North Atlantic Books Overcoming Trauma through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body

I really appreciated reading this book. My journey to yoga has been jagged - I first tried Pilates classes, then 1:1 pilates and then other yoga classes that were too advanced and never felt right. Reading this book helped me understand many of the reasons why they weren't 'right.' One misguided teacher (of yoga) told me: you're not strong. I never went back to her or other classes. I found a yoga DVD on Amazon: Yoga for Absolute Beginners with Susan Fulton. It was just the right level, with a pleasant teacher. It may not be advertised as 'trauma-sensitive yoga' but it definitely helps. I've been doing it for a year now and feel so much stronger and more flexible. A lot of the fear I carried in my body is gone. I love this DVD and I loved reading this book. A gentle, self-caring way through life is what we all need. I hope you also feel validated reading this book.

Le he echado un vistazo por encima, estoy comprando poco a poco bastante material sobre yoga para mi Yoga Teacher Training y es imposible leerlo todo de golpe. El libro me parece lo que promete, es claro, fácil de entender y se centra mucho en el tema. creo que ha valido la pena comprarlo, estoy segura de que cuando lo termine no me arrepentiré.

It provides what the title says. Easy to read and follow, really helpful for people trying to help themselves overcome trauma. I highly recommend it. Makes you look at yoga the way yoga is intended to be practiced, not as a sports high energy sweat generating activity but as a source of healing and balance. Must read for any yoga instructor RM

Excellent book. Informative and thought provoking and an essential read for anyone wishing to teach yoga to trauma survivors. The book is also a helpful and sensitively written guide for trauma survivors wishing to inform themselves of the benefits of yoga in relation to their condition and the qualities they should look for in a suitable teacher.

Overcoming Trauma through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body by David Emerson and Elizabeth Hopper, PhD Reviewed by Dawn Hamilton, LFYP - 2 This concise book is a helpful and uplifting reference work for clinicians, yoga teachers as well as survivors of trauma. As a LifeForce Yoga Practitioner, I can say that the book is completely aligned with the compassionate guidance I received at LFYP training. Using recent discoveries in neuroscience as well as their own clinical experience at The Trauma Center, the authors clearly demonstrate that yoga, when adapted to the unique sensitivities of trauma survivors, can help them manage the debilitating onset of triggers in their daily lives, assisting them forward on their healing journey. Emerson and Hopper provide a good framework for understanding the deep impact of trauma on the entire human being, with profound and compassionate descriptions of PTSD and trauma. The book includes an informative history of the treatment of people affected by various forms of trauma, whether it be war, abuse, violence or accident, and the evolution of that treatment. They reveal new scientific research which shows our sense of selves is deeply anchored in a vital connection with our bodies. This tells us the wounds of trauma are held deep within the human body, and therefore to fully heal, treatment must include somatic elements. The intrinsic mind/body connection of yoga provides the practitioner with the vital link between wounds stuck inside the body and the deep healing needed. The authors do an excellent job distinguishing specific needs of trauma-sensitive yoga practitioners from other yogis by sharing case studies of trauma survivors bravely attending classes. They discuss the need to pace a trauma-sensitive yoga class slowly, the importance of creating a safe space to practice, careful attention to the words uttered by the yoga teacher, and whether or not to offer physical assists. They offer practical yoga exercises adapted to trauma survivors, including language for instructors emphasizing choice and empowering their students as collaborators. Overall, the book is a powerful addition to existing research which is now starting to concur that yoga can truly heal. For yoga teachers, it is invaluable for showing that all students are not the same, and that adapting your class just takes compassion, special care and knowledge, which this book provides. Clinicians will benefit by learning that yoga unlocks traumatized bodies, and because the practices are simple - and can easily be done in an office setting. . Although trauma survivors may have moments of discomfort and from time to time, strong emotions may surface as they read, Overcoming Trauma through Yoga offers something critical to their healing: hope.