What is Trauma-Informed Yoga?

Trauma-Informed Yoga is the active practice by instructor that helps to create a safe environment through the use of:

  • Positive language choices; offers instead of use of “don’t do this or that”
    (Ex: "Engage the lower half of your body allowing yourself to pull closer to the sky” vs “Don’t let your body be heavy…”)

  • Offer use of Yes/No cards only visible to instructor; instructor offers hands-on adjustments only when Yes is
    flipped up, of which can be changed at any point in time for attendees

  • Sharing with attendees that instructor will be in their space through ask or physical cues such as rubbing of
    hands indicating moving into their space

  • Offer of more levels of instruction to help with attendees of various levels

  • Carefully curated music choices

  • Voice ‘temperature’ choices

  • Eliminating certain yoga positions as part of practice that may cause attendees to feel more vulnerable such as
    Happy Baby, but if attendees feel comfortable to be in these positions, they are always welcome; yoga is for the attendee and for no one else in the room. Each attendee is in the room with a different background, story,
    diverse being and will be celebrated.

What are the benefits of
Trauma-Informed Yoga?

It offers a safe space to anyone who feels intimidated, nervous, unsure, about yoga, movement or being in a general space where movement is involved. Yoga can help release a multitude of emotions potentially leaving you feeling vulnerable. Trauma-Informed Yoga helps to provide the support and space you may need, or didn’t know you needed, in order to work through what is being brought to your mind.

Many of us that thrive in the alternative culture don’t always have the healthiest ways in which to work through and process certain emotions.

Twelve Petals Yoga aims to help be a place in which you feel you can process these emotions amongst your peers and those in the space with you.

Can you still be triggered in Trauma-informed Yoga?

The answer is yes. Why is it yes? Because anyone can do their best to help create a safe, warm, welcoming environment, but what if the sound of the yoga instructor’s voice reminded them of someone from the past? Or the smell of the new cleaning product reminds them of someone or something.


Trauma-Informed Yoga aims to do its best to help, you, the attendees to be given a space to practice, but the reality is, you may still experience an emotional reaction, but it is our duty to work through this as best as we can.