Trauma-Informed Yoga: A Path to Healing Through Movement and Breath
Hello everyone!
In previous posts, we've explored yoga therapy and its many benefits, but today I want to dive deeper into how yoga can specifically support those dealing with anxiety and trauma. As I continue my journey through my registered yoga teacher certification, I've been studying yoga’s role in trauma healing and anxiety management. I’m excited to share what I’ve learned so far, and how you can incorporate these practices into your own life.
If you want to check out this last blog post about yoga therapy, go here!
Yoga for Anxiety: What I’ve Learned
Anxiety can feel overwhelming, but yoga provides tools that help manage and reduce its impact. Here’s what I’ve discovered through my studies:
Home Practice & Self-Forgiveness: One of the first steps in managing anxiety is creating a regular home practice. This helps clear energetic blockages and fosters a sense of inner peace. Compassionate self-forgiveness is an essential component of this process, allowing us to release accumulated stress and tension (da Silva et al., 2009).
Vinyasa Flow for Calm: A calming vinyasa flow, where breath and movement are synchronized, can significantly soothe the nervous system. It provides a gentle yet effective way to release tension and anxiety through fluid movement.
Pranayama for Nervous System Regulation: Breathwork techniques, such as bee's breath and kapalabhati, play a crucial role in regulating the nervous system. These practices help recalibrate the body’s natural rhythm, creating a sense of calm and mental clarity.
Yin and Restorative Yoga: Yin yoga, which emphasizes deep stretching and stillness, and restorative yoga, which focuses on relaxation and body support, both have profound effects on alleviating anxiety. They help the body reset and create space for emotional release.
These practices aren’t just based on theory—they’re backed by research. Yoga has been shown to decrease anxiety and improve overall well-being by impacting the body’s autonomic nervous system (da Silva et al., 2009).
Trauma-Informed Yoga: Understanding the Approach
Trauma-informed yoga is a specialized practice designed to make yoga accessible to those who have experienced trauma. Unlike traditional yoga, which may be more physically demanding or less focused on emotional safety, trauma-informed yoga emphasizes a sense of safety, empowerment, and choice. Here’s how it works:
Creating Safety: A trauma-informed yoga class begins by ensuring that participants feel physically and emotionally safe. Instructors avoid aggressive adjustments and maintain a calm, supportive presence, so participants can engage with the practice at their own pace.
Empowerment Through Choice: One of the cornerstones of trauma-informed yoga is giving students the autonomy to decide how much or how little they want to engage. The practice is about offering choices—whether to modify a pose or skip a practice altogether.
Mindfulness and Grounding: Trauma-informed yoga incorporates mindfulness techniques that help students stay present in their bodies and calm their nervous systems. Grounding practices, such as focusing on the breath or specific sensations in the body, help individuals reconnect with their sense of self and the present moment.
Non-Judgmental Language: The language used in trauma-informed yoga is invitational, not directive. Phrases like "I invite you to try this" instead of "do this" allow participants to make decisions based on their comfort levels.
Studies confirm that trauma-sensitive yoga can be a highly effective intervention for individuals recovering from trauma. Research has shown that yoga can lead to significant reductions in PTSD symptoms and can be an invaluable complementary treatment for trauma survivors (Van der Kolk et al., 2014).
Benefits of Trauma-Informed Yoga
Trauma-informed yoga offers a wide range of benefits, especially for those who have experienced trauma:
Regulating the Nervous System: By incorporating grounding techniques and breathwork, trauma-informed yoga helps soothe the body’s fight-or-flight response, promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety.
Building Emotional Resilience: Trauma-informed practices encourage emotional awareness and resilience by focusing on self-compassion and mindfulness.
Restoring Control: For many trauma survivors, regaining control of their bodies is a significant part of the healing process. Trauma-informed yoga helps individuals feel empowered and in control of their practice and, by extension, their healing journey.
Creating a Trauma-Informed Yoga Space
If you’re looking to create a trauma-informed yoga environment, here are some best practices to consider:
Offer Modifications: Ensure that all students, regardless of ability or experience, feel comfortable and have the option to modify poses or skip certain movements as necessary.
Use Invitational Language: Avoid using language that imposes or demands. Instead, guide students with language that encourages choice and autonomy, such as "you might want to try this" or "if it feels good, stay here."
Integrate Grounding Techniques: Help students stay present and grounded by incorporating practices such as breathwork, body scans, or mindfulness during the session.
Be Mindful of the Environment: Be conscious of sensory triggers, such as music or scents, that may evoke distressing memories for participants. Create a space that feels safe, calming, and welcoming.
Conclusion
Trauma-informed yoga is an incredibly powerful and compassionate approach that can support those who have experienced trauma. Whether you’re looking to manage anxiety, recover from trauma, or simply improve your overall well-being, yoga offers tools that can help you achieve balance and peace.
Remember, healing is a process, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Yoga is a journey that unfolds with patience, self-compassion, and mindful practice. If you’ve been hesitant to try yoga in the past, know that there’s a practice out there that’s tailored to your needs—one that will support you rather than push you.
References
Da Silva, T. L., Ravindran, L. N., & Ravindran, A. V. (2009). Yoga in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders: A review. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 2(1), 6-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2008.12.002
Rhodes, A. M. (2023). Trauma-Informed Yoga: A Scoping Review. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 16(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-022-00453-2
Van der Kolk, B. A., Stone, L., West, J., Rhodes, A., Emerson, D., Suvak, M., & Spinazzola, J. (2014). Yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 75(6), e559-e565. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.13m08561
