by Nicole Bosworth,
Trauma-informed yoga is on the rise, and for good reason. Trauma-informed yoga is a style of yoga that is adapted for those of us who have experienced traumatic events in our lives.

In a recent study of vulnerable populations conducted by National Library of Medicine, they demonstrated that after a single trauma informed yoga class, people reported feeling fewer negative emotions, increased self-regulation, improved sleep, less feelings of shame, and decreased disassociation and flashbacks.

The Global Collaboration on Traumatic Stress states that “approximately 70% of the world’s population has been exposed to a traumatic life event.” To bring that into the yoga studio, seven out of ten students have experienced trauma. It has been proven that trauma tends to lurk in our bodies, often manifesting in ways in which we are unaware of. This means that mind-body practices such as yoga can be triggering and difficult to endure. There is no one-size fits all method to approaching trauma, but trauma-informed yoga teaching assumes that all of our students have experienced trauma in one way or another, and we can teach in a way that offers a safe space for healing ourselves and our students.

Trauma-informed yoga has a focus on the feelings associated within our poses, the embodiment of yoga and finding a sense of connection between mind and body and helping our students to feel safe and secure in their own bodies. One of the most important aspects of this practice is that the students feel they have a sense of control over their choices.

An example of a trigger in a yoga setting may be when a teacher tells students to close their eyes. While the purpose of closing our eyes is to eliminate distractions and be within our bodies, this may be triggering to those who live with trauma; closing their eyes can be scary or unsettling. It may be better to give options to close the eyes or look down or lower their eyes. Asking a student who has been incarcerated to put their hands behind their heads may also be triggering. Positions like happy baby and child’s pose can make one who has experienced sexual assault feel uncomfortable. If we learn to be aware of our language, adjust how we teach our yoga practice and become aware of possible triggers and triggering signs, we can create safe space, understand and help our students to feel safe, welcomed, and encourage their healing process.

We are part of an evolution of trauma-informed yoga. Our upcoming continuing education course will help to provide teachers and students with an understanding of what trauma is, how to approach trauma within a yoga setting, how trauma impacts our neurobiology and how it may be stored in our bodies, how yoga, meditation and mindfulness can address the dysregulation caused by trauma, and how to set compassionate boundaries before, during and after classes.

We are conducting a survey which you can find below, in hopes of having a better idea of who will be joining us on our journey to trauma-informed yoga. Please take a few minutes to participate if you are interested in learning more.

Fill out the Trauma Informed Yoga Survey