Empowering Teens and Adults Through Trauma-Informed Yoga
I’ve come to realize that teaching yoga in a trauma-informed way is more important now than ever.
Our world is shaped by systems of oppression and trauma that strip agency and choice from our daily lives.
In addition to our own lived experiences of violence and disempowerment, we are witnessing, in real-time, mass death and disenfranchisement across the world—Palestine, Tigray, Haiti, Sudan, Congo, and beyond.
Social media provides a platform for sacred action against these atrocities and tragedies. Yet, it also serves as a constant reminder of governmental complicity and our powerlessness as individuals to enact immediate, life-saving change.
And despite our growing awareness of these destructive systems and the trauma they create—not only for us as human beings but for all beings in relation to us: the plants, lands, bugs, birds, the skies—many of the powers that be, and even people in our own lives, attempt to gaslight and dismiss this understanding.
We are exhausted, grieving, and full of sacred rage.
Moving through this world means navigating a near-constant overwhelm of the nervous system.
As a yoga teacher, I’ve come to see how important it is to create spaces where each person’s experience is honored, their feelings are validated, and their innate goodness is recognized. Trauma-informed yoga is a commitment to prioritizing my students’ agency, safety, and consent.
“Trauma” occurs when the nervous system is overwhelmed by stress, particularly when there’s a perceived or real threat to physical safety or emotional stability. According to Dr. Bessel van der Kolk in The Body Keeps the Score, trauma is not the event itself but the lasting imprint it leaves on the mind, brain, and body (2014).
This imprint often manifests as physical, mental, and emotional symptoms: anxiety, insomnia, gastrointestinal issues, migraines, numbness, dysregulated breathing, and more. Trauma-informed yoga aims to meet these imprints with care, creating a space where individuals can safely reconnect with their internal sensations rather than avoid or numb them.
This is a practice of “interoception”—of developing the capacity to feel and process what arises within. By creating safety in the body and nervous system, we help students explore their emotions and physical sensations without fear.
A trauma-informed culture prioritizes safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural humility. It offers a pathway to healing while resisting retraumatization (Proffitt, 2010). As teachers, we can embody this culture through practices such as:
Using invitational language to encourage exploration without pressure.
Offering a non-judgmental and supportive presence.
Avoiding physical assists unless explicit consent is given.
Creating a physically safe and accessible practice space.
Remaining mindful that breathwork or savasana may be triggering for some students.
Honoring the many-layered identities and lived experiences of each individual (Yamasaki, 2022).
The aim is always to invite, never to command.
My Personal Journey
This work is deeply personal to me. As someone who grew up in a household full of emotional, physical, and domestic abuse, I have experienced and witnessed the effects of trauma, I know how vital it is to create spaces where healing feels possible. My own journey with yoga has taught me to meet my emotions and body with curiosity, compassion, and courage. Through this practice, I’ve found grounding in moments of chaos, clarity in times of confusion, and resilience when faced with heartbreak.
I’ve carried these lessons into my work, particularly with teens, who navigate unique challenges in a rapidly changing world. Adolescence is a time of immense growth, but it is often coupled with overwhelming stressors like academic pressure, social media influences, and complex family dynamics. Many teens I’ve worked with are also processing collective trauma, whether it’s systemic injustice, climate anxiety, or global crises.
Through trauma-informed yoga, I guide teens to reconnect with their inner strength and sense of agency. By teaching them to attune to their bodies and emotions, I help them develop tools for self-regulation and self-expression. Practices like grounding, mindful movement, and breathwork give them space to pause, reflect, and discover their own capacity for healing. Witnessing these young individuals step into their power and resilience is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work.
Why Trauma-Informed Yoga Matters
In a world that often strips us of choice, it is profoundly healing to be invited. To be given the opportunity to explore practices and movements that align with our unique mind, body, and spirit. To receive tools that ground us, remind us we are not defined by the trauma we’ve endured, and show us that healing is possible.
This work aligns deeply with my commitment to fostering empowered embodiment and resilience through yoga. I want us all to access our innate power and dignity, to feel free, and to make choices that align with where we want to be in this lifetime.
Yoga has opened this path for me, and it is my honor to share it with others.
If you feel called to explore this journey alongside me, I welcome you to learn more about my offerings here. Together, we can create spaces of healing, safety, and liberation.
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Sources mentioned:
Proffitt, B. (2010). Delivering trauma-informed services. Healing Hands, 14(6).
Retrieved from the National Health Care for the Homeless Council: http://www.nhchc.
org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/DecHealingHandsWeb.pdf
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.
Yamasaki, Zahabiyah (2022). Trauma-Informed Yoga for Survivors of Sexual Assault: Practices for Healing and Teaching with Compassion. W.W. Nortion & Company.