Trauma Informed Yoga

Transcript

hi my name is hannah and i am a certified trauma-informed yoga teacher this style of yoga was specifically designed for individuals needing to support their nervous system as they recover from trauma and ptsd so let's get started i invite you to find a comfortable seated position either on the floor or on a chair you design i encourage a lot of autonomy and free will in these classes as it is always your body your choice and you can alter or modify the postures to suit whatever that you need in this particular moment so when you're ready when you're situated i invite you to bring some awareness to your seat beginning to notice the weight of your body sinking down into the floor into what is supporting you option to take the eyes closed or leave them open depending on what is most comfortable for you taking the awareness a little bit deeper knowing that you are supported you are held you are safe taking a moment to set an intention for your practice if you would like to work with an intention my intention for today is i am safe in my body you are free to use this intention or you could create your own an intention is like a focal point for our minds as we go through our practice what do you need more of in this moment when you've created your intention you could take a breath in to set that intention exhaling allowing it to settle in option to place one hand over the heart one hand over the belly as we begin to shift our awareness into the breath beginning to notice the natural rhythm how is your breath moving right now without changing it without altering it what does the natural rhythm of your breath look like one more inhale and one more exhale with your next breath in you could start to take an even deeper breath in through the nose and out of the nose beginning to switch up from your natural breathing into a more intentional breathing as you inhale taking the breath down into the belly noticing that the belly can press the hand away just a little bit as it expands with air moving the breath up through the ribs and up through the chest noticing that the chest lifts a little bit with your inhale slow exhale back out let's take two more breaths just like that inhale through the nose allowing the exhales to be long and slow after your last breath you could release the hands down away from the heart and the belly bringing them to the tops of your legs you could set your palms face down or up but however you place them begin to bring some awareness to the weight of your hands resting on your legs noticing the warmth who just seeing the sensation of placing them there with your next inhale i invite you to take five sun breaths with me as we inhale reaching our arms up toward the ceiling bringing the palms of the hands together or you could keep them separate and exhale drawing the palms down through the heart center until we release them again inhaling up exhaling down we'll take three more working at your own pace there's no rush allowing your breaths to be exactly what you need them to be last one pausing here if you would like with the hands at heart center taking a moment to notice the shift if any might be small it might be big and at your own pace releasing the hands again inhaling them up and this time i invite you to release the right hand down to the mat reaching the left arm over finding a stretch in the left side body you could turn your gaze down toward your right hand you could keep the neck neutral staying straight ahead or you could turn it up toward the left arm you choose it's absolutely your choice for one more breath and when you're ready inhale reach the right arm back up and exhale find it on the other side noticing that this side could be different it might need something different than the previous side one more breath and with your inhale beginning to find your way back up to center at your own pace and again i welcome you to place the hands on the knees or the legs as we begin to find some neck opening shapes so inhaling at center and on your exhale i invite you to drop the right ear over to the right shoulder using the inhale to come back to center and exhaling over to the other side if it feels best for you to take fluid movement like this i invite you to use your breath to move from side to side if it feels best for you to find prolonged stillness on one side before shifting to the other that is absolutely an option you choose what is best for you in this moment and take it for two more breaths two more inhales two more exhales and then we'll meet back at center taking another breath in option to begin lowering the chin down toward the chest allowing the head to rest here allowing the muscles to soften noticing the stretch that you're feeling it could be in the back of the neck could be in the base of the skull or maybe even in between the shoulder blades inhaling the head back up when you are ready to and then beginning to find some some self massage for the neck so you could use one hand at a time or maybe both at the same time beginning to gently massage the shoulders and the neck working at your own pace showing your body some love for one more breath and then releasing the hands down back to the lap at your own pace finding a nice tall spine here beginning to reach the back of the head up toward the ceiling and i welcome you to inhale the arms up overhead as we begin to find a twist taking the right shoulder back left shoulder forward placing the front hand on the knee placing the back hand possibly on the floor back behind you remember that you have complete freedom and choice to modify these postures however they feel most comfortable to you you could place the hands on different services different areas you could take the twist deeper or even a little bit more shallow depending on what you need for one more breath and with your exhale you could begin to unravel the spine coming back to center and again finding that nice tall spine inhaling the arms up exhale finding your twist left shoulder can go back the right shoulder can come forward finding hand placements where it feels best to you for one more breath and unraveling the spine coming back to center if your legs are crossed and you're beginning to feel some tension or maybe your foot's falling asleep like mine is you could stretch the legs out in front of you you could point and flex the toes if you like or maybe even roll one ankle and then the other beginning to move through the feet and the legs at your own discretion maybe even adding a light gentle massage with legs and when you are ready to you could cross your legs and this time maybe maybe crossing them the opposite way that you had before or the awkward way if you would like to coming back into our seated position or if there is another seated position that you would prefer at this point in our practice please take it beginning to tune back into the breath beginning to bring that intention you said the beginning of class to mind as we take another breath into it repeating the intention to yourself as if it already is it has already come to pass it is already here and you are living it currently i invite you into taking three uh three three part breaths with me so we'll do three of a three part breath practice and the three parts are belly ribs chest if this does not feel comfortable or welcoming to the body at this time feel free to just take three normal breaths so option to place the hands on the legs or you could come back to placing one hand on the chest one hand on the belly taking a breath in when you are ready to empty all of the air out of the belly out of the lungs and with your next inhale filling your belly with air moving your breath up into the ribs even allowing the ribs to expand a little bit up into the very tip tip top part of the lung until you're ready to exhale you could allow the exhale to be longer a little bit slower than your inhale taking your time let's take two more inhaling through the nose the biggest breath you've taken all day fill the lungs up and slow exhale out taking your time there's no rush this is your practice this is your body last breath bringing the hands to heart center if you would like to taking one more breath to seal up your practice remembering that you can come back to this sensation this feeling at any time and pausing just for one more moment to notice the shifts in the body noticing the heart rate noticing the breath noticing the overall feeling of the body coming back to that weighted sensation noticing what is supporting your body noticing the weight pressing down into the floor or the chair and then inhaling the eyes back open at your own pace thank you so much for practicing with me today