07/14/2021
Being trauma-informed is having the education and ability to provide care/services (i.e. yoga) in a strengths-based framework that is grounded in the understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma, that emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety for both providers and survivors, and that creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.
Being a trauma-informed yoga instructor is providing a service based on the clinical premise that the experience of trauma affects the entire human organism-body, mind, and spirit- and that the whole organism must be engaged in the healing process in order for it to be fully effective. So while traditional therapy is βtalk-based,β focusing on the mind, it neglects the physical, visceral, and body-based dimension of trauma. The application of trauma-informed yoga aids the healing of the mind but also uniquely fills these gaps, to address the physical needs of a trauma surivior and enables them to cultivate healthy and friendly relationships with their bodies again.