Yoga for Nervous System Regulation: 13 Min Gentle Trauma-Informed Practice for Stress Relief

This daily self care yoga practice is a gentle, trauma-informed routine to support your nervous system, release tension, and allow you to feel more calm and grounded. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, tired, or would like some gentle supportive movement, this practice gives you the time and space to tend to yourself. 

If you’d like to explore trauma-informed yoga for nervous system regulation, this class supports you as we find softness, release, and you can return to this every day, at any time that feels right for you.

Supporting our Nervous Systems Through Gentle Movement

Our nervous systems are constantly responding to the world around us, including stress, relationships, and daily life. If you’re a trauma survivor, you may have gone a long time with a nervous system on high alert, constantly feeling on edge. If you remain in this state without signaling rest or release to your body, it starts to signal it needs rest by feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. 

This isn’t a fault or something to “correct.” These are simply messages from your body that something needs tending to. When we honor our nervous system capacity, meaning that we rest when our bodies ask for it, and find supportive strategies during other states, we can regulate our bodies. 

This leads to feeling more settled and more able to handle daily stressors without feeling like any small inconvenience might send us into anger or shut down.

Gentle, trauma-informed movement is one way to support our nervous systems. When we slow down, breathe, and tend to our body with care, we create an environment where our nervous systems can begin to settle. It doesn’t need to be a long practice either, even a few moments can be enough to cause a gentle shift. 

I created this class to be something you can explore daily. It’s not meant to be another thing to check off a list, but a supportive class to return to anytime you like for a gentle reset. You’ll check in with your body, release tension, and send yourself comfort and care.

What to Expect in This Practice

This is a trauma informed yoga practice, which means everything I offer is just an invitation. You’re always welcome to move at your own pace, take breaks, skip anything that doesn’t feel supportive, or end early. There is no right or wrong way to arrive in this class. 

There are no props required, but you’re always welcome to include your own. This class is supportive for all experience levels and there are no standing postures. 

We’ll explore: 

• Arriving and settling (0:22) We’ll begin in a tabletop shape with a grounding stretch, then soften into child’s pose. You’ll have the option to reach to each side, creating a little space through your side body.
• Tension Release (4:30) We’ll move through cat/cow at any pace that feels supportive, with an invitation to explore intuitive movement. We’ll also explore a neck and shoulder release, as well as a chest expansion and gentle seated twists.
• Self Hug and grounding (12:20) We’ll end our class with an optional, gentle self hug to send ourselves care and comfort.
• Closing (13:15)

Who This Class Is For

This class may be supportive if you:

• Feel stressed, tensed, or beginning to feel overwhelmed
• Have tightness in your neck, shoulders, or chest
• Would like to start or deepen a daily self care routine for overall health and wellbeing
• Wish to feel a little more grounded and supported in your nervous system

Yoga for Nervous System Regulation (Free 13 Min Trauma-Informed Class) 

This 13 minute class is supportive for all-around self care and nervous system support and if you feel like exploring a feel-good, well rounded class. 

We’ll explore grounding, gentle movements, and tension release poses, tending to areas like your hips, side body, chest, neck, and shoulders. We’ll end with a self hug to send ourselves kindness before ending the class. 

There are no props required and this is supportive for all experience levels. If you’d like to care for your body, mind, and nervous system with a class you can do daily for gentle self care, I welcome you to join me below!