Healing and hope through trauma-informed yoga initiatives
Imagine a space where the mind, body and spirit converge to heal deep-seated wounds. This is the transformative power of trauma-informed yoga. At Yoga For Good, we believe in the profound impact yoga can have on individuals recovering from trauma. Many of our previous grants have been dedicated to these remarkable efforts, empowering practitioners to make a meaningful impact.
“Trauma-sensitive yoga and Meditation teach awareness and mindfulness in a safe environment. Everyone is vulnerable to the effects of stress to some degree, and we are influenced positively or negatively by energy, depending on our own energy levels. If we experience feelings of separation and survival emotions, our body chemistry can become imbalanced, causing misalignment between the brain and heart, which in turn brings vulnerability.
Trauma-sensitive teaching is reassuring. Students become aware of their true state in the moment and respect the interaction between their mind, body and spirit. Curiosity fosters a stable focus on our thoughts and feelings. Ultimately, alignment with the heart brings peace, hope for recovery, healthy self-regulation and renewed purpose in life.” – Moira Gordon
Since inception, we’ve awarded 42 grants, many to those improving lives through trauma-informed yoga. This piece highlights the inspiring work of four past recipients, showcasing how yoga fosters hope and recovery. We’d like you to meet:
- Kitty Reddington from Kitty’s Yoga Spot – yoga therapy for long-term stress effects
- Sonia Brown Diaz from Yoga on the Inside – accessible yoga for vulnerable community members
- PremKranti Hollier – Trauma-informed yoga & emotional resilience for the frontlines
- Jessica Hobson – The Yoga Foundation, training for teachers in trauma-informed practice
Kitty Reddington
Kitty from Kitty’s Yoga Spot offers yoga therapy based on a holistic five-kosha model, focusing on the body, mind, emotions, higher self and sense of joy. Originally from the USA, Kitty has been in Australia for 11 years. She began her yoga teaching journey seven years ago and later completed her yoga therapy training. As a previous grant recipient, she has used her funding to provide free yoga therapy to individuals dealing with stress and anxiety.
Kitty appreciates that trauma-informed yoga therapy addresses a range of health issues holistically by considering all five layers. She recognises its value as a complementary therapy alongside other treatments, particularly for those facing long waitlists for mental health professionals.
Trauma-informed yoga involves an invitational approach that respects personal autonomy. Kitty applies this method with sensitivity, tuning into her clients’ experiences and allowing them to determine what feels right. This requires her to be highly attentive and adaptable.
“The job of a yoga therapist working alongside an individual is to figure out where the health issue is coming from, trying to identify the inconsistencies and the root cause.” – Kitty
Having learned through personal experience that body movement and connection with the nervous system through breath regulation help manage anxiety, Kitty is eager to share this with as many people as possible. While some aspects of her field may be confronting and there is always more to learn, she has seen many significant transformations over the years and loves it when clients begin to tune into their bodies, feel safe and explore their needs and boundaries.
Kitty’s Yoga For Good Grant has enabled her to help 20-30 individuals who might otherwise have been unable to afford or access yoga therapy. Her ultimate dream is to own a care farm, where she can combine yoga therapy with caring for rescue animals and engaging in farm activities.
PremKranti Counselling
PremKranti began practising yoga at 14 with her mother and has continued ever since. Now an experienced counsellor, she integrates trauma-informed yoga and psyche education into her therapeutic process.
Drawing from her own experiences and extensive study of experts like Peter Levine and Bessel van der Kolk, she has a profound understanding of how trauma impacts the body. PremKranti incorporates polyvagal theory and the nervous system response to trauma, viewing the process of enduring trauma as a way to develop strength and resilience.
Completing her yoga training at an ashram in Sydney, PremKranti approaches trauma-informed yoga with a deep commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment. Her classes are designed to be more informal than traditional yoga sessions, fostering open communication and interaction between teacher and students.
She prioritises physical safety, often adapting practices to individual needs, such as allowing students to keep their shoes on if it enhances their comfort. She also stresses the importance of remaining grounded in her work and being present for clients to avoid being triggered by things that may happen during sessions.
“So I really like to honour that in all of my trauma-informed work, the courage that it’s taken people to even open up to that sense of hope in themselves, that they can heal and they can transform themselves.” – PremKranti
PremKranti views her students as whole individuals, integrating their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing into her practice. She guides them towards greater resilience and self-awareness by normalising their responses to stress and trauma. One of her most memorable transformations was a young man in a mental health unit who initially resisted yoga but eventually embraced it. He continued practising, became her counselling client, and experienced significant improvements in confidence and outlook.
PremKranti used her Yoga for Good grant to offer customised yoga classes for frontline workers, accommodating their schedules and needs. The program’s success in alleviating anxiety and fostering connections has led to additional opportunities, including team-building sessions and therapeutic work.
In the future, PremKranti plans to merge trauma-informed yoga with community projects and creative fields like theatre and dance and explore its integration with creative arts therapy and internal family systems.
Sonia Brown Diaz
Sonia, founder and director of Yoga on the Inside, views trauma as events beyond one’s control and trauma-informed yoga as a method to regain that control. Having faced personal tragedy, she deeply understands the experience of losing and reclaiming control.
Yoga on the Inside provides trauma-informed yoga to underserved communities, including those impacted by domestic violence, low socioeconomic status and incarceration. Inspired by James Fox of the Prison Yoga Project, Sonia pursued specialised training for working with incarcerated populations. The approach uses invitational language to foster body reconnection and explore sensations and feelings.
It addresses trauma-related issues such as dissociation and emotional dysregulation through self-regulation and mindfulness techniques while ensuring accessibility with adaptable, secular methods.
Yoga on the Inside has conducted several grant-funded programs in collaboration with organisations such as the Triple Zero Foundation, Men’s Walk and Talk, Women’s and Girls Emergency Centre, and Safe Steps. These accessible, non-religious programs include modifications for various body types and mobility issues and have received excellent results and positive feedback.
Sonia acknowledges that some of the challenges and considerations in her field include the need for proper training and evaluation to ensure yoga teaches can effectively handle trauma-sensitive environments without causing harm. Additionally, she is committed to making yoga accessible and inclusive by addressing barriers such as cost and childcare.
“I think, for myself at least, this is not just trauma-informed yoga, but it’s bhakti yoga or karma yoga, which is the yoga of service or the yoga of devotion. It’s not a money-making scheme, you’re this as a service.” – Sonia Brown Diaz
Ongoing support, such as grants from Yoga For Good, is crucial for sustaining trauma-informed yoga programs. Research has established a strong evidence base for their benefits. Sonia’s future plans include continuing work with incarcerated populations and domestic violence organisations, introducing new initiatives for immigration detention centres, and expanding support to defence force personnel and their families with a focus on healing and recovery.
Jessica Hobson
Jessica Hobson and The Yoga Foundation are dedicated to providing trauma-informed yoga to highly vulnerable populations. Founded in 2009 by Dr Michael de Manincor, the foundation addresses the mental health benefits of yoga for those who lack access.
Dr de Manincor’s PhD research, focusing on yoga’s ability to reduce anxiety and depression, underpins their work, which has been refined through 14 years of evaluated programming. The Yoga Foundation offers support to various groups, including veterans, refugees, psychiatric patients, and those experiencing homelessness or recovering from violence and addiction.
At the Yoga Foundation, participants are briefed on the class structure in advance to reduce anxiety and build trust.
This approach empowers them to control their experience. Teachers respect boundaries by avoiding physical adjustments without consent and encourage participants to make choices throughout the session.
When asked to illustrate the transformational power of trauma-informed yoga, Jessica shared the story of Jane (name changed for privacy), who had survived severe childhood sexual and physical abuse and parental neglect.
“My mind and body are broken and I think yoga helps and heals me. Yoga helps me more than I ever imagined it could.”
Jane’s trauma had led to self-harm, drug use and a profound disconnection from her body to the point where she didn’t feel anything anymore. Attending yoga classes was a significant step for her, enabling the start of therapy to address her past trauma. Yoga has helped her regain a sense of safety and connection to her body. From initially being unable to lie down in class due to overwhelming anxiety, Jane now comfortably rests and relaxes, which is progress recognised as a big step by her mental health team.
Jessica highlights the gradual healing process and challenges with maintaining a regular practice as common difficulties. They address these by teaching self-practice techniques and encouraging brief, frequent sessions like two minutes of conscious breathing. Success is measured by participants effectively using these techniques to manage stress or flashbacks in their daily lives.
A previous grant from Yoga For Good allowed The Yoga Foundation to enhance its practice and expand its reach. It funded trauma training for its team and an evaluation project to better understand and address participant needs. In 2024-25, it will launch a new teacher training course, furthering its mission to support more individuals through trauma-informed yoga.
Connect with your true self through the transformative power of yoga
In looking at trauma-informed yoga through the stories of four of our previous grant recipients, one powerful theme stands out: empowerment.
By using invitational language and adapting to individual needs, trauma-informed yoga helps people regain control and find healing. Each journey highlights how important it is to create a compassionate, flexible space where individuals can reconnect with their strength and wellbeing and find courage in surviving trauma.
Connect with your true self on a regular basis by attending our free community classes.
For additional insights on trauma-informed yoga, as well as numerous other valuable lessons, explore our Yoga for Good Foundation articles.
Community yoga classes
We are passionate about sharing the joy of practising yoga and offering you an opportunity to connect with your true self on a regular basis.
View previous classes or book now for our next class.
Free
Tue, 22 Oct, 9am - 10am PST
Yoga for Good Community Class with Amy Brooks
Join Amy for a trauma-informed gentle flow Community Class with a particular focus on noticing internal sensations and making choices.
Amy Brooks is a qualified social worker, mental health clinician and yoga facilitator certified in Trauma Centre Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) based in the Shoalhaven, NSW. She has been practicing yoga for over a decade and passionately believes in its healing qualities for the mind and body, making it an effective adjunct therapy for mental health work. Amy completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Om Sweet Om Milton in 2022.
She is offering yoga classes to the community, combining her professional training and lived experience as a source of strength to guide others on their own journey towards recovery.
Free
9th November 2024 - 11:00am to 12:00pm
Suze Male - Transformative Yoga Community Class
Online Yoga Community Class Link
Join Suze from 42 Yoga for a transformative yoga class focused on balancing the sacral chakra, the centre of creativity and passion. She believes yoga is the key to body, mind wellness and healing. After practicing for many years and teacher training in Bali and India, she is using these skills with children’s and trauma-informed yoga.
Her new book, a yoga-for-kids adventure called Ursula the Roly Poly Unicorn, helps children develop strong self-esteem, through story and yoga as a positive and empowering tool.
In this class with gentle flows, breathwork and mindful practices, we will cultivate energy, release blockages, and ignite the creative spirit, as well as explore the profound connection between body, mind, and creative expression.
Free
22nd January 2025 - 12:00 to 1:00pm
Reetu Verma – Transformative Yoga Community Class
Online Yoga Community Class Link
Meeting ID: 859 1833 4994
Passcode: 171949
Join Reetu for an immersive meditation session into the depths of our energy centres. Nourish the systems of your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, ready for the year ahead. Be guided by her inspiring voice to relax into meditation and reconnect with and balance the subtle energies within.
Reetu Verma has 25 years of experience as an academic, teacher and coach, providing support, help and guidance to thousands of people from all walks of life from all over the globe.
During a traumatic near-death experience, she experienced pure light and pure love and embarked on a transformational, personal healing journey. Inspired and totally committed to making a positive difference in the lives of others, helping them on their healing journey to live a healthier, happier life.
She founded Healing, Health and Happiness to expanded her teachings of personal development, into finding life purpose and spiritual growth. Reetu has developed a systematic, practical approach to bring more harmony and a sense of joy into life.
Free
22nd October 2024 - 12:00 to 1:00pm, Tuesday
Amy Brooks – Trauma Informed Yoga Community Class
Online Yoga Community Class Link
Join Amy for a trauma-informed gentle flow Community Class with a particular focus on noticing internal sensations and making choices.
Amy Brooks is a qualified social worker, mental health clinician and yoga facilitator certified in Trauma Centre Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) based in the Shoalhaven, NSW. She has been practicing yoga for over a decade and passionately believes in its healing qualities for the mind and body, making it an effective adjunct therapy for mental health work. Amy completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Om Sweet Om Milton in 2022.
She is offering yoga classes to the community, combining her professional training and lived experience as a source of strength to guide others on their own journey towards recovery.
Testimonials
Our sole mission is to create opportunities to do good for others through yoga.
And we’re making an impact.
A huge thank you to the Yoga For Good Foundation...
…for their incredible contribution to our Life Now Yoga and meditation programs!
This generous donation will mean we can buy new yoga equipment, run a new yoga class in Broome, and enhance our meditation program for cancer patients and their primary carers.
Cancer Council Western AustraliaSending out gratitude to the Yoga for Good Foundation.
Their grant is enabling me to offer FREE trauma informed therapeutic movement and relaxation to frontline mental health and social services staff in Bega.
Participants are really valuing the time out for themselves and experiencing integrated poly vagal theory. And I get to be in a teaching space, yay!
PremKranti CounsellingThe generous grant we've been awarded from the Yoga For Good Foundation...
…allows us to reach more underserved and vulnerable community groups who can benefit from a trauma-informed yoga and embodied mindfulness practice at zero cost to the participants.
Some of the community groups we’ll be serving in the current months include 000 Foundation, Men’s Walk and Talk and WAGEC.
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