Trauma-Informed Yoga for Embodiment and Body Awareness: Gentle Practice for Sexual Trauma Survivors (Day 5)

Welcome to Day 5 of Embody & Bloom: The Foundation Yoga Series, exploring trauma-informed yoga for embodiment and body awareness. This is part of my trauma-informed yoga series designed to gently support sexual trauma survivors in reconnecting with their bodies through safety, presence, and choice.

If you like, I welcome you to explore the full series overview and all seven practices here: Embody & Bloom: Foundation Yoga Series.

If you’d like to explore opening your heart space which can be supportive for setting the foundation for embodiment practices, I welcome you to start with Day 4: Tend to Your Heart.

So far in this series, we’ve explored grounding, nervous system regulation, release, and opening. Now that we’ve spent time building this stable foundation, we can start to explore reconnecting with our bodies through embodiment.

Embodiment is asking the simple question: what does my body want, and how can I honor this?

This class moves gently and understands that embodiment can feel blurry if you feel like you’ve been disconnected from your body for a while. To support this, I’ll be giving you two options per pose. You can choose between either one, seeing which one your body is leaning toward more. You’re more than welcome to explore one, both, or none of the poses mentioned. This may seem simple, but this is how we can open the conversation with our bodies and see which pose would feel better in each moment.

What to Expect in This Trauma-Informed Yoga Practice

This 20-minute trauma-informed yoga practice supports embodiment and body awareness through gentle, choice-based movement, grounding, and rest.

We start today’s class seated with some gentle grounding. Before movement, I explain the class a little more in detail and we begin moving through the pose options. They are:

• Pose 1: Child’s pose or crocodile pose
• Pose 2: Cat/cow either seated or in tabletop
• Pose 3: Supine butterfly or constructive Rest
• Pose 4: Twist either supine or seated
• Pose 5: Knees to chest or seated self hug

When we explore two options and tune in to see which would feel more supportive, we allow a moment for ourselves to connect with our inner wisdom. Even if it feels subtle, or like we’re gently leaning toward one pose slightly more, this is how we start to open the door to deeper intuition and embodiment.

We’ll explore:

• Grounding (1:35)
  Like all classes in this series, we begin with gentle grounding to arrive in this moment, as well as connect with today’s class intention.
• Gentle Poses (Embodiment Practice) (4:05)
  This is when we explore several poses, choosing between the options listed above. You’re welcome to explore one, both, or a different shape altogether. 
• Savasana (15:00)
  We take time for deep rest in our first savasana of the series, choosing any version of rest that gives you the most comfort, and end the class seated.
• Closing (20:14)

Who This Practice Is For

This practice is supportive if you:

• Feel disconnected from your body
• Are beginning to rebuild body awareness
• Want a gentle, choice-based yoga class
• Feel unsure around what your body needs and wish to begin reconnecting with yourself
• Prefer slow, trauma-informed movement with rest

This is a trauma-informed yoga practice, meaning everything offered is optional. I welcome you to move slowly, pause when needed, and choose what feels most supportive for your body and nervous system. Props are not required, and this practice is suitable for all experience levels. There are no standing poses in this class. 

Trauma-Informed Yoga for Embodiment and Body Awareness (Day 5 Class)

If you’re ready to begin, I invite you to practice with me on YouTube below, or explore this class in my free private platform if you prefer a more supported, calm, and contained space to move through the classes. This is a gentle space for you to return to your body at your own pace and in your own time.