February 2019
Since taking a course in Trauma-Sensitive Yoga1 in November 2018, I have adopted a trauma-sensitive approach in all my group and private classes. I am continuing to explore how trauma affects the brain, how it is held in the body, and how mindful movement is so effective in helping people move beyond their trauma.
My perspective is that each one of us has trauma. Major traumas, such as a serious accident, assault, or surviving a natural disaster, are widely accepted as long-lasting and may require specialized therapy for recovery. However, other less obvious traumas can have lasting, serious effects. These traumas might be difficult to talk about because they seem insignificant or common. If you did talk about them, you might get the response “that happens to a lot of people” or “you just need to get over it”. Consider the following potential traumatizing events: the death of a pet, betrayal by someone you trusted, witnessing an accident or death, reading/watching a graphic news story, or caring for a loved one with dementia. Any of these events can cause real trauma.
Trauma is any event (can be single, ongoing or cumulative) that overwhelms our coping capacities2. People respond differently to events, and what is traumatizing for one person is not necessarily traumatizing for another. We might be easily startled, haunted by memories, experience bad dreams, feel exceptionally sad or any number of other reactions to such events. Trauma alters our brain and nervous system and emotions related to trauma are held in the body3.
Yoga helps counteract the flight, fight or freeze response by using the breath in deliberate ways. Many times trauma causes us to become disconnected from our bodies and yoga invites us to gently reinhabit our bodies by starting to notice sensations. In my practice, trauma-sensitive yoga has two main components: safety and choice. Trauma can cause us to feel vulnerable and vigilant. We don’t feel safe in our own bodies. This is especially prominent in cases where we couldn’t act to prevent or escape the trauma. We have to slowly and gently restore a sense of feeling safe in our body. Trauma happened against our will, so allowing someone to choose whether they do something, and how they do it is critical. For example, I don’t like the way it feels to sit cross-legged, so I kneel and elevate my hips on a block. It’s not about getting the perfect pose, it’s about finding a place where the body senses it can stay and possibly even rest or feel for several deep breaths. It might be transitioning to Savasana (constructive rest) at any time. It might be returning to Child’s Pose over and over again. In my classes, choice also means not having to disclose your trauma. I ask people to tell me if there is something that is, or could be triggering (e.g. dimming the lights, having people practicing behind you) so I can make adjustments for their comfort. Hands-on adjustments are only used when absolutely necessary, and then, only with consent.
There is so much to learn on this topic, and research continues to emerge helping us better understand trauma and the most effective ways of treating it. I am practicing on myself, and excited about helping others explore the healing potential of yoga. Learn more with my video about Trauma-Sensitive Yoga.
1. Trauma-sensitive yoga was developed by David Emerson https://www.traumasensitiveyoga.com/
2. https://www.oohctoolbox.org.au/trauma
3. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, MD
