Trauma-Informed Yoga Therapy vs. Regular Yoga: Why the Difference Could Change Your Life
I need to say something that might ruffle some yoga feathers: most “regular” American/fitness style yoga classes can actually make trauma worse.
Not because yoga is bad… yoga is incredible. But the way most yoga is taught: someone standing at the front of the room telling you to push harder, lock your knees, open your hips, push deeper, hold longer… that can send a traumatized nervous system into overdrive.
I know clients, some very fiery and athletic, come to me feeling accomplished after a fitness yoga class like some excess steam has been burned off. But they are not regulated, they are still (unknowingly) traumatized. These hot extreme classes triggered a trauma response… that does not look like what you might expect. If you cannot lie still in savasana, you’re leaving quickly after 30 seconds, because lying still with closed eyes doesn't feel safe… something is wrong. If an instructor has adjusted you without asking first… something is wrong.
These experiences are common. And it's why trauma-informed yoga (and me) exists.
What Makes Yoga "Trauma-Informed"?
It comes down to safety, choice, regulation, presence and spirituality. In my classes everything is invitational. I don't command your body. I offer options and you choose. In my 1:1 yoga therapy sessions we game plan together.
I want you to keep your eyes open during a meditation if you need to. I want you to skip an entire section of the practice… just because you don’t feel like it. I never adjust anyone without explicit consent and I rarely use physical adjustments at all.
The goal isn't to push you into the deepest expression of a pose. The goal is to help your nervous system learn that it's safe. That you have power and its yours. That you're in control of your own body. For people who've experienced trauma, that's not a small thing….that's everything!
The Nervous System Piece
Here's where my training in both yoga AND energy healing makes a real difference. I have over 700 hours of yoga training (and I cannot seem to stop taking trainings) including advanced study in therapeutic yoga, somatics, and nervous system regulation. I don't just teach postures. I teach you how to use your body to shift your internal state and your auric shape.
Slow, intentional movement paired with specific breathing patterns can move your nervous system out of freeze, out of fight-or-flight, and into a regulated state. That's not philosophy. That's neuroscience. And when you pair that with the energy work I do as a Reiki Master, the results compound.
Who Benefits from Trauma-Informed Yoga?
If you've experienced any of the following bs, trauma informed yoga might be exactly what you need:
PTSD or complex trauma
Anxiety that lives in your body (tight chest, shallow breathing, clenched jaw)
Chronic pain that doesn't have a clear medical explanation
Grief that feels stuck
Recovery from addiction
Burnout and emotional exhaustion
A history of feeling unsafe in fitness or wellness spaces
I also work extensively with hospice patients and their families, adapting practices for people in all stages of life and health.
And I'll say it again because it matters: my space is queer affirming. If you've ever felt unwelcome or unseen in a yoga class, that ends with me.
Private Sessions vs. Group Classes
I offer both, and they serve different purposes. Group classes are wonderful for community and shared energy. Private sessions are where we can get laser focused on what YOUR body and nervous system need.
In a private therapeutic yoga session, I assess where you are… physically, energetically, emotionally and spiritually and build a practice specifically for you. No two sessions look the same because no two people carry their stress the same way.
This is precision work. It's not about being flexible or Instagram-worthy. It's about healing.
The Bottom Line
If yoga hasn't worked for you before, or if it made things worse, please don't give up on it. You might just need a different approach. One that was built for what you're actually going through.
