ALL ABOUT

TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA

What is Trauma?

When we are faced with a traumatic event such as natural disasters, wars, accidents, death of a close person, or abuse, our sympathetic nervous system uses chemicals like adrenalin to prepare the body and brain to face danger. This is our “Fight or Flight response.” On the other hand, the parasympathetic system uses acetylcholine to get us back in balance and thus moves you into the “Rest and Digest response.” When those two systems are working together in synchronization, we are able to connect and engage ourselves with our surroundings. When those systems are off balance, we are often stuck in our “Fight or Flight”, which may lead to trauma.

DR. VAN DER KOLK STUDYS

In 2014, Dr. van der Kolk started his studies in the Trauma Center about the benefits of yoga in helping with the recovery of trauma. Studies showed that people with PTSD have low HRV (heart rate variability), that is, “a lack of fluctuation in heart rate in response to breathing.” This is why traumatized people are easily triggered on the physical as well as on the mental level.

Breathing exercises, physical postures, and relaxation help in creating connections between the body and the mind and in bringing awareness to the sensations that a child or a teenager with trauma needs to feel in his or her body.

Our personalized classes include:

  • Check-ins to acknowledge what and how individuals experiencing trauma are feeling in the present moment.
  • Breathing exercises to bring balance between the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous system.
  • Physical postures to bring awareness to different sensations they feel in their bodies whether it is a stress or a stretch.
  • Relaxation and mindfulness to focus the mind and reconnect to what is happening inside rather than ignoring their feelings.
  • Discussion in sharing circles or Journaling to promote emotional-awareness and the chance to address those emotions in words.