Trauma-Informed Yoga

Trauma-informed yoga & movement classes focus on building personal and interpersonal resiliency and connection, practicing nervous system awareness and regulation, and cultivating self-trust and self-compassion through the practice of yoga shapes and mindful movement.

From the moment you walk in the door, we aim to meet you with respect, acceptance, and understanding. We hold sacred our intention to honor and reflect back to you your wholeness, while at the same time holding space for the struggles, the complexity, and the messiness of our humanity.

This is a space for you to do the inner work towards growth and healing. We are practicing together how to be in our bodies, how to turn inward and cultivate presence and resilience, how to reconnect to our true Selves, and how to find our path to health, well-being, and joy.

Within you is all of the strength and wisdom that you will ever need. This is a journey of returning home to YOU.

Trauma does not discriminate; trauma is something that effects us all in some way - large and small, noticeably and not so noticeable. We now know that unresolved trauma can often result in health issues, physical pain, anxiety, stress, depression, and behavioral challenges.

We strive to honor every individual’s lived experience, and we believe that yoga should be inclusive and accessible for everyone. This is a practice of reconnecting to your body, with the goal of establishing and strengthening your sense of comfort, strength, and safety in your body.

This results in greater self-regulation, stability, self-compassion, and personal agency. We develop a wiser and more compassionate relationship to ourselves, each other and our earth. Read more about why we believe in building trauma-informed communities.

We strive to be welcoming and accessible to all individuals. If you have questions about whether this is the right class for you, please reach out to us. Further, if there is anything that you wish your teacher to be aware of prior to attending class please feel free to contact the teacher directly.

How We Hold Space - Our Commitments to You

We believe in trauma-informed and resilience focused communities because we believe in honoring every individual’s lived experience.

The following are guidelines that will be followed in every yoga class.

Being Conscious of our Space

  • There will be no more than 18 students per class.

  • Lighting will be soft and consistent -  never turned off.

  • There will be no strong scents. 

  • Only neutral music will be played.

  • There will be no straps in the studio.

Guiding the Class

  • We know that the teacher is not the expert in the room; you are your own expert – your own wisest teacher. The teacher’s role is to be a guide in supporting you as you relearn how to listen to your body, reconnect to your own power, and reclaim your strength and inner wisdom.

  • The teacher will offer the class many variations of a yoga shape to explore and then will trust that you will find the most nourishing expression of the yoga shape and movement in your body.

  • The teacher will never tell you what your experience “should be” – there is no “right” or “wrong, “good” or “bad”, – this is YOUR practice.

  • The teacher will participate in the entire practice with the class; you are one in community.

  • The teacher will hold space for you, as both teacher and students join in this practice together.

Conscious Language, Empowerment and Choice

  • There will NEVER be hands on assists here – you will be guided with verbal cues.

  • Language is invitational and empowering (never commanding or directing), to help you reconnect to your body and you body’s wisdom in a safe way.

  • The intention is to avoid triggering language.

  • You will never be told what to feel – you will be invited to tap into your power of curiosity to notice how the expression of a shape feels in your body.

  • You will never be told to close your eyes -  there will always be options so that you can explore what is right for you.

  • You will be invited to help create the environment needed in class.

  • You will be continually reminded to let your body’s wisdom inform your practice. This practice will help you reconnect to this wisdom and relearn how to listen to it.

  • There will always be choice and different options/variations offered for each yoga shape (including savasana),  knowing that one choice is never better or worse than another.

  • You will be informed that you always have the ability to step out of class as needed, and to then return if/when you feel ready. 

  • You will be informed that it is a great option to stay in any shape for as long as it feels right to you, even if that means staying in one shape for the entire class.

  • If a shape feels unsettling, you will be empowered to move into a shape that you know feels safe for you.

  • There will always be the invitation for you to meet with teacher prior to a class or to visit the space before a first class.

  • Your voice is so important. If there is anything the teachers can do to better help support you, please do not hesitate to reach out.

All Our Yoga Teachers

  • In addition to the 200 hour RYT certification, all teachers have completed specialized training in Trauma-Informed/Trauma-Sensitive Yoga in order to teach in a way that is both trauma-informed and nervous system-informed

  • Have a solid foundational understanding of Autonomic Nervous System function

  • Have an understanding of how trauma manifests in the body, how it may be triggered, how to monitor the class and be aware of when a student might become dysregulated, and then know how to respond

  • All yoga teachers participate in ongoing trainings/consultations around trauma sensitive yoga and the impact of trauma