For anyone seeking to treat trauma, anxiety, depression, or trauma release the variety of therapies out there can feel quite overwhelming.
In this blog, I’m breaking down:
How Yoga Therapy can help you manage trauma, anxiety, depression and trauma release.
The benefits of somatic healing exercises.
How to choose a qualified Yoga Therapist.
I used to feel so overwhelmed when it comes to finding a Therapist for my needs.
So many questions came up:
How do I know what form of therapy is best for my needs?
How can I trust them?
And what about online therapy, is it as effective?
I used to experience anxiety, depression, period health issues, and feelings of low self-worth. I was open to working on these things but clueless on what form of therapy and healing to choose. So I tried everything including medication, talk therapy (psychotherapy), yoga, and meditation.
I discovered that my healing required an approach which focused on mental, emotional, and physical wellness all at once.
The challenge I found with talk therapy (psychotherapy) is that I wasn’t at a stage of being able to even use language to express how I was feeling. I needed to simply feel and be in my body.
Did you know that the area of the brain responsible for language can shut down when people get close to the story of their trauma?
This explains why I wasn’t having much success in my talk therapy sessions.
Once I started a body-centred therapy (yoga therapy), I was able to just feel and notice how my breathing, body tension, and thoughts were affecting my wellbeing. From here, my physical and mental health began to improve.
For example: If you’re experiencing anxiety, this is felt in the mind and also in your body. Physical symptoms include:
An elevated sympathetic nervous system sensitivity.
Decreased parasympathetic nervous system.
Decreased heart rate variability.
So, while talk therapy is wonderful for mental health, your body also requires holistic practices that stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system and heart rate variability.
This is where body-centred therapy comes in as a powerful approach to healing a range of issues: anxiety, depression, chronic pain, stress, pelvic health, trauma, and more.
Talk therapy (psychotherapy) treats the mind, while body-centred therapy - such as somatic therapy and yoga therapy - treat the mind, body, and spirit.
What Is Yoga Therapy | Somatic Healing?
There are so many different types of somatic therapy out there. I’m sharing insights on: Yoga Therapy.
Somatic Therapy is “a treatment focusing on the body and how emotions appear within the body." "Somatic therapies posit that our body holds and expresses experiences and emotions, and traumatic events or unresolved emotional issues can become 'trapped' inside." Says Amanda Baker, director of the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders | Clinical psychologist in the department of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (Harvard Health article)
Yoga Therapy specifically applies research-backed yoga tools including:
postures,
breathwork,
meditation techniques,
inner awareness exercises,
and more
…to address physical, mental, and emotional needs. You might think of yoga as just a physical practice all about stretching or movement? But Yoga Therapy is quite a different offering.
Yoga Therapy draws on a combination of therapeutic somatic-based techniques to help you become more mindful of your body, emotions, habits, and thoughts.
These therapy sessions are gentle and trauma-informed. A private space for you to feel seen and heard as you navigate your journey to feeling you best.
What happens inside a private yoga therapy session?
A certified yoga therapist helps clients release emotional and physical tension in their body using various mind-body techniques such as yoga nidra, breathwork, body awareness, guided meditation, affirmations, asanas, and inner-awareness exercises.
A client might book a private yoga therapy session with a wellness goal to treat trauma, chronic pain, or mental health. A session with a yoga therapist might include a mix of:
Physical practices such as breathing techniques for nervous system regulation and heart rate variability and stretches to release tensions within nerves and muscles.
Emotional/mental health practices such as journal tracking and affirmations to build inner-awareness to one’s own thoughts, feelings, and emotions surrounding their illness.
Spiritual practices such as guided meditations and Yoga Nidra to reduce stress, boost mindfulness, and balance hormones.
Ultimately, the client is provided with active-healing tools so they can self-regulate their illness or challenge during the session and from home.
A Yoga Therapist will provide the client with a small at-home program (typically 10 minutes long) which allows them to do the practices from home on a consistent basis.
When it comes to healing, success lies in the commitment to a consistent daily practice (for mind, body, and spirit) to reduce symptoms.
Clients receive research-backed somatic exercises that are shown to regulate the nervous system, balance hormones, release tensions, and modify any non-serving thought patterns or habits. Clients gain a greater sense of self-control to manage responses to various stimuli.
What are the somatic healing exercises explored in private yoga therapy?
There are so many! But one powerful breathwork is the Bhramari Pranayama (also known as the humming-bee breathing technique) is very soothing. Research shows that it effectively stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, helps reduce heart rate and blood pressure (Pramanik et al., 2010).
Another study shows that Bhramari Pranayama elicits neurological activity involved in mental processes such as attention, working memory, learning, and conscious perception. (from AJNA Yoga)
Who May Benefit From Yoga Therapy and Somatic Healing?
Just about anyone can benefit from Yoga Therapy, in fact,
“Recent research has pointed to somatic therapy as being effective when used as a treatment for trauma and/or post-traumatic stress disorder”
(Forbes Health Article: www.forbes.com/health/mind/somatic-therapy)
People of all ages and identities can greatly benefit from private yoga therapy. It supports a vast range of physical and mental health issues including:
Depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem issues.
Trauma
Chronic pain and fatigue,
Period cramps, irregularity, heavy bleeding, PCOS, endometriosis
Fertility awareness
Pre/post natal support
Cysts, fibroids, yeast infection,
Deepening connection to body and mindfulness
…and more.
What to Look for in a Yoga Therapist?
If you’ve searched online, you may find yourself inundated with the amount of healers, teachers, and practitioners. But how can you trust them? Healing can not happen when you don’t feel safe and choosing the wrong practitioner is common.
Here’s a few things to look for:
Is your Yoga Therapist licensed? For example: The International Association of Yoga Therapists provides a C-IAYT certification to all registered practitioners.
Has your Yoga Therapist completed trauma-informed training? The languaging and sensitivity of your chosen therapist makes a major difference to creating that safe space for healing.
What school did the Yoga Therapist study with? Don’t be afraid to ask and then research the reputation of the school.
Check their reviews: Take a look at the Therapists Google and/or Facebook reviews to hear feedback from real clients and build your consensus.
Bottom Line:
If you’re someone seeking support for trauma release, anxiety, depression, or just ready to feel more mindful and present, yoga therapy is an approach that you might love. Although it’s not mainstream just yet, it's definitely increasing in popularity as the benefits of mindfulness and yoga are researched and books such as ‘The body keeps the score’ are widely known.
The benefits of yoga therapy are studied, and can be applied to a range of ages, identities, and experiences.
Discovering the link between your emotions, thoughts, and how this affects your body and vice versa is incredibly empowering for everyone.
Next Steps:
If you’re ready to explore private online Yoga Therapy, you’re invited to book a free 20-minute consultation. Find out if it’s a perfect fit for your needs.
Thanks and sending you big healing blessings,
Joss Frank | Yoga Therapist C-IAYT
Joss Frank
Hi! I’m Joss Frank, founder of Wild Womb. I understand how womb and body healing ignites when you look within for guidance because I self-healed from my painful periods, depression, anxiety, sexual assault, emotional and physical abuse… after years of failed efforts to feel better about myself. My failed efforts led to a revelation that true healing comes from within and it requires loving community.
Today, as a Yoga Therapist in my practicum, I help people with womb and body healing so they can reclaim their feminine power, LOVE their sacred feminine bodies, and feel more confident.
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