When “teaching” Yoga, we are not just guiding poses.

We are guiding people.

We are guiding nervous systems.

We are guiding complex and unique physiologies.

Each of us has a different orientation of how we perceive our own safety or lack thereof. Through a psycho-somatic understanding of Trauma and the ways it lives in the body, we can embrace the practice of Yoga in a way that permits each individual to have their own experience. Psycho-education around dissociation and disembodiment can give us the tools to not only understand our own physiology but the ways in which the inner worlds and trauma responses of the folks that we work with may differ from our own.

A yoga space that honors the nuance of the human experience facilitates an environment where each practitioner can take agency over their own bodily autonomy, nervous system regulation, and power of choice. A truly trauma-informed environment embraces and welcomes all emotional realities while highlighting the undeniable truth that embodiment means discerning for oneself what feels right and what feels safe in each moment.

Our integration of this knowledge then informs the way we show up to hold space for others on their mats. With compassion, curiosity, and kindness we can broaden our willingness to meet the fluctuations of being human both within ourselves and each other. Embodiment practices, such as Yoga asana, are proven to be the most effective modality in trauma recovery. With this in mind, we learn that we can excavate art from our painful experiences and use it all as a source of freedom and authentic self-expression.

Through the lens of Trauma-Informed education, Yoga is not only an art and a science but a necessity for the future of our world at large.