Yoga for Difficult Emotions: 10 Min Trauma-Informed Practice to Gently Process Feelings

Exploring yoga for difficult emotions doesn’t have to mean sitting with overwhelm or needing to feel different after class. This 10-minute trauma-informed yoga practice creates a gentle container, allowing emotions to surface as much as you feel comfortable.

Maybe your emotions arrive in big waves, or maybe there’s uncertainty as to how to move through emotions just under the surface.

We’ll explore poses that allow you to turn toward yourself, creating a physical container for your emotions. When we combine this with rest and allowing ourselves to be present, we create an environment where emotions can either surface or feel a little more seen. 

You don’t need to have a big emotional release or feel a type of way after this class. Simply giving yourself a moment to honor the present moment is more than enough. Sometimes things are ready for a shift, sometimes they’re not. Both are completely welcome. 

I welcome you to include a blanket for a deeper sense of support, but you can skip this if you like. There are no other props and this is supportive for all levels. 

If you’d like to support moments when emotions feel a little heavy or difficult to manage, I welcome you to join me below.

What Does It Mean to Create a Container for Emotions?

A container in this practice means creating a sense of inner steadiness that allows emotions to surface without becoming overwhelming. It’s not meant to hide or push away anything, but to move through them from a grounded and supportive place.

We’ll create just enough rest and softness so that difficult or heavy emotions can be acknowledged without becoming too much to sit with. Emotions respond best when they sense we are supported enough to acknowledge them. I also offer a gentle reminder that you don’t need to “sit with” anything in this class if you’re not comfortable. This can be a simple moment to rest, connect with yourself, and simply be.

What to Expect in This Practice

This is a trauma-informed yoga practice, which means everything offered is an invitation. You are always welcome to move at your own pace, pause, rest, or skip anything that doesn’t feel right for your body, nervous system, or energy levels.

This practice is supportive for all experience levels and includes no standing postures. A blanket is welcome if you’d like to add a little more comfort, but this is optional and there are no other props in this class. I show additional options in the top right corner of the screen if you wish to include a bolster.

We’ll explore: 

• Grounding (0:40) We’ll begin by orienting ourselves into the present moment with a moment of seated grounding. 
• Gentle Poses for Difficult Emotions (2:10) We’ll move through poses like gently hugging your legs, forward fold, and child’s pose to build an inner container. These poses create a sense of being held, whether that’s by the floor, gravity, or yourself. 
• Yogi’s Choice and Self Hug (7:25) You can explore any restful pose of your choosing, allowing full permission to rest. After, we’ll come to a seat and spend a moment in a comforting shape of your choosing, or you might join me in a gentle self hug. This gives us a moment to be kind to ourselves, sending any supportive words inward.
• Closing (11:00) 

Who This Practice Is For

This class may be supportive if you:

• Are feeling overwhelmed by difficult or heavy emotions
• Wish to acknowledge your emotions in a gentle, supported class
• Prefer slow, low-to-the-ground movement with no standing postures
• Would like to honor emotions with no pressure to feel different after class

10 Min Yoga for Difficult Emotions (Trauma Informed Practice)

Tending to difficult emotions doesn’t have to mean resolving, “fixing”, or changing them. Sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is create a little more space to let emotions be present. 

If you’d like to create a gentle container, honor what you’re feeling, and offer yourself a moment of supportive self care, I welcome you to join me below!