” Trauma victims cannot recover until they become familiar with and befriend the sensations in their bodies. Being frightened means that you live in a body that is always on guard. Angry people live in angry bodies. The bodies of child-abuse victims are tense and defensive until they find a way to relax and feel safe. In order to change, people need to become aware of their sensations and the way that their bodies interact with the world around them.

Physical self-awareness is the first step in releasing the tyranny of the past. “

Bessel van der Kolk, the author of The Body Keeps the Score

Yoga & Meditation

“Yoga was a more effective treatment for PTSD than any of the drugs we have studied.” Bessel van der Kolk

Why yoga for trauma? “When you slow down your breathing with yoga, you can increase your heart rate variability, and that decreases stress. Yoga opens you up to feeling every aspect of your body’s sensations. It’s a gentle, safe way for people to befriend their bodies, where the trauma of the past is stored.” Bessel van der Kolk

Yoga is an ancient school of life.

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word ‘yoke’ which means to unify, to connect two elements together.

All yoga practices, regardless of the style, are based on the common teachings: to connect to the Self with compassion so that we can relate to other people and the world around us in a compassionate and conscious way.

Practising yoga means to practice compassionate attunement that gradually brings  into one’s life more balance, self-knowledge and self-awareness.

There are many benefits of practising yoga that are scientifically researched and proven.

Here are listed just some of the them:

  • yoga may help with stress relief, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, etc.
  • yoga helps improve flexibility, balance, concentration, correct posture and breathing
  • yoga teaches how to develop a better relationship to the body by being more present, attentive and mindful
  • yogic practices provide various breathing techniques that learn how to breathe calmly and consciously
  • you get to see how different movements and different postures affect you
  • it helps to develop a deep relationship with the body’s internal sensory system

 

‘Yoga is the Journey of the Self, Through the Self, To the Self.’

— The Bhagavad Gita

" For those habituated to high level of internal stress since early childhood, it is the absence of stress that creates unease, evoking boredom and a sense of meaninglessness. "

Gabor Mate

Before taking up a yoga class, it is important to choose the right type of yoga, the right teacher and the right environment so you can fully experience the benefits of yoga practice. Especially if you are highly sensitive, you may want to consider, before joining, a couple of things that may bring a feeling of unsafety in a yoga class:

  • the class is large and people are close together
  • you’re touched without being asked
  • the instructor dresses in revealing clothes
  • students are singled out with compliments & criticisms
  • students are expected to wear tight ‘yoga’ clothing
  • although variations are offered, instruction is commanding in tone, rather than invitational
  • the use of certain words is triggering and evoke unpleasant memories
  • there is little understanding of the triggering or dissociative potential of yoga props eg. straps and blocks

Nowadays there are plenty of different yoga styles, delivered online and in person, and you may want to try and discover couple of them until you find the one that feels right for you. 

The yogic practice with me

I offer two types of yogic practices: one that is more dynamic Kundalini Yoga and one that is very gentle, calming and relaxing. Both practices are for everyone and for all levels: beginners, intermediate and advanced. The focus in the practice that I offer is on the internal experience and noticing the sensations in the body as they arrive when experiencing various movements, postures and ways of breathing.

Kundalini Yoga

is a unique practice and its combination provides an opportunity to release physical and emotional tension stored in the body. Kundalini Yoga is one of the very few practices in this world that provides a space to release intense emotions of anger, fear, frustration and to allow the transformation that often brings a feeling of inner bliss and joy. Kundalini yoga is also known as the Yoga of Awareness, also the noisy yoga, and it is a school of life for mind, body and soul. Its focus is on self-awareness and connection to the life force energy ‘kundalini’ which everyone has and which is the true essence of the human existence. Kundalini Yoga is a means to better understand yourself and to change one’s own destiny for the better.

Gentle Yoga for the Nervous System

This practice involves gentle yogic movements that help open and stretch the body and relax the mind. It can be beneficial especially when feeling stressed, tensed, anxious or dysregulated. This practice is about simple postures, exercises and breathing techniques designed to calm the nervous system, the mind and to bring balance and release the stresses and tensions that the body stores. The end effect of the SLOW yoga is to bring a state of deep relaxation and harmony to the whole body and peace to the mind.

What is a Gong Bath?

It is a form of meditation and a passive experience where the listener simply lays down and lets the sounds wash over them – hence the term ‘gong bath’. It has been described as a sonic massage as the body and mind responds to the sounds and vibrations. There is nothing to learn, no skills to acquire, so for people who find it hard to switch off or meditate, the gong may be an ideal experience. The sound of a gong helps the brain reach deep relaxation – specifically the delta and theta brain wave states, which are the slowest brain waves in humans. We tend to reach these states during daydreaming or deep sleep, and they are known to aid relaxation, creativity and natural healing.

Feel free to began the journey of befriending your body with me.

You can choose to join an online group or private sessions

I also offer private yoga, meditation and gong baths

for individuals and small groups in the comfort of your own space.

Please get in touch for availability and bespoke services.

CONTACT ME