The Refinery

03/02/2026

Yoga is at its simplest, Sanskrit for yoking. One of the beautiful things about this practice is it can be many things to the practitioner.

You can show up for a good workout, good for you. The physical layer needs us to show up and get stronger.

If that’s the only reason you show up it’s a high probability you’re only showing up at that depth in the rest of your life. Deep breath. That’s typically correlated with the amount of trauma hove experienced and the walls you’ve built to protect yourself.

You’re gonna be ok.

Most classes are safe spaces to explore beyond the surface, through your breath, inviting you into the present, where you can erode the walls, and go deeper.

In a world that rushing, busying, distractions, avoidance, denial, numbing, and disassociation are not only a way of life, but celebrated. Where connection, authenticity, accountability, and empathy are becoming a rarity. When people are carrying the weight of their life experiences and generations before them.

Take pause

Change begins within. Peace begins at our core

The world desperately needs us to show up fully, for our Light to shine brighter as a beacon, and our Love to glow freer as a reminder to return to themSelves, the Divine within

Otherwise the divide will only expand

Sure showing up in some classes will help, like all education, it’s not created equally or delivered effectively. Weekly, even daily classes can only take you so far. Workshops/Masterclasses will help deepen your practice. The deepest dive you can take is yoga school.

If you are ready for a life changing experience, one that not only changes you but has a profound ripple effect, changing your family, your relationships, your reach, and ultimately the world…we start Sunday!

Radiant Soul School of Yoga, WV’s first, and only, trauma informed yoga school. We are a hybrid of in person and virtual making it possible for even the busiest person to show up.

Stop making excuses. Stop running from the pain . We are here, you are ready💖

02/14/2026

THIS! This is why I not only love somatic practice but know the value and effectiveness for our healing journey!

Most emotional reaction/response has physical ties/root. The body keeps the score!!!! Are we getting this connection?!

This is the simplest, most powerful tool I have developed when working with someone.

Just notice the use of the word "like" and let it remind you that you're going to story, description, and the mind.

You're leaving the felt sense of the body to "make sense" about it in the mind.

To make sense about something that is purely sense.

Pause your client, and yourself in this moment, and locate the sense without a story. This is what it will look like:

I feel *like*....she just doesn't respect me = turns into = I feel a pit in my stomach.

I feel *like*... I'll just never amount to anything = turns into = I feel a tension in my chest.

I feel *like*...just running away = turns into = I feel massive energy in my legs.

When you are locating sensation, instead of describing it, you are locating agency.

Movement.

From this location the body will move without story and thought. If it doesn't automatically, you can ask your client the question: "How does this sensation want to move?"

But make sure they SHOW you, not *tell* you.

And then move with them, mirror the movement, so they see it and so that they are joined in it, rather than uncomfortably looked at as if it's a performance.

This is a shortcut for releasing stored energy, repressed agency, and repairing boundary violations.

02/11/2026

Meet me on the mat✨

THIS Sunday @12:30 at during Radiant Soul School of Yoga

For 💖Love Flow: The Practice of Self Love 💖
💕 Sacred path to heart center, clearing obstructions and creating expansion for your Light to shine brighter and your love flow freer✨

At St. Albans Yoga & Fitness Co-Op 808 B Street Suite 201

OR

From the comfort of your own home virtually, let me know and I’ll add you to our virtual class list

Stay for RSYS Q&A immediately afterword

02/07/2026

Tomorrow mark a month to the launch of our second Radiant Soul School of Yoga 200 hour Teacher Training!

This is not about becoming a yoga teacher, although you will be certified to do so if you wish. In fact no experience with yoga is necessary.

This is a deep dive into yourself. Exploring what makes you tick, excavating what no longer serves, digging all your roots up, healing all you wounds up, discovering who you were created to be, letting your light shine brighter and your love flow freer.

If you’ve been asking what’s next, here’s your sign!

02/03/2026

Meet me on the mat THIS Sunday for an offering based popup in person or virtually💖

We are excited to announce this pop up class with Stephanie Brown Legg on Sunday, February 8th at 9am!

✨Selah Sunday Yoga✨

Rooted in faith and fueled by movement, this is an offering based popup specialty practice set to uplifting worship music. Breathe, flow and find stillness in this powerful all-levels experience that blends strength, surrender, and spirit.

Drop in or pre-register at stalbansyogafitness.com

01/26/2026

This is what you’ve been waiting for…the next step of your healing journey!

Teacher training? No. Soul training. Step into your power with us in West Virginia's first trauma-informed yoga teacher training.

Our training is ideal for those looking to deepen their practice, those who feel something is missing, those who feel lost & like there is something more to life, aspiring yoga teachers, therapist, healers, and truth seekers!

This is a hybrid training (online and in-person) with flexible payment plans. Early bird pricing ends on February 1st! Visit radiantsoulschoolofyoga.com to learn more.

01/19/2026

Here’s your sign!!

Enrollment for our next session of 200hr Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) is open, and Early Bird pricing is available NOW!

Join us for a deep dive into self exploration through our trauma informed training! This is SO much more than YTT, you don’t even need to be a yogi to benefit!

Radiant Soul School of Yoga is long time dreamed realized, and has been a saving grace for me through this most difficult of seasons, thanks to my partner Jessica Adkins and our beloved students✨💖✨

💖Show some love💖
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💖Sharing is caring💖
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Early bird pricing ends on February 1st! Sign up now at radiantsoulschoolofyoga.com for our trauma-informed hybrid 200HR yoga teacher training.

01/11/2026

“Peace is born in how we walk each day

We bless the earth beneath our feet”

Step with intention, and extension of your prayers✨

01/08/2026

Totally geeking out on this!

Great info

Your muscles do more than move you; they communicate.

Here’s how this muscle–brain conversation works

1️⃣ Muscles Release Myokines When You Move

Every time you contract a muscle — whether walking, lifting, or cycling — your body releases myokines into the bloodstream.
These molecules travel to the brain, heart, liver, and other organs, fine-tuning metabolism, immune function, and repair.

🟢 Think of myokines as your muscles’ “text messages” to the rest of your body.

2️⃣ Myokines Protect and Energize the Brain

Different myokines perform specialized jobs:

BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor): Grows new neurons and strengthens existing connections — essential for learning and memory.

IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1): Supports neuron survival and brain plasticity.

VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor): Builds new blood vessels to deliver oxygen and nutrients.

Irisin: Regulates brain metabolism and reduces inflammation.

IL-6: Signals energy balance and helps modulate the immune system.

🟢 Example: Regular aerobic training increases BDNF, which correlates with improved memory and cognitive function.

3️⃣ Different Exercises Trigger Different Myokines

The type of exercise you do shapes your myokine profile:

Aerobic training (e.g., running, cycling): Broadly increases BDNF, VEGF, and CATB — boosting neuroplasticity and blood flow.

Resistance training: Elevates IGF-1 and IL-6 - improving muscle strength, insulin sensitivity, and energy regulation.

Combined or HIIT training: Merges both effects - supporting endurance, cognition, and metabolic health.

🟢 Example: 12 weeks of mixed aerobic and resistance training enhanced memory and energy metabolism in older adults.

4️⃣ Myokines Slow Aging from the Inside Out

With age, myokine release declines, contributing to weaker muscles and slower brain function.
Exercise restores this molecular communication - improving mitochondrial health, reducing oxidative stress, and protecting against neurodegenerative disease.

🟢 Studies show that consistent physical activity can delay Alzheimer’s- and Parkinson’s-related changes via myokine signaling.

5️⃣ Why It Matters

This science reframes muscle as more than a mechanical tissue — it’s an endocrine organ that speaks to the brain.
Through myokines like BDNF, IGF-1, and irisin, every workout sends signals that promote growth, repair, and longevity.

🟢 In simple terms: when you move your body, you literally feed your brain.

Exercise isn’t just about strength. It’s about communication.
Your muscles release molecular messengers that protect your brain, balance your metabolism, and slow the biological clock.
Movement isn’t just medicine; it’s messaging for longevity.

01/02/2026

The more you know

THE DIFFERENT “TYPES” OF PTSD (AND HOW YOU “CATCH” THEM)
By R. Trent Rose — The Writer

Let me break something down in a way people can actually feel.

PTSD isn’t just “one thing.”
It’s what happens when your nervous system learns a lesson the hard way:

“The world is not safe… stay ready.”

And depending on what you lived through, you can “catch” PTSD in different ways.

Not because you’re weak.
Because your alarm system did its job… and never turned off.

⸻

1) Single-Event PTSD

This is the one people think PTSD always is.

One major moment. One incident.
A wreck. A shooting. A robbery. An assault. A medical scare.

You “catch” it when your brain stamps that moment as:
LIFE THREAT. NEVER FORGET THIS.

Then you get:
• flashbacks
• nightmares
• jumpiness
• avoiding reminders

⸻

2) Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)

This comes from repeated trauma, not one incident.

Years of:
• narcissistic abuse
• childhood chaos
• domestic violence
• coercive control
• emotional torture
• living in survival mode

You “catch” it when your nervous system never gets a real reset.
It learns:
Danger isn’t a moment… it’s a lifestyle.

Then you get:
• shame that feels like identity
• emotional swings or shutdown
• trust issues
• feeling “broken”
• difficulty bonding
• feeling like peace is unfamiliar

⸻

3) Fight/Flight PTSD (Hyperarousal)

This is the “wired” version.

Your body is always:
• ready to argue
• ready to run
• ready to react
• ready to defend

You “catch” this when you had to stay ready constantly.
Street life. Prison. War zones. Chaotic homes. Toxic relationships.

Your system learns:
If I relax, I get hurt.

Then you get:
• insomnia
• irritability
• racing heart
• panic attacks
• can’t sit still
• always scanning people

⸻

4) Freeze/Shut-Down PTSD (Hypoarousal)

This is the “numb” version.

You’re not panicking… you’re flat.

You “catch” this when fighting back didn’t work…
and escaping wasn’t possible.

Your system learns:
The safest move is to disappear inside myself.

Then you get:
• numbness
• exhaustion
• depression-like symptoms
• “I don’t feel real”
• disconnection from life
• low energy, low motivation

⸻

5) Dissociative PTSD

This is when you mentally “leave” your body during stress.

You “catch” it when the pain was too much to stay present for.
So your mind protects you by disconnecting.

Then you get:
• feeling outside your body
• time gaps
• “I watched it happen like a movie”
• things feel unreal

⸻

6) Relationship PTSD (Betrayal / Narcissistic Abuse PTSD)

This is the one people don’t take serious… but it can wreck your whole nervous system.

You “catch” it through:
• gaslighting
• hot/cold cycles
• cheating + lying
• silent treatment
• humiliation
• love bombing then devaluing

Your system learns:
The person I love is also the person who hurts me.

Then you get:
• voice tone triggers
• fear when the phone rings
• panic when they pull away
• trauma bond withdrawal
• paranoia and self-doubt
• walking on eggshells even after you leave

⸻

7) Secondary / Vicarious Trauma

This is trauma you absorb from being close to someone else’s trauma.

Caregivers. Nurses. Coaches. Therapists. Kids raised around chaos.
People who grew up with parents who were unstable.

You “catch” it by being near danger long enough that your body starts living like it’s yours.

⸻

The truth about “catching” PTSD

You don’t catch PTSD because you “couldn’t handle it.”

You catch it when:
• the danger felt real
• you felt powerless
• you didn’t get closure
• it lasted too long
• you didn’t have safety afterward

PTSD is your body remembering what your mouth stopped talking about.

⸻

The last thing I’m going to say

If you’re calm in real danger… but falling apart in quiet rooms…

That doesn’t mean you’re broken.

That means your nervous system knows how to survive chaos…

But it hasn’t learned safety yet.

And that can be healed.

Question for the comments:
Which one hits you the hardest — fight/flight, freeze/shutdown, or relationship PTSD?

R.Trent Rose- The Writer ✍🏾

If your spirit resonated with this message, go to the comments.
There’s something there that’ll sharpen your intuition and shift the way you see people. 🖤

👇 Check the comments

11/01/2025

Join the Identity Blueprint Mastermind on November 2nd at 1pm!

Step into a transformative experience designed to help you uncover your authentic self. In this immersive mastermind, you'll engage in a guided meditation to explore your core values, gain insight into the science of neuroplasticity, and how it shapes your identity.

This class empowers you to:
- Set healthy boundaries with clarity and confidence
- Align your daily choices with your deepest values
- Cultivate a mindset of abundance and purpose

Discover what truly makes you tick—and find freedom in knowing yourself on a deeper, more intentional level. Your blueprint is waiting. Register now at radiantsoulguideyoga.com. Space is limited!

10/19/2025

Now that this first season of Radiant Soul School of Yoga is well underway we will be opening a portion of our in-person session to those wanting to take a deeper dive within themselves and their wellness practices and get a feel for what WV’s first trauma informed yoga school is all about!

We will be offering Mastermind Classes, for everyBODY; non yogis, beginners, and longtime practitioners, that will also provide CEU’s for those in need!

We are rolling out our first installment two weeks from today!