What to Expect from Trauma Sensitive Yoga

Trauma sensitive yoga classes or trauma informed yoga classes emphasize connecting to bodily intuition and exploring agency through mind body connection. Therefore, trauma sensitive yoga is not just for individuals in trauma recovery--I’ve seen it support many individual’s healing processes. Rather than being an “exercise” meant to push our bodies, trauma sensitive yoga is about honoring our body’s signals, energetic desires, and needs. 

Here are a few things you can expect from trauma sensitive yoga and trauma sensitive yoga poses:

1. Inspired by Hatha Yoga

   Trauma sensitive yoga poses are born from the Hatha yoga practice in which yoga poses are moved through slowly and intentionally. Sometimes a yoga pose is not even a pose, but a breathing practice, meditation or posture. Trauma sensitive yoga sequences are usually not fast paced and sweaty like in Vinyasa. 

2. Inclusive, invitational Language

   The intention of a trauma sensitive yoga class is not to push your body, but to listen and honor your body. When I am teaching trauma informed yoga, I emphasize my client’s choices, and take care not to direct them to do anything that doesn’t feel right for them. 

3. Toned down music

   Usually, trauma sensitive yoga poses are practiced without musical lyrics so that participants can better tune into their own bodily rhythms and signals. You can expect instrumental music or beats without lyrics. 

4. Emphasis on embodiment

   Rather than fixating on the external view of ourselves, trauma sensitive yoga practitioners practice turning inward. To assist with connecting with our own bodies and not the gaze of others, you can expect that mirrors might not be present in a trauma sensitive yoga session or class. 

If you’re ready to book a trauma sensitive yoga session in Dallas or Austin or if you’d like to start counseling sessions with trauma sensitive yoga poses infused into your therapy process, we offer trauma informed yoga sessions for clients in both Dallas (virtually) and Austin. Click here to learn more. 

Authored by Anna Zapata, LPC