Trauma Informed Yoga Archives - The Anxious Ladybug

Yoga has shown to have tons of benefits for whole body health! But what about depression? Multiple studies have shown that yoga for depression is effective in reducing the symptoms and increasing daily energy.

As a trauma informed yoga teacher and mental health therapist, I love teaching yoga to clients as a tool to help aid in their depression recovery. This post is ALL about yoga for depression.

Ragdoll (Uttanasana)

Ragdoll is great for depression because it helps to increase circulation and decompress your spine. Because depression typically causes you to slow down, tighten up, and reduce movement, this pose can help to counter those effects.

To get into ragdoll, start in a standing forward fold, with a slight bend to your knees. You’ll want the fold to come from your waist and not your upper back. The goal isn’t to touch your toes! Just fold as much as is comfortable. Once there, grab for opposite elbows and just let yourself hang upside down for 20 to 30 seconds before slowly rising back up.

A variation of this pose would be to lean your back side against a wall before folding over to help with balance.

Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Yoga for depression is also helpful when trying to get grounded. Depression can cause you to feel dissociated or out of touch with reality. Child’s pose helps you to feel centered to the Earth underneath you. This pose can be an active one or a resting, post based on what you need.

For child’s pose, start by sitting back on your heels. You can have your knees together or on opposite sides of the mat (or floor if you don’t have a mat). Next, crawl your hands forward until your forehead rests on the mat. While here, take some long breathes, noticing the feeling of your body on the ground. Hold for several rounds of breath.

A variation of this pose is to have a bolster or pillow between your heels and sits bones if sitting on your heels feels uncomfortable.

Reclined Butterfly (Baddha Konasana)

For many, depression and stress are stored in the hips. Reclined butterfly pose helps to open up the hips and release tension in the lower back. Similar to child’s pose, being in a reclined position can help ground you to the Earth.

To get into reclined butterfly, start in a seated position, placing the bottoms of your feet to touch, knees pointed opposite directions. Slowly lower yourself back until you are resting on the floor. Allow gravity to slowly bring your knees closer to the floor. Hold for 8 to 10 rounds of breath.

A variation of this pose is to place blocks of pillows under your knees and/or lean back onto a large pillow or bolsters. You will want to feel some tension, but not pain. If you have a hip injury, avoid this pose.

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Similar to ragdoll, downdog is good yoga for depression because it helps to increase blood flow, but it also activates the legs and arms in a different way. Again, depression causes your body to go into shut down mode, so waking up your body and muscles is key to recovery.

To get into down dog, start in a standing position. Forward fold, placing your hands on the floor. Step both feet back and lift your hips up and back. Press your heels toward the floor and push away from your hands.

If your hamstrings and calves are uncomfortably tight, feel free to bend your knees a bit or pedal your feet.

Cat and Cow (Marjariasana and Bitilasana)

These two poses, when combined become a great yoga for depression sequence. Matching breath to movement can help regulate your nervous system as well as energize your body. Cat and cow also help to release tension in the spine and move lymphatic fluid through the body.

For cow pose, begin on all fours, with hands beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips. Drop your belly toward the floor, lifting your chin and tailbone so there is a slight downward curve in your spine, pulling your chest through your arms.

Afterward, move into cat pose, arching your back the opposite direction, tucking your chin to your chest and tailbone under. Repeat this sequence 10 to 12 times, breathing in during cow and breathing out during cat.

Extended Hand to Big Toe and Warrior 3 (Utthita Hasta Padangustasana to Virabhadrasana III)

Similar to cat and cow, combining extended hand to big toe and warrior three is a rhythmic and physically activating sequence. This sequence requires a little bit more movement and muscle activation, as well as balance, which can be helpful in centering you to present day.

To get into extended hand to big toe, start in a standing position, bringing your knee to your chest. Grab around your big toe with your peace fingers and straighten your leg as much is as comfortable in front of you. A variation of this would be to just hold your knee to your chest.

Next, bring your extended leg back to center and then straighten it out behind you, moving your torso horizontal to the Earth. Stretch your arms out in front of you or behind you into airplane arms. Keep moving back and forth between these for several breaths, focusing on balance.

Sun Salutations

Okay, so this isn’t a pose, but a series of poses that helps to warm up the body and match breath to movement. This series is great for increased circulation, increased immune system functioning, and regulating the nervous system, all of which are worsened by depression.

There are a couple of variations to sun salutations, but a basic sequence is Mountain pose (standing) with arms reaching to the sky, forward fold, halfway lift with hands on shins (straighten your back, but don’t stand all the way up), forward fold, step back to high plank, chaturanga (lower yourself to the floor, knees can be up or down), cobra (lift chest and head off the floor with low back) or upward facing dog (push into the floor straightening your arms), downward facing dog, repeat. Watch a video of this sequence here.

Do this sequence 2-3 times until your body feels alert.

Begin Practicing Yoga for Depression Today!

Doing some (or all) or these poses daily will help to reactivate your body and mind, ground you to the present, and improve overall physical and mental functioning. Click here for a short yoga video to help with depression.

I hope this was helpful in learning about yoga for depression!

How does Trauma Informed Yoga Help?

If you’ve experienced trauma, you’re likely experiencing some lasting effects, like anxiety, tension, hypervigilance or discomfort with being in your body.

Most trauma therapy focuses on the cognitive pieces of trauma, helping you to re-tell your story and process the memories and beliefs associated with the trauma.

Trauma informed yoga, however, can help treat the physical elements of trauma. When someone experiences trauma, their body often goes into a protective response, creating tension in the body, adjusting breathing patterns, and changing the way the body uses energy. Over time, these responses can be detrimental to the body, causing fatigue, digestive issues, weakening the immune system, and chronic pain. (Click here to read more about how anxiety works in the body.)

These symptoms can be treated or alleviated with the physical practice of trauma informed yoga, which centers on breathwork, movement, and choice.

Breath and Movement

If you’ve experienced trauma or have chronic anxiety, you’ve probably noticed changes in the way you breathe. Maybe your breathing is shorter, it’s difficult to take a deep breath, or you feel like your breath is out of sync with your body.

Our breath and heartrate are directly linked. If your heart rate goes up due to movement or exercise, your breath will quicken, and as you rest, your heart rate and breath will go down. However, for people who have experienced trauma, this natural heart rate variability (HRV) can get out of sync. This would make sense of the sensations that you might be experiencing when trying to regulate your own breath.

Trauma informed yoga focus on matching breath and movement. Breathe in, raise your arms up. Breathe out, melt your arms back down. Matching breath and movement repetitively can help regulate your HRV, allowing you to have more control of your body. (Click here for a video on Breath and Movement.)

Creating Choice

Another important aspect of any trauma treatment is choice. Whenever you experience a traumatic event, you lose an element of control or power. Learning your power, what’s in your control, and making choices are helpful toward overcoming the past experience.

In trauma informed yoga, there are lots of choices! Maybe the choice is to rest when you’re feeling tired, maybe the choice is moving your body into a more comfortable position, or maybe the choice is to try a more complex pose. Being allowed these options in your body is important, because it help you to consider how often you have power and control over your own body, creating connection and safety within yourself.

A trauma informed yoga teacher will use different language than you might find in a standard yoga class. Language should be more inviting and choice-centered. For example, “You might notice how your body feels in this pose when you lean further to the right,” or “Maybe you place your foot on the ground, maybe you lift it in front of you.”

Creating a Safe Space

Additionally, with trauma, there is typically a loss of safety. Even living in your own body can seem unsafe, with unpredictable anxiety and feeling a loss of control. In trauma informed yoga, there will be an intention to create a safe space. The teacher will be mindful to reduce potential triggers, such as not having music or covering up any mirrors.

Another way that trauma informed yoga differs from standard yoga is with physical touch or assists. In trauma informed yoga, there will not be physical touch, as this could activate someone’s trauma triggers. Instead, the yoga teacher might offer verbal cues to allow you to adjust to a safer position.

Releasing Stored Trauma

Lastly, there could be benefit in releasing stored trauma or tension in the body. In trauma informed yoga, there is a focus on increased awareness of body sensations and awareness of where you might be holding tension. Once you identify where tension is being stored, certain poses and movements can work to release the tension. (Click here for a video on Releasing the Psoas)

When you release trapped trauma, you might experience an emotional release, some recurring of memories, or strong discomfort. This is all normal. Knowing that you are in a safe space and that the discomfort will pass is all part of trauma processing. Allow yourself to make a choice in that moment to rest and wait, to move through the sensations, or to actively calm your system down.

Trauma Informed Yoga Resources

Trauma informed yoga is accessible via YouTube, in-person sessions, or self-paced through the use of books. Below are some resources to explore:
What is Trauma Informed Yoga Video
Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga Book
Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery
Trauma Informed Yoga Video

I hope this post helped you in better understanding what is trauma informed yoga! What type of yoga helps your trauma the most? Comment below!

Yoga for Depression (9 Best Poses)