Online Trauma Sensitive Yoga

Healing Complex Trauma & PTSD from anywhere

“The body keeps the score: If the memory of trauma is encoded in the viscera, in heartbreak and gut-wrenching sensations, in autoimmune diseases and skeletal/muscular problems, and in the way we regulate our immune system, then it stands to reason that the pathway to recovery has to involve the body.”

- Bessel van der Kalk, The Body Holds The Score

The Significance of Somatic Healing in Trauma Recovery

Integrating somatic healing approaches, such as trauma-informed yoga, into the trauma recovery process could be the missing key to lasting transformation. Neuroscience now reveals that our nervous system reacts primarily to signals from the body, rather than the other way around. This insight challenges the traditional “top-down” approach—where the mind leads the healing process—and instead highlights the importance of a “bottom-up” approach, where the body takes the lead.

To heal from trauma, it is essential to not only understand what happened on a cognitive level but also to release the imprints held within the body. Our bodies are finely tuned social and emotional sense organs, shaped by every life experience. Ignoring the body’s role in healing can leave us stuck in cycles of thought without fully releasing the residue of trauma.

Why Trauma-Informed Yoga Matters

Trauma-informed yoga is grounded in the understanding that healing requires a safe and empowering environment. This practice encourages individuals to explore sensations in their bodies, cultivate self-awareness, and gently practice choice-making—all fundamental elements in restoring a sense of agency.

By incorporating mindfulness, breathwork, and gentle, intentional movement, trauma-sensitive yoga helps individuals develop vital skills for self-regulation and resilience. Rather than forcing the body into specific shapes or demanding perfection, this practice fosters a compassionate relationship with oneself—one that honors autonomy and personal choice.

The ultimate aim of trauma-informed yoga is to help individuals reclaim a sense of agency and restore connection with themselves and others. Through mindful movement and breath awareness, we learn to ground ourselves in the present moment and gently rebuild trust in our own bodies. This process not only promotes emotional and physical healing but also paves the way for deeper, more authentic relationships with ourselves and the world around us.

My extensive training with Trauma Centre Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) is a unique validated clinical adjunct therapy that helps support survivors of complex trauma (C-PTSD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in re-connecting mind and body. Trauma Sensitive Yoga has foundations in Trauma Theory, Attachment Theory, Neuroscience and Hatha Yoga practice.

Trauma is perhaps the most avoided, ignored, belittled, denied, misunderstood, and untreated cause of human suffering” Peter A Levine PHD

“Trauma is not what happens to you. Trauma is what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you.” Gabor Mate

What is Trauma?

What is trauma? Sometimes we encounter experiences that so violate our sense of safety, order, predictability and right, that we feel so utterly overwhelmed-unable to integrate and simply unable to go on as before. Unable to bear reality.  We have come to call these shattering experiences trauma.  None of us are immune to them.  (Stephen Cope MSW)

Trauma (PTSD) is the result of a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope. It leaves a lasting imprint on both mind and body, often leading to emotional, psychological, and even physical harm. Trauma can arise from a wide range of situations, including violence, abuse, accidents, natural disasters, or any event that feels life-threatening.

In the aftermath, individuals may find themselves struggling with persistent fear, anxiety, flashbacks, and a sense of disconnection—from themselves, from others, and from life itself. These lingering effects can profoundly shape how a person relates to their own body and emotions, as well as to relationships and the world around them. The nervous system remains on high alert, perceiving danger even when none exists, while the mind becomes trapped in cycles of intrusive memories or numbing avoidance.

What Is Complex Trauma (CPTSD)?

Complex trauma (CPTSD) goes beyond the impact of a single traumatic event. It often emerges from prolonged or repeated exposure to trauma, typically rooted in interpersonal harm and often beginning in childhood. This may include chronic abuse, neglect, or disruptions in caregiving relationships—experiences that leave a lasting mark not only on the psyche but also on the very sense of identity.

Unlike PTSD, which is often linked to a specific incident, complex trauma seeps into the fabric of an individual’s self-perception and worldview. It can impact psychological, emotional, and social functioning, leaving individuals struggling with self-worth, trust, and a sense of safety. Relationships may feel unsafe or overwhelming, and there may be persistent difficulties in regulating emotions or maintaining a stable sense of self.

The Path to Healing

People who have experienced complex trauma often carry a deep sense of shame, helplessness, or fragmentation. The body, shaped by experiences of danger or neglect, may feel unfamiliar or unsafe to inhabit. Healing requires more than just processing memories—it involves rebuilding a safe connection to the body, cultivating self-compassion, and restoring trust in oneself and others.

A key part of recovery is learning to listen to and honor the body’s signals, allowing for the gradual release of tension and the gentle reclaiming of presence. Somatic practices like trauma-sensitive yoga can support this journey by fostering a safe, grounded, and compassionate relationship with one’s own body. Through these practices, it becomes possible to rebuild resilience, nurture self-empowerment, and find a way to live with greater ease and connection..

The Five underpinnings of Trauma Sensitive Yoga

  • You will always be invited to participate in every step of the practice. It is your choice whether you’d like to accept any invitation or not. As a facilitator, I only use language that is simple, specific, objective, and non-metaphorical. Phrases such as "if you wish to... support your choices and ability to take agency of your body.

  • You have complete control over what you do and do not do. I am here to offer safe, professional guidance that helps you focus on the experiences of moving, breathing, and resting. This helps develop agency and empowerment, and to learn to make choices that feel comfortable in your body. There are no "right" or "wrong" ways to experience a shape, you may be making a different choice to me.

  • During the session there are no hands on assists, no shapes are  better than other shapes and I as a facilitator, strive to shift the power dynamics to honour your choices.

    You‘ll never be asked to share your story, and you aren’t required to go into the history of your experience of trauma. However, you may need to be engaged in a talking relationship/therapy outside of the sessions (therapist, counsellor, GP, pastor/priest or social worker).

  • We both practice at the same time. You have a body and I have a body and we are sharing a practice of making individual choices and experiencing what it is like to be in our individual body. This becomes authentic as it is experienced in the present moment.

  • As we practice together, I notice felt body sensations and offer these as a choice for you to notice.  They may include; temperature, pressure, muscles engaging/stretching, tingling  or breath moving.  

What to expect from Virtual Sessions

In trauma-sensitive yoga, although we use physical forms and movements, the focus is never on getting it “right” or perfect. Instead, our attention turns inward, emphasizing the internal experience of the participant—known as interoception. This approach makes the practice accessible and welcoming to everyone, regardless of flexibility, experience, age, or gender.

Because there are no physical assists, the online environment fits seamlessly with this modality. You are always invited—never coerced—into each movement and posture. Together, we cultivate a practice that is both shared and deeply personal. Though we may be practicing from different parts of the world, we create a space where we are connected through movement and presence, experiencing our own bodies while knowing we are not alone.

Benefits of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Online

Practicing trauma-sensitive yoga online can help us:

• Reconnect to our bodies in a familiar, protective environment that feels safe.

• Develop a positive relationship between mind and body, fostering balance and harmony.

• Increase awareness of our internal, felt experience, promoting deeper self-understanding.

• Cultivate a sense of agency and empowerment, allowing us to move with intention and autonomy.

• Live in the present moment, breaking free from the grip of past trauma.

• Rebuild and strengthen our relationship with ourselves and others, in ways that feel authentic and safe.

This practice is about moving with intention rather than perfection, listening to your body rather than directing it, and creating a gentle space to explore and reconnect. Through this shared practice, we find a deeper sense of embodiment and safety, even from afar.

What to do next

If you would like to reach out to find out more about whether this therapy or I, would be the right fit for you.  Please click here to email. We could then arrange a time for a FREE 20min phone consultation

Cost

Individual sessions of 60mins including 45mins of practice and 15mins of orientation/sharing time.

£80 per session

£390 course of 6 sessions

Location

Online via Google Meetup