Trauma informed yoga helps participants (re)establish their bodies as a safe place, develop coping strategies/self regulation tools and (re)connect to the inner and outer rhythms of life.

Our brains are hardwired for survival. When in threat, our brains work with our nervous systems to determine if it’s safest to fight, flight or freeze. Sometimes, the sensation of threat hangs on. Our bodies can get “stuck on,” as a way to make sure we stay safe. Other times, what feels most safe is to “shut down” in order to stop feeling and connecting to the body at all. Therapy and/or medication can help, and addressing the physical body is also important. As Bessel van der Kolk reminds us “The Body Keeps the Score.” Trauma informed yoga instructors understand how traumatic experiences and mental health effect the physical body and work to help create brave spaces that provide choice and allow clients to begin (re)connecting to their bodies in a way that builds agency and restores the joy in living.