Has yoga helped your symptoms of ptsd?

[Seasounds]

Please let me know if yoga has helped your symptoms? I'm looking at going again, after finding a teacher who is mellow.

 

[ms spock]

Yes!

 

[jaccat]

Yes. I struggle to relax, and yoga's been massively helpful with that. Also, socialising in a safe way, and I'm sure in other ways I'm not evn aware of.

 

[shimmerz]

At one time Yoga brought on severe flashbacks for me. That was while I was going through severe somatic responses. I think I could do it now, I would just have to take it really slowly.

 

[Tornadic Thoughts]

It helps me relax, sit with self, get in touch with my breath, release the continually held tensions in my body and mind, and helps me feel healthily empowered as far as the self-care arena goes. I remember feeling oddly uncomfortable around many yoga folks for many years, along with the vegan folks, highly active exercising folks, etc. I never felt like I could ever comfortably fit in to any of those arenas. Grateful to have finally found my own groove.

However, I found it very necessary to meet one on one with an instructor to help me better learn and modify the poses as needed to ensure I was doing them safely based on my whole list of struggles. The last thing I need is to add more pain. Not sure I could have handled that level of attention within a group setting, and would have felt like I was taking away from others by doing so.

Most of the classes I've attended have been too fast paced and awkward for me, even the gentle and restorative classes, lol, and the people who wear strong perfumes and deodorants or use scented fabric softeners on their clothing and such overwhelm my senses making it necessary for me to leave, so I just practice it at home. Practicing outdoors kicks it up another therapeutic notch for me.

I also found a great book many years ago titled, "Yoga As Medicine", by Dr. Timothy McCall. He discovered yoga in his 40s, if I remember correctly, and was wondering why in the world it wasn't being taught and used in medical practices everywhere. Which is exactly how I felt once I found each and every thing that has effectively helped me such a great deal. Thanks for the reminder. I think I'll go dig that back out and dive back into it.

 

[Seasounds]

@Disco Dancing Queen, @jaccat, @shimmerz, @Tornadic Thoughts,

Thank you all, so very much! I was in a rush when I first posted this thread. Now for more info.

I was wondering if anyone had found that yoga triggered them and if anyone found that yoga was helpful. My 'normal' friends didn't understand my experience. Good to know that I have company. Thanks for the idea, of getting additional instructions to help be find personal adjustments for the poses and learning how to do them better.

I tried yoga in the past, but it increased my flashbacks about movement trauma ("move exactly like this or else"). Of course, it was hard to give up my hyper-vigilance with all of that going on. Additionally, many of those poses have so much specific muscular activity going on that, with the instructions being given so fast, I felt like I was playing a game of Twister , unsuccessfully. I left frustrated, traumatized, feeling alone, and ashamed.

From a recent friend sharing about a free yoga class, on that lark, I tried yoga again for the first time in 20 years. The new teacher teaches in a 'low stress' style (slow and gentle speech, encouraging compassion and acceptance for what we can do today) , and she stays in one place during the class (instead of pacing all around and touching people from behind). Surprisingly, my work in therapy has allowed me to notice when my movement trauma gets triggered, and using mindfulness, I just can 'notice' this and then turn my attention toward (gently) doing the best that I can, in exploring the pose.

The best part of my new experience is that finally, I am beginning to experience benefits. Even though I'm ready to leave after ten minutes of constant movement, I can calm myself to 'hang in there'. After the hour class, I'm finding that yoga helps me find safety in movement (instead of increasing my fear), helps me extend my limbs (the opposite of recoiling in fear), helps me feel more grounded/connected to the earth (instead of pulled away from the earth) and afterwards, it gives me this experience of having a 'presence'-where I am more comfortable and feel safer throughout myself.

So the right teacher, the right pace, using mindfulness, and getting personal help seem to be a good combination.

.

 

[Sideways]

I have the benefit of having a trauma informed yoga teacher, which is so brilliant! Look out for them, because it's such a great, safe way to ground in your body, and actually be in your body in a safe way (if that makes sense).

Even with a regular instructor though, I've found yoga really helpful. Although I do stick with the home dvds if I'm having a rough time. Being able to have a safe experience in my body has been a huge learning curve for me.

IMO, even just the breathing is really really helpful when I'm anxious, needing to ground or having trouble sleeping.

 

[ms spock]

Look into Trauma Sensitive Yoga.

 

[Seasounds]

I will follow your tips! I'm really grateful. And I'm so happy to be at a point where yoga is safe,

 

[MyWillow]

Nice to see a few people have had positive experiences with trauma sensitive yoga. I’ve just enquired about a 4 week introductory course on recommendation from my therapist. I walk, do dog sports and Pilates but I think I do all them in my super efficient work mode (ANP).

 

[BoN-bOn]

It has helped me tremendously! I started going to a class several times a week with my T & I can't explain how it has helped me connect with myself & identify feelings that have been "stuck," in my body for so long. Sometimes it leaves me sobbing on the floor, especially at the end when I think about how it's the closest I've come to relaxing & feeling at home in my body in SO many years! I was in a place in therapy where I was just stuck. It's hard for me to talk about my feelings when I'm so disconnected from them & cant even identify them.

 

[Friday]

Nope. I hate yoga. But exercise and movement both help a lot, so I do those instead.