While it may seem simple, creating safety within our bodies can be a challenge for many sexual trauma survivors. One way to create more safety is to explore gentle yoga classes that cater to the unique needs of survivors, while providing the time and space to allow an embodied sense of safety to happen naturally on its own time.
To further support these types of classes, you might choose to explore these additional tips so you can have a more balanced practice as you embody the inherent right to feel safe after sexual trauma.
Safety is the root of all healing practices and movement allows us to show our bodies that we’re safe (instead of trying to logic our way to a feeling of safety)
The first chakra we balance is our muladhara chakra, the root chakra. This is known as our center for safety and security, and is how we feel supported in the world. Without a sense of safety, it’s difficult to balance any other chakra or parts of our body.
After sexual trauma, many survivors feel like their body is an unsafe place to be present in. We can gently return to ourselves with the support of a trauma-informed yoga practice and the unique techniques it offers.
7 Yoga Tips To Feel Safe After Sexual Trauma
I invite you to explore these options and use the ones that truly resonate with you. Not all techniques are meant for all people, and that’s okay. What brings you the most comfort and safety is always the best option.
1. Including props can increase comfort and even feelings of safety
A blanket is an accessible prop you most likely have around your house. This can give you plenty of options to explore, like:
- Wrap yourself to provide a container and extra comfort
- Use in poses that you enjoy but may want extra covering (cat/cow, puppy pose, or any other pose.)
- Include in trauma-informed savasana for an extra layer of protection and comfort
You could also explore using pillows or yoga bolster to increase comfort and allow for a more supportive experience.
2. Explore yoga practices that focus on your root chakra
As mentioned before, our root chakra is the energy center of safety. Below are a few ways to work with chakras in your practice:
- Breathwork
- Yoga Poses
- Meditations
- Mantras
Many sexual trauma survivors have an imbalanced root chakra, and I invite you to take all the time you need on this energy center. If you’re looking for how sexual trauma impacts all of your chakras (and more detailed guidance to find balance in your root chakra), I invite you to read this blog post.
3. Where we practice makes subtle, yet powerful differences
The type of yoga we practice is just as important as where we practice. If we feel tense and uncomfortable in studios, it’ll be much more difficult to explore techniques that bring us into a place of safety.
Here are some locations you may wish to explore:
- Studio
- Online with live calls
- Online with prerecorded video
- Outdoors (I invite you to learn how outdoor yoga can benefit your trauma healing journey in this blog post.)
There is no right or wrong answer to what brings you a sense of safety. You may also notice you change your preferences overtime as your practice continues to grow.
4. Include grounding and resourcing techniques for a stable foundation
Yoga offers many techniques to establish safety and to return to the present. Here are a few examples of different techniques you might explore in a trauma-informed yoga practice:
- Meditations
- Somatic techniques that focus on grounding and creating a safe container
- Breathwork (if you’re comfortable). Many techniques focus on elongating our breath or having our exhales be longer than inhales to calm our nervous system.
- Specific grounding yoga poses like tree pose, child’s pose, and forward fold.
One of the most supportive and widely used techniques for creating presence is called grounding. If we add resourcing along with this practice, we can create a solid foundation of inner safety. I welcome you to read this blog post to explore these two concepts in greater detail, as well as how to practice somatic yoga through a trauma-informed lens.
One of the above mentioned techniques for presence is meditation. You can explore any type you like, or maybe a trauma-informed version of a grounding meditation. I invite you to explore my free body scan meditation below to soften tension and ground into the present.
5. Explore yoga poses that support you
There are some poses that are not supportive for many survivors, and this is okay to experience. I invite a gentle reminder that you don’t need to do a pose just because the teacher offers it.
When we opt out of poses that we dislike, we’re creating room for a more embodied experience. Yoga is less about doing poses perfectly, and more about tuning into ourselves and becoming curious.
The more we allow ourselves to be seen and follow our own needs, we spend more time with a balanced nervous system. Overtime, we can actually reach this balanced state more easily.
6. Take as many breaks as you like
I welcome you to end your practice or take breaks at any time in your trauma-informed yoga practice. You always have full choice in your yoga classes. When we lessen the need to rush through, perfect, or strive, we make more time for rest and relaxation.
From this place, we can release more of what doesn’t serve us and make more room for softening into our practices.
7. Our practice can extend beyond just ourselves, and others can have an impact on our classes
As humans, who we interact with has a powerful influence over how we feel. You may have noticed that being near anxious people makes you anxious, or being near a calm person seems to leave you feeling more grounded. This isn’t always the case, but it’s still interesting to notice.
This is called emotional contagion, which this study explores. Even the most subtle body language from others can alter our emotional state. We can also experience co-regulation, which is when we’re near someone (or even a pet) that brings us comfort, and we soon start to feel comforted.
To bring this into your yoga practice, you might choose to practice with those that you truly enjoy being around or even practicing by yourself if that brings you the greatest sense of safety.
Overview
Creating safety after trauma is a trial and error process that may take time to discover. We’re all unique, and so our preferences for safety will also be unique. I welcome you to give yourself grace as you discover the techniques, classes, and ways of preparing your practice that best serve you.
Exploring safety with gentle trauma-informed classes
If you’re curious about exploring trauma-informed yoga, I welcome you to join my free, private library, the Cozy Corner. These classes focus on common themes experienced by sexual trauma survivors and includes topics like safety, grounding, trauma release, and embodiment. I invite you to learn more below!
