Celebrating Sea Change Yoga's 2022 YTT Scholarship Recipient: Danielle

We are proud to recognize and announce Danielle as the extraordinary 2022 recipient of Sea Change Yoga’s annual Yoga Teacher Training Scholarship! Danielle is a passionate community leader and advocate who holds a wealth of diverse lived experience. We are honored to welcome Danielle to the Sea Change family! We asked her to share a little bit about herself, and here’s what she said:

Hello, my name is Danielle. I am a wife, mother of three beautiful children, and a woman in long-term recovery. I was born and raised in the Knox County area where my family still resides. My children are incredible, I could go on and on about how proud I am of them. They are strong individuals, ambitious, athletic, caring, and all-around amazing children that have goals and dreams that I know they will achieve. Some of the things I enjoy doing are playing tennis, hiking, gardening, crocheting, yoga, working out, listening to music, learning new things, and most of all spending time with my family. I am in my second year of school working towards my SART certification and associate’s degree in Mental Health and Human Services. From what I have witnessed and experienced throughout my life I think becoming a substance use and mental health counselor would be incredibly rewarding; helping people and learning new skills will be extremely beneficial for me and others. I believe with having the knowledge and understanding of these illnesses as well as being able to relate and empathize with my clients will be one way to build a trusting relationship with them. I am a nonjudgmental, empathic, genuine, and compassionate person who believes there is room for change within any person and my goal is to encourage and support my future clients in any way that can help them obtain a healthy lifestyle. I am a recovery coach who dedicates my attention to listening because I feel that many people just want to be heard. I focus on their strengths, show optimism, and become their cheerleader. 

I am extremely happy and feel truly blessed that I was offered the yoga scholarship through Sea Change Yoga and will start yoga training through the Prison Yoga Project, in January 2023, with a focus on trauma-informed yoga. I have been practicing yoga for the past three years with some ladies from Sea Change, which has in turn changed me. I am learning and discovering more about myself each time I practice yoga, leaving each class with calmness, dignity, concentration, and quality of my life. Letting go of the negativity, being in the moment, being aware of my existence, controlling my emotions, and learning ways to relieve stress: inside and outside the class. Yoga is now a part of my life, I make sure to use it every day because it gives me energy and helps me cope with any situation that may arise, both positive and negative. I would like to teach trauma-informed and restorative yoga in facilities such as recovery centers, sober houses, and jails. I want to offer others what I have gained from the practice of yoga. My future goal is to intertwine these two passions of mine and offer my clients yoga therapy.