Trauma-Informed Yoga for Nervous System Safety: Gentle Grounding Practice for Sexual Trauma Survivors (Day 1)

Welcome to Day 1 of Embody & Bloom: The Foundation Yoga Series. This is a trauma-informed yoga series designed to gently support sexual trauma survivors in reconnecting with their body 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.

This practice is a gentle introduction to trauma-informed yoga for nervous system safety, reconnecting you with your body through grounding, softness, and rest.

Before we explore any deeper work, it’s important to establish a stable, supportive place to return to. Honoring your nervous system is the foundation of any body-based healing practice, and so we’ll move gently, slowly, and allow moments of rest.

Whether you feel agitated and unsettled, or feel depleted and exhausted, this class offers a gentle way to regulate and restore balance in your way and in your own time. If you feel restless, I offer a gentle reminder that stillness is not required in these classes, you are more than welcome to fidget or move in any way that feels supportive. 

What to Expect in This Trauma-Informed Yoga Practice

This 20-minute trauma-informed yoga class supports nervous system regulation through grounding, gentle movement, and restorative rest. We begin every class in this series with grounding to arrive in a supported state.

We’ll explore:

• Grounding and self hug (1:20)
  We start with gentle grounding, which is how we’ll begin all the classes in this series. Then, we’ll create comfort in our bodies with a self hug.
• Gentle Movement (5:20)
  Next, we’ll move into gentle movement to release tension and stress. We’ll explore neck rolls, shoulder rolls, seated cat/cow, and some intuitive movement.
• Supportive Rest (10:20)
  We’ll find deep, supportive rest in poses like child’s pose, supine twist, and a constructive rest pose or any restful pose that brings you the most comfort. 
• Grounding (19:20)
  We’ll end with a few more moments of grounding so you can return to your day from a supported place.
• Closing (20:30)

Who This Trauma-Informed Yoga Practice Is For

This practice is supportive if you:

• Feel anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected from your body
• Feel restless, shutdown, or exhausted
• Want a gentle yoga practice to explore
• Are beginning or returning to somatic or body-based healing

This is a trauma informed yoga practice, which means everything I offer is optional. I welcome you to move at your own pace and explore the poses in a way that feels right for your nervous system, body, and energy levels.

There are no props required and this class is supportive for all experience levels. There are no standing postures in this practice.  

20 Min Trauma-Informed Yoga for Nervous System Safety (Day 1)

This class isn’t about changing how you feel but about finding comfort and balance as well as taking time to tend to yourself. When we meet ourselves where we are and send gentle compassion, we can naturally make space for our bodies to settle, ground, and feel more supported. This class is truly about doing less, and resting more. However you choose to arrive to this class is perfect.

You’re welcome to practice with me on YouTube below, or explore this series 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.