A trauma healing yoga practice provides you with tools, practices, and opportunities to create safety in your body. Another way to receive more benefits is with a healthy yoga mindset. I welcome you to join me and explore gentle shifts in your practice.
5 Yoga Mindset Shifts For Deeper Healing
These are options to explore and are meant for you to notice your inner dialogue. I’m not here to tell you how to think or control any part of your practice. You’re always the one in charge and can take or leave whatever you like.
Mindset Shift #1: Embrace Imperfection
If you’re like me, you need everything to be perfect. This is actually a common symptom among trauma survivors (source), so it makes sense why you’d also want every pose, technique, and offering in your class to also be perfect.
I welcome you to start small in your practice. Trauma-informed yoga invites you to explore what feels best in your body, not demanding perfect alignment in your practice.
I invite you to explore shifting your focus to your level of comfort, and not your level of perfection. This becomes easier over time, and will allow for a more embodied practice.
Mindset Shift #2: Challenge Your All-Or-None Thinking
Do you feel you need to do an hour of yoga or none at all? Maybe you only do a pose if you know you can do it, and if you stumble on a balance, you think you’re just not meant for them.
I’ve had days where I felt like a complete hypocrite because I only practiced a few minutes a day of yoga – sometimes not at all.
There is no time limit requirement to be considered a yogi. Even though you’re not on the mat, you can still do quick techniques that make a difference.
Examples are:
- Deep breathing
- Moment of grounding
- Notice your five senses for a mindfulness break
- Gentle seated twist
These little moments of yoga are still yoga. You don’t need to do an hour every day all the time. Your healing journey is tough as it is, and your yoga practice is not meant to cause more stress. Your mat will always be ready when you are.
When you eliminate your all-or-none thinking, you allow room for more exploration and grace in your practice.
Mindset Shift #3: Think Of Your Practice As Constantly Evolving
You may think you’ll reach a point when every pose and technique makes you feel the same way. Our practices are always changing, which may seem frustrating at first. But with yoga, there is no end goal.
When you discover there is no end goal, you embrace each day as its own. You’ll go easier on yourself when something that used to excite you now bores you, or doesn’t ground you in the same way.
Just like in life, the journey is the goal.
Mindset Shift #4: Remove The Need To Be A Shining Example Of A Yogi
You don’t need to change everything about yourself because you practice yoga. You can just do the parts that speak to you. If you don’t like chakras, incense, spirituality, or any other aspects of yoga, you can leave it out.
Here’s a short list of what I don’t include in my practices: Incense, chanting, headstand, music.
Why does this matter? There is a common stereotype about yoga teachers and students and how we’re these peaceful beings who float through bendy postures and have it all figured out. This is nothing more than a stereotype, and you’re not doing anything wrong if you don’t feel like you fit that mold (I certainly don’t.)
This may make you feel like you’re not that type of person and avoid yoga altogether. You don’t need to become something you’re not to be a yoga student. If you can’t touch your toes, still eat meat, and doom scroll occasionally, you’re doing just fine (promise!)
Mindset Shift #5: Ask Supportive Questions
Here is one yoga mindset shift that is simple but absolutely transforms your class. Asking the right questions will allow you to step more into the role of the observer and into your body.
You’ll also naturally remove judgment because you’re switching from judging how things should be, and meeting yourself where you are.
Here are a few examples:
- Am I doing this right? — Is this feeling right?
- How do I know if this is working? — Do I notice any shifts (no matter how small?)
- How do I be more intuitive here? — If I could do one thing to make this more comfortable, what would it be?
- Why am I feeling so tired today? — Would it be beneficial for me to end this practice or maybe take a restful pose for the rest of class?
When you make these small shifts in your questioning, you’ll be surprised how you become more in tune with your body. The more you do this, the more your mind and body connection strengthen.
Supportive questions remove judgment and give you space to explore your practice. You don’t need to do this perfectly, but the effort is what matters.
I welcome you to incorporate this in your time and when it feels right for you.
Overview
Your mindset is a powerful tool in your trauma healing yoga practice. With that said, it’s not everything. I understand how frustrating it is to hear as a trauma survivor, “just be more positive.”
I invite you to go easy on yourself and know you can reach out to additional support any time you choose. You are worthy of support.
Take care.
