Healing More Than the Body
Addiction recovery is about more than breaking habits. It is about rebuilding trust with your own body and mind. For many, substance use begins as a way to manage pain, especially emotional pain rooted in trauma. What is trauma-informed yoga, and how can it support that process? This approach offers gentle movement and breathwork to help people in recovery manage stress, regulate emotions, and build lasting resilience.
Trauma-informed yoga helps people reconnect with themselves through breath, movement, and mindfulness. It offers a safe space to rebuild awareness and control without triggering past experiences.
So, what is trauma informed yoga, and why is it showing up in more recovery programs?
What Is Trauma-Informed Yoga?
Trauma-informed yoga is a therapeutic approach that focuses on safety, choice, and self-awareness. Unlike traditional yoga, it is not about achieving difficult poses. It is about helping people feel present in their own bodies without fear or judgment.
This practice is especially useful for individuals who have experienced trauma and are working through addiction recovery. The effects of trauma often include physical tension, emotional numbness, and a sense of disconnection from the body. These can make recovery more challenging.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Trauma-informed, or trauma-sensitive yoga, is not designed to take you back to the source of your pain. Its purpose is to help you become more aware of what’s going on in your body.”
Trauma-informed yoga uses gentle movement, breathwork, and grounding techniques. It encourages participants to notice their sensations and respond with compassion. This process helps restore trust in the body and supports emotional regulation, two key components of addiction recovery.
Learn more about trauma-informed yoga at Great Falls Wellness
Why Trauma and Addiction Often Go Together
Many people living with addiction have experienced trauma. Sometimes this trauma is linked to one major life event. Other times, it builds up gradually through ongoing stress, emotional neglect, or unstable environments.
Trauma can overload the nervous system. To cope, people may turn to substances to numb fear, sadness, or anxiety. Over time, this creates a pattern of dependence. Recovery involves not only breaking that pattern but also addressing the original pain underneath.
Trauma-informed yoga does not require verbal processing. Instead, it helps the nervous system calm down in a physical and nonverbal way. This makes it a powerful tool in addiction treatment, especially when combined with counseling and medical care.
What a Trauma-Informed Yoga Session Looks Like
Trauma-informed yoga classes are designed with intention. Teachers are trained to understand how trauma affects the body and mind. They avoid anything that could be overwhelming or triggering.
You might notice:
- Poses are presented as options, not instructions
- Language is supportive, not commanding
- No one is touched or adjusted without consent
- You are free to keep your eyes open
- You can pause or modify your practice at any time
The goal is to give you control over your experience. That sense of choice is essential for anyone healing from trauma and addiction. It helps rebuild a sense of agency that substances may have temporarily replaced.
In one-on-one sessions, instructors work closely with the individual to support their needs. These sessions may focus more deeply on breath, grounding techniques, and emotional regulation. In group settings, instructors take care to maintain physical spacing, avoid walking around the room, and stay attuned to the mood and comfort level of participants.
Heather’s Approach at Great Falls Wellness
At Great Falls Wellness, trauma-informed yoga therapist Heather Hagaman uses chairs and supportive props to meet clients exactly where they are. When people ask “What is trauma-informed yoga?” often it’s a question loaded with reservations. Many people in recovery believe they cannot do yoga because they picture it as something done on the floor or something that requires physical strength or mobility that may not be within reach for everyone. Heather helps shift that mindset by showing that yoga can happen in any position, at any pace, and with any body. Her approach reflects the true spirit of trauma-informed care.
Heather’s practice centers on learning how to befriend the body through self-care. She guides clients through three core ideas:
- I have a body, which means I notice my body and can locate it in time and space.
- I befriend my body by becoming interested and curious.
- I learn how to resource my body for self-regulation, using breath and movement to shift how I feel anywhere and anyplace.
Each session offers tools clients can carry with them beyond the studio. These tools are especially helpful for managing cravings, triggers, and flashbacks. Heather’s work helps clients in recovery reconnect with their bodies gently and safely, supporting their healing on every level.
Meditation and Yoga in Addiction Recovery
A recent peer-reviewed article titled “Meditation and Yoga in the Treatment of Addictive Disorders” reviews how meditation and yoga can support people in recovery. Research shows that mindfulness programs may help reduce cravings and negative emotions, while yoga practices such as hatha yoga can improve mood, lower stress, and enhance quality of life. Other approaches, including transcendental meditation and qigong, also show promise, though more study is needed. The authors conclude that meditation and yoga can be valuable additions to traditional addiction treatment.
This research supports what many in recovery have experienced firsthand. Mindfulness and movement practices provide emotional balance and physical relief that support long-term sobriety.
Why It Works in Recovery Settings
Trauma-informed yoga builds new coping skills. It gives people in recovery a way to deal with cravings, anxiety, and emotional discomfort without turning to substances.
Breathwork is central to this practice. It helps regulate the nervous system and create a sense of calm. Instructors might guide participants to lengthen their exhale to manage anxiety or deepen their inhale to energize the body. These small shifts can change how someone feels in just a few minutes.
Over time, trauma-informed yoga helps rewire the mind-body connection. It supports healing on a deeper level, helping participants feel safer in their bodies and more in control of their emotions. These benefits can make a significant difference in relapse prevention and emotional stability during early recovery.
Getting Started
If you are in recovery or supporting someone who is, trauma-informed yoga may be a helpful addition to your care plan. It is not a replacement for medical or clinical treatment, but it works well alongside it.
When looking for a program, choose instructors who are trained specifically in trauma-informed or trauma-sensitive yoga. Ask questions about their approach, like “What is trauma-informed yoga like at this facility?”. Make sure the environment feels calm and respectful.
If you are in the Great Falls area, we invite you to contact us to learn more. You can also explore our current offerings and programs focused on yoga therapy and recovery.
Final Thoughts
What is trauma-informed yoga, and how does it help addiction recovery? It is a movement and breath-based practice that rebuilds the connection between the body and mind. It creates safety where there was once fear, and awareness where there was once avoidance.
In the context of addiction treatment, it offers something unique. It teaches people how to manage discomfort without substances. It builds trust in the body, promotes emotional regulation, and supports long-term healing.
For anyone looking to strengthen their recovery, trauma-informed yoga can be a steady and supportive step forward.
References:
Mallik, D., Dingle, T., and Bowen, S. (2022). In I. Basu-Ray and D. Mehta (Eds.), The Principles and Practice of Yoga in Cardiovascular Medicine (pp. 267–277). Springer.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6913-2_22
