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Overcoming Trauma through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body
Survivors of trauma—whether abuse, accidents, or war—can end up profoundly wounded, betrayed by their bodies that failed to get them to safety and that are a source of pain. In order to fully heal from trauma, a connection must be made with oneself, including one’s body. The trauma-sensitive yoga described in this book moves beyond traditional talk therapies that focus on the mind, by bringing the body actively into the healing process. This allows trauma survivors to cultivate a more positive relationship to their body through gentle breath, mindfulness, and movement practices.
Overcoming Trauma through Yoga is a book for survivors, clinicians, and yoga instructors who are interested in mind/body healing. It introduces trauma-sensitive yoga, a modified approach to yoga developed in collaboration between yoga teachers and clinicians at the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute, led by yoga teacher David Emerson, along with medical doctor Bessel van der Kolk. The book begins with an in-depth description of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including a description of how trauma is held in the body and the need for body-based treatment. It offers a brief history of yoga, describes various styles of yoga commonly found in Western practice, and identifies four key themes of trauma-sensitive yoga. Chair-based exercises are described that can be incorporated into individual or group therapy, targeting specific treatment goals, and modifications are offered for mat-based yoga classes. Each exercise includes trauma-sensitive language to introduce the practice, as well as photographs to illustrate the poses. The practices have been offered to a wide range of individuals and groups, including men and women, teens, returning veterans, and others. Rounded out by valuable quotes and case stories, the book presents mindfulness, breathing, and yoga exercises that can be used by home practitioners, yoga teachers, and therapists as a way to cultivate awareness, tolerance, and an increased acceptance of the self.
Overcoming Trauma through Yoga is a book for survivors, clinicians, and yoga instructors who are interested in mind/body healing. It introduces trauma-sensitive yoga, a modified approach to yoga developed in collaboration between yoga teachers and clinicians at the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute, led by yoga teacher David Emerson, along with medical doctor Bessel van der Kolk. The book begins with an in-depth description of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including a description of how trauma is held in the body and the need for body-based treatment. It offers a brief history of yoga, describes various styles of yoga commonly found in Western practice, and identifies four key themes of trauma-sensitive yoga. Chair-based exercises are described that can be incorporated into individual or group therapy, targeting specific treatment goals, and modifications are offered for mat-based yoga classes. Each exercise includes trauma-sensitive language to introduce the practice, as well as photographs to illustrate the poses. The practices have been offered to a wide range of individuals and groups, including men and women, teens, returning veterans, and others. Rounded out by valuable quotes and case stories, the book presents mindfulness, breathing, and yoga exercises that can be used by home practitioners, yoga teachers, and therapists as a way to cultivate awareness, tolerance, and an increased acceptance of the self.
159 pages, Paperback
First published April 19, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
January 31, 2012
I am a social worker & I have seen PTSD like symptoms in nearly all of my clients, regardless of what their presenting problems were. Hell, even I have noticed PTSD symptoms in myself at times, like unconsciously holding my breath. How did I recognize this? Through yoga.
In our society, not only have the majority of us experienced traumas of some sort, but we also place an emphasis on instant gratification. The combination of this is enough to have anyone running with their body in hyper vigilance mode, not just survivors of PTSD.
This book does a great job exploring how yoga can help treat symptoms like lack of self regulation while reducing dissociative episodes and restoring awareness to the body's rhythm.
Strongly grounded in the latest scientific research, the book presents yoga in a secular manner and teaches clinicians, yoga instructors, and survivors how to develop a mindfulness based trauma sensitive practice in order to invite one to inhabit their body once again.
I cannot tell you enough how amazing this book is.
In our society, not only have the majority of us experienced traumas of some sort, but we also place an emphasis on instant gratification. The combination of this is enough to have anyone running with their body in hyper vigilance mode, not just survivors of PTSD.
This book does a great job exploring how yoga can help treat symptoms like lack of self regulation while reducing dissociative episodes and restoring awareness to the body's rhythm.
Strongly grounded in the latest scientific research, the book presents yoga in a secular manner and teaches clinicians, yoga instructors, and survivors how to develop a mindfulness based trauma sensitive practice in order to invite one to inhabit their body once again.
I cannot tell you enough how amazing this book is.
July 15, 2021
Updated comments. Its nine+ years after I read this book. Sadly there has not been much development in yoga for our psychological well-being and dealing with trauma. I still feel this trauma-sensitive yoga movement has a very shallow understanding of yoga and reduces it - as encultured western science and “therapies” tend to do - in an unhelpful way ultimately.
There is a tendency of writing in this area to be eternalistic or nihilistic about either the psyche or the body. For example, all that matters is interoception and what you do with the body (in terms of shapes, asanas) does not matter, resulting in practices that the individual dictates their own movement (this tends to be the trauma-sensitive yoga out there). At the other extreme is the more mainstream presentation of yoga that cares very much about negating internal psychoemotional states and holding as the goal body positions that many cannot currently access (and will not be able to through approaches of force). Neither of these simplified orientations is correct, and will not lead to the benefits of yoga.
Furthermore, we must be wiser to the individual psyche within the collective and well, universe. And wiser to the encultured psyche - individualism etc that yoga ideally addresses and does not reinforce or encourage explicitly or otherwise. I feel this presentation of trauma-sensitive yoga does this.
The blurring of boundaries of the therapy room and other practices also troubles me. Context and environment have parameters and ways of working to harness rather than blur. But it seems in our collective lack of understanding of trauma, that I believe remains, we will continue - in western yoga and therapy - to reach for things in unhelpful ways, foreclosing on situations like we have the answer.
It troubles me the exercises and approach outlined here is in the name of yoga. I encourage people to critique subsequent developments in this area.
Past write up.
For yoga teachers this book seems basic to me in that the details on creating a safe yoga space for those who have experienced trauma is just common sense and the result of showing respect for practitioners, trauma or no trauma. Good communication and respectful boundaries should be standard in our yoga studios.
What is helpful about this book is that it provides an number of suitable sequences that teachers can implement without much knowledge of this area of human experience.
As a how-to book for clinicians, I'm a little wary. Leading clients into body work could be harmful if the clinician is not confident and trained in working with somatics. The body can store enormous amounts of unconscious information which the client may not be ready for. Body movement, even if aimed at releasing tension etc, can trigger a cascade of emotions, memories and sensations. Body tensions and 'resistances' are there for good reason, not to simply be removed through yoga without integrative processing in therapy. In that sense I think this book is inadequate for most clinicians to simply pick up and use. That said most clinicians trained in trauma have somatic orientations, in which case yoga may be utilized. It takes critical thinking however, beyond that in the book, to understand how such a practice may impact an individual.
What I also felt was missing in this book was talk on the capacity of yoga to heal on very deep levels. It take much much more than movement to address what it is to reach supreme psychic, energetic, and physical health.
Overall though, a much needed, clearly written book. I look forward to the future when the deeply healing nature and mechanisms of yoga - for all manner of trauma (which depending on your definition, most if not all of us experience the effects of) - can be illuminated.
There is a tendency of writing in this area to be eternalistic or nihilistic about either the psyche or the body. For example, all that matters is interoception and what you do with the body (in terms of shapes, asanas) does not matter, resulting in practices that the individual dictates their own movement (this tends to be the trauma-sensitive yoga out there). At the other extreme is the more mainstream presentation of yoga that cares very much about negating internal psychoemotional states and holding as the goal body positions that many cannot currently access (and will not be able to through approaches of force). Neither of these simplified orientations is correct, and will not lead to the benefits of yoga.
Furthermore, we must be wiser to the individual psyche within the collective and well, universe. And wiser to the encultured psyche - individualism etc that yoga ideally addresses and does not reinforce or encourage explicitly or otherwise. I feel this presentation of trauma-sensitive yoga does this.
The blurring of boundaries of the therapy room and other practices also troubles me. Context and environment have parameters and ways of working to harness rather than blur. But it seems in our collective lack of understanding of trauma, that I believe remains, we will continue - in western yoga and therapy - to reach for things in unhelpful ways, foreclosing on situations like we have the answer.
It troubles me the exercises and approach outlined here is in the name of yoga. I encourage people to critique subsequent developments in this area.
Past write up.
For yoga teachers this book seems basic to me in that the details on creating a safe yoga space for those who have experienced trauma is just common sense and the result of showing respect for practitioners, trauma or no trauma. Good communication and respectful boundaries should be standard in our yoga studios.
What is helpful about this book is that it provides an number of suitable sequences that teachers can implement without much knowledge of this area of human experience.
As a how-to book for clinicians, I'm a little wary. Leading clients into body work could be harmful if the clinician is not confident and trained in working with somatics. The body can store enormous amounts of unconscious information which the client may not be ready for. Body movement, even if aimed at releasing tension etc, can trigger a cascade of emotions, memories and sensations. Body tensions and 'resistances' are there for good reason, not to simply be removed through yoga without integrative processing in therapy. In that sense I think this book is inadequate for most clinicians to simply pick up and use. That said most clinicians trained in trauma have somatic orientations, in which case yoga may be utilized. It takes critical thinking however, beyond that in the book, to understand how such a practice may impact an individual.
What I also felt was missing in this book was talk on the capacity of yoga to heal on very deep levels. It take much much more than movement to address what it is to reach supreme psychic, energetic, and physical health.
Overall though, a much needed, clearly written book. I look forward to the future when the deeply healing nature and mechanisms of yoga - for all manner of trauma (which depending on your definition, most if not all of us experience the effects of) - can be illuminated.
October 4, 2017
Outstanding! And at less than 150 pages, it is a quick and accessible read. Anyone who is a trauma survivor, clinician, or yoga teacher should read this book. It contains an introduction to the history of yoga, an explanation of how yoga can improve heart rate variability (HRV), a description (both in words and pictures) of a trauma-sensitive yoga sequence that you could try in the privacy of your own home, and chapters dedicated to strategies for clinicians and yoga teachers working with trauma survivors.
As a trauma survivor myself, I can say that talk therapy only ever got me so far. In actual fact, I felt as though I was just spinning my wheels for over a decade. And that is because intellectualization has its limits. I had absolutely no connection to my body or to my emotions. Yoga completely changed everything for me. As the authors state, “Intellectualization, a commonly used defense, is when we spend considerable time trying to figure something out but never get to the essence of whatever it is we are trying to work out. Body-oriented therapies such as yoga-based interventions prioritize making a connection at the somatic level, and then moving from that entry point to addressing emotions and cognitions…. Yoga practitioners are able to cultivate the ability to remain present, to notice and tolerate inner experience, and to develop a new relationship with their body. This body-based practice then has a ripple effect on emotional and mental health, on relationships, and on one’s experience of living in the world” (Emerson & Hopper, 2011, p. 24). Yes, it does! I’ve never felt so at peace in my nearly 40 years of life.
As a trauma survivor myself, I can say that talk therapy only ever got me so far. In actual fact, I felt as though I was just spinning my wheels for over a decade. And that is because intellectualization has its limits. I had absolutely no connection to my body or to my emotions. Yoga completely changed everything for me. As the authors state, “Intellectualization, a commonly used defense, is when we spend considerable time trying to figure something out but never get to the essence of whatever it is we are trying to work out. Body-oriented therapies such as yoga-based interventions prioritize making a connection at the somatic level, and then moving from that entry point to addressing emotions and cognitions…. Yoga practitioners are able to cultivate the ability to remain present, to notice and tolerate inner experience, and to develop a new relationship with their body. This body-based practice then has a ripple effect on emotional and mental health, on relationships, and on one’s experience of living in the world” (Emerson & Hopper, 2011, p. 24). Yes, it does! I’ve never felt so at peace in my nearly 40 years of life.
February 6, 2017
I enjoyed the many insights of this book and, as a practising yoga therapist, was happy to see that most of the suggestions are present in my teaching of non-trauma clients and that I already had an understanding of how different it can be to work with trauma. However this book also gave a good framework for me to consider my own approach in future interactions and many solid and practical suggestions that will be useful.
Their analysis of more common approaches to Yoga and their unsuitability to trauma survivors is spot on, and perhaps understated as many of these approaches have far more aggressive and inappropriate habits than are mentioned (perhaps due to legal consequences). It makes one wonder why such approaches and attitudes are considered appropriate for the general populace, or even considered to be a proper application of Yogic principles.
A couple of technical points - Vinyasa is mentioned as a style and I understand the authors' intention here, which is to highlight that classes named as such are often too fast-paced to be helpful to trauma survivors. However the term Vinyasa itself (literally meaning special or specific movement) is also a basic concept in Yoga that is essential, being that all sequences of movement must be intelligently put together. I feel that this is worthy of mention in his book as vinyasa can actually be fast or slow, and while the modern trend is for a speedy blur that keeps up habits of distraction there are many other teachers who utilise vinyasa through their classes (such as myself) that are focusing on mindful movement that would be helpful. Some of the practices they recommend are in fact vinyasa, so it would be better to explain this technicality and not put off people from classes that might help.
Also they seem to mention the adaptation of Yoga practices to individual needs as if this is a new concept found nowhere in Yoga at present. This is actually there'll established concept of Viniyoga (literally the specific, personal application of Yoga) as found in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali and as advocated by the Krishnamacharya tradition even in group classes. So while they paint a bleak picture of the suitability of approaches such as Bikram, Iyengar and Ashtanga to helping trauma survivors, it is a shame that they could not balance that snapshot of modern Yoga by including some information on approaches that would be more positive.
In fact I'll go further to say that this book falls down (and loses a star) in its failure to mention a third option for trauma survivors that is readily available and most useful (the first two being a trauma therapist and group classes that are trauma sensitive) - the yoga therapist who is trained to individualise practice to precisely the student's personal needs. I suspect that he has some reason given the complete failure to mention that such an option exists, but cannot imagine a valid one given that working with yoga in a one-to-one situation, especially at initial stages, is much more likely to help. Perhaps it is simply that the author has no such training or experience and is unwilling to recommend this course, however he must surely know that it exists and would be just as likely to help as the others.
In summary, an excellent book that with a few core adjustments could be a definitive work and get five stars. I would say that this book is essential for any yoga teacher not trained in therapeutic applications who might find themselves working with traumatised students, and an excellent resource for yoga therapists looking to test and clarify their current understanding and approach. It is also an excellent resource for non-yoga therapists with some good suggestions of ways to work with yoga practices, although I would recommend if anyone wants to use yoga practices they should commit to some real life yoga training to understand the depths of its possibilities.
Their analysis of more common approaches to Yoga and their unsuitability to trauma survivors is spot on, and perhaps understated as many of these approaches have far more aggressive and inappropriate habits than are mentioned (perhaps due to legal consequences). It makes one wonder why such approaches and attitudes are considered appropriate for the general populace, or even considered to be a proper application of Yogic principles.
A couple of technical points - Vinyasa is mentioned as a style and I understand the authors' intention here, which is to highlight that classes named as such are often too fast-paced to be helpful to trauma survivors. However the term Vinyasa itself (literally meaning special or specific movement) is also a basic concept in Yoga that is essential, being that all sequences of movement must be intelligently put together. I feel that this is worthy of mention in his book as vinyasa can actually be fast or slow, and while the modern trend is for a speedy blur that keeps up habits of distraction there are many other teachers who utilise vinyasa through their classes (such as myself) that are focusing on mindful movement that would be helpful. Some of the practices they recommend are in fact vinyasa, so it would be better to explain this technicality and not put off people from classes that might help.
Also they seem to mention the adaptation of Yoga practices to individual needs as if this is a new concept found nowhere in Yoga at present. This is actually there'll established concept of Viniyoga (literally the specific, personal application of Yoga) as found in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali and as advocated by the Krishnamacharya tradition even in group classes. So while they paint a bleak picture of the suitability of approaches such as Bikram, Iyengar and Ashtanga to helping trauma survivors, it is a shame that they could not balance that snapshot of modern Yoga by including some information on approaches that would be more positive.
In fact I'll go further to say that this book falls down (and loses a star) in its failure to mention a third option for trauma survivors that is readily available and most useful (the first two being a trauma therapist and group classes that are trauma sensitive) - the yoga therapist who is trained to individualise practice to precisely the student's personal needs. I suspect that he has some reason given the complete failure to mention that such an option exists, but cannot imagine a valid one given that working with yoga in a one-to-one situation, especially at initial stages, is much more likely to help. Perhaps it is simply that the author has no such training or experience and is unwilling to recommend this course, however he must surely know that it exists and would be just as likely to help as the others.
In summary, an excellent book that with a few core adjustments could be a definitive work and get five stars. I would say that this book is essential for any yoga teacher not trained in therapeutic applications who might find themselves working with traumatised students, and an excellent resource for yoga therapists looking to test and clarify their current understanding and approach. It is also an excellent resource for non-yoga therapists with some good suggestions of ways to work with yoga practices, although I would recommend if anyone wants to use yoga practices they should commit to some real life yoga training to understand the depths of its possibilities.
June 20, 2019
As a yogi and I spent 5 years learning a variety of types, and perpetually seeking *something* from my yoga practices that no style of yoga could seem to satisfy.. I started the yoga sequences in this book in March adapting them to other styles I’ve learnt over the year and wow this stuff is EXACTLY what I needed. It is grounding, regulates mind and body and movement, encourages mindfulness and presence with a focus on trauma release and somatic experience. The missing ingredient I was perpetually seeking from other styles that never fulfilled in me was found with this book and it’s honestly changing my life! Thank you. I study psychology from an academic level, and have my own personal lived experience with CPTSD. I have to say I am so impressed with the intro the authors have given about the history and treatment of mental illness and trauma. it’s written in a direct and simple manner which is also educational and informative. I will forever treasure the skills contained in this manual ! Thank you!
February 23, 2020
Human beings are tender creatures. We are born with our hearts open. And sometimes our open hearts encounter experiences that shatter us. Sometimes we encounter experiences that so violate our sense of safety, order, predictability, and right, that we feel utterly overwhelmed--unable to integrate, and simply unable to go on as before. Unable to bear reality. We have come to call these shattering experiences trauma. None of us is immune to them.
I tried yoga and I believe in mind and body experiencing trauma together. The only part I could ever get right in yoga was the ending. Where you are lying on your back, eyes closed, and you get to lay your hands on your heart and be silent and breath. That was the best part. When I opened my eyes I would always be lying sideways and everyone was gone but me. I was still there. But I felt good. So I smiled.
I tried yoga and I believe in mind and body experiencing trauma together. The only part I could ever get right in yoga was the ending. Where you are lying on your back, eyes closed, and you get to lay your hands on your heart and be silent and breath. That was the best part. When I opened my eyes I would always be lying sideways and everyone was gone but me. I was still there. But I felt good. So I smiled.
October 28, 2015
This was a quality resource for yoga therapeutics and stress physiology in general. I appreciated hearing more about how the Trauma Center Yoga Program had adapted to students and survivors over time. Since my training was very alignment-based and I deeply care about the physical integrity of students in postures, I often encourage use of props, specifically straps, blocks, etc. However, it didn't not occur to me until I read this book that straps, specifically, could trigger a stress / emotional response in a student with a traumatic past. I believe it is a positive thing for an instructor to reflect and consider how to make the experience (more) beneficial and therapeutic for each student.
March 7, 2021
Very little of use to me in this book. It might be helpful to clinicians and teachers, but as someone in recovery from cptsd, I found it to be lacking in suggestions for approaches, for setting the mental intension and for alternative poses. The writing comes off as overly confident in what works and what doesn’t, leaving little wiggle room for readers who have a different experience.
I do not recommend this book. I will be combining Iyengar’s sets for anxiety (from “BKS Iyengar Yoga The Holistic Path to Health” and his “nervous debility” sets (from “Light on Yoga”) combined with the far more useful suggestions in “Teaching Trauma Sensitive Yoga” by Brendon Abram.
I do not recommend this book. I will be combining Iyengar’s sets for anxiety (from “BKS Iyengar Yoga The Holistic Path to Health” and his “nervous debility” sets (from “Light on Yoga”) combined with the far more useful suggestions in “Teaching Trauma Sensitive Yoga” by Brendon Abram.
May 30, 2016
I've been to Dave and Jenn's trauma sensitive training, and I think this book served as a nice reminder of the basic principles of TSY and the nature of trauma.
A few reviewers have said that this is "basic" and "obvious"; I'm not sure that's true. I have faced traumatic moments in yoga classes with teachers who would have benefited from this book.
Overall, I found this to be an accessible, outcome-oriented, and encouraging book. It's a quick read with some good models for classes.
A few reviewers have said that this is "basic" and "obvious"; I'm not sure that's true. I have faced traumatic moments in yoga classes with teachers who would have benefited from this book.
Overall, I found this to be an accessible, outcome-oriented, and encouraging book. It's a quick read with some good models for classes.
August 18, 2017
This is an excellent concise and accessible resource of simple yogic-based practices for the survivor, clinician, and/or teacher. The authors clearly describe the history of the trauma field as well as the relevant scope of yoga in this regard, capturing key elements that provide a sufficient base for mapping specific psychotherapeutic goals with yogic interventions. Not to mention, the importance of preparing the environment, invitatory verbal instruction, and other frames of orientation emphasize the specific approach of supporting safety, choice, and the survivor’s need to reclaim their own subjective experience and agency in the body. A pleasure to read; a valuable go to for those wishing to integrate yoga principles and practices into the process of healing and re-integration from traumatic experience.
December 5, 2016
The book gives concrete, mostly academic information on correlation between trauma overcoming and yoga therapy. It has a focus on yoga practitioners with post-traumatic stress syndrome. It also helps to get a framework on the effects on physical and emotional trauma. I particularly enjoyed reading the differentiation between hysteria and the effects of post-traumatic stress syndrome. Practically, the book gives images of yoga poses, which may be used by trauma survivors. If you are interested in self-healing, body matters and yoga, I would recommend you to have a look at it.
November 13, 2019
My yoga teacher gave me this book to read so I spent part of the day reading it. I found parts of it interesting and I took some notes so that we can later discuss it.
I could relate to some of the things said in the book like how I often feel outside of groups and I often see things differently than most people do. It's just always been that way. There were a few other things that the book mentioned that I felt applied to me, like how I something avoid certain things or maybe how I seem to be more logical than emotional. I'm sure if you read the book you'll spot several things that it mentions that will apply to you.
I'm not sure what " at odds with oneself" means and the book did not really explain it.
It is possible to do "interpersonal rhythm breathing" with a horse? I think I'm going to try! 🏇 I'll be seeing Oliver on Monday so a great opportunity to test it out!
I saw a few new yoga moves that I did not know and I tested them out. All of the moves in the book are simple ones and they are geared towards people who have experienced trauma, so they are aimed at relaxing and to minimize stress, to reconnect with your body. Because people who have experienced trauma often have a disconnect between their minds and bodies.. and not all yoga styles would be suitable for these people. Often they don't like being touched without permission or certain items might scare them (some yoga might use a strap and a strap might frighten some people due to past events)...so this book thinks of all of these things and points them out.
All in all I found reading the book helpful and enlightening. I made a list of things to talk about too.
I could relate to some of the things said in the book like how I often feel outside of groups and I often see things differently than most people do. It's just always been that way. There were a few other things that the book mentioned that I felt applied to me, like how I something avoid certain things or maybe how I seem to be more logical than emotional. I'm sure if you read the book you'll spot several things that it mentions that will apply to you.
I'm not sure what " at odds with oneself" means and the book did not really explain it.
It is possible to do "interpersonal rhythm breathing" with a horse? I think I'm going to try! 🏇 I'll be seeing Oliver on Monday so a great opportunity to test it out!
I saw a few new yoga moves that I did not know and I tested them out. All of the moves in the book are simple ones and they are geared towards people who have experienced trauma, so they are aimed at relaxing and to minimize stress, to reconnect with your body. Because people who have experienced trauma often have a disconnect between their minds and bodies.. and not all yoga styles would be suitable for these people. Often they don't like being touched without permission or certain items might scare them (some yoga might use a strap and a strap might frighten some people due to past events)...so this book thinks of all of these things and points them out.
All in all I found reading the book helpful and enlightening. I made a list of things to talk about too.
August 12, 2014
Although some of the David Emerson's advice is common sense, dealing with students who have experienced trauma or even how yoga can trigger emotions in a well-adjusted student is often left out of yoga teacher training. With that in mind, I say this book is essential for teachers. I was taught formally only to be wary of adjusting the opposite sex but even this is not always demonstrated properly. Just last week, I watched a TV yoga show where the female teacher assisted a male student in Supine Butterfly (lying on back with soles of feet together, bent knees to the side), pushing his legs farther apart and open. I crinched at the inappropriateness. Perhaps she knows the young student well enough but I wouldn't do this assist on any male student. Voice command certainly but not by touch. We often don't know the backgrounds of our students. I had a female student who never felt comfortable lying on her belly for cobra due to a trauma event. I have only been teaching part time for two years so seems the chances of meeting a student with trauma is high.
For the traumatized individual, taking it slow with simple movements coordinated with the breath, allowing the student to come back to his/her body as they are ready, is key. As teachers, we should take note of a student's reaction as we enter their space or apply a gentle assist. We need to be fully aware of our students well being - beyond the alignment of asana.
For the traumatized individual, taking it slow with simple movements coordinated with the breath, allowing the student to come back to his/her body as they are ready, is key. As teachers, we should take note of a student's reaction as we enter their space or apply a gentle assist. We need to be fully aware of our students well being - beyond the alignment of asana.
March 7, 2022
I came across this book while I was searching for practical ways to treat PTSD symptoms in December 2021.
I am not a rookie in this field and I was practicing yoga and mindfulness for a decade or at least I thought I was practicing.
I always felt like there is such a huge potential in yoga to help me manage my PTSD symptoms. I knew that from published research, feedback from people, my own several positive experiences. But whenever I practiced yoga I felt that it was helping but not quite. Once I started reading the book it all became clear that I have different needs compared to an average person who takes up yoga and they need to be addressed. It was a huge insight for me. A silent and gentle revolution. It is funny because I wrote a series of books on dating for immigrants as we have different issues and need different approaches compared to locals.
The greatest takeaway for me. You have to be gentle and attentive to the needs of your body. Not because you are a weakling, spoiled brat or drama queen. No, because you have PTSD and that is the only way to treat trauma. Gentle and forgiving.
As there is no audio version of the guided yoga session presented in the book. I decided to record it for myself and the general public.
Good luck on your healing journey to everyone reading it. May you be healthy and happy.
I am not a rookie in this field and I was practicing yoga and mindfulness for a decade or at least I thought I was practicing.
I always felt like there is such a huge potential in yoga to help me manage my PTSD symptoms. I knew that from published research, feedback from people, my own several positive experiences. But whenever I practiced yoga I felt that it was helping but not quite. Once I started reading the book it all became clear that I have different needs compared to an average person who takes up yoga and they need to be addressed. It was a huge insight for me. A silent and gentle revolution. It is funny because I wrote a series of books on dating for immigrants as we have different issues and need different approaches compared to locals.
The greatest takeaway for me. You have to be gentle and attentive to the needs of your body. Not because you are a weakling, spoiled brat or drama queen. No, because you have PTSD and that is the only way to treat trauma. Gentle and forgiving.
As there is no audio version of the guided yoga session presented in the book. I decided to record it for myself and the general public.
Good luck on your healing journey to everyone reading it. May you be healthy and happy.
February 21, 2012
Really good book on yoga and trauma. Simple, practical, and gives a lot of examples and quotes from participants in their Trauma Center yoga program. Includes:
- some basics of trauma and trauma therapy
- a chapter for trauma survivors giving a sample yoga practice to use
- a chapter for therapists on integrating yoga into therapy
- a chapter for yoga teachers on making trauma-sensitive practice
- some basics of trauma and trauma therapy
- a chapter for trauma survivors giving a sample yoga practice to use
- a chapter for therapists on integrating yoga into therapy
- a chapter for yoga teachers on making trauma-sensitive practice
June 8, 2015
This is a great book for explaining the basics of what happens to the body in stress and why we must address the stress physiology in order to heal. As a yoga teacher I used the exercises in classes, and as a therapist, I have given take home poses for clients. Great resource and the easy to read introduction by Bessel Van der Kolk is helpful for clients wanting to learn more about somatic perspectives on healing.
August 21, 2017
Short, practical and to the point. This book offers an overview (and a sample progression / routine) of trauma-sensitive yoga, as well as the research background supporting its use as a clinical tool. Some useful sections towards the end for yoga teachers / therapists etc, but the main thrust and value of the book is to patients themselves.
April 16, 2022
What a wonderful resource! This book does a great job at drawing upon Bessel van der Kolk's research on trauma and integrating that with yoga to help survivors heal more deeply, body, mind, and soul. It includes a sequence for trauma survivors to follow as well as thoughts for instructors who want to teach trauma-informed yoga.
April 11, 2021
Mostly a review of the material in a seminar I took from one of the authors at a yoga conference, several years ago. There are some good reminders in here, but just a couple things I didn’t already know. It’s useful if you haven’t had exposure to yoga for trauma.
June 23, 2017
Summary: For someone who has experienced trauma (many of their examples include veterans or survivors of physical or sexual abuse), a typical yoga class may not be as healing or therapeutic as one would hope. For instance, many trauma survivors feel completely out of tune with their own body, since their body has in many cases been violated or rendered powerless during the trauma. They may also feel that they cannot be “in the moment”, since there are so many triggers that can send them back to the moment of trauma, or they are just trying to get by without being mindful. Also, the use of props or physical assists can reawaken memories of the trauma, which is understandably not a pleasant experience. So how can we make yoga more accessible and healing for someone with these unique needs?
I’m not sure if I plan to be a yoga teacher who will be focused on teaching “trauma-sensitive” yoga classes, but I did take away some good insights from the book. For instance, it reinforced for me that you really can’t tell what someone has been through. It is really important to try and make a connection with your students and do everything you can to make them feel safe. This includes maintaining a class culture that encourages modifications, returning to the breath when something is overwhelming (physically or mentally), and not necessarily forcing props on people (or, really, forcing anything).
I would recommend this book. It opens up a whole new dimension of yoga teaching. It also offers a whole yoga class with poses we would recognize, but using slightly modified prompting for the trauma survivor to feel more welcome. Not everything may be applicable; for instance, there is a section written for therapists. There are also some technical breakdowns of trauma and how it affects body. But the whole goal is, as the tagline says, to help them “reclaim their body.” That is information that anyone could find useful.
I’m not sure if I plan to be a yoga teacher who will be focused on teaching “trauma-sensitive” yoga classes, but I did take away some good insights from the book. For instance, it reinforced for me that you really can’t tell what someone has been through. It is really important to try and make a connection with your students and do everything you can to make them feel safe. This includes maintaining a class culture that encourages modifications, returning to the breath when something is overwhelming (physically or mentally), and not necessarily forcing props on people (or, really, forcing anything).
I would recommend this book. It opens up a whole new dimension of yoga teaching. It also offers a whole yoga class with poses we would recognize, but using slightly modified prompting for the trauma survivor to feel more welcome. Not everything may be applicable; for instance, there is a section written for therapists. There are also some technical breakdowns of trauma and how it affects body. But the whole goal is, as the tagline says, to help them “reclaim their body.” That is information that anyone could find useful.
October 14, 2017
Superinzichtelijk en -herkenbaar boek over hoe trauma zich op complexe wijze nestelt in het lichaam en hoe yoga daar een niet-intrusief hulpmiddel bij kan zijn. Trauma wordt doorgaans behandeld m.b.v. gesprekstherapie en medicatie. De schrijvers pleiten ervoor -- met gedegen wetenschappelijk onderzoek en ervaring aan hun zijde -- het lichaam te betrekken bij herstel.
Hoewel ik mijn twijfels erbij heb dat trauma vooral zijn sporen achterlaat in het lichaam -- emotionele echo's/ triggers lijken me minstens zo complex in herkenning en behandeling -- beschouw ik dit boek als een grote aanrader voor de bewustwording rond trauma en (c-)PTSS dat vlot, toegankelijk en invoelend geschreven is zonder ergens "zweverig" te worden.
De uitgewerkte oefeningenseries zijn doordacht en (evt. aangepast) voor iedereen toegankelijk. De serie is voorzien van specifieke aanwijzingen voor therapeuten, yogadocenten en traumaslachtoffers zelf, wat de oefeningen verrijkt en de lezer helpt trauma vanuit verschillende perspectieven te bezien.
De combinatie van heldere opzet (van wetenschappelijke achtergrond van trauma, doelen en mogelijkheden -- en potentiële valkuilen -- van yoga naar oefeningen voor therapeut, slachtoffer en als laatste yogadocenten) en gedegen oefeningen vormden een succesvolle basis voor mijn eerste traumasensitieve yogales. Dit is een boek waar ik nog veel aan zal refereren.
Hoewel ik mijn twijfels erbij heb dat trauma vooral zijn sporen achterlaat in het lichaam -- emotionele echo's/ triggers lijken me minstens zo complex in herkenning en behandeling -- beschouw ik dit boek als een grote aanrader voor de bewustwording rond trauma en (c-)PTSS dat vlot, toegankelijk en invoelend geschreven is zonder ergens "zweverig" te worden.
De uitgewerkte oefeningenseries zijn doordacht en (evt. aangepast) voor iedereen toegankelijk. De serie is voorzien van specifieke aanwijzingen voor therapeuten, yogadocenten en traumaslachtoffers zelf, wat de oefeningen verrijkt en de lezer helpt trauma vanuit verschillende perspectieven te bezien.
De combinatie van heldere opzet (van wetenschappelijke achtergrond van trauma, doelen en mogelijkheden -- en potentiële valkuilen -- van yoga naar oefeningen voor therapeut, slachtoffer en als laatste yogadocenten) en gedegen oefeningen vormden een succesvolle basis voor mijn eerste traumasensitieve yogales. Dit is een boek waar ik nog veel aan zal refereren.
October 15, 2020
I'm really lucky in that my YTT 300 was taught by a trauma-informed yoga teacher. I don't really intend to specialize in trauma informed yoga but I think the more we can all make our classes friendly and accessible, the better. So many times we hear about yoga being inclusive, and they're thinking about external experience, not internal--race, body size, age. Trauma is internal, but just as valuable and just as deserving to be included in yoga classes. So, as far is I'm concerned, the more people who have the fundamental framework of trauma sensitive techniques for yoga, the better off we all are.
And this book is a good place to start, honestly. I don't think anyone should call themselves a trauma sensitive yoga teacher after reading this, but if you're looking for easy, simple things to incorporate to help your classes be more welcoming (things like...making sure that students feel they have a choice, they are empowered in class, like making sure with a countdown that they know that the pose will end). This is not comprehensive, but it is a really solid place to start. If you're doing a YTT200 and really believe your classes should be inclusive, here is a great way to get your classes started.
And this book is a good place to start, honestly. I don't think anyone should call themselves a trauma sensitive yoga teacher after reading this, but if you're looking for easy, simple things to incorporate to help your classes be more welcoming (things like...making sure that students feel they have a choice, they are empowered in class, like making sure with a countdown that they know that the pose will end). This is not comprehensive, but it is a really solid place to start. If you're doing a YTT200 and really believe your classes should be inclusive, here is a great way to get your classes started.
September 7, 2012
If I was a trained yoga instructor looking for guidance in creating a trauma friendly class this book would have been very helpful. I guess I was looking for a more indepth look at how a history of trauma presents itself through yoga. I know for myself camel is often way too much to handle, deep emotions come right out. I did like how to they often refered to listening to the body and what it is experiencing. My own experience in class is that this happens with any good yoga instructor, not just the trauma focused.
I agree with some of the other reviewers when they say they are hesitant to support someone learning yoga for the first time from a book. My thought on that is from a possible injury perspective, even at home alone people can push themselves too far. Its always good to find a proper teacher to go through a sequence for the first time.
I agree with some of the other reviewers when they say they are hesitant to support someone learning yoga for the first time from a book. My thought on that is from a possible injury perspective, even at home alone people can push themselves too far. Its always good to find a proper teacher to go through a sequence for the first time.
June 12, 2013
I found this book helpful, though it is really just an introductory book designed to be useful to yoga teachers, yoga students, and therapists together. There is a section of suggested poses, and a lot of acknowledgement of the way that the experience of the body can be changed by trauma. As simple as it sounds, this was an eye opening book for me mostly because I recognized things I had always thought were just defective about myself and now realize are part of how I relate to my body. It has changed my approach to yoga actually, and I am seeing more benefit. I would recommend this as a starting place, and am actually glad to see that therapists are approaching people through other means than verbal communication.
May 8, 2015
I read this as a part of my yoga teacher training course to learn about what to look for and how to teach yoga students that are using yoga as a form of therapy for trauma they have experienced. It's a quick read and very informative as to what can trigger a persons' emotions. There is even a sequence of poses that they use at their trauma center in Massachusetts. This would be a good book to read if you want to learn a bit about what triggers to look out for and what can trigger a person - ideal for a yoga teacher or social worker or basic trauma research.
November 2, 2016
I enjoyed this book, but it was basically a smaller version of the book The Body Keeps the Score. It was still good, and it was a quicker read that you could even read before bed (unlike the other which was so mind-boggling you needed to be fully awake). However, I prefer the in-depth coverage the other book provided.
The part at the back, where there were different sections for: survivors, clinicians, and yoga instructors, was good to read as it had lots of helpful tips I needed to hear.
The part at the back, where there were different sections for: survivors, clinicians, and yoga instructors, was good to read as it had lots of helpful tips I needed to hear.
July 29, 2020
I didn't consider myself a trauma survivor until reading the definition presented in this book. But living through certain experiences-- and storing those experiences physically-- make me realize why I find yoga so helpful in the first place. Learning to trust my body will likely be a lifelong challenge for me, but this book gives me a good starting place for developing a regular at-home practice that is both healing and empowering. Purchased a copy to keep.
February 28, 2014
This book does several things at once and tries to marry them together with mixed results. You have explanations of trauma, of yoga, of trauma-focused yoga and its benefits, and case studies of trauma. It would actually be better if they included a CD with it, or made it a multimedia package. Nonetheless, it is still very useful for therapists, yoga teachers and people who are suffering trauma.
August 3, 2014
I think this is one of the only books of its kind. For people unfamiliar with the facets of traumatic experience or PTS, this will provide a well formed background on the various impacts on the individual. The specific tutorial style applications for clinicians and yoga teachers are immensely helpful. Overall a great resource for those interested in somatic approaches to mental health.
August 21, 2016
Best descriptions of trauma
I don't thoroughly enjoyed this book. The descriptions and language used to explain trauma and its effects on the mind/body were the best descriptions ever. This book is highly recommended for any trauma survivor or people who have loved ones in their lives who are trauma survivors.
I don't thoroughly enjoyed this book. The descriptions and language used to explain trauma and its effects on the mind/body were the best descriptions ever. This book is highly recommended for any trauma survivor or people who have loved ones in their lives who are trauma survivors.
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