This fascial tightening can have a wide range of effects on our physical wellbeing, causing stiffness and pain in the joints and muscles, disturbing our sleep, and even affecting our mental and emotional health. However, if you’re an athlete or want to target specific muscles, Pilates is probably your best bet. There is no single type of yoga that is universally best for treating trauma. "Through observing the body, there are keys to unlocking the emotions the body is holding," says Manchard. Classic Yin poses such as Dragon (a long, low lunge with the back knee on the floor) or Butterfly (a forward fold over legs held in a diamond shape with the soles of the feet together) gently release the fascia that’s holding our inner body in place. Most of the poses are active or hard to hold at exactly the right position. This can be at odds with the goal to stay in the same position for an extended period of time. Some people may find that there are mental challenges to holding poses for longer periods of time or in certain positions.

Vinyasa yoga is a rewarding experience and can provide the yogi with a more physically demanding practice while offering the mindful awareness of all yoga styles, making it ideal for those who are comfortable with moderate exercise poses. Another major potential issue for those who have experienced trauma is that Yin Yoga is based on holding poses for longer periods of time. For this reason, it’s not possible to prescribe a one-size-fits-all list of yoga poses for trauma or any other condition. At the same time, there are limitations to using Yin Yoga for trauma which make it not the right fit for every survivor. What Are the Limitations of Yin Yoga for Trauma? Be sure to review the limitations of Yin Yoga as well. This process of release has tremendous benefits for the sympathetic nervous system as well. During practice, the muscles remain relatively inactive in order to focus on the myofascia, the body’s underlying system of connective tissue, just below and intertwined with the muscular system. "The yang styles of yoga can be very beneficial in stretching and releasing the muscles; however, a student’s mind might never stop racing and their nervous system isn’t always calmed." In order to help her students fall below the mind’s constant chatter, Manchard begins each of her classes with a "sensory drop" exercise.

If you want to get an idea of what Yin Yoga poses a trauma survivor might encounter, I’ve included a few common Yin Yoga poses below. With Yin Yoga, you have the opportunity to hold poses for longer periods of time. Your brain is exposed to multiple stimuli every second of every day and you need time to process the events that happen around, and to, you. And, the theory goes, we need both to come into balance to stay in optimum condition. Everything we experience can influence our balance for the better or worse. Through this process, "the visceral experience of the body becomes the meditation": Students have an opportunity to review their relationship with any discomfort and investigate what that discomfort is communicating, ultimately establishing a different relationship with both emotional and physical pain. His exploration is targeted on the vitality channels which are hidden in the body and how each tissue inside our body supports the key in releasing this energy. True to the Yin philosophy underlying his practice, no two of LeBlanc’s classes are the same. The 6-day, 7-night excursion is limited to 16 participants to insure personal and intimate classes and instruction.

Rather, LeBlanc uses his own personal daily Yin practice as a point of departure, then lets classes unfold naturally from that place. In this form of yoga, importance is given to passive stretching, most of which takes place on the floor. 2. If it feels right for you, keep your right knee directly above your right foot while moving your left knee back as far as you comfortably can, dropping your hips and keeping your shin flat on the floor. Slide your left leg back and lower your hips onto the ground or a folded blanket or bolster if they don’t connect with the floor. What it does: Softens the outer hips and hip flexors. If you still need to earn your initial 200-hour yoga teacher certification, a prerequisite for all yoga therapists, our program can get you certified while setting you up for success in becoming a yoga therapist, not just a yoga teacher. How do you know you need some yin yoga for balancing your chakras? That being said, there is only a limited number of Yin Yoga poses to begin with (somewhere between 16 and 26, depending on who you ask).