Professional Certification Cohorts

Becoming mBODYed

Reclaim Your Vibrancy • Embody Your Teaching • Develop Nervous System Awareness

Join a small, trauma-informed cohort that guides you to regulated presence, personal performance, and teaching mastery.

A group of people having a discussion in a living room, with a human skeleton model standing in the foreground. Two men are speaking, one with his hands raised and the other listening with arms crossed. A woman with curly hair sits in the foreground listening. The room has large windows, a mantel, and a flat-screen TV on the wall.

Let’s start simple. Many of us live at or past capacity. That shows up as burnout, pain, or the feeling that you have to push to keep up.

We’re hearing new terms like “high functioning anxiety, depression, ADHD…” as a way of normalizing our experiences. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The truth is that many of us live in a chronic, high-functioning stress state, spinning our wheels and desperately trying to escape the hamster wheel.

Gently check in:

  • How are your relationships outside of work?

  • What is your current rhythm with food, caffeine, alcohol, or sleep?

  • When did you last wake rested without help?

pause • take a breath •feel your feet on the floor

what’s alive in your body as you read this?

What This Is

A person in a blue shirt is holding the arm of a woman with brown hair wearing a blue shirt.

Not just a training • Not just a technique.

A transformation.


A layered process that meets you where you are and supports where you are becoming — rebuilding capacity, integrating body-based learning into your teaching, and moving toward Body Mapping licensure and preparation for Alexander Technique teacher training

Whether you want to:

Rebuild your creative and teaching capacity

Integrate nervous system regulation into your pedagogy

Move toward professional certification in The Alexander Technique and Body Mapping (Licensed Educator and Coach)

Or stop bracing and start belonging...

You’ll find a structure that is rigorous, relational, and rooted in trauma-informed somatic pedagogy.

Close-up portrait of a smiling woman with wavy, shoulder-length brown hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, wearing a teal top with lace details, against a white background.

- Dr. Amanda Heim, Gettysburg College

“Shawn changed my life. I would not have finished my DMA without him and probably wouldn't even be playing the saxophone anymore if it weren't for his Alexander technique course and incredible instruction.”

The Three-Year Pathway

A man demonstrating human skeletal anatomy on a life-size model with two other individuals observing in a classroom or educational setting.

Foundation

Year One helps you reconnect with your body and breath. We begin with simple maps of the body, the fundamentals of Alexander work, and everyday practices that reduce stress, so learning can take hold.

A man and woman embrace outdoors, with the man holding the woman's shoulder. The word 'INTEGRATION' is overlaid on the image, with the logo 'myBODY ed' and tagline 'Reimagining Performance Education' at the top.

Integration

Year Two moves you from embodied learner to embodied facilitator. You practice guiding others with calm, clear presence and learn to incorporate the work into lessons that build safety and curiosity.

A man receiving a physical therapy or medical examination, with a healthcare provider using a therapy device or performing a procedure on his chest, indicating a moment of transformation in health or wellness.

Transformation

Year Three helps you step into your voice as a teacher and coach.

You complete certification requirements and refine your craft through mentored teaching, recorded lesson reviews, and guidance from guest faculty.

This Approach Works

Digital illustration of a human brain with colorful neural connections extending outward.

Why we talk about the nervous system

Your nervous system is your body’s control center. It is the part of you that runs the spectrum from stress and calm, focus and fog, rest and action. When it gets stuck in survival mode, you feel it as tension, pain, worry, racing thoughts, numbness, or a constant need to push.

We teach you how to

  • notice when your body is in survival mode

  • settle and reset so your body can learn again

  • move and breathe in ways that create lasting ease

  • build more room inside your day so challenges do not knock you over

This is why the work lasts. We are not just changing posture. We are changing the conditions inside you so that learning and freedom are possible.

This is a pedagogy of presence. Not perfection.

A stack of nine balanced rocks on a large stone in a rocky riverbed, with forested hills and a bridge in the background.

You cannot rewire what you are still bracing against. We change the state first, then the habit.

  • Gentle spiral learning that respects your pace

  • Real-time coaching and co-regulation so you are not doing this alone

  • Practice between sessions so change sticks

  • Application in your real life and teaching

  • A clear path into professional teaching and coaching

Belong Here

Begin Now

The Becoming mBODYed Cohort is a place to reconnect with yourself, both professionally and personally. Whether you’re seeking personal healing, professional growth, or a more embodied approach to teaching and performing, our cohorts meet you where you are and invite you into a process of grounded transformation.

Man sitting on a beige couch outdoors, smiling, wearing a colorful floral shirt, with a potted plant and window behind him.

Only 12 spots available

Feeling unsure?

Who Benefits from our Becoming mBODYed Cohorts

Who is this for?

  • Musicians who want recovery and creativity without force.

  • Performing arts educators who want practical tools for calm and clarity in the room.

  • Therapists, coaches, and teachers who want to embody what they guide.

  • Body Mapping trainees who want steady mentorship and licensure.

  • Alexander students who want a gentler and science-informed path into teaching.

What makes this different?

Most programs hand you information. We build relationships and integration.

Most tracks are rigid. We support you at every stage of the change process.

Most trainings ignore trauma. We begin by building safety from within.

What you’ll gain:

Our cohorts offer a trauma-informed, relational learning container where you will:

  • Regulate stress patterns so you feel grounded on and off stage.

  • Teach and perform from presence with less effort.

  • Build accurate body maps and practical breath skills.

  • Apply the work in real lessons, rehearsals, and performances.

  • Integrate Alexander Technique, Body Mapping, and trauma-aware coaching in one path.

We follow a “Learn – Experience – Teach” model. This structure supports somatic integration and professional application.

Together, these offer a comprehensive, science-informed, and embodied approach to becoming a more expressive artist and effective teacher.

What’s included every year:

  • 22 live, 90-minute cohort sessions per year.

  • 1:1 coaching — two sessions per month, plus asynchronous support.

  • Priority access to mBODYed events and the annual retreat.

  • Small cohorts, max 12, for deep support and connection.

You are not learning content.

You are becoming the content.

A woman in a blue top holding a violin and bow, standing next to a piano with a dark wall background.

— Dr. Kirsten Yon - Associate Professor of Violin, University of Houston

“I have gained valuable physical and practical knowledge, countless insights into my own practices, thinking, and proprioception, and a wealth of amazing tools for teaching. At the heart of Shawn’s mentorship is his unwavering commitment to creating deep, personal, unique body connections combined with a sincere trust of one’s instincts. My mBODYed work has translated into profoundly impactful teaching moments and deeply fulfilling performances- what a transformative gift for my body and soul!!”

Cohort 6- Registration Open

Now Accepting Applications for Cohort 6

Begins August 15, 2025

Only 12 spots available

Invest in Your Embodied Performing and Teaching

Man smiling in a patterned shirt standing against a stone wall.

$7,500 per year
Deposit $500, applied to tuition. Then 12 payments of $583.33. Live contact averages ~5 hours per month across cohort sessions and 1:1 coaching. Your rate is locked for your cohort across all three years. Other payment plans are available.

You’ll be held in a trauma-informed learning container that prioritizes nervous system safety, embodied learning, and sustainable transformation.

Somatic Value Guarantee

Cohort pricing is secure. Your rate will never increase as you continue for two and three years. This means a predictable, safe investment as your capacity, confidence, and clarity grow. You can choose a payment plan that best matches your rhythm: monthly, quarterly, or annual.

Why This Work Matters

The Becoming mBODYed Cohorts Program is grounded in the Alexander Technique and Body Mapping, integrating applied neuroscience, trauma-informed pedagogy, and somatic coaching practices.

You’ll learn directly from me, an internationally recognized clarinetist, trauma educator, inclusion and belonging consultant, and certified PAMA Performing Arts Health educator, with 19 years of experience teaching and training performers and educators.

Every session delivers tools you can bring on stage, into rehearsal, or to the studio and begin using immediately.

But this work begins with you.

Before you can teach embodiment, you must embody it.

This is a profound investment in yourself, not just as a teacher or performer, but as a whole human being. The work unfolds at the pace of your nervous system, not your schedule. You didn’t arrive at this moment in your life without effort. Likewise, you won’t unwind the chronic tension, burnout, or performance trauma without carefully attuned attention, community, and time.

The more you learn about yourself, your body, your breath, and your resilience, the more powerfully you’ll show up in every aspect of your life.

  • Tuition: $500 Deposit, $583.33 a month for 12 months.

    • Minimum Instruction: 5 hours per month, 1:1 coaching: twice per month, plus asynchronous support between sessions.

    • Hourly Rate: Approx. $125/hour, less than private lessons

    • Price Guarantee: No price increases for 3 years

    • Program Focus: Somatic Modalities, including Alexander Technique and Body Mapping, grounded in empirical science

    • Instructor Expertise:

      • Certified Sponsoring Teacher of Alexander Technique International

      • Licensed Training Mentor, Association of Body Mapping Education

      • Master Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist, ISMETA

      • Integrated Somatic Practitioner, IWA

      • Critically acclaimed clarinetist

      • Somatic Trauma Educator

      • PAMA-certified Performing Arts Educator

      • Inclusion and Belonging expert

      • 19 years of professional teaching experience

    • Immediate Application: Practical learning to use on stage or in the studio

    • Investment in You: Personal embodiment before teaching; growth as a performer, teacher, and person

    Time Frame: Learning measured by the body and nervous system, not by a clock

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Regular Cohort Instruction: The Cohort meets for 90 minutes, 2 times per month for content instruction, exploration, and discussion.

    Online Instructional Manuals: Content addresses the nervous system, attention, and the complete body of knowledge for Body Mapping balance and breathing.

    Coaching: 1:1 Coaching with Shawn Copeland in professional development, performance skills, and teaching skill development. Shawn uses a variety of skills in individual coachings which include Alexander Technique, Body Mapping, Somatic Trauma Work, Nervous System Work, PAMA Certified Performing Arts Injury Prevention Work, Leadership Work, and Inclusion and Belonging Work.

    All cohort members are encouraged to participate in the Friday Performance Labs

  • Year One averages four to five hours each month. Year Two averages six to eight. Year Three averages six to ten. Your existing, professional teaching studios count towards this teaching time.

    Retreats and residencies are encouraged for year one, but required for years two and three. All certification candidates must complete three retreats.

  • Classes meet online via ZOOM.

    Cohort 6 begins on August 15, 2025!

    Specific class times will be scheduled based on the availability of those registered.

    All classes will be recorded for cohort use only.

  • Annual Tuition is $7500.

    There is a $500 deposit to secure your seat and it is applied to tuition. You may pay the remaining balance in 12 monthly payments of $583.33. Each month includes a minimum of 5 hours of live instruction plus 1:1 coaching, which comes to about $125 per hour of live contact time. Other payment plans are available. Simply let me know your preference.

    You may receive a 10% discount for paying for all three years at once. Please speak to me if you prefer this option.

    REFUND POLICY: Refunds will be determined on a case by case basis according to terms in the contract.

  • Yes. Many people take Year One for personal development. You can pause and return later.

    This does not qualify you for certification.

  • Yes. We work with pacing, consent, and capacity. We collaborate with your system rather than override it.

  • Graduates earn mBODYed Somatic Certification. Year Three supports completion of ABME Body Mapping Coach/Licensure and prepares you for formal Alexander Technique teacher certification through ATI partner programs. We are transparent about what we certify directly and what we prepare you to pursue with partners.

  • Recordings are provided. We help you integrate at a pace that fits your life.

What Participants are Saying About mBODYed

Not the Right Time? We Understand.

Your body knows when it’s ready. If now isn’t the moment, that’s okay.

Becoming mBODYed is a significant investment in your growth—and your nervous system deserves the space to say “yes” from a grounded place.

Our next planned Cohort will begin in August 2026! Join the waitlist to stay in the loop. You’ll receive:

  • Priority access to future cohorts

  • Early enrollment options before registration opens to the public

  • Occasional updates—no spam, no pressure, no sales calls

This is your invitation to stay connected until the timing is right for your body, your life, and your learning.