by Natalie Bowler, LPC-MHSP
Yoga is an incredible practice that can provide many healing benefits to those who are coping with trauma. However, there are some practices that can cause harm, even if they’re well-intentioned. What’s most important to remember – and what makes this work so complicated – is that what works for one person may not work for another.
Trauma and Touch
One practice many yoga teachers use in their classes that can cause harm is touch. For some people who have lived through difficult life experiences, touch can be very triggering, especially if it happens without permission. This could cause several different trauma reactions, including: fight, flight, freeze, collapse or even a response that some refer to as please and appease.
If you’re wondering what these different reactions could look like in a yoga class, here are some examples. With a fight reaction, a person may swat at your hand or smack your hand to get you off of them. For a flight reaction, they may suddenly and unexpectedly run out of the room. If a person is having a freeze reaction, they may appear motionless, eyes wide, possibly looking frightened. Collapse is another response where a person may become unresponsive or in rare situations even faint.
A less commonly known trauma response is please and appease, where a person may comply with the touch, smile, and appear to be fine with it, but inside they really don’t want to be touched. I believe the biggest issue with touch in yoga is when the teacher does not ask permission first or comes up unannounced and startles the yoga student.
Ways to prevent this are to always ask before touching or using some kind of visual cards that allow people to let you know if they want to be touched or not. Always, always stop touching a person if they ask you to, even if they initially gave their consent. If they look uncomfortable, ask if they would like you to try something different.
The Risks of Being Too Directive
Another practice that can be harmful to students is being too directive, or assuming that all bodies are able to do all poses. This can be harmful to individuals with trauma who have experiences of being controlled by their abusers. If our language is too directive and does not provide choice, yoga students can feel as if we are being controlling.
In response to this, people may have any of the above trauma responses that I mentioned. Additionally, they may choose not to come back to your class if they are feeling any controlling undertones during class. Those who have experienced controlling abusers can be very sensitive to any actual or perceived manipulation, control, or condescending behavior.
Along these lines, it’s important to not assume that all bodies can do all poses. Some people in your class may be beginners, while others may be more advanced. If people feel unable to complete certain poses, they may shut down, give up, or feel shame. If a person is feeling shame, they may feel like they’re not good enough to do yoga or that yoga is not for them. This would be unfortunate since most people can benefit from the effects of yoga if it is adapted to meet their unique needs.
Rather than being overly directive or assuming that everyone can do the same poses, use permissive language and offer choice. This may look like, “If it feels comfortable to you, you may choose to do ________ or ________. Notice what feels right to you and your body.”
Always offer the option to do what feels right to the person and their body. It can also be helpful to let a person know that they can pause and just be, if needed. Finally, avoid having people push through pain or beyond what they believe their body is capable of.
Hypnotic Practices
A third practice that I have seen cause harm is yogic sleep. I have a personal story of having a negative experience with this practice. I was at a Yoga for Trauma training where one of the teachers did a Yoga Nidra script at the end of the training. Immediately, I was aware of the hypnotic voice that the teacher had. I remember her guiding us to focus on one leg, then the other. At some point I lost track of time, essentially blacking out, though not falling asleep. I finally alerted to the sound of a bell. It felt like it had been 5 minutes, yet it had been about 30 minutes.
I remember feeling a bit out of it and feeling off for the rest of the day into the evening. Due to being really sleepy I went to sleep early at the Airbnb where I was staying. My husband said that not too long after that I awoke screaming and thrashing about in the bed. He said it was difficult to wake me up. After that I was unable to sleep the rest of the night and remained quite hypervigilant for the next day of the training.
As a trauma therapist, I am also trained in Clinical Hypnosis. What I believe happened is that somehow, I went into a negative trance during the Yoga Nidra and never properly re-alerted. I am a trauma survivor myself, but had done a fair amount of therapeutic work by that time. I had never had an experience like that before, nor have I had an experience like that since.
This is not to say that Yoga Nidra should not be used with those with histories of trauma, however, I believe it’s important to know that the practice of guiding a person into relaxing their body can be triggering for some. It’s best to explore this with the person and let them know that if they need to stop at any point, they can, or if they are feeling “funny,” “spacey,” “foggy,” or “off” that it’s okay for them to let you know. If that happens, it can be helpful to have them orient themselves to their surroundings, do some grounding, and get back into their body in a helpful way.
Ultimately, the best way to make people feel safe is to give them options and let them know they have choices. This empowers people to choose what they need for themselves. What works for one person is not going to work for another and that’s okay! We are each unique individuals with our own bodies and personal stories, so it makes sense that we would need different things to support ourselves and our bodies. Let your students or clients know that if something goes wrong or if something feels off that they can come to you for support. Safety and support are vital to the healing process.
If You’re Looking to Study Trauma-Informed Yoga
My journey with Trauma-Informed Yoga has been shaped by my studies at the Center for Yoga and Trauma Recovery (CYTR). I’m proud to say that I’m now a Certified Provider through the CYTR! I have completed the 8-week Y4T Online Training Program and the 9-month Advanced Training and Mentorship Program, and have the tools and knowledge I need to support my clients in healing trauma mindfully through yoga.
To learn more about yoga and trauma recovery, check out the 8-week Yoga for Trauma Online Training Program here.
Natalie LeQuang, LPC-MHSP
Founder of Safe Haven Trauma Services in Nashville Tennessee
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
My passion is working with those who have survived difficult life experiences. My career in working with trauma survivors began in 2010 when I completed an undergraduate internship at Sheppard Pratt’s Trauma Disorders inpatient unit. I was immediately struck by people’s capacity to survive through their strength and resilience, despite the most horrific of experiences. From that point on it became my calling in life to serve those impacted by all forms of traumatic experiences. As a trauma survivor myself, I understand the challenge and complexity of working through painful experiences from the past and changing problematic ways of coping. I have been fortunate enough to experience healing from my past and I understand what’s involved in the healing journey.
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