Trauma-Informed Yoga in the East Midlands - What is Trauma-Informed Yoga and Why Does It Matter in Healing Trauma?

For many people, the word yoga brings to mind exercise, flexibility, or relaxation. But for those living with trauma, traditional yoga classes can sometimes feel unsafe or overwhelming. That’s where trauma-informed yoga comes in — a gentle, empowering practice that helps people reconnect with their bodies and build resilience.

At How We Heal CIC, we specialise in bringing trauma-informed yoga to the East Midlands, creating safe spaces for recovery and wellbeing in Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicester, and beyond.

What is Trauma-Informed Yoga?

Trauma-informed yoga is an approach that recognises the impact of trauma on the body and nervous system. It acknowledges that a physiological imprint is left in the body when we experience trauma.

It differs to standard yoga classes, in its design to:

• Offer choice and agency — participants decide how to move, rest, or adapt poses.

• Focus on safety and grounding — creating an environment where people feel secure.

• Use of sensitive and invitational language — avoiding instructions that may be triggering.

• Support nervous system regulation — through breathwork, gentle movement, and rest.

• A titrated approach — to avoid overwhelming the nervous system.

• Meets the participant's nervous system where it's at - no expectations, no judgement

• A kind and compassionate approach

  
  

The aim is not about “perfect poses,” but about helping people feel safe, present, and more connected to themselves.

Why Trauma-Informed Yoga Matters in Healing Trauma

Emotional trauma can come from many experiences — domestic abuse, sexual violence, childhood adversity, grief, or long-term stress. Whatever the cause, trauma often shows up in the body through disrupted sleep, anxiety, hypervigilance, or physical pain.

Trauma-informed yoga provides practical tools to:

• Calm the nervous system and reduce stress

• Improve sleep and relaxation

• Release tension and physical pain

• Build resilience and confidence

• Re-establish trust in self and others

  
  

For many, it becomes a vital complement to other support services like talk therapy.

How We Heal CIC and Trauma-Informed Yoga in the East Midlands

Our founding director has extensive experience in yoga teaching, somatic coaching, law, and public protection. She has been teaching yoga since 2017 and since 2022, she has delivered trauma-informed programmes commissioned by Women’s Aid and other organisations supporting people with roots in trauma.

As a newly incorporated active Community Interest Company as of July 2025, our mission is to make these trauma-informed yoga and wellness programmes more widely available across the East Midlands.

How We Heal: Trauma Recovery and Wellbeing CIC is offering:

• Women-only group sessions for survivors of abuse

• One-to-one trauma-informed yoga, somatic and wellbeing sessions for people seeking private support

• Partnership delivery with charities, commissioners, and community groups

A Participant’s Perspective

One participant described how trauma-informed yoga made a difference in her recovery:

“Before these sessions, I felt constantly on edge, like my body wasn’t my own. I was finding myself withdrawing from my social circle, not sleeping and feeling short-tempered. I've learned to understand my body, which helps me to respond rather than react. Learning gentle ways to move and breathe has helped me feel calmer, stronger, and more connected to myself again.”

This shows how trauma-informed yoga can both calm, empower and bring a sense of agency after trauma.

Get Involved

If you are someone seeking trauma recovery support, or an organisation interested in commissioning trauma-informed programmes, we’d love to hear from you.

📩 Email: hello@howwehealcic.org.uk