Trauma-informed yoga is a body-centered approach that emphasizes safety, choice, and present-moment awareness. Rather than focusing on performance, flexibility, or achieving specific postures, the practice is designed to support nervous system regulation, self-awareness, and a greater sense of connection with the body.
Trauma and chronic stress can affect the way we experience our bodies, often leading to patterns of tension, disconnection, hypervigilance, or feeling overwhelmed. While traditional talk therapy can provide valuable insight and understanding, healing may also involve approaches that engage the body and support regulation at a physiological level.
My approach to trauma-informed yoga is informed by my work as a psychotherapist, Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT), and my training in Somatic Experiencing®, EMDR, and Relational Gestalt Therapy. These approaches share the understanding that healing often occurs through developing greater awareness of the body’s responses, increasing nervous system flexibility, and creating new experiences of safety, choice, and resilience.
Unlike many traditional yoga classes, trauma-informed yoga emphasizes invitational language, personal choice, and respect for individual boundaries. Participants are encouraged to move at their own pace, modify or decline any practice, and develop greater awareness of their own internal experience. The emphasis is not on “getting the pose right,” but on cultivating curiosity, self-compassion, and a sense of agency.
Practices may include gentle movement, breath awareness, restorative yoga, Yoga Nidra, mindfulness, supported movement using the yoga wall and therapeutic props, and other body-centered techniques that encourage regulation and embodied awareness. Every practice is adapted to meet participants where they are, regardless of previous yoga experience.
Trauma-informed yoga may be beneficial for individuals experiencing:
- Trauma and post-traumatic stress
- Anxiety and chronic stress
- Burnout and emotional overwhelm
- Difficulty relaxing or sleeping
- Chronic muscle tension
- A desire to reconnect with the body in a safe, supportive way
I periodically offer trauma-informed yoga through classes, workshops, retreats, and other experiential programs. These offerings are educational and experiential in nature and are not psychotherapy or billed to insurance. They are designed to complement—not replace—mental health treatment and provide practical tools for nervous system regulation and overall well-being.
If you are interested in exploring trauma-informed yoga from home, I also offer online practice options. You can access a selection of complimentary classes through my Insight Yoga Therapy YouTube Channel, at Insight Yoga Therapy, which includes practices focused on nervous system regulation, grounding, restorative yoga, Yoga Nidra, and embodied awareness.
For those seeking a more extensive library, I also offer a subscription-based Vimeo On-Demand Library, https://insightyogatherapy2.vhx.tv/browse, where members have unlimited access to a growing collection of trauma-informed yoga and Yoga Therapy classes, including many of the practices offered through my studio. These recordings allow you to explore movement, breath, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home.
