Trauma based yoga.

Trauma based yoga Learning to be in the present moment. Be in their body. Knowing they have choices. Eg. Coming out of a pose if it hurts. Moving closer to a fan etc. They are not stuck in situation. Given choices to make movements bigger or smaller. For example in 'neck rolls'. Learning to feel into and listen to their bodies in a safe place. Being able to make healthy choices and setting personal limits. Having the choice to make small changes in the room- taking effective action, can be helpful. Guiding principle of trauma sensitive yoga is giving back a sense of power and control to the survivor. Mountain pose - feel feet on the floor, feeling grouNded with their connection to the ground, the earth. Feeling as if they can support themselves. Teaching Ng being mindful of each step and stance we take. X please note that moving into relaxation can go against resilience building in some trauma sufferers, particularly in the acute stages. Clients made need to build their strength and feelings of being able to be-friend and support their bodies again with more grounding, strength building poses before using their breath to relax, which could trigger vulnerability again. Taking effective action- moving for comfort. Notice you have total control over what you are doing with your body. Shoulder rolls, eg. Small or bigger movements. Creating interpersonal rhythms- Raising hands with breaths and then lowering. 54321 then release. Practice this instead. Ratio breathing or belly breathing. Rock forward and back and side to side then centre. Tree pose Sweeping arms out and over from mountain. Seated forward fold. Points to remember when teaching trauma sensitive yoga children to teens: - avoid emphasising- going a bit further, holding a bit longer. Students could feel they have to push their bodies rather then listening to it. Also implies being pushed into pose. - over emphasis on proper alignment. - using straps and rubber cords. - ask rather than direct. - feeling like they cannot keep up. - emphasise mindfulness and connection to their body gently. - be patient, gentle and compassionate. - help them to befriend their bodies once again. - use structure but also choice. - emphasise reading their body cues, understand their reactions. - help them to live in the present moment. - understand that this is hard as they are letting their guard down. - present moment experiences eg. Feeling connection of feet on the floor- body awareness. - help them to overcome their fears and feelings of helplessness by giving choices. Balance choice with specific instructions to also build trust and lessen anxiety. - offer choice that if it is painful they can stop. Listening to their bodies. -encourage self-care and setting personal limits. -listen to signals from their bodies to avoid injury. - emphasise doing things to help themselves feel in control and feel the experience. Yoga for trauma therapy and mindfulness benefits clients to feel whole again. Asanas for autism and special needs assists clients to feel they can acheive at something with physical benefits ts and reach their goals. Benefits: 1. Healing stored up negative energy, muscle pain and tension in the body through asanas (postures). For instance; start therapy session using one yoga pose for restoration, stretching. Open and close each session with a yoga-based practice- yoga postures, breathing exercise, guided muscle relaxation, mindfulness practice. Integrate into session to help self-regulate, self-awareness. To help: attend yoga classes yourself, use videos. Participate along with your clients for a shared experience. Grounding poses for hyperarousal- calming the body- standing mountain. Breathing exercises eg. Follow line of breathing on a drawn line- up and down. Hand on heart breathing. Hypoarousal- increasing activation of the body when unmotivated, poor posture. Seated forward fold. Recommend for clients to listen to their bodies and stop if they feel uncomfortable for any reason. Start gentle, for example; adding a little to your in breath and a little to your out breath- called, 'adding a little breath.' Centering practice- for balance in mind and body. Tree pose - the centering practice is visceral and mindful. Finding your center- noticing how you are sitting in your chair- connection to the seat, maybe rock forward and backward gently. Make your movements smaller and slower back and forth and circular. Draw in your lower belly to feel strength and stability here. Use this centering practice to investigate your centre as a source of stability. Co ordinating breath with movement- seated sun breaths. My experience- teen with anxiety. Awareness of and ability to regulate internal states. Example plan: Seated mountain pose. Breathing practices. Bringing a sense of curiosity to their thought patterns. Not so much their body- particularly if some body dismorphia has been experienced. Less focus on belly breaths - more on chest breaths. Grounding feet to the floor, standing or seated. Hypervigilence behaviours can make body calming exercises create anxiety- the body trying to protect itself and feel safe. In this case mindfulness based practices may work better. Modifying yoga based practices fr trauma sensitive clients: Use of language, assists, teacher qualities, environment, and exercises. Gently, but clearly direct attention to internal experiences whilst also inviting mindful moving and breathing. Use of 'notice' 'be curious', 'feel' for mindfulness. Assists- including what is right and best for each student to identify themselves. Environment- cleanliness, lighting, privacy, temperature, and music options. Games for those on the spectrum- child: Mirror me poses, including facial expressions. Characters for behaviour regulation - we have 'silly Cyril, balanced bear and slow turtle. We are aiming for balanced bear. Matching pose games. From my own experience - teaching high anxiety- Noticed my client- intellectualises - a 'commonly used defence, is when we spend considerable time trying to figure something out but never get to the essence of whatever it is we are trying to work out. ' Moving from his body focus from his mind seems to assist him in disengaging from over analysing his thoughts. Once his mind is more focused on his body and counting his breath he can then step more inward into understanding underlying emotions and cognitions. He learns to remain present and to notice his thoughts but not to engage in the story line of them and to develop a new relationship with his body. He can go home with a 'quieter' mind, which in turn has positive effects on his family relationships, 'and on living in the world.' This is coming about by twice weekly practice. Thx! Parent feedback/testimonial- 19yr. Old. 'He gets so worked up it’s hard for him to use an app.' 'Yoga really is helping him. Thx so much for your support and understanding🌷' Anxiety buster activities: Where do you notice stress in your physical body? Are you in the present moment? Do you practice mindfulness to disengage from the story-line you are telling yourself? If stress is there we look at problems with greater influence and narrow mindedly. We fix our thoughts and usually hold onto a limited perspective of what is happening. Ideas: reduce stress with regular physical exercise: walking, jogging and yoga postures. Daily mindfulness/ meditation practice. Eg. 10 minute breath exercise. If distracted - simply label it then return to the focus of your breath. Notice any process of 'reactivity' to what is going on around you. Write a list: What's happening. My reaction. ( include bodily sensations). When reactions happen: what are your choices? Re-connect to your breath. If your feeling stressed your thinking part of your brain is affected. You are unable to think clearly. Don't let old memories cloud your responses to experience in the present. Remember we are hard-wired to remember the bad, the fears as this was necessary for humans to survive. Do a mountain mediation from the book 'Mindfulness for mums and dads. ' Mantra ' I am safe, I am grounded and I trust that the universe has a solid plan for me.' I have access to infinite potential. Everything is a teaching for me. I am being guided, protected, and inspired every moment.' Contemplate balance. Balance of your body. Balance of your mind Balance in spirituality. Contemplate balance. Balance of your body. Balance of your mind Balance in spirituality. 6 week beginner yoga, chakra balancing and meditation/mindfulness course. Individual Averydic diet plan. Vision boards, realistic goal planning . $95 per person 6 weeks- Tuesdays 10-12pm. Maximum of 6 participants. Find your true self. Feel more balanced and centred. Work through your inner energy systems and work on those that need support. Find mindfulness and the feeling of living in the present moment. Do away with negativity and bring in positive energy. Build your self-esteem and courage. Stop pretending to the world that which you are not. Become less judgemental and more forgiving. Find your purpose and serve others. Practice gratitude. Learn to observe your thoughts and begin taking control of your mind. Feel compassion for others no matter what they say or do to aggravate you. ' Dodge the arrows' thrown at you.' Be around people that, ' zap you and don't Sap you' of all your goodness. It's all up to you. Make the change happen within your body, mind and soul. Stay on the path to your own enlightenment. It's there for you, it needs commitment and time, but it can be found. It doesn't need fancy, 'out there' language and a non- analytical mind, just one that is willing to heal in its own time with its own reality and positive belief system. It needs an open mind and just respect for where these philosophies came from and how they have helped so many find a healthier, happier path with good morals and a positive outlook. Averydic diet. I have recently been more mindful of my diet and I've found benefits from following on from a diet based on my 'doshi', which is my personality type. I am mainly a 'vata' type and need nourishing, starchy type vegetables, especially in winter eg. Casseroles, hearty soups. Not too spicy foods, herbs light ginger and chamomile tea. I used to think potatoes and breads were a no no for me, but I need them to keep my weight in check and to feel full and grounded. If you would like to know more about your type of 'doshi'. I will be offering some help in this area and guidance if you'd like to try. I really do feel better and am less prone to sickness. Yoga with this type of eating has set me on a good path. Thinking 'why me?' Just leads to more misery. Pausing to breathe then thinking, what now? With compassion for yourself and others will lead to a better path. Have faith. Mindfulness what is mindfulness? Being aware of our surroundings. Focusing our minds. Mindfulness emotions: being aware of the impact our emotions can have on us. Self centred acts produce misery. Protecting ourselves from any challenge to our happiness by dwelling on ourselves and our perceived notions of outside disturbances causing our suffering, which may not even really exist but in our minds. Altruistic motivated actions work better if we are to stop the cycle of searching for happiness and creating more suffering by the self/centred behaviour. (Dalai Lama) Traditional cognitive therapy centres on how you explain your thoughts to another. Yoga therapy supports healing of your inner body and physical self, 'your emotional states that are imprinted in the state of the body's chemical profile' (Emerson,d. Hopper,e, 2011). Dealing with our emotions at a deeper level and recognising them as they arise. By noticing and observing our thoughts we can then learn to control them better and not be overwhelmed by them. Yoga therapy also focuses on treatment relating to learning to be in the present moment. Mantra ' I am safe, I am grounded and I trust that the universe has a solid plan for me.' I have access to infinite potential. Everything is a teaching for me. I am being guided, protected, and inspired every moment.' Contemplate balance. Balance of your body. Balance of your mind Balance in spirituality. Contemplate balance. Balance of your body. Balance of your mind Balance in spirituality. 6 week beginner yoga, chakra balancing and meditation/mindfulness course. Individual Averydic diet plan. Vision boards, goal planning . $95:00 per person Tuesday mornings 10-12pm. Maximum of 6 participants. Find your true self. Feel more balanced and centred. Work through your inner energy systems and work on those that need support. Find mindfulness and the feeling of living in the present moment. Do away with negativity and bring in positive energy. Build your self-esteem and courage. Stop pretending to the world that which you are not. Become less judgemental and more forgiving. Find your purpose and serve others. Practice gratitude. Learn to observe your thoughts and begin taking control of your mind. Feel compassion for others no matter what they say or do to aggravate you. ' Dodge the arrows' thrown at you.' Be around people that, ' zap you and don't Sap you' of all your goodness. It's all up to you. Make the change happen within your body, mind and soul. Stay on the path to your own enlightenment. It's there for you, it needs commitment and time, but it can be found. It doesn't need fancy, 'out there' language and a non- analytical mind, just one that is willing to heal in its own time with its own reality and positive belief system. It needs an open mind and just respect for where these philosophies came from and how they have helped so many find a healthier, happier path with good morals and a positive outlook. Averydic diet. I have recently been more mindful of my diet and I've found benefits from following on from a diet based on my 'doshi', which is my personality type. I am mainly a 'vata' type and need nourishing, starchy type vegetables, especially in winter eg. Casseroles, hearty soups. Not too spicy foods, herbs light ginger and chamomile tea. I used to think potatoes and breads were a no no for me, but I need them to keep my weight in check and to feel full and grounded. If you would like to know more about your type of 'doshi'. I will be offering some help in this area and guidance if you'd like to try. I really do feel better and am less prone to sickness. Yoga with this type of eating has set me on a good path. Thinking 'why me?' Just leads to more misery. Pausing to breathe then thinking, what now? With compassion for yourself and others will lead to a better path. Have faith. References: Mindfulness for mums and dads. Overcoming trauma through yoga. Tracey. Yogamotorskills.com