Yoga for PTSD: Can Trauma-Informed Yoga Help You Heal?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can interrupt your day-to-day life. PTSD is when you feel distress after a traumatic event. It causes symptoms such as flashbacks, irritability, and a loss of interest in activities.

Psychotherapy is critical for treating PTSD. But healthy coping strategies can also help. For example, research suggests that trauma-informed yoga may help relieve symptoms of PTSD. This approach to the practice aims to reduce your body's responses, like anxiety, to traumatic or disturbing memories. Here's what the research says about yoga for PTSD. 

What is trauma-informed yoga? 

Trauma-informed yoga is a modified approach to the mind-body practice. Like traditional yoga, it can include poses, breathwork, and meditation. But it takes into account the needs of people who have experienced or witnessed trauma. It nurtures self-awareness to help you regulate your emotions. 

During traumatic situations, your nervous system releases stress chemicals. These chemicals put you in survival mode. If you have PTSD, reliving your trauma can trigger this fight, flight, or freeze response. Trauma-sensitive yoga can help you understand this response. It provides a supportive setting as you face difficult thoughts and feelings. 

During the practice, you are encouraged to notice thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations as you move. This increased awareness is designed to help you deal with lingering emotions. 

How does trauma-informed yoga for PTSD work? 

Yoga for PTSD prioritizes personal choice and empowerment. You move through yoga poses independently in an environment where you feel safe. And you can pause or stop whenever you want. 

Slowing your breath as you try poses can help you feel more connected to your body. This is important because people with PTSD have a tendency to dissociate. This is when a person disconnects from their thoughts, feelings, or surroundings. 

Trauma-informed yoga aims to: 

• Increase body awareness so that you feel more present and at ease

• Promote self-regulation to help you manage your thoughts and feelings in healthy ways

• Provide healthy coping strategies to help you feel more empowered 

Is trauma-informed yoga for PTSD effective? 

Trauma-informed yoga may help a range of people with PTSD. And it may reduce PTSD symptoms such as fear, helplessness, and reactivity. 

Researchers tested the practice in a small study. Women with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD completed a trauma-sensitive yoga program. The program significantly reduced their dissociative symptoms. But it’s worth noting that only 6 women finished the yoga program. So while the results are promising, there’s a need for more research. 

Healthcare professionals may suggest yoga in addition to treatments such as therapy and medication. The benefits of a trauma-informed practice may occur on and off the yoga mat. 

One small study specifically tested yoga as a complementary treatment. Women with PTSD from childhood abuse practiced trauma-informed yoga for 10 weeks in a parent study. Then,  researchers interviewed them to understand the effects. The women reported increased feelings of: 

• Compassion and self-acceptance 

• Mindfulness 

• Calm (less intrusive thoughts) 

• Empowerment and a sense of purpose 

• Connection to themselves and others 

Trauma-informed yoga has also been shown to improve PTSD symptoms in other groups, including:

• Sexual assault survivors 

• Veterans, including those who experienced sexual trauma

• Vulnerable populations, such as people who are incarcerated 

• Racial minorities with limited access to treatment for PTSD

How does trauma-informed yoga differ from typical yoga? 

Trauma-informed yoga differs from typical yoga in a few ways. Certified yoga instructors receive additional training to teach trauma-informed classes, for example. The goal is to learn how to create a safe space for people to explore uncomfortable sensations. 

Certain aspects of typical yoga classes may trigger PTSD symptoms. For example, physical touch can disturb people who have experienced sexual trauma. So trauma-informed instructors often guide students through poses without physical contact. 

In trauma-informed classes, you also have more time to notice how you respond to different movements. This might help you identify PTSD triggers and address them within your window of tolerance. The window of tolerance allows you to process your emotions in a healthy way. 

Your instructor will also take your individual needs into account. This may mean choosing specific:

• Physical poses

• Meditation practices

• Breathing exercises

• Language

• Room temperature, lighting, and music 

• Props, such as a blanket or pillow 

Although they’re different in many ways, you can get the same health benefits from yoga for PTSD as you can from typical yoga. Yoga for PTSD can increase flexibility, foster better sleep, and promote well-being. Exercising your mind, body, and spirit is the goal.

How to prepare for your first trauma-informed yoga class

You will use many of the same tools in trauma-informed yoga as you would in a typical yoga class. At the end of the day, it’s important that you feel as comfortable as possible. Here are some things you may want to have for your first class:

• Comfortable, breathable clothing

• Yoga mat 

• Weighted blanket 

• Bottle of water 

• Pillow

• Journal

• Tissues 

How to find certified trauma-informed yoga therapists near you

Trauma-informed yoga teachers do not need to be licensed psychologists. But they should be certified yoga therapists. These instructors receive additional training to teach individual or group trauma-sensitive classes. 

They might complete that training through programs like Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga. This program is part of the Center for Trauma and Embodiment at Justice Resource Institute. On its website, the program features a global directory of trauma-informed facilitators. You can search for instructors by identifiers such as:

• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ+)

• Black, Indigenous People, People of Color (BIPOC) 

• Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI)

• People with disabilities

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Jasmine Jackson

Jasmine has worked as a production editor, proofreader, and writer. She is a certified yoga instructor, aerial yoga instructor, and stretch therapist.

Edited by:

Lauren Savage, MA

Lauren Savage, MA, is a health editor at GoodRx, where she focuses on movement, exercise, and healthy aging. She aims to provide readers with the information they need to live healthier, more active lifestyles.

Reviewed by:

Christina Palmer, MD

Christina Palmer, MD, is a board-certified family physician with a focus on chronic care management, women’s health, and mental health. She’s the co-author of “Open Heart: When Open-Heart Surgery Becomes Your Best Option.”.

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