Trauma-Informed Yoga as Therapy for Trauma
The word trauma often brings a lot of sad memories back. You know the type of memories that makes it hard to see that there is room for good things other than the pain. Keep reading to learn about trauma-informed yoga as therapy for trauma.
What is Trauma-informed Yoga?
Trauma makes your brain and body unable to understand everything you feel. This leads to your muscles getting tensed up and your brain gets on autopilot because you are constantly being defensive and protective.
Trauma doesn’t necessarily mean it must be something catastrophic, it could be a little unnoticeable thing that seeps into your life and at some point, you begin to feel like something is wrong, that’s trauma.
Yoga that is trauma-informed or trauma-sensitive is not intended to bring you back to the cause of your pain.
Its goal is to make you more conscious of what is happening inside your body. Once you do, you can start to focus on letting go of pent-up emotions, stress, and tension.
Trauma brings disconnection in the brain when you experience trauma, that is why when traumatised people go to therapists, they sometimes can’t find the words to describe how they feel. To heal from trauma, the brain has to be in order, and the disconnections have to be connected and this can be achieved through trauma-informed yoga.
Difference Between Trauma-informed Yoga and Traditional Yoga Practices
During trauma-sensitive sessions, teachers often give students choices to pick because they know they may be suffering from trauma.
While many conventional yoga sessions urge people to push through emotional pain, trauma-informed yoga offers a safe environment where individuals can be aware of any indications of dissociation or distress that may surface and take breaks as needed.
Yoga practises that are trauma-informed look very different from what you might see in a yoga studio.
For instance, instead of asking students to close their eyes during a yoga session as it’s done in traditional yoga practices, they can be asked to just lower their heads because closing their eyes can be scary for someone suffering from trauma.
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Benefits of Trauma-informed Yoga
Yoga and trauma therapy are relatively new together. However, the advantages are quite impressive.
It can Help you Feel more Connected and Balanced
You cannot feel safe when your mind is racing and your muscles are tense. You won’t feel like yourself and you will always be agitated.
Trauma-informed yoga is administered by therapists who respect your decisions and help you heal. They will make you understand your body and have control of your mind.
Gradually, you will find yourself rebuilding those lost connections between your mind and your body.
It can Help you Slow down and Focus on the Present
Trauma might make your brain enter overdrive mode. You could discover that you are unable to unwind and are continuously on alert.
Yoga that is trauma-informed can assist you in focusing on the present and recognising what is happening in your body. Additionally, it can help you focus on your breathing, which has a significant impact on your mood.
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It Can Help Reduce Symptoms of PTSD
The benefits of trauma-informed yoga were equivalent to those of well-studied psychological and medical treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in terms of reducing symptoms.
By enhancing physical and emotional awareness and control, yoga may provide a supplementary strategy that is as successful as current psychotherapy and pharmacological therapies for reducing PTSD.
Getting Started with Trauma-informed Yoga
Make sure the teacher is trained in trauma-informed yoga when seeking this kind of yoga practice. However, there is no foolproof method to determine in advance if a certain lesson is suitable for you.
Trial and error is the basic strategy; attempt a few sessions and gauge your reaction. Ask the yoga studios in your region how to locate classes if you’re uncertain.
You can look for local trauma-informed yoga instructors online as well. Additionally, a mental health expert may be able to provide references.
To wrap it up, yoga is meant to be healing, but for individuals who have gone through trauma, it might be harmful.
Trauma may have an impact on every aspect of your life. Many individuals may start to feel secure and begin to recover by shifting toward trauma-informed approaches.