Introduction
Unpleasant memories, negative feelings, and thoughts characterize PTSD. Usually, these PTSD is treated with medications and counseling, where people go through the memories during each session, and some trauma symptoms recur. With the help of an instructor, meditation helps people handle the negative emotions provoked through counseling, as mindfulness of yoga helps draw attention to sensation and breathing.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma usually does not have to be a significant incident in someone's life. It may be a minor, gradual incident that slowly flows into a person without their knowledge, and a saturation point reaches when the person realizes that they are not doing good. During trauma, the pathway to the brain gets disconnected; this is where people are in a state of loss of words during therapy sessions, which is considered a response to trauma.
How Does Yoga Have an Impact on Trauma?
When people talk about trauma, they address it as a historical event long ago. But in the actual scenario, trauma is a residue of the past that gets settled in the person’s body. When people are traumatized, they worry about their physical sensations, their breathing gets shallow, and they get afraid of their feelings. Yoga dramatically helps to calm down the breathing pattern, which can reduce stress levels. Yoga helps to open up to the feeling of every sensation.
What Are the Responses to Trauma?
There are two varieties of trauma:
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Physical Response to Trauma-
People who withstand painful events may deal with increased heart rate, fatigue, poor concentration, and panic attacks. In addition, the physical response may occur unannounced.
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Emotional Response to Trauma-
Emotional or mental responses to trauma include stress, depression, guilt, shame, and denial of the unpleasant incident.
The help of yoga provides proper emotional support, without which the person may lose the happiness and ability to let out their inner struggles. In addition, yoga helps to heal physical and mental health.
What Are the Benefits of Yoga in the Case of Trauma?
Yoga helps people to deal with trauma in various ways. Besides medications and therapy, yoga is one best solutions to handle trauma. The benefits of yoga are:
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Reduced post-traumatic symptoms and trauma responses.
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Lower anxiety, stress, and depression.
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Better sleep quality.
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Good emotional regulation.
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A better body and mental awareness.
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Improved concentration and attention.
What Is a Better Yoga for Trauma?
There are a lot of yoga postures and asanas that have their benefits. However, no one can suggest any particular yoga for any health conditions. There is no particular yoga to deal with trauma hence yoga should be personalized for each person depending on their needs and goals. A combination of body-based and mind-based yoga can lead to holistic healing.
Some Yoga Can Help With Trauma:
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Yoga Nidra for body awareness and brain regulation.
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Restorative yoga for stress reduction and body and mind relaxation.
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Yin yoga enhances meditation, breathing, and stress reduction.
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Somatic yoga to improve mindfulness and awareness.
What Are the Yoga Poses for Trauma?
No specific yoga poses are to be performed by a traumatized person. Helping someone survive trauma to heal through yoga asanas includes maintaining their right to choose by showing them the asanas to practice. Finally, the person decides whether to perform it or not. Many trauma survivors find relief after practicing yoga asanas, meditation, and breathing techniques.
To perform proper postures, asanas, and technique, the person affected by trauma should seek help from a yoga instructor or trainer, where the instructor guides the person through the process and give the right to choose what and what not to be done to the person.
Few yoga postures are recommended for traumatized people to perform, but in the end, the choice is theirs. They are
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Mountain posture.
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Warrior I.
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Warrior II.
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Eagle posture.
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Staff posture.
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Savasana.
What Are the Roles of a Yoga Therapist?
The prominent role of a yoga therapist dealing with a traumatized person is to build a strong feeling of support, encouragement, and opportunity to heal. Some expectations are:
1. Should Create a Safe Space:
The therapist should create a space where the uncertainties are lowered, and the student ensures the therapist is a trusted instructor. This can be accomplished by acknowledging the client and throwing positive remarks, which makes them feel supported and valued.
2. Bringing Sensitivity:
The therapist should remember any phrase or action that might trigger the traumatized person. This includes asking the person to perform specific actions or postures or using any word that may trigger them.
3. Should Build a Community:
A community should be built so that people understand one another's struggles, which helps them to rely on themselves during difficult times.
4. Should Remain Patient:
A yoga therapist can only help the traumatized person stay patient throughout the healing process.
The Do’s of a Yoga Therapist:
1. Enquire About the Student’s Needs:
Every student has their own needs and preferences, like sessions with bright or dim lights and the choice of song to be played; these are the pathways to create a safe environment.
2. Recommend Poses as Invitations:
When a person is taught about different postures and asanas, it should be invitational rather than in a respected voice. The choice of what and what not to be done should always be the student's choice.
3. There Should Be Non-judgemental Behavior:
Everyone has their own experience of trauma. Therefore, the yoga session should be free of shame, where the client should feel supported and safe and not fear judgment.
4. Build Confidence:
When people experience difficult emotions, it is advisable to follow up with a practice that improves, stabilizes, and builds confidence. In the long run, the person empowers to change themselves.
The Do Not’s of the Yoga Therapist:
1. Do Not Use Physical Contact With the Client:
Avoid physical contact with the traumatized person at any cost; verbal recommendations are advisable. Any way of physical contact may trigger the client about any physical or sexual assault.
2. Do Not Try Mental Therapy:
If the client seems very disturbed mentally, they should recommend to a licensed mental health professional. However, a yoga therapist should not try to take the role of a mental health therapist.
Conclusion
Trauma is a condition that a majority of the population goes through. Usually, traumatized people are treated with medications and therapy. Yoga significantly treats traumatized people by improving their mental state by reducing stress and pressure. There is no specific yoga or asanas to be performed by people. Instead, the yoga postures are to be customized according to the person. At no point in yoga therapy, the traumatized person is commanded or forced to do some postures or use any words; instead, they are guided through the process, and the clients make the decision. Therefore, yoga seems to be a better choice to overcome trauma in the long run.
