Yoga Techniques For Trauma Release: 6 Ways To Bring Relaxation To Your Entire Body

You may have heard about stored trauma in your hips and shoulders, but what about other parts of your body? This post gives you 6 yoga techniques for trauma release so you can identify, work with, and eventually release tension in these areas.

What Is A Trauma Release?

When people talk about trauma release, they mean they experience something beyond a physical tension release. After a trauma release, you may feel more relaxed, at ease, or have a greater sense of calm. You may notice you feel safer and more comfortable in your skin.

How does this happen? When you hold your body in a constant state of fight or flight, you may notice you hold tension in certain areas of your body. An example of this is if you hunch your shoulders. To fully release your shoulders, you need to feel safe. Your fight or flight will ease, then your tension release will soon follow with certain stretches, techniques or self massage.

In my personal experience, I’ve had trauma releases from my hips, shoulder, jaw, and feet. Sometimes, I’ve been able to feel the exact moment I ease tension in a certain area. It took time to get to that point, but by listening to my body and giving it the time it needed, I could release this tension.

How Do You Know Trauma Is Releasing From Your Body?

One of the best ways to know if there is a shift in your practice is to journal your emotional and physical state before and after your practice. You are welcome to skip any questions that ask about your emotional state.

 Example journal prompts for tension release:

• Do you feel more at ease afterwards?
• Does your body feel safe?
• Did you notice any tension release from certain areas? If so, where?
• Where are you emotionally?

I welcome you to answer these to your comfort level and skip anything you choose.

Your body is unique and so you may hold tension in some areas, where other people might hold it somewhere else completely. It’s important to focus on your own experiences so you can narrow in on where you hold the most tension. The more you get to know yourself and your body, the greater sense of empowerment you’ll experience in your practices.

Here are a few signs you’ve released trauma from your body:

• Less pain, tension, and stress
• Greater sense of wellbeing, calm and ease
• You notice yourself clenching or tightening less in your muscles
• Your natural breathing becomes longer (instead of short, choppy, or holding your breath)

You might notice changes from this list, or you could discover other changes. Your journaling practice will allow you to notice these subtle, yet powerful differences.

How Can You Make Your Practice More Effective?

Trauma work is deep, difficult work, so I welcome you to speak with your support team beforehand to see if this is a good fit for you.

If your care team recommends you explore trauma release yoga poses or exercises, then here are a few tips to make sure you’re setting yourself up for success.

• Create a safe environment
• Include a person or pet who calms you
• Start or end your practice with a grounding inversion (like legs up the wall or supported bridge pose)

I welcome you to read this blog post to read 15 ways to nurture your nervous system to promote healing and trauma release.

6 Yoga Techniques For Trauma Release: Your Full Body Guide

I welcome you to explore these yoga techniques for trauma release at your own pace, and to only include the strategies that work best for you. It’s okay if not every technique is your favorite. Your body and experiences are unique to you, and the ones that truly speak to you are the best ones to use.

Area: Head and Neck

Signs you may benefit from a trauma release:

•  Headaches
• Jaw tension
• Clenching your jaw

What to Do: Lion’s Breath Pranayama

Why this works: Lion’s breath stretches the muscles of your face and neck to relieve any stored tension. The added benefit of this breathwork practice is you release stress, energize, and build confidence.   

Steps:

1. Begin in a comfortable posture of your choice
   • If seated, I invite you to find a long, natural spine.
2. When you feel settled in, you may have the eyes open or closed as you focus on your third eye center (in between and slightly above your eyebrows). There is an option to send your gaze to that area on your exhale.
3. In your time, begin an inhale through your nose.
4. Before your exhale, I welcome you to open your mouth and stick out your tongue (like in the doctor’s office). Allow your tongue to stretch toward your chin.
5. When you are ready to exhale, you may do so with as much force as you feel comfortable. There is an option to make a ha sound as you exhale.
6. I invite you to breathe normally for a few moments before repeating steps 3 through 5.
7. When you are near the end of your practice, you have the option to breathe in any way that suits you for a few moments and to notice the effects.

Area: Throat

Signs you may benefit from a trauma release: 

• Lump in your throat
• Holding back a truth

What To Do: Cat/Cow

Why this works: Cat/Cow is typically used to warm up your spine, but you can also use this stretch to lengthen and stretch your throat.

Steps:

Cow Pose Steps:

1. I invite you to begin in a table top position with your wrists under your ankles and knees under your hip points. You may place a blanket under your knees for more comfort.
2. In your time, I welcome to explore dropping your belly and lifting your gaze. Lengthen your tailbone and crown toward the sky to your level of comfort, and expand your heart center by broadening your chest. You might explore engaging your core.
3. I welcome you to gaze forward, keeping length in the back of your neck (to prevent too much compression).
4. While in this shape, you may choose to bring your awareness to your throat. Without over-arching your neck, can you notice a gentle stretch here? How does it feel to hold the pose? You’re welcome to take a few rounds of cat/cow or explore cow pose for as long as you choose.
5. Traditionally, this is taught with an inhale, but you’re welcome to explore exhaling.

Cat Pose Steps:

1. As you switch your inhale/exhale, gently return to neutral table top, continuing to flow as you explore rounding your spine, drawing your navel toward your spine.
2. Perhaps you gaze between your knees, lengthening the crown of your head to the floor. I welcome you to separate your shoulders and draw your chin to your chest, going to your level of comfort. Can you notice your throat as you take a break here? How does your neck feel in this counter stretch?
3. I invite you to continue this flow of breath to movement for as many repetitions as you choose.

Area: Shoulders

Signs you may benefit from a trauma release:

• Neck or back pain
• Shoulders constantly hunched by your ears

What To Do: Gentle Yoga Stretches

• Eagle arms
• Thread the needle
• Forward fold

Why this works: Releasing your shoulders through gentle stretches brings awareness to this area and promotes the softening of tense muscles.

I welcome you to read this blog post for a more in-depth guide to releasing trauma from your shoulders.

Area: Stomach/ Diaphragm

Signs you may benefit from a trauma release:

• Constant tightness
• Digestive upset
• Constipation

What to do: Diaphragmatic breath

Why this works: You may breathe mostly into your chest, meaning your shoulders rise as you breathe. Breathing into your belly, or diaphragmatic breath, is a simple way to stretch and expand your belly, while stimulating your vagus nerve that awakens your rest and digest (parasympathetic) nervous system.

Steps:

1. Begin in a comfortable posture of your choice.
   • If seated, I invite you to find a long, natural spine.
   • Option: Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly.
2. With your eyes open or closed, I invite you to inhale through your nose or mouth. Breathe into your belly, ribs and lungs, expanding like a balloon.
3. When you choose to exhale, allow your breath to release naturally through your nose or mouth. You might explore imagining your tension fading with each breath. You have an option to contract your abdomen to release more air.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for as long as you choose, or for eight breaths.

Area: Legs & Hips

Signs you may benefit from a trauma release:

• You also have jaw tension (This source explains the correlation of your hip mobility and jaw tension.)
• Constant stress
• Lower back pain

What To Do: Reclined pigeon

Why This Works: This is a more accessible version of a single-legged pigeon and provides the same stretch for your hips. You release your hip, lower back, inner thigh and bring your attention inward. This can quiet your mind to release stress and jaw tension.

Steps:

1. From a comfortable lying down position, I invite you to bring both soles of your feet flat to the mat. In your time, cross your right ankle over your left knee.
2. You can either stay in this shape, or energetically think of pressing your right knee away from you (This prevents you from pressing on your knee to protect this area.)
3. You also have the option to gently grab behind your left thigh or shin, reeling in your legs closer to your chest.
4. You might explore pressing your low back into the mat, and keeping slight engagement in your right foot (flexing). I invite you to keep soft shoulders until you are ready to release.
5. Gently release in your time and repeat on the other side.

I invite you to read this blog post for three other effective poses for relieving hip tension after trauma.

Area: Feet

Signs you may benefit from a trauma release:

• Cramping
• Stiffness

Before Your Practice: Stiff feet could also be a sign of an underlying medical condition. I welcome you to connect with your care team to rule out any of these causes before practicing.

What To Do: Kneeling Foot stretch

Why this works: This foot stretch may appear like a simple pose, but looks are definitely deceiving! Many of us wear shoes or rarely stretch our feet. Overtime, your feet lose flexibility and become tense. This stretch gently stretches this area, releases tension, and could even bring up emotions. I invite you to pair this stretch with a self foot massage to soften your feet even more.

Steps:

1. I invite you to start in a kneeling position on your mat. You have the option to place a blanket under your knees for more comfort.
2. In your time, I welcome you to curl your toes under so your heels face up. Your pinky toe may not curl on its own, so you may choose to lift it from under your foot.
3. Gently lengthen your spine and bring your seat toward your heels.
4. You might immediately notice this stretch. If it’s too intense, you could explore placing a block or two underneath you, or sit back to your level of comfort
5. Remain here for as long as you choose, or for four to eight breaths.
6. In your time, gently ease out of the posture.
7. To release your feet from this pose, I welcome you to come forward to table top with your wrists under your shoulders and lightly tap the tops of your feet on the mat.

How To Make Your Practice More Balanced

You can find even more balance by working on your chakra system. This is a perfect way to focus on spiritual imbalances with physical tension.

An example of this is if you have tension in your stomach. This area, your solar plexus chakra, is the location of your boundary and power center. By working in this area, you’re able to release tension and do inner work on your boundaries.

I invite you to read how to find balance in your chakras after trauma for a well rounded, full body experience.

Overview

Using these yoga techniques for trauma release takes time and may or may not happen for each class. I recommend you set multiple goals to keep you motivated to return to your practice. I welcome you to remember: Just because you didn’t feel an amazing, life-changing trauma release doesn’t mean your practice wasn’t still beneficial. Showing up on your yoga mat is always a victory.

Self-care over the long term is where true progress happens. You’ll have trauma releases along the way, but more importantly, you’ll discover how powerful it is to prioritize yourself and your healing. Until next time, take care.