longer durations)

• breath work, meditation, mudra (symbolic hand gestures)

• opportunities for reflection (with optional sharing). 
  

You'll also receive encouragement and guidance for building a simple home practice, including audio recordings to support you between sessions. Over our four weeks together, we’ll explore what it means to feel grounded—physically, emotionally, and in community.

This series is based on the teachings of The Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method. Laurie teaches in a trauma-informed way: offering choices throughout the practice, inviting each participant to move at a pace that feels physically and emotionally safe, and guiding with verbal cues and demonstration (no physical touch).

Note: This series is not a replacement for mental health therapy; it is intended as a supportive, educational, and experiential class that focuses on embodied practice rather than discussion.

Weekly themes:

July 7: Exploring our nervous system and the wisdom of the body

July 14: Creating a strong foundation and a sense of safety

July 21: Navigating strong emotions with kindness and compassion

July 28: Maintaining hope amidst challenge

REGISTRATION

To support connection and continuity, registration for the full 4-week series is highly recommended, as each class builds on the last, encouraging a gradual building of a stress management toolkit. You may also register for individual classes. Please register for the first class or the whole series by July 6. 

Registration for each class includes a 90-minute in-person session and an audio meditation for home practice.

Fill out this form to register.

EQUITY PRICING:

At Empowered Spaces we value community care, we are committed to making our offerings accessible, and we believe in leveraging our privilege and resources when we can in order to support one another. This Equity Pricing Scale acknowledges that as a result of systemic injustice our ability to pay for services, and access those services, varies. Choosing a rate that is accessible and meaningful is a justice-oriented practice that honors our interconnectedness.

Registration for each class includes a 90-minute in-person session and an audio meditation for home practice.

• Supporter - “I can help support my community.” -  $200/series; $50/class

• Sustainer - “I can pay my own way.” - $140/series; $35/class

• Community - “I could use some support from my community..” - $80/series; $20/class

  You may also choose to pay an amount between these three levels or request a scholarship. Pay what you can; everyone is welcome.
  
  Full & Partial Scholarships:

  At Empowered Spaces, we believe healing spaces must be intentionally accessible—not just in theory, but in practice. Our Equity Scholarships prioritize access for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BI&POC), as well as others who have faced systemic or financial barriers to participating in yoga and other healing modalities. This is part of our ongoing commitment to equity, collective care, and justice-rooted healing. To inquire about the Empowered Spaces Equity Scholarship, please contact Kelly at kkcaul@yahoo.com.

Questions: reach out to Laurie at lkbrockhaus@gmail.com

HEALTH AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

We value community care and showing up for one another. Currently: Masks are optional. Please stay home if you have symptoms, test positive, or were exposed to someone with COVID-19. We use a HEPA air purifier in the studio. If anyone would like to participate and would only feel comfortable if everyone is masked, please email Kelly kkcaul@yahoo.com.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Empowered Spaces studio is located on the ground floor. There is a 12-car parking lot adjacent to the studio & additional free parking on neighborhood streets. Restroom is wheelchair-accessible and ramp-accessible in the main building. Please reach out to Kelly kkcaul@yahoo.com if there is anything more we can do to make our offerings more accessible. Empowered Spaces is committed to accessibility, and strives to be accessible and inclusive of all abilities and all individuals.

Meet Laurie

Laurie Brockhaus, LCSW, E-RYT500 C-IAYT, brings together over two decades of experience in education, social work, mental health therapy, and yoga/mindfulness. She has taught yoga since 2004—in school, community, and studio settings—and served as a yoga teacher trainer for over a decade, focusing on trauma-informed and accessible teaching and teaching yoga and mindfulness toward social justice and as a resource for mental health and wellbeing. She is a compassionate and empowering yoga teacher who offers practical tools through a genuine approach.

As a licensed clinical social worker (since 2012) and a certified yoga therapist (since 2017), Laurie firmly believes in the mind-body connection and integrates somatic practices and talk therapy to help clients navigate strong emotions and the impact of mental health issues. She is skilled in supporting teens and adults through the experiences of anxiety, depression, and trauma, through an individualized approach using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy, Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method (Level 2 Practitioner), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Laurie currently serves as Bachelor of Social Work Program Director at the School of Social Work of University of Missouri-St. Louis. She co-founded and is a board member of  The Oxygen Project: Yoga for Youth, which empowers youth through the tools of yoga and mindfulness by offering low or no-cost programming at schools and youth agencies in underserved communities. 

Rooted & Rising: A Somatic Movement + Sound Healing Experience

Saturday, August 15 9:00 AM – 10:45 AM

Led by Gayla Downey, RYT-500 (she, her)

Founder of Grateful Heart Rituals

Class Description

Rooted & Rising invites you to deepen your sense of stability while gently opening to new possibilities. This nurturing experience combines somatic yoga, breath awareness, and sound healing to help you cultivate inner support, build resilience, and expand.

In the natural rhythm of healing, we don't move from struggle to transformation overnight. We first learn to feel supported. From that foundation, we can begin to explore growth, connection a little at a time.

Through slow, intentional movement, you'll be guided to connect with the strength and support of your body, particularly through the feet and legs—the physical foundation that helps us feel grounded and secure. Drawing from somatic principles, we'll explore the balance between comfort and gentle activation, building the capacity to stay present with life's experiences without becoming overwhelmed.

The practice will gradually unfold into heart-opening movements that encourage openness, curiosity, and renewed energy while honoring your body's pace and wisdom. We will conclude with an immersive sound healing journey designed to support integration, balance, and nervous system regulation, allowing the body and mind to absorb the experience.

This offering is ideal for anyone seeking greater resilience, stability, and connection to themselves as they move forward in life, recovery, or personal growth.

This session is 1 hour and 45 minutes; 9:00 to 10:45AM.

What to expect:
• Grounding somatic movement and body awareness practices
• Breathwork to support regulation and balance
• Gentle strengthening and heart-opening yoga postures
• Exploration of internal and external resources for support
• A restorative sound healing journey for integration and renewal

What to bring:
• Water
• Yoga mat or props (if you have your own) We have some here.
• Optional: journal for reflection

Register here

Equity Pricing

At Empowered Spaces we value community care, we are committed to making our offerings accessible, and we believe in leveraging our privilege and resources when we can in order to support one another. This Equity Pricing Scale acknowledges that as a result of systemic injustice our ability to pay for services, and access those services, varies. Choosing a rate that is accessible and meaningful is a justice-oriented practice that honors our interconnectedness.

Choose your rate below:

Sustainer Rate - "I can pay my way" - $40 - Use discount code: SUSTAINER$40

Community Rate - "I can use support from my community" - Use discount code: COMMUNITY$30

Supporter Rate - "I can help support my community" - “I can help support my community.” - $50 as listed

Full & Partial Scholarships:

At Empowered Spaces, we believe healing spaces must be intentionally accessible—not just in theory, but in practice. Our Equity Scholarships prioritize access for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BI&POC), as well as others who have faced systemic or financial barriers to participating in yoga and other healing modalities. This is part of our ongoing commitment to equity, collective care, and justice-rooted healing. To inquire about the Empowered Spaces Equity Scholarship, please contact Kelly at kkcaul@yahoo.com.

Health and Safety Precautions

We value community care and showing up for one another. Currently: Masks are optional. Please stay home if you have symptoms, test positive, or were exposed to someone with COVID-19. We use a HEPA air purifier in the studio. If anyone would like to participate and would only feel comfortable if everyone is masked, please email Kelly kkcaul@yahoo.com.

Accessibility

The Empowered Spaces studio is located on the ground floor. There is a 12-car parking lot adjacent to the studio & additional free parking on neighborhood streets. Restroom is wheelchair-accessible and ramp-accessible in the main building. Please reach out to Kelly kkcaul@yahoo.com if there is anything more we can do to make our offerings more accessible. Empowered Spaces is committed to accessibility, and strives to be accessible and inclusive of all abilities and all individuals.

Questions?

Email Gayla at gayla@gratefulheartrituals.com

Meet Gayla

My path to healing began more than eight years ago and continues to shape the way I support others today. Through my own recovery journey, I discovered the power of holistic healing practices to reconnect the mind, body, and spirit—and I now feel deeply honored to guide others as they navigate their own paths toward wholeness.

As a holistic recovery coach and trauma-informed practitioner, I offer compassionate, integrative support for individuals healing from substance use, trauma, mental health challenges, stress, and burnout. My work weaves together somatic practices, yoga, mindfulness, sound healing, nervous system regulation, and compassionate self-inquiry to create space for meaningful and lasting transformation.

I believe healing happens by cultivating a felt-sense of being safe, seen, and supported. Whether you are beginning your journey or deepening your healing process, I strive to hold a supportive and nourishing space where you can reconnect with yourself, cultivate resilience, and move toward a more grounded and empowered life.

I am currently continuing my professional training in Somatic Experiencing® at the Intermediate Year level, deepening my understanding of nervous system healing, trauma resolution, and embodied resilience.

*Coach for SHE RECOVERS® Foundation, which means that I am trained in, and my work aligns with the SHE RECOVERS® Intentions & Guiding Principles. I support the foundation as a volunteer facilitator and trauma-informed yoga teacher.