Yoga for Healing Emotional Trauma…
Yoga Heals from the Inside Out
Yoga for healing emotional trauma is becoming an important part of yoga practice and research. The chief expert on the topic is Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, a renowned psychiatrist who has found that for PTSD and old traumas, yoga is more effective than pharmaceuticals!
Trauma can significantly impact a person’s mental and physical well-being. It can leave lasting effects on the body, manifesting as tension, anxiety, depression, and other physical symptoms. For years, yoga has been an effective tool in addressing trauma, providing a grounded practice that can help people heal from the inside out. Bessel van der Kolk, a renowned trauma expert and psychiatrist, has dedicated years of research to the healing power of yoga.
Bessel van der Kolk’s research shows that yoga can have a significant impact on trauma recovery, as it helps individuals connect with the present moment and reconnect with their bodies. Trauma can anchor a person in the past, making it difficult to engage with life as it unfolds. Yoga offers a way to connect with the present moment, through breathwork, meditation, and physical movement.
Here Dr. van der Kolk discusses yoga and trauma relief: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmKfzbHzm_s.
Yoga Unblocks the Energy Blockages That Happen With Trauma
One of the reasons why yoga is so effective in addressing trauma is that it harnesses the body’s natural healing mechanisms. Trauma can manifest as tension or energy blockages in the body, which can be unlocked and released through yoga practice. By connecting with the breath and engaging in mindful movement, individuals can release tension and stored emotions, leading to a sense of calm and well-being.
Van der Kolk has developed specific practices around yoga for trauma, emphasizing specific postures, breathing exercises, and meditation techniques. These practices are designed to help individuals move past the trauma they have experienced and take control of their lives again. Yoga allows these individuals to regulate their emotional states, enabling them to function more effectively in their daily lives.
Trauma-informed Yoga Practice
Some examples of trauma-informed yoga:
The famed online yoga maven, Yoga with Adriene, has a particularly powerful practice:
Yoga For Post Traumatic Stress | 45-Minute Yoga for PTSD
This at-home yoga practice is created for you to be able to do on your own and is designed with many types of people in mind. Ideally, the title will bring many people to the yoga mat and it will provide tools for healing, understanding, connection, and recovery.
In addition to the emotional benefits, yoga for healing emotional trauma also has physical benefits. It can help to reduce inflammation in the body, regulate stress hormones, and improve overall physical health. This, in turn, can lead to better sleep, improved digestion, and a stronger immune system.
In conclusion, yoga offers a powerful tool for recovery from traumatic experiences. Bessel van der Kolk’s work has shown that yoga can help individuals reconnect with their bodies, improve their emotional regulation, and promote physical and mental well-being. If you or someone you know is dealing with the aftermath of trauma, consider exploring the healing practice of yoga and see how it can transform lives.
Our Awakenings Health Yoga teacher, Laura Gries, understands the healing power of yoga from deep, personal experience. Read her story here. Laura says, “yoga ultimately gives us a beautiful exquisite gift of thinking with our hearts not our minds.” Moving from the trauma-afflicted mind, the nervous system, into the heart can bring great relief when facing PTSD and trauma recovery.
Laura helps one of her students find just the right posture.