When treating a client who has suffered from interpersonal trauma-whether chronic childhood abuse or domestic violence, for example-talk therapy isn't always the most effective course. For these individuals, the trauma and its effects are so entrenched, so complex, that reducing their experience to a set of symptoms or suggesting a change in cognitive frame or behavioural pattern ignores a very basic but critical player: the body. In cases of complex trauma, mental health professionals largely agree that the body itself contains and manifests much of the suffering-self hatred, shame and fear. Take, for example, a woman who experienced years of childhood sexual abuse and, though very successful in her professional life, has periods of not being able to feel her limbs, sensing an overall disconnection from her very physical being. Reorienting clients to their bodies and building their "body sense" can be the very key to unlocking their pain and building a path toward healing. Based on research studies conducted at the renowned Trauma Center in Brookline, Massachusetts, this book presents the successful intervention known as Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSY), an evidence-based programme for traumatised clients that helps them to reconnect to their bodies in a safe, deliberate way.

Survivors of trauma--whether abuse, accidents, or war--can end up profoundly wounded, betrayed by their bodies that failed to get them to safety and that are a source of pain. In order to fully heal from trauma, a connection must be made with oneself, including one's body. The trauma-sensitive yoga described in this book moves beyond traditional talk therapies that focus on the mind, by bringing the body actively into the healing process. This allows trauma survivors to cultivate a more positive relationship to their body through gentle breath, mindfulness, and movement practices.
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Overcoming Trauma through Yoga "is a book for survivors, clinicians, and yoga instructors who are interested in mind/body healing. It introduces trauma-sensitive yoga, a modified approach to yoga developed in collaboration between yoga teachers and clinicians at the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute, led by yoga teacher David Emerson, along with medical doctor Bessel van der Kolk. The book begins with an in-depth description of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including a description of how trauma is held in the body and the need for body-based treatment. It offers a brief history of yoga, describes various styles of yoga commonly found in Western practice, and identifies four key themes of trauma-sensitive yoga. Chair-based exercises are described that can be incorporated into individual or group therapy, targeting specific treatment goals, and modifications are offered for mat-based yoga classes. Each exercise includes trauma-sensitive language to introduce the practice, as well as photographs to illustrate the poses. The practices have been offered to a wide range of individuals and groups, including men and women, teens, returning veterans, and others. Rounded out by valuable quotes and case stories, the book presents mindfulness, breathing, and yoga exercises that can be used by home practitioners, yoga teachers, and therapists as a way to cultivate awareness, tolerance, and an increased acceptance of the self.

Traumatic events are more than a narrative or singular event in a person's life; the body remembers traumatic events and can experience them over and over, even after many years have passed. This book shows how trauma-sensitive yoga can be used in individual therapy and in groups to overcome trauma, by calming the nervous system and helping people to come out of dissociative states. The book also shows teachers how to detect when certain postures trigger anxiety, and offers ways to support healing in general yoga classes. Drawing on her experience as both trauma therapist and yoga teacher, the author focuses on the body-mind connection and presents asanas and breathing exercises that can help traumatised patients re-engage and take control of their bodies.