How We Heal CIC: Bringing Trauma-Informed Yoga to Survivors Across the East Midlands

In the East Midlands, survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence often face long waiting lists, limited resources, and services that focus only on the mind, not the body. Yet research shows that trauma lives in the body as much as in memory — shaping how survivors breathe, sleep, and feel safe in the world.

At How We Heal CIC, trauma recovery and wellbeing in the East Midlands are at the heart of what we do. As an active Community Interest Company (16615459), newly incorporated in July 2025, our mission is to change the experience of survivors by making trauma-informed yoga and somatic practices more accessible in Nottingham, Loughborough, and Leicester.

Why Trauma-Informed Yoga?

Trauma-informed yoga is not about perfect poses or flexibility. It is about:

• Offering choice and agency in every movement

• Rebuilding a sense of safety in the body

• Supporting nervous system regulation after trauma

• Providing practical tools for managing stress and anxiety

For many survivors, talk therapy can feel overwhelming. Trauma-informed yoga provides another pathway to healing, meeting survivors where they are and allowing them to reconnect with themselves gently and safely.

The Need for Trauma-Informed Yoga in the East Midlands

Across Nottingham, Loughborough, and Leicester, demand for survivor-focused services is growing. Local organisations in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector report increasing pressure on frontline services, with often long waits for support.

By offering body-based, trauma-informed programmes, we are helping to fill that gap — providing survivors with tools they can use immediately to support recovery, resilience, and everyday wellbeing.

Building on Local Experience

Since 2022, our founding director has delivered trauma and wellbeing programmes commissioned by Women’s Aid and other partners. These experiences showed us that survivors benefit from accessible, non-clinical, women-only spaces where they can feel safe, supported, and empowered.

With the creation of How We Heal CIC, we are expanding this work into a dedicated not-for-profit organisation — strengthening our

ability to partner with charities, commissioners, and community groups across the East Midlands.

A Survivor’s Perspective

One participant described her experience of trauma-informed yoga with us:

“For the first time since I was a child, I feel able to relax with my eyes closed. The voices within feel calmer and softer and I feel safer in my body.”

These words remind us why it matters to bring this work to survivors locally.

Looking Ahead

Our vision is for trauma-informed yoga in the East Midlands to be as accessible as counselling or advocacy within survivor support. By working in partnership with the VAWG sector in Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicester and Derby, we aim to ensure more women have access to safe, body-based pathways to recovery.

Get in Touch

If you are an organisation interested in commissioning trauma-informed wellbeing programmes, or a survivor looking for support, we’d love to hear from you.

📩 Email: hello@howwehealcic.org.uk

📞 Phone: 07496 241866