Understanding trauma means understanding how it impacts the brain, the body and our sense of safety, connection and trust in life.
The word trauma comes from the Greek word 'wound'. It really refers to our response to an experience and the effects of an event, rather than the event itself.
There are several therapeutic definitions of trauma but the best way of understanding it is through the lens of disruption, disconnection and disarray.
When human beings are traumatised, we're effectively stunned into a state of deep shock.
The human brain - which developed over millennia to support our survival - goes into disarray, the connection between mind and body is severed and the brain no longer receives essential 'biofeedback' from the body (signals like hunger, cold, discomfort and butterflies in the tummy).
When unresolved, trauma will continue to send signals around the body that a threat is imminent, meaning a traumatised person continues to live in a state of ongoing crisis.
In most cases we'll become disassociated from our bodies as a way of coping with unbearable pain, helping us to understand why maladaptive coping mechanisms such as drink, drugs and self harm are common numbing techniques.
Typically, trauma-impacted people will lack an organised sense of purpose, will commonly react out of context, have inflated responses to threats, and do not feel safe in their own bodies - or may not even be aware of them.
At the heart of Trauma-Informed Yoga is an evidence-based approach that helps people regulate their nervous systems so they can move from a state of hyper- or hypo-arousal to one of regulation, balance and safety.
Critically what trauma informed yoga does is reconnect the pathways between the brain and the body to establish a sense of safety within one's self.
When we work in a Trauma-Informed way, we're guiding people to reconnect with their bodies in a way that feels safe, trustworthy and mindful.
Placing emphasis on personal choice and agency, we give people the tools to tolerate and even befriend their full experience, no matter what it holds.
Over time, students viscerally override the trauma signals, learn to recover what's been lost and potentially experience 'post-traumatic growth' so that their lives can become meaningful and enriching far beyond what they've suffered.
THE TRAUMA INFORMED YOGA, SOCIAL CHANGE & MINDFUL BUSINESS MENTORSHIP
I offer a 4-month online mentorship for yoga teachers to deepen your understanding of trauma, the mind-body connection and the evidence basis for yoga. As well as building confidence and learning how to make a greater impact teaching yoga, you’ll do a deep-dive overhaul of your relationship with money, learn how to grow your work and develop a socially-motivated pilot yoga program of your own.
This program is informed by over a decade in the field of yoga research and experience working with a wide variety of traumatised populations.
Find out if this training is for you https://ellie-grace.com/teacher-trainings/2020/4/28/online-coaching-group-becoming-a-trauma-informed-yoga-teacher