Why Trauma Informed Yoga Matters...

In this post, I discuss trauma, so please take care when reading.

Teaching yoga in a way that supports people living with trauma is important to me.

Trauma is broad. Many of us have experienced, or will experience, some form of trauma at some point in our lives. This may be through loss, injury, abuse, or many other experiences.

Many people do not talk about their trauma, and in a setting such as a yoga class there is absolutely no obligation to disclose anything personal.

However, this does not remove my responsibility to teach yoga in a way that is trauma-informed.

None of us should assume we have any idea what the person on the next mat may have experienced or be living through.

With that in mind, I wanted to share a few ways I try to help my classes feel welcoming and supportive:

• Firstly, when you arrive, there is no expectation for you to speak to anyone. You are welcome to, of course, but you are just as welcome to sit or lie quietly on your mat.

• Secondly, I choose not to offer hands-on adjustments in group classes. I won't approach your mat or draw attention to you.

• Next, I use invitational language and offer suggestions and guidance. Nothing I say is a command. You will always know your own body and mind far better than I do.

• And, really importantly, please know that you can leave at any time. You can get up and go to the loo, take a few minutes outside, or leave the class altogether if that's what you need. At one of my venues, I sometimes lock the door to prevent interruptions, but the key remains in the door, and you never need my permission to unlock it or step outside.

I think it's so important to acknowledge that none of us knows what the person on the mat beside us may have been through or may currently be navigating. As the teacher, I want to use language that meets you where you are, without expectation or judgement, and helps the yoga mat feel like a place you can return to safely, again and again.

With love,

Steph x