Find Trauma Informed Yoga near you

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FAQs:

What is Trauma Informed Yoga?

Trauma-informed yoga is based on a particular understanding of trauma, one that emphasizes its impact on the entire mind-body system, as opposed to particular mental states (e.g., troubling memories) viewed in isolation from the physical body.

What Does Trauma-Informed Yoga Do?

Trauma-informed, or trauma-sensitive yoga, is not designed to take you back to the source of your pain. Its purpose is to help you become more aware of what’s going on in your body. Once you tap into that, you can work on releasing built-up emotions, stress, and tension.

Does Trauma Informed Yoga Work?

One study showed that trauma-informed yoga significantly reduced the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the effects of it were comparable to well-researched psychological and medicinal methods. The study involved 64 women who were living with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD. The women were randomly assigned to either trauma-informed yoga or supportive women’s health education. At the end of the study, 16 of 31 participants (52%) in the yoga group no longer met the criteria for PTSD as compared to six of 29 participants (21%) in the group that received women’s health education.

What is Trauma Sensitive Yoga?

Trauma-sensitive yoga is yoga as exercise, adapted from 2002 onwards for work with individuals affected by psychological trauma. Its goal is to help trauma survivors develop a greater sense of mind-body connection, ease their physiological experiences of trauma, gain a greater sense of ownership over their bodies, and augment their overall well-being. However, a 2019 systematic review found that the studies to date were not sufficiently robustly designed to provide strong evidence of yoga's effectiveness as a therapy; it called for further research.

How Can Yoga Help Heal Trauma?

Yoga can help recalibrate your nervous system as you:

1. Begin to inhabit your body and increase body awareness.

2. Develop breath awareness and skills to regulate your breath and emotions.

3. Cultivate a sense of curiosity toward your internal experiences.

4. Work within your “window of tolerance”, the optimal zone of arousal or stimulation in which you’re able to function and integrate new information most effectively.

5. Access the space within yourself to meet discomfort and challenge with courage and compassion.

How Do You Practice Trauma-Informed Yoga?

Trauma-informed yoga is based on the hatha style of yoga, and the emphasis on proper technique has nothing to do with form and everything to do with how participants are feeling. The goal of this approach is to provide survivors a safe space to focus on the power of their body to inform decision-making, thereby strengthening their body awareness and fostering a sense of agency (something that’s often negatively affected by trauma).

While trauma-sensitive yoga classes may not appear very different from your everyday boutique studio class, there are some variations to expect. Typically, trauma-informed yoga classes don't have music, candles, or other distractions. The aim is to minimize stimulation and maintain a calm environment through low or no music, no scents, calming lights, and soft-voiced instructors.

Another aspect of many trauma-informed yoga classes is the lack of hands-on adjustments. Whereas your go-to hot yoga class is all about mastering a Half Moon pose, trauma-sensitive yoga is about reconnecting with your body while moving through poses.

To create a safe environment for students, the structure of a trauma-informed yoga class is also inherently predictable — and purposefully.

What is the Difference Between Yoga and Trauma-Informed Yoga?

Yoga can have many physical and mental health benefits, but a mainstream yoga class may not be suitable for everyone. Trauma-informed yoga can support post-traumatic growth and healing for trauma survivors. A trauma-informed yoga teacher will emphasize your experience within a yoga posture, rather than performance. The goal of trauma-informed yoga is to be able to practice different postures, breathwork, or meditation styles without becoming triggered. Trauma-informed yoga is an essential aspect of making yoga welcoming, effective, and safe for anyone interested in practicing. It’s not a question of the style of yoga, but rather, the way the practice is being shared.

Can Yoga Heal Emotional Trauma?

Based on research, trauma-informed yoga combines the mind and body impact of trauma with spiritual health and consciousness. It is a way to safely connect with your body, regaining any control, love, or acceptance that may have been threatened during a traumatic experience.

The practice of trauma-informed yoga can free the system from this ongoing stress response in various ways. By cultivating mindful awareness of the connection between our body, mind, and breath through yoga, we engage our parasympathetic nervous system. This process reduces the ongoing stress response induced by trauma. Two yogic practices have been shown to create this response including breathing techniques (pranayama) and body postures (asana).

What is a Trauma Informed Yoga Class?

An opportunity to take a yoga class with a trauma informed yoga teacher. Your teacher will:

1. Be informed about triggers, flashbacks, dissociative states & overwhelming emotions

2. Make space for you to step out of any practice and any class

3. Attend to dynamics of safety, especially as they might affect trauma survivors

4. Have contact details of reputable trauma therapists

What is Trauma?

Trauma is an emotional or physical response to one or more harmful or life-threatening events or circumstances with lasting adverse effects on your mental and physical well-being, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA). Trauma is widespread and deeply harmful to individuals and communities. About 61%Trusted Source of adults in the United States have reported at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), which are potentially traumatic event in childhood associated with a lack of safety.

Who Benefits from Trauma-Informed Yoga

Emerging research, according to a 2015 study, shows that clinicians and healthcare professionals may consider yoga as a supplementary treatment for those with trauma-related mental health conditions.

As a 2021 review notes, the clinical implications for a trauma-specific approach to yoga can be significant. “Trauma disconnects the body and mind and this practice reconnects them,” says Judy Weaver, a yoga therapist and author in South Florida and cofounder of Connected Warriors.

Weaver, whose organization provides yoga to members of the military, says that a trauma-informed approach should provide opportunities for curiosity, creativity, and challenges, which can help strengthen their resolve and change their relationship with their body and mind.

1. Retired and active duty service members

Trauma-sensitive yoga can benefit anyone who’s served in the military, but for many service members, the trauma occurred long before the war. A 2021 study found that yoga programs for active-duty military personnel can be beneficial for treating symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. For veterans, a 2018 study shows that trauma-sensitive yoga interventions may improve symptoms associated with PTSD as a standalone or adjunctive therapy.

2. Sexual assault survivors

A review published in 2016 showed that trauma-sensitive yoga helps reduce symptoms associated with PTSD among women who have experienced intimate partner violence. Additionally, a 2014 study found that yoga helped reduce symptoms in women with treatment-resistant PTSD. The authors suggested that yoga could help people to tolerate physical and sensory experiences associated with fear and helplessness while increasing emotional awareness. Trauma-sensitive yoga may also be an effective treatment for PTSD among female veterans who endured military sexual trauma, as noted by a 2021 study. The findings show that TIY helped improve symptoms better than cognitive processing therapy (CPT), a type of PTSD treatment, with lasting effects.

3. Marginalized groups

Research from 2021 suggests that trauma-informed yoga can promote healing in high-risk minority populations. Racial trauma has a cumulative negative impact on people of color, and other marginalized groups experience trauma at disproportionate rates. 

4. Other individuals

Because trauma can affect almost anyone, many people can benefit from a trauma-based approach to yoga, including those who have experienced:

- abuse

- addiction

- body dysmorphia

- chronic illness and pain

- intergenerational trauma

- suicidal ideation or attempts

- incarceration

- mass violence or war

In addition, people working in fields where they are more likely to encounter trauma — such as caregivers and first responders — may benefit.

Eight Physical Signs Your Body is Releasing Trauma

When your body releases trauma, you may also experience signs that this is occurring. Taking note of these signs ensures you are taking the necessary steps to heal emotionally, too. Here are 8 common signs of your body releasing trauma and healing:

1. You Feel Your Emotions

When your body begins healing from the impact of trauma, you may cry, get angry, or otherwise begin to feel your emotions. This could feel like you are getting worse, but you are no longer detached from how you feel about the events. Instead, you are facing them head-on.

2. You Do Not Feel Sick Anymore

As you release trauma, you will likely feel better. Your immune system will be stronger, and you will likely stop having many common physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, and fatigue.

3. You Look Forward to Activities Again

As you release trauma, you will feel like being more active. You will feel an increase in energy. This could make it easier to complete self-care and daily tasks as well as engage in social activities. You may feel like returning to work or seeing friends when you have been avoiding such activities.

4. You Have Less Pain

Holding trauma in your body can cause pain. Whether you have headaches, muscle aches, or fatigue, your pain levels should decrease as your mental health improves and you heal emotionally.

5. You No Longer Feel Tense and Anxious

When you release trauma, you will feel less tension throughout your body. You may clench your jaw, hold your shoulders tight, and have other physiological reactions to the trauma you feel. This makes you feel tense and anxious. As you heal from the trauma, these issues will go away.

6. You Experience Physiological Effects

Holding unresolved trauma in your body causes several physiological effects. As you release the trauma and heal, your heart rate will slow, and your blood pressure may decrease.

7. You’ve Stopped Reliving the Trauma

Many people who experience a traumatic injury or event suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. They relive the trauma through flashbacks and similar psychological effects. As they begin to heal physically and emotionally, this should occur less and less.

8. Your Hobbies Return

When a traumatic experience occurs, and the victim is holding trauma, they often push their favorite activities and hobbies aside. As they release trauma, their interests generally return, and they enjoy their hobbies again.

9 Trauma Informed Yoga Poses

Here are 9 common yoga poses found in trauma-informed yoga classes:

1. Mountain pose

2. Warrior poses

3. Tree pose

4. Eagle pose

5. Chair pose

6. Bound angle pose

7. Seated spinal twist

8. Fire log pose

However, while these poses are suitable for trauma-informed yoga teaching, the physical postures are just one consideration of a trauma-informed yoga class. It is also essential to use inclusive language and create a calming, non-triggering external environment to help your yogis feel safe and at ease.

Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Sequence

Here is an example of a short 7-pose trauma-informed restorative yoga sequence:

1. Constructive rest 

Start in a reclined position with your knees bent and the soles of your feet on the floor. Hands can be by the side, or place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest as you take a few minutes to connect to your breath.

2. Supported banana pose

Shift onto one side, placing the short edge of a bolster under your rib cage. Extend your arms overhead and stretch your legs away from you. Stay for one to 3 minutes, then practice on the other side.

3. Sphinx pose

Roll onto your belly and come up onto your forearms with your palms flat on the mat. Lift the chest and draw your shoulders back and down as you hold this position for one minute. 

4. Cat/cow pose

Press up onto all fours with your wrists directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips. As you inhale, arch the spine and open the chest, looking forward. As you exhale, round your spine, bringing your chin to your heart center. Repeat these two movements 5 to 10 times. 

5. Bound angle pose

In a seated position, bring the soles of the feet together, letting the knees drop out to the side. Then, walk your hands forward as you fold over your feet. 

6. Bolster twists

Line your right thigh up against the bottom of a bolster (so that you're facing the side of the mat). Twist through your spine to face towards the bolster, then fold your torso over it, relaxing your head and arms. Stay here for 2 to 5 minutes, then repeat on the other side. 

7. Supported savasana

Lay on your back with a bolster under your knees. Soften your gaze and muscles as you focus on your breathing.

Benefits of Trauma-Informed Yoga

Here are the benefits of trauma informed yoga:

1. Encourages a sense of belonging and trust.

2. Fosters a sense of empowerment and control.

3. Decreases the overall effects of PTSD.

4. Increases energy and concentration.

5. Builds mental and emotional resiliency and stability.

6. Reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Principles of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Classes

Here are some of the principles of trauma sensitive yoga classes:

1. Creates a safe, trusting, and non-judgmental environment.

2. Honors and listens to the body and breath.

3. Grants permission for self-exploration.

4. Strengthens the mind-body connection.

5. Connects with the breath to help slow down and relax.

6. Deepens awareness of the physical body.

7. Encourages self-regulation, self-calming, and self-soothing.

8. Teaches how to release and let go.

9. Builds motivation, curiosity, and self-esteem.

What to Expect in a Trauma-Informed Yoga Session

While many yoga teachers are insightful and aware of their student’s individual needs, people interested specifically in trauma-sensitive yoga should seek out a certified and registered instructor. Usually, they’ll have the additional teaching credentials of:

1. C-IAYT (Certified Yoga Therapist)

2. TCTSY (Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Instructor)

You might also look for instructors trained in specialty programs.

A trauma-informed yoga session should always make each participant feel safe and secure.

1. For example, although instructors often adjust and assist students, a trauma-informed teacher doesn’t do this unless they ask permission first—or simply doesn’t do hands-on work at all.

2. The instructor might also stay at the front of the room instead of walking around and position each attendee in such a way as to give them plenty of space without anyone staring directly at them.

3. Cues such as “close your eyes” might be amended to “close your eyes, or soften your gaze, or simply look down.”

4. Certain poses that present aspects of vulnerability to a student could also be eliminated from a trauma-informed sequence in favor of those that provide more grounding and control.

5. Instruction for therapeutic breathing techniques, while always essential, might avoid held breaths within a cycle.

Most of all, instructors of this practice should always make it clear that anyone, at any time, can simply stay in a posture most comfortable to them or stop if they need to. Healing shows up differently for each person.

How to Find a Trauma-Informed Yoga Class or Instructor Near Me

Many yoga instructors who specialize in trauma are currently teaching private and group classes online. Other yoga organizations also make finding trauma-informed yoga instructors simple with online directories and class schedules.

Another idea is to reach out to your local yoga studio to ask about who, if anyone, might be trained in trauma-informed yoga. You can ask yoga instructors If they hold specific credentials, such as the TCTSY-F (the official TCTSY program facilitator certification), TIYTT (Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training certification from the Rise Up Foundation), or TSRYTT (Trauma-Sensitive Restorative Yoga Teacher Training also from the Rise Up Foundation). Alternatively, you can ask the instructor what kind of training they specifically have around trauma and make sure they have trained in a formal program before working with them.

Sources:

Eomega

Wikipedia

Melissa Noel Renzi

PsychCentral

SHAPE

NCIC

Cleveland Clinic

The Yogatique

The Yoga Clinic

Cottonwood De Tucson

Yoga Basics

Viva Partnership