Trauma-senstive yoga

As we've discussed on the blog several times, yoga can be a very effective source of relief for people with PTSD. But finding the right yoga teacher, who understands the needs of people with trauma, is important.

On the blog Linda's Yoga Journey, the author discusses some things yoga teachers should keep in mind for their students who are trauma survivors. Here's her introduction:

A “trauma sensitive” yoga class is taught very differently from the yoga class with which we are familiar -- soft music, altars, incense, physical adjustments. A typical yoga class may not be comfortable place for a trauma survivor and in fact may feel very dangerous. Merely saying the word "relax" can be a PTSD trigger if the person was told to relax and then was abused.

For someone who has been abused, a physical assist can be a severe trigger for PTSD. Many teachers say, "but I always ask first." Think about that statement. For someone who has a history of abuse and was not allowed to say no (so has issues with power and control), assists are problematic.

Read more here.