Teaching Trauma-Informed Yoga

Many yoga teachers encounter students who suddenly leave class, freeze during certain poses, or react unexpectedly to touch or verbal cues. These responses often stem from trauma stored in the body, and standard teaching methods can accidentally trigger rather than heal.

This program focuses on understanding how trauma lives in the nervous system and shows up during physical practice. You'll learn to read subtle signs of dysregulation—shallow breathing, glazed eyes, muscle tension that doesn't release—and respond in ways that support rather than overwhelm.

What makes this approach different

Instead of avoiding challenging poses, you'll discover how to offer them with proper scaffolding. The curriculum covers specific language modifications that give students agency: replacing commands with invitations, offering options without overwhelming choice, and timing verbal cues to support rather than startle.

We examine common yoga practices through a trauma lens. Savasana, often considered restful, can be deeply activating for some students. You'll learn alternatives and modifications that honor individual nervous systems while maintaining class flow.

The technical side

Expect detailed work on reading body language, understanding the polyvagal theory as it applies to movement, and developing your own capacity to stay regulated when students struggle. We cover hands-on assists—when they help, when they harm, and how to ask for consent in ways that feel genuine rather than scripted.

The program includes reviewing video of actual teaching scenarios, practicing language modifications in small groups, and developing individualized approaches for common situations: panic during inversions, dissociation during floor work, or resistance to closing sequences.