Gentle Spirit Connection Philosophy

At Gentle Spirit Connection, we integrate evidence-based understanding of stress management, trauma, and regulating the nervous system with compassionate, whole-person care.

Our Story

  • We are Julie and Shawn, and we would like to take a moment to introduce ourselves and share a little about how we got here.

    We met in graduate school at Eastern Michigan University.

    As our careers unfolded, we have supported one another along our professional paths. Both of us felt drawn to work with individuals who have experienced trauma, and many of our conversations over the years naturally centered on understanding the impact of trauma and the ways people heal, adapt, and reconnect.

  • Our paths continued to unfold over the years. For Shawn, the turning point came during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

    During a time when the world felt overwhelming, I felt a deep awareness of the impact on teachers, nurses, therapists, caregivers, and advocates in our communities. As a therapist, I witnessed firsthand the weight of trauma, burnout, and secondary trauma.

    I kept returning to one simple question: How can I help?

    That question became the starting point for Gentle Spirit Yoga. I began offering yoga to teachers in schools, providing yoga therapy in crisis centers, and leading sessions wherever someone reached out—even in unexpected places like hair salons.

    When Evolve Behavioral Health generously offered space for one-on-one sessions, Gentle Spirit Yoga began to take root and grow.

  • Six years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are opening the door to a new chapter. Julie brings her experience in somatic work, nervous system healing, and training in vibrational sound bowls. She has joined Shawn as a contributor to Gentle Spirit Connection, helping expand into a larger space to better serve our community.

    As Gentle Spirit Yoga grows into Gentle Spirit Connection, we are able to offer more opportunities for healing and support. Together, we now provide Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, nervous system regulation practices, vibrational sound bowl experiences, small group classes, and workshops designed to support stress reduction, resilience, and overall wellbeing.

    Our hope is to create a welcoming space where people can slow down, reconnect with themselves, and experience practices that support healing in a gentle and accessible way.

    We look forward to sharing this space with the community and welcoming all who are seeking a place to slow down, reconnect, and care for themselves.

Our Approach

Gentle Spirit Connection is grounded in our mission to bring professional care, science-informed practices, and holistic healing for those navigating stress, trauma exposure, and the demands of modern life. As the leading provider of trauma-informed yoga in Brighton, Michigan, we support individuals, caregivers, and professionals seeking meaningful ways to regulate their nervous system, build resilience, and reconnect with themselves.

You don't need to understand the science behind nervous system regulation to benefit from it—but if you'd like to know more, we'd love to talk about it! We are passionate about the connection between research, healing, and real-life experience. We are committed to ongoing learning and professional development. That means you can focus on your experience, knowing the practices we offer are both compassionate and grounded in approaches that support lasting well-being.

This space offers somatic movement, creative expression, Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY), sound bath, and vibrational sound healing sessions to create experiences that support balance, resilience, and connection. Whether you are searching for trauma-informed yoga near you, therapeutic yoga in Brighton, or sound baths near you, these practices are designed to meet you with choice, safety, and accessibility.

At the heart of this work is a core belief: healing happens through safety, relationship, and gentle awareness. Through yoga therapy, trauma-informed care, and nervous system regulation practices, Gentle Spirit Connection supports individuals, small groups, and professional teams throughout Ann Arbor, Brighton, Howell, and the surrounding communities in Washtenaw and Livingston County.

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Our Spaces

We currently offer services in two supportive environments:

Ann Arbor Location

Located in Ann Arbor, this space is dedicated to individual Vibrational Sound Healing sessions designed to support rest, grounding, and nervous system restoration.

For more information on the Ann Arbor location, or to schedule a session contact Julie:

gentlespiritconnectionjac@gmail.com

Brighton Location

Located less than 2 miles off I-96 (Exit 147), our space in Brighton offers:

  • Trauma-Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) (Individual and Groups)

  • Yoga Therapy

  • Individual sound bowl sessions with Vibrational Sound Therapy

  • Remote sessions available for TCTSY and Yoga Therapy

  • Trauma Informed Educational Workshops and Trainings

  • Community-based restorative retreats

  • Couples and group sound bowl sessions with Vibrational Sound Therapy

For more information on the Brighton location, or to schedule a session contact Shawn:

shawn@gentlespirityoga.com

 

Meet the Team

  • Recovery can only take place in the context of relationships, it can not occur in isolation.

    —Judith Lewis Herman

  • "Genuinely passionate about what they do. I really appreciate the 5 minute nervous system resets for in-between my client sessions."

    —Workshop Customer

  • "The sound of the bowls helped quiet my mind and brought a deep sense of calm and grounding that stayed with me long after the session ended.”

    - Vibrational Sound Bowl Customer