For me, the most important thing I can do in my work with survivors of trauma is create an atmosphere of trust and support.

Often people who have lived through trauma have had control of their being taken away from them. Thus, I stress how important it is for the client to listen to his/her body and if a posture (asana), for any reason, doesn’t feel right, to notify me. We will modify it so that it is accessible to the client. I also let them know that if they want to forgo the posture altogether, feel free! I then invite them to explore some resting/restorative postures, if they so choose.

In working with survivors I also consider whether my clients are in a phase of immediate trauma, those still in or who have recently escaped traumatic situations, or if they are working with more chronic symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress. When working with those in an acute crisis phase, it is especially important to let the client’s needs take the lead, thus smaller groups are ideal. I tend to encourage a more thorough check in process, discussing physical and emotional concerns and what their goals are in coming to the class. I then create a class that tends to their needs. In addition, I take more time to introduce pranayama and mindfulness techniques that will s upport clients in tackling the issues we have discussed during check in, including insomnia, stress, grief, hyper-vigilance, triggering, panic attacks and the like.

If you would like a copy of a more in-depth research paper I wrote on Yoga and Post-Traumatic Stress, please contact me.