TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA
Yoga has shown to be an effective method for healing trauma held in the body, and can be a powerful complement to other forms of therapy . Trauma-informed yoga is taught in a very specific manner, emphasizing control over one’s own experience, honoring the limits of one’s own body, and inviting practitioners to explore their individual experience in every breath and every pose.
Over half of the US population reports having experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, and approximately 7.7 million American adults suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) every year (Emerson & Hopper 2011, p.3). For many people, traumatic experiences overwhelm their ability to cope, leading to complex and devastating symptomatology that manifests mentally, emotionally, and physiologically – often for months or years after the trauma occurred.
Over half of the US population reports having experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, and approximately 7.7 million American adults suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) every year (Emerson & Hopper 2011, p.3). For many people, traumatic experiences overwhelm their ability to cope, leading to complex and devastating symptomatology that manifests mentally, emotionally, and physiologically – often for months or years after the trauma occurred.
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Research demonstrates that traumatic events can leave an imprint on the cells and tissues of the body, leading to dysregulation and imbalances in nervous system function that manifest as symptoms of trauma. Due to trauma's effects on the nervous system, an individual experiencing symptoms of trauma may be constantly on alert, chronically depressed or fatigued, have chronic pain, feel numb or dissociative, have biorhythm disturbances (such as sleep and metabolic issues), adopt unhealthy coping mechanisms, and more. Yoga, as a physical and mental practice that invites individuals to reconnect with their bodies, can facilitate healing through providing a conduit for the safe, controlled release of traumatic energy held in the body (Van der Kolk, 2014).
Yoga is an ancient practice that builds an individual's connection to the self, working on every level of being - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual – to create a sense of personal connectedness and wellness. Beyond abundant anecdotal reports on the benefits of practicing yoga, more recent clinical studies reveal how yoga promotes health, including improving chronic pain, reducing stress, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, relieving anxiety, depression, and insomnia, improving strength and flexibility, and contributing to an overall higher quality of life (NIH NCCAM 2013, Telles et al 2012).
Yoga is an ancient practice that builds an individual's connection to the self, working on every level of being - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual – to create a sense of personal connectedness and wellness. Beyond abundant anecdotal reports on the benefits of practicing yoga, more recent clinical studies reveal how yoga promotes health, including improving chronic pain, reducing stress, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, relieving anxiety, depression, and insomnia, improving strength and flexibility, and contributing to an overall higher quality of life (NIH NCCAM 2013, Telles et al 2012).
Adrianne Mathiowetz Photography
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Trauma-informed yoga programs have been effective in helping survivors of natural disasters, interpersonal, sexual, and domestic violence, and myriad forms of abuse; incarcerated adults and adolescents; at-risk youth with a history of trauma; veterans and civilians impacted by armed conflict; local and state law enforcement; as well as individuals with vicarious trauma and/or secondary traumatic stress.
Due to the vast number of individuals who have experienced trauma across the world -- and the challenges and shortcomings associated with contemporary treatments for trauma-related health concerns -- there are profound public health implications for developing, practicing, and contributing to research on promising treatment modalities such as holistic mind-body approaches to care. |
Works Cited
Emerson D and Hopper E. 2011. Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA and The Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute, Inc., Boston, MA.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). 2013. Yoga for Health. NCCAM Pub No: D472. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/yoga/introduction.htm
Telles S, Nilkhamal S, Balkrishna A. 2012. Managing mental health disorders resulting from trauma through yoga: a review. Depression Research and Treatment Vol. 2012: 9 pages.
Van der Kolk, B. 2014. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.
Emerson D and Hopper E. 2011. Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA and The Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute, Inc., Boston, MA.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). 2013. Yoga for Health. NCCAM Pub No: D472. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/yoga/introduction.htm
Telles S, Nilkhamal S, Balkrishna A. 2012. Managing mental health disorders resulting from trauma through yoga: a review. Depression Research and Treatment Vol. 2012: 9 pages.
Van der Kolk, B. 2014. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.