\u201cI don\u2019t even know which way is up anymore.\u201d<\/em>
\n\u201cI\u2019m just functioning.\u201d<\/em>
\n\u201cAs soon as I settle down, I start to cry.\u201d<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/div>I regularly encounter sentences like this in my work as a trauma and yoga therapist, in individual sessions and in groups. Many people come wanting to \u201cjust switch off\u201d. But there is often something deeper behind it: excessive demands. Constant tension. Helplessness.<\/strong> <\/p>\nThey feel exhausted, driven, and cut off from within. And they are not alone in this.
\nWe live in an era where constant availability, pressure to perform, and uncertainty are part of everyday life. People who give a great deal\u2014whether to their families, in their careers, or while providing care or support\u2014often reach a point where they realize: I have lost myself.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>When the body sounds the alarm<\/h4><\/div>From the perspective of yoga therapy and trauma therapy, overwhelm is not a purely psychological phenomenon. It manifests in the body\u2014as a state of tension, sleep disturbances, irritability, or withdrawal. <\/p>\n
Chronic stress activates the nervous system and keeps it in a state of high alert. The body sends signals\u2014yet we often only heed them when we have reached our absolute limit. This is precisely where trauma-informed bodywork comes in: focusing on sensing, regulating, and reconnecting.<\/p>\n<\/div>
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<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>What yoga philosophy says about this<\/h4><\/div>The ancient yoga texts speak very clearly about conditions that we would today describe as \u201cstress\u201d or \u201cburnout\u201d. Patanjali cites avidya<\/strong> – ignorance or forgetting of our true self – as one of the causes of suffering. This also means: the loss of access to our bodies, our needs, our inner boundaries. <\/p>\n“Yoga citta vritti nirodhah” \u2013 Yoga is the settling of the inner fluctuations.<\/em><\/h5>\nYoga helps us become quieter again\u2014not passive, but clear.
\nIn yoga therapy we use targeted exercises, breathing work and mindful movement to find our way back from inner chaos to a state of presence, security and self-efficacy.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Three simple exercises for when you feel overwhelmed<\/h4><\/div>You don\u2019t have to attend a 90-minute class to start practicing yoga. Especially during stressful times, what you need are small, realistic prompts<\/strong> that bring you back into your body.<\/p>\n<\/div>1. Breath anchor: Exhale for longer<\/strong><\/h5>\nSit comfortably. Feel your feet. Breathe in slowly (count to 4), then breathe out even more slowly (count to 6).
\nA prolonged exhale calms your nervous system and grounds you.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>2. Hand on heart<\/strong><\/h5>\nPlace your hand on your chest and feel the warmth. Become aware of your breath. Say to yourself inwardly: “I am here.”
\nThis simple gesture creates connection and a sense of safety.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>3. Shake & Stillness<\/strong><\/h5>\nStand up and give your body a loose shake\u2014arms, legs, shoulders. Allow yourself to make sounds; exhale. Afterwards: stand still and sense the after-effects.
\nMovement releases tension; becoming still afterwards deepens regulation.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Gentleness instead of self-optimization<\/h4><\/div>I often hear: \u201cI really ought to\u2026\u201d, \u201cI can\u2019t do this properly\u2026\u201d<\/em>
\nBut yoga is not a competition\u2014nor is it a technique for self-optimization.<\/p>\nYoga therapy is not about functioning better, but about becoming softer. It is not about achieving more, but about feeling more. <\/p>\n
Maybe your yoga today is: breathing. Or sit for five minutes. Or not reacting to everything immediately. <\/em><\/h5>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>If you feel helpless \u2026<\/h4><\/div>\u2026 then that is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that you have been strong for too long.
\nIn my work as a trauma therapist using a yoga-therapeutic approach, I see every day how powerful it is when people reconnect with themselves. <\/p>\n
Yoga\u2014when understood correctly\u2014is not a withdrawal from life.
\nIt is a reconnection with your own inner self. With the part of you that is whole, calm, and complete. <\/p>\n
\u201cYoga begins right where I am \u2013 not where I was yesterday or where I long to be.\u201d<\/em>
\n\u2013 Judith Hanson Lasater<\/h5>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Trauma often begins more quietly than we think.<\/h4><\/div>Many people shy away when they hear the word “trauma.” They think, “I haven’t experienced anything like that,” or “Mine isn’t severe enough.” Yet trauma is not a competition in suffering. It is not about what<\/strong> happened, but rather how the body and nervous system reacted to it<\/strong>. Professionals distinguish between “Big T” trauma\u2014clearly identifiable, often life-threatening events\u2014and “small t” trauma, which can arise from repeated overwhelm, emotional neglect, or a lack of safety. Both can leave their mark. And both deserve to be seen\u2014without comparison, without judgment.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>You don’t have to do this alone.<\/h4><\/div>Perhaps, as you read this, you feel a quiet “yes.” Or perhaps an “I don’t know if I can do this.”
\nBoth are welcome.<\/p>\n
I would be happy to support you\u2014whether in an individual trauma or yoga therapy session, a trauma-sensitive group setting, or simply during an introductory conversation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
I regularly encounter sentences like this in my work as a trauma and yoga therapist, in individual sessions and in groups. Many people come wanting to \u201cjust switch off\u201d. But there is often something deeper behind it: excessive demands. Constant tension. Helplessness.<\/strong> <\/p>\n They feel exhausted, driven, and cut off from within. And they are not alone in this. From the perspective of yoga therapy and trauma therapy, overwhelm is not a purely psychological phenomenon. It manifests in the body\u2014as a state of tension, sleep disturbances, irritability, or withdrawal. <\/p>\n Chronic stress activates the nervous system and keeps it in a state of high alert. The body sends signals\u2014yet we often only heed them when we have reached our absolute limit. This is precisely where trauma-informed bodywork comes in: focusing on sensing, regulating, and reconnecting.<\/p>\n<\/div> The ancient yoga texts speak very clearly about conditions that we would today describe as \u201cstress\u201d or \u201cburnout\u201d. Patanjali cites avidya<\/strong> – ignorance or forgetting of our true self – as one of the causes of suffering. This also means: the loss of access to our bodies, our needs, our inner boundaries. <\/p>\n Yoga helps us become quieter again\u2014not passive, but clear. You don\u2019t have to attend a 90-minute class to start practicing yoga. Especially during stressful times, what you need are small, realistic prompts<\/strong> that bring you back into your body.<\/p>\n<\/div> Sit comfortably. Feel your feet. Breathe in slowly (count to 4), then breathe out even more slowly (count to 6). Place your hand on your chest and feel the warmth. Become aware of your breath. Say to yourself inwardly: “I am here.” Stand up and give your body a loose shake\u2014arms, legs, shoulders. Allow yourself to make sounds; exhale. Afterwards: stand still and sense the after-effects. I often hear: \u201cI really ought to\u2026\u201d, \u201cI can\u2019t do this properly\u2026\u201d<\/em> Yoga therapy is not about functioning better, but about becoming softer. It is not about achieving more, but about feeling more. <\/p>\n \u2026 then that is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that you have been strong for too long. Yoga\u2014when understood correctly\u2014is not a withdrawal from life. Many people shy away when they hear the word “trauma.” They think, “I haven’t experienced anything like that,” or “Mine isn’t severe enough.” Yet trauma is not a competition in suffering. It is not about what<\/strong> happened, but rather how the body and nervous system reacted to it<\/strong>. Professionals distinguish between “Big T” trauma\u2014clearly identifiable, often life-threatening events\u2014and “small t” trauma, which can arise from repeated overwhelm, emotional neglect, or a lack of safety. Both can leave their mark. And both deserve to be seen\u2014without comparison, without judgment.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Perhaps, as you read this, you feel a quiet “yes.” Or perhaps an “I don’t know if I can do this.” I would be happy to support you\u2014whether in an individual trauma or yoga therapy session, a trauma-sensitive group setting, or simply during an introductory conversation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\nWe live in an era where constant availability, pressure to perform, and uncertainty are part of everyday life. People who give a great deal\u2014whether to their families, in their careers, or while providing care or support\u2014often reach a point where they realize: I have lost myself.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>When the body sounds the alarm<\/h4><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>What yoga philosophy says about this<\/h4><\/div>
“Yoga citta vritti nirodhah” \u2013 Yoga is the settling of the inner fluctuations.<\/em><\/h5>\n
\nIn yoga therapy we use targeted exercises, breathing work and mindful movement to find our way back from inner chaos to a state of presence, security and self-efficacy.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Three simple exercises for when you feel overwhelmed<\/h4><\/div>
1. Breath anchor: Exhale for longer<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nA prolonged exhale calms your nervous system and grounds you.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>2. Hand on heart<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nThis simple gesture creates connection and a sense of safety.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>3. Shake & Stillness<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nMovement releases tension; becoming still afterwards deepens regulation.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Gentleness instead of self-optimization<\/h4><\/div>
\nBut yoga is not a competition\u2014nor is it a technique for self-optimization.<\/p>\nMaybe your yoga today is: breathing. Or sit for five minutes. Or not reacting to everything immediately. <\/em><\/h5>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
If you feel helpless \u2026<\/h4><\/div>
\nIn my work as a trauma therapist using a yoga-therapeutic approach, I see every day how powerful it is when people reconnect with themselves. <\/p>\n
\nIt is a reconnection with your own inner self. With the part of you that is whole, calm, and complete. <\/p>\n\u201cYoga begins right where I am \u2013 not where I was yesterday or where I long to be.\u201d<\/em>
\n\u2013 Judith Hanson Lasater<\/h5>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Trauma often begins more quietly than we think.<\/h4><\/div>
You don’t have to do this alone.<\/h4><\/div>
\nBoth are welcome.<\/p>\n