Trauma sensitive yoga

[Red Feather]

I found out today about trauma sensitive yoga. Apparently there are classes yoga practitioners can take in order to be better prepared in working with people with yoga. I cried when hearing about this!

How many times have I gone to a yoga class feeling stressed, uncomfortable, and unhappy? Normally I shake so much while making the postures, it's embarrasing. I'm lightheaded and once I completely dissociated. That's why I never managed to follow through with the classes. Once my body kept on shaking hours after the class. I feel so disappointing that I did not know about trauma sensitive yoga earlier.

Last week I had a real positive experience doing yoga in the Toscana, with a beautiful landscape in front of me, and a very soft and caring teacher. It was such a positive experience for me! I really believe yoga can help with trauma. It's just about getting the classes to feel safe.

Has anyone else have had experience with trauma sensitive yoga?

 

[ms spock]

I had heard about it @Nadia and tried to go but they were midway through a course and they said they would email me but I don't really read emails. I will follow this up and see if I can get into a new classes.

 

[Dana1010]

Normally I shake so much while making the postures, it's embarrasing.

I meditate daily, legs-crossed, focus on breathing, simply noticing thoughts. It's not everyone's idea of "yoga" in the putting-your-leg-behind-your-head sense. Anyway, I experience a lot of involuntary shaking and convulsions while I meditate. Actually, I also have these convulsions when not meditating, just when I get relaxed or grounded. But they get really intense while meditating.

I have never joined a yoga or meditation class, because I don't want to have to explain to the other members that I'm not having a seizure, and they don't need to call an ambulance.

I'd like to learn more about trauma sensitive yoga. Should I be doing more poses? Do they really have psychological effects?

 

[Red Feather]

@Ms_Spock That's great that their is a class near you. In the city I live in their is only group I've found so far.

@Dana1010 I can relate to what you are saying...Yes it does have a psychological effect. Because with yoga, energy that is stored in the body can be released. I think with people with trauma, this can happen and so it is even more important that it can happen in a safe environment. Once I just cried and it was very healing. Thankfully I was with friends so it was okay.

here are some video links:
Breathe for the Cure

Transcending Sexual Violence Through Yoga: 8 Tools for Teaching Trauma-Sensitive Yoga

 

[Dana1010]

Thanks for those links, @Nadia. I'm surprised this thread isn't getting more replies, because I think this has a lot of relevance for all of us with PTSD.

Actually, it makes me think of Somatic Experiencing therapy. Do you see this type of yoga as a form of SE?

 

[rosey]

I like a spot of yoga. Took a while to find the right class but did and it does me the world of good. I have had to ask the instructor not to touch me to adjust poses without prior warning and she has respected that.

I do hatha yoga which if i understand correctly is more healing focused.

 

[ms spock]

The headquarters of Trauma Sensitive Yoga Australia is close to where I am @Nadia. There are classes right across Australia. Though some states only have one class. I had forgotten about this. It was something that I was going to follow up awhile ago. Your reminder is most helpful to me.

QiGong, Tai Chi, Mindful walking and swimming have also been helpful for me as well! I have done other types of yoga as well. The less stretchy ones work better for me. I can't remember the name of the one that I used to do.

Physicality is one of my weakest points - basically being present in my body is very hard and my weakest area at this time - along with the Emotional arena. I am really good with Social Stuff - though I feel anxiety - and I am okay with mental stuff. I am doing SuperBetter in a disciplined manner in order to work on these areas in a concerted manner.

I think becoming embodied is the most difficult part of the healing process and I think for me - it was only when I started to get on top of the distorted thoughts, feelings, self hatred, self abuse and etc etc etc was I able to approach my body - and that work stopped a number of times in order for to manage the emotional thoughts and what came up.

I am still having great trouble being grounded in my own body - the terror of attack is still really strong within me.

I can understand why many people wouldn't touch this thread with a 10 foot barge pole. It is not easy. And I got triggered a lot when the exploitative psychologists did "body work" on me - and I was severely retraumatised. You have to have a sense of a feeling of safety - which I still don't really have in myself and my body yet. So baby steps for me. I still don't feel safe in my home - though it is safe. I still don't feel safe within myself - I don't trust myself. I am hoping the body work will assist in this and grounding.

 

[Red Feather]

Actually, it makes me think of Somatic Experiencing therapy. Do you see this type of yoga as a form of SE?

I never did SE. So I can't really say. My nerves are normally shocked and so when I wake up I already am shaking, so probably SE might be a good thing for me. I can't really say because I don't know enough about it.

The less stretchy ones work better for me.

It is the same with me. I think I only had a good experience a couple weeks ago because my friend was leading with very soft exercises, the atmosphere was already so pleasant, and I was with friends that I trust.

Physicality is one of my weakest points

You are describing it well... I don't even realize how much I am not in my body at times.

It is nice to hear about how far you have come Ms.Spock. I also understand why some people aren't interested in getting help in this way. I wasn't interested for years. So called spiritual people and techniques can be a direct trigger in my case. I guess I joined my friend that day because I just felt like moving my body. I am glad I did.

Also lately I am trying to see an apple as just that, an apple. That is what a nurse in the DBT ward once said to me. I mean if there is something that I can benefit from... than I am trying to see if I have it in me to open up to it, even if it means potentially getting triggered. I have come to the point that I want to unblock myself so much and move forward in my life that I am more willing to try. It's scary too, but I have to remind myself that I never have to do something I don't want to do and that I am safe. And also that I am the person who decides what I believe. Reality check etc.

 

[Red Feather]

Another good link:

Yoga certainly shows efficacy is lessening symptoms of PTSD, even more than talk therapy, in controlled studies. However, its effectiveness may also be very much dependent upon yoga teachers making specific adjustments to how class is taught, language, touch, and props are used, and each teacher’s self-awareness regarding her or his responses to student reactions. Without those adjustments, even a very accomplished and well-intentioned yoga teacher can do more harm than good.

From:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margaret-howard/part-i-trauma-training-sh_b_3290291.html?

 

[heyheyhey]

I found out today about trauma sensitive yoga. Apparently there are classes yoga practitioners can take i...

Hey Nadia,

I also get the shakes... once I posted on a yoga forum asking what it was, and they were all like "don't strain yourself so hard, take it easy" and I was like "I'm not straining myself, I just get these shakes whenever I do certain poses" - they didn't get what I was talking about. According the theory of Somatic Experiencing, shaking is one of the ways that the body releases fear, so it can be a good thing. I read in The Body Keeps The Score (an awesome book on trauma research) that yoga is great for PTSD, but taking it very slowly (so as not to trigger or release too much emotion at once) and having a yoga therapist who gets trauma is so important :). Would be so cool to go to a class with a yoga teacher trained in it - thanks for posting :)!

 

[FauxLiz]

My therapist and have been working on using trauma sensitive yoga but there aren't any classes near me and I have issues with exercise classes so it probably wouldn't be a good thing for me. So I ordered a copy of the trauma sensitive yoga dvd from the trauma center here in the US.

Here is the link it has helped me and I hope it will continue to do so. The Trauma Center

 

[Sweet_E]

I meditate daily, legs-crossed, focus on breathing, simply noticing thoughts. It's not everyone's idea...

I shake sometimes in yoga. I just let it happen. I thought it happened to everyone. Maybe I was just naive!