Trauma-Informed Yoga

By Tonya Boots

While traditional talk therapy has often been seen as a primary approach to trauma treatment, research now shows that yoga can significantly reduce symptoms of PTSD. When someone is reminded of past trauma and becomes dysregulated, CBT interventions can be ineffective in the moment, due to the inability to think rationally and feel safe in their bodies. We are unable to create effective change when we are dysregulated. 

Using a mind and body approach, such as yoga, can help individuals learn to self-regulate, and be more aware of their feelings and physical sensations. More specifically, trauma-informed yoga can help people begin to feel calm, safe and comfortable in their own bodies. This happens through offering and exploring choices of poses and positions of the body, to help one identify and better understand what they need throughout their healing process. 

Some benefits of trauma-informed yoga include: increased ability to be aware of and identify body’s needs, sense of control and ownership over physical body, improved ability to identify and utilize appropriate coping strategies when reminded of trauma, ability to manage trauma-related physical sensations, acceptance of body and self with less judgement and criticism, reduction in PTSD symptoms, ability to recognize the importance of self-care, and ability to utilize appropriate self-soothing skills when experiencing a flashback or trauma reminder. 

Interested in hearing more about Trauma Informed Yoga from Tonya? She was recently featured on the You Need a Counselor Podcast where we talked about just that! https://open.spotify.com/episode/6UGi95fAt5RWIRT9fRryto