Your nervous system is responsible for how you feel on a moment by moment basis. If you’ve experienced trauma, it’s possible you’ve been facing an imbalance for weeks, months, or even years. I welcome you to join me in this post to discover simple ways to regain this balance.
15 Quick Yoga Tips To Heal Your Nervous System After Trauma
I welcome you to use this list as a buffet. You don’t need to do every tip for every class, but you can rotate these ideas, use them to inspire you own, or try the ones that truly speak to you.
This is all about your nervous system and what feels good in your body. Just because these tips are typically beneficial for regulating nervous systems, it’s okay if some don’t work for you. If anything, this proves how unique and individual we all are.
1. Create A Safe Atmosphere
This may seem obvious, but this goes further than basic safety. Have you gone to a public yoga class and felt tense? Or maybe you practiced outside and distractions kept you on edge.
I invite you to create an atmosphere to practice yoga where you feel safe, comfortable, and like you could see yourself being able to fully relax in your space. If you live with others and practice at home, this might mean asking those to respect your time alone in your yoga practice.
2. Add Essential Oils To Your Space
If you love natural scents, this is a great tip to promote deeper relaxation and tend to your nervous system. I welcome you to include scents you love the most. If you’re new to essential oils in your practice, then you might start with these:
- Chamomile. Beneficial for depression, stress, and anxiety.
- Lavender. Produces similar benefits to Chamomile
- Citrus. May ease anxiety symptoms
You also have an option to use yoga mat spray, incense, candles, wax melts, or any other scent that brings you the most comfort.
Related Post: The 5 Best Essential Oils For Meditation (And How To Use Them)
3. Brew Tea For A Cozier Practice
I recommend you drink tea before or after your practice. I’ve tried to drink tea and practice at the same time and it ended up frustrating me more than anything. If you’re like me and have tried and failed at this attempt, I welcome you to brew your tea right before or after your practice. This is also a chance to practice mindfulness with external sensations.
As you drink your tea, you might ask yourself questions like:
- How does the liquid feel on my tongue?
- What does this smell and taste like?
- What is the temperature of the cup in my hands?
- How does it feel as I swallow the liquid and it travels to my stomach?
- What other sensations do you notice?
The tea you enjoy most is what I recommend, but here are a few teas you may include:
Whatever your preference, I welcome you to add any tea or hot beverage you love to promote a more a calming, relaxing yoga class.
Related Post: The 6 Best Teas Before Yoga (Based On Your Favorite Class Style)
4. Journal
Journaling is a perfect way to transfer racing thoughts onto paper. If you wish to only journal about yoga, this is still a perfect way to notice trends in your practice. You might realize you prefer certain poses, breathwork, mudras, or other techniques over others. This will lead to a yoga class that resonates with you much more.
You are welcome to journal before or after your yoga session. You’ll enter your practice with a clear head, able to bring more attention to each pose.
I invite you to learn how to start a meditation journal in this blog post.
5. Bring A Person Or Pet Who Calms You
If you prefer to practice with others, this is a wonderful way to heal your nervous system after trauma. You may feel a greater sense of safety of comfort or safety which can support you in your yoga practice.
Personally, I love having my golden retriever, Gracie, join me for practices. She usually sleeps near me and seeing her being calm always makes me feel the same. I understand how lucky I am because other dogs have tried to play or lick me while practicing.
If you choose to have a pet, friend, family member or other join you, you may notice yourself feeling calmer.
6. Take The Right Yoga Class For You
There are certain types of yoga that may be more beneficial for regulation compared to others. There are several studies on yoga’s effects on trauma survivors. The one that is typically used in a classroom setting is Hatha yoga.
Hatha is a slower style of yoga that holds poses for a few breaths. Faster styles like vinyasa might activate your sympathetic nervous system. Other classes that are too slow, like yin or restorative, may leave you with too much stillness that can be triggering.
I welcome you to try a few styles, journal how each makes you feel after, and see how it goes. Your experience is always your best teacher. I welcome you to learn how to pick the right yoga style for you here.
There is also a certain method of teaching called trauma-informed yoga. This is specifically designed to teach yoga with extra precautions in place to prevent triggering individuals who may have experienced trauma. This blog post covers this style in great detail to see if this is something that would interest you and your practice.
7. Include Somatic Practices
According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, the word somatic is derived from the Greek word soma, meaning “living body.”
The theory behind somatics is you explore movements in your body to heal your mind. The most important piece to remember is that you focus on embodying the movements instead of following along mindlessly. Because of this, you are welcome to end your practice at any time.
You can combine somatic practices with your yoga practice to center before, during, and after your practice. You may even choose to do them as their own practice completely.
Below is an example of a somatic practice developed by Peter Levine, founder of Somatic Experiencing.
Sample Somatic Self-Hold Exercise:
- Begin in a comfortable position of your choice
- With your eyes opened or closed, I invite you to place either hand on your heart.
- As you’re ready, gently place your other hand on your forehead
- Take your time to settle into this posture, maybe softening any points of tension
- I invite you to notice the space in between your hands. How do you feel in this container? You may feel a shift, you may not.
- In your time, gently ease out of the practice.
8. Add Inversions To Your Yoga Practice
How Do Inversions Calm Your Nervous System? Inversions activate your baroreceptor reflex, the reflex involved with controlling your heart rate. This is linked to your parasympathetic nervous system which brings you from a fight or flight state to a calmer, more relaxed state. (Source)
When you hear the word, “inversion,” you may think you need to do headstands or complicated balances. An inversion simply means your heart is higher from the ground than your head.
Here are examples of inversions you may wish to explore:
- Child’s Pose
- Downward Dog
- Forward Fold
- Leg’s Up the Wall Pose
- Supported Bridge Pose
I welcome you to include these practices if they bring you a greater sense of calm in your body. It’s important that you feel comfortable in these poses and gently ease your way out of them to avoid lightheadedness. Inversions are not for everyone, so I recommend you speak with your medical care team to see if they’re right for your practice.
9. Explore Breathwork
Breathwork, or pranayama, is a yogic practice that uses your breath to produce a desired effect. You can energize, calm, balance and ground depending on the practice you choose.
A common practice to regulate your nervous system is simple diaphragmatic breathing. This study shows this type of breathing reduces stress in adults.
In your yoga class, you may hear cues for diaphragmatic breath as:
- Breathe into your belly
- Expand your belly
- Breathe into all four corners of your belly
I welcome you to add this to any yogic practice you prefer, knowing you can always opt out if you’d rather focus on other parts of your practice.
10. Meditate When You Choose
Meditation is a perfect way to heal your nervous system after trauma. The best part is there are much more styles of meditation available instead of the traditional seated, quiet style. I invite you to explore this blog post to learn trauma-informed meditations or how to cater your current practice to better suit your preferences.
You’re welcome to add a meditation practice before or after your yoga practice. You could even have your meditation be your practice for the day.
11. Complete A Body Scan For Tension Release
Body scans are a type of meditation that allows you to remove tension, ease racing thoughts, and become more in tune with your body.
Releasing tension can promote relaxation and a sense of calm, both beneficial for your nervous system. You may choose to complete them on your own, beginning with your feet and slowly imagining your body softening as you scan your body.
Times you may wish to practice body scans are:
- Before savasana
- Before meditation
- In bed before sleeping
- Before or after your yoga practice
12. Ground Using Your 5 Senses
Grounding with your five senses is a simple way to return to the present moment and promote relaxation.
Here are some questions you may ask yourself to ground anytime you wish:
- Sight: What do I see? What colors am I drawn to? Is there anything new I can notice?
- Smell: What do I smell? Is the air stale, sweet, savory?
- Taste: What do I taste? Is there any specific flavor I notice?
- Touch: What do I feel? How do my clothes feel against my skin? Can I feel the points of contact of my body with the surface supporting me? What is the temperature of my body?
- Hear: What do I hear? Is there a refrigerator hum nearby? Birds chirping outside? The sound of my breath?
I welcome you to use this practice anytime you choose. This is a versatile grounding tool to use in your yoga practice or in your daily life to return to your body and the present moment.
13. Incorporate Self-Massage
Self-massage is a gentle way to give yourself love and care, while releasing tension. I like to include self massage if I’m having a difficult time releasing tension with my thoughts.
Some places you may choose to massage during your yoga practice are:
- Jaw
- Soles of your feet in a yoga pose like butterfly
- Back of your neck
- Gently squeeze your eyebrows
- Anywhere else you choose!
I welcome you to listen to what your body might be craving. If you’re not sure, that’s okay. You don’t need to have a perfect answer every time. Simply asking yourself the question can create more mindfulness over time.
14. Prep For Deep Sleep
If you experience high stress levels, you may find it difficult to sleep. Lack of sleep may then cause more stress. This cycle can feed off each other, resulting in a stressed out, dysregulated nervous system.
Setting aside extra time for a mindful nighttime routine is a simple way to gain control back of your schedule. You may choose to add a calming nighttime yoga routine before bed to help manage insomnia, anxiety, and stress before bed.
15. Indulge In A Self-Care Bath After Your Practice
Have you ever taken a gentle yoga class followed by a warm, relaxing bath? This was my Sunday self-care routine for years, and it absolutely made a difference in my level of relaxation.
This study shows that immersion bathing (fully immersed in 104 degree warm water) improved “both physical and emotional aspects of quality of life.”
Self-care is important for managing your stress levels and showing yourself love. You may even add Epsom salts, a cup of tea, your favorite magazine, or calming music of your choice to your bath.
If you’re curious about self-care after trauma, I welcome you to read the deep dive into the eight different areas of self-care.
Overview
It may take some trial and error to discover the techniques that work best for you to heal your nervous system after trauma. I welcome you to send yourself grace, and to understand that sometimes the best course of action is to explore additional support options.
By incorporating these techniques into your yoga practice, you’ll discover the powerful effects of extra mindfulness. I wish you the best on your healing journey, and thank you for taking the time to read this post.
