Overcoming Trauma through Yoga

by EMERSON, DAVIDHOPPER, ELIZABETH PHD

• ISBN13: 9781556439698
• ISBN10: 1556439695
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2011-04-19
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Summary

Survivors of trauma-whether from abuse, accident, or war-can end up profoundly wounded, betrayed by their body for failing to get them to safety and for causing them pain. In order to fully heal from trauma, a connection must be made with oneself, including oners"s body. The trauma-sensitive yoga described in this book expands beyond traditional talk therapies that only focus on the mind to bring the body into the healing process. This allows trauma survivors to cultivate a friendly relationship to their body through gentle breath, mindfulness, and movement practices. Yoga and Traumabegins with an in-depth description of trauma and PTSD, and moves on to the features and key themes of trauma-sensitive yoga, a modified yoga program developed by yoga teacher David Emerson and medical doctor Bessel van der Kolk. The book identifies the five areas that require modification in order for a class to be trauma-sensitive. Mindfulness, breathing, and yoga exercises that can be used by home practitioners, yoga teachers, and therapists are offered as a way to cultivate patience, tolerance, and an increased awareness of the self. Rounded out by valuable case stories, the book presents individual plans for working with different populations including military veterans, children, teenagers, and the elderly. An illustrated appendix shows specific trauma-sensitive yoga poses.

Author Biography

David Emerson is the director of yoga services at the Trauma Center (traumacenter.org). In 2003 he codesigned the Trauma Center Yoga Program that includes classes and teacher training programs. He lives in Cambridge, MA. Elizabeth Hopper, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in traumatic stress and works as the associate director of training at the Trauma Center. She lives in Somerville, MA.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Foreword	p. xiii
Introduction	p. xvii
Reclaiming Your Body	p. 1
Traumatic Stress	p. 9
A Brief History of Traumatic Stress and Trauma Treatment	p. 9
Historical Views on Mental Health Symptoms	p. 9
Link between Traumatic Events and Symptoms	p. 10
Veterans and Traumatic Stress	p. 12
Expansion of the Application of the PTSD Diagnosis	p. 13
Modern-Day Treatment Models for Post-traumatic Stress	p. 14
Complex Trauma and the Limitations of Available Treatment Models	p. 15
More Recent Treatments	p. 16
The Future of Trauma Treatment	p. 17
Trauma and the Survival Response	p. 18
The Impact of Trauma	p. 21
Yoga as Trauma Treatment	p. 23
Yoga	p. 25
The Origins of Yoga	p. 25
Yoga in the West	p. 28
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga	p. 35
The Need for Trauma-Sensitive Yoga	p. 35
Key Themes of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga	p. 39
Experiencing the Present Moment	p. 39
Making Choices	p. 43
Taking Effective Action	p. 50
Creating Rhythms	p. 52
For Survivors	p. 59
Developing a Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Practice	p. 59
An At-Home Practice	p. 62
For Clinicians	p. 91
Integrating Yoga-Based Practices into the Therapy Office	p. 91
Matching Yoga-Based Interventions to Goals	p. 95
Creating Present-Moment Focus	p. 97
Developing Mindfulness Skills	p. 98
Building Curiosity and Developing Tolerance for Experiencing Sensation	p. 99
Changing the Relationship with the Body	p. 100
Centering	p. 102
Grounding	p. 106
Building Affect-Regulation Skills	p. 107
Breathing Practices and Affect Regulation	p. 108
Practicing Choice	p. 109
Integrating Aspects of Experience	p. 111
Increasing Confidence	p. 112
Building Connection to Others	p. 114
Addressing Challenges in Introducing Yoga-Based Strategies into the Therapy Office	p. 116
For Yoga Teachers	p. 119
Building a Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Class	p. 119
Language	p. 120
Assists	p. 122
Teacher Qualities	p. 126
Environment	p. 128
Exercises	p. 130
Responding to Triggered Reactions in a Yoga Class	p. 134
Conclusions	p. 139
Notes	p. 143
Index	p. 153
About the Authors	p. 159
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