Trauma-Informed Yoga
What is it and why should it be for everyone?
What is Trauma-Informed Yoga?
High levels of constant stress and unintegrated trauma affect us in many ways. Our experiences not only affect the mind, but they are also stored in our physical bodies, meaning our physical health and well-being can be negatively impacted. Often the nervous system has been working overtime for too long and is in a dis-regulated state (stuck in the 'fight, flight or freeze' response). This can leave you feeling dissociated from your body where you don’t feel much at all, or highly activated, where you feel intense emotional or physical responses, such as anxiety and hyper-arousal. It can also leave you feeling burned out, depleted and exhausted.
Trauma-informed Yoga (TIY) is an approach to teaching yoga that involves understanding, recognising, and responding to the effects of trauma. In TIY, we are not specifically treating trauma, but understanding the greater need for safety and trust, and offering empowering practices that prioritise the needs of the individual.
TIY seeks to help you feel grounded, centered, and present in your body. This somatic approach holds space for you to connect to your inner experience, raising self-awareness of your body and nervous system. It can help you learn how to self-regulate and calm your nerves, techniques which can be used in everyday life. It seeks to help you find a sense of support in the body, and to begin to recognise and trust your body’s signals and wisdom.
It is a gentle approach to teaching, empowering you to move at your own pace and comfort level, and honour your unique experiences and needs. Everything is invitational, and choices are offered, allowing you to try out what feels right for you, and work within your 'window of tolerance' (the optimal zone where you are able to function effectively).
Why I Believe Trauma-informed Yoga Is For Everybody
We often think of trauma as caused by huge life-threatening events, but the truth is that nearly everybody has experienced some level of trauma. Trauma can be too little or too much of something for too long, and where your experience is unwitnessed or unacknowledged. Trauma-informed Yoga (TIY) holds a safe space for whatever is going on for you, and the practices and poses are accessible to all.
We live in a demanding, fast-paced society, with a constant overload of stimulation. We are often rushing through our day feeling stressed and tense, therefore spending a lot of time in our 'fight or flight' state. This can affect our sleep quality, emotions, physical health, and mental well-being.
In TIY, by sharing practices to help soothe the nervous system and slow down, this has a multitude of benefits for our overall health and well-being. For example, this can improve sleep, blood pressure, circulation, physical, mental and emotional health, boost resistance to infection, improve digestion and immune responses. In this state, our body systems are functioning in harmony.
What a Trauma-Informed Yoga Class is Not
-
TIY classes are not therapy (TIY can, however, be a great support to take up alongside therapy).
-
Students will not be asked to share their trauma histories or to process their memories.
These classes are taught with a trauma-informed approach. As such, I encourage students to take any necessary steps in their self-care.