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Two weeks ago, I scheduled time to work out. That reactivated my love of yoga. Ever the experimenter, I decided to do yoga about an hour before bed. What I discovered is that I felt relaxed and peaceful. There is something about yoga that calms the mind while strengthening the body.
Yoga is an ancient practice developed in India that involves physical poses, deep breathing, and meditation/relaxation. “Yoga is an open listening to, and a personal response from, your own body,” Christina Brown states in her book, The Book of Yoga and Pilates. In other words, it is a way for people to connect with their bodies.
“Yoga lets you practice being in your still, centered point. When you develop a feeling for it, you can do this anytime, any place. Practice this joyful experience many, many times in the day.” Christina Brown
Yoga is very beneficial for trauma survivors. In their book, Yoga For Emotional Trauma, Mary and Rick NurrieStearns explains that “a well-designed yoga practice melts away trauma that is frozen in your muscles and nervous system, allowing emotional and spiritual energy to flow freely through you.”
“When you practice physical yoga, you do far more than just stretch your muscles. You transform body and emotions into an environment that promotes healing and well-being.” Mary & Rick NurrieStearns
There are studies that show the benefits of yoga for trauma survivors:
Researchers looked at the effects of kundalini yoga on PTSD symptoms. What they found is that people with PTSD symptoms “showed greater changes in measures of sleep, positive affect, perceived stress, anxiety, stress, and resilience.”
Trauma-sensitive yoga emphasizes mindful movement and self-awareness. Researchers found that people who practice it experienced benefits that included a sense of calm and internal balance.
Another study on trauma-sensitive yoga found that it helped women veterans with PTSD related to military sexual trauma.
Perhaps you would like to start a yoga practice but don’t know where to begin. There is a free yoga series for Amazon Prime subscribers called 30 Day Yoga For Beginners: Calm Mind and Body with Eliz Fitness. It’s linked in the Resources section. I highly recommend it. If you are not a Prime subscriber, check out the YouTube video, Healing Yoga For Trauma, which is also linked below.
Do you already practice yoga? Drop a comment about how it benefits you.
“Since yoga postures work with your body, a faithful practice of yoga cleanses your body from long-held painful emotional patterns, allowing you to feel increasingly at home in your body and relaxed.” Mary & Rick NurrieStearns
Resources
Yoga For Trauma: Meditations and Practices For Healing Pain and Suffering by Mary NurrieStearns and Rick NurrieStearns
The Book of Yoga and Pilates by Christina Brown and Joyce Gavin
A Yoga Intervention for Posttraumatic Stress: A Preliminary Randomized Control Trial
30 Day Yoga For Beginners: Calm Mind and Body with Eliz Fitness
Thank you for the information on yoga as you know I already am a big time proponent of exercise even though I grew up in the '
60s yoga is something I never even tried. Well thanks to your article that changes now.
✌ peace and love,
Sal
Thank you, dear Gina for giving this important information to be used on this healing journey. I have never tried yoga, but Leah does and feels that it is very beneficial for better health. Love you, be abundantly blessed. <3