When I first started practising yoga in Curaçao, trauma-sensitive yoga was not yet available. In fact, there was much less awareness around trauma in general at that time than there is today. I was fortunate that one of the first yoga teachers I practised with was naturally quite sensitive to this. Perhaps she did it intuitively, or maybe she simply had a strong ability to feel what I needed. However, I did not experience the same level of sensitivity with all teachers, not even with experienced teachers with the best intentions.
Nowadays, there is a growing focus on trauma within holistic sessions and yoga practices. Think of family constellations, kundalini sessions, sensual yoga, and sound healings. Often, it is said that trauma is stored in the body and can be released. While there can certainly be value in these approaches, it also raises an important question for me: to what extent are facilitators truly trained in working with trauma? Do they understand what happens physiologically in the body and nervous system in cases such as PTSD or complex trauma? Do they know how to safely guide someone when intense reactions or triggers arise? Are they aware of how important language is, how words can guide, open, or unintentionally trigger? And do they understand how essential it is to continuously offer choice, so that a person can remain in control of their own body?
I have personally experienced what can go very well, but also what can go wrong, especially when that knowledge is lacking. These experiences have deeply influenced the way I teach. Although I have intuitively been teaching in a more trauma-aware way for some time (for example, by emphasising choice and options, and bringing awareness to interoception), I decided to deepen my understanding. Not only from intuition, but also through knowledge and research. This led me to trauma-sensitive yoga, and in particular to the model used in scientific research by Bessel van der Kolk: TCTSY (Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga).
From this foundation, I would like to explain what trauma-sensitive yoga is, how it works, and why this approach can be so valuable.
What is Trauma-Sensitive Yoga?
Trauma-sensitive yoga (TSY) is a gentle, body-based approach to healing from trauma. While many traditional therapies focus primarily on talking and thinking, TSY works through the body. This “bottom-up” approach, through breath, movement, and direct experience, aligns with what we now understand about trauma: it is not just in the mind, but also deeply embedded in the body and nervous system.
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga vs. ‘Regular’ Yoga
Although trauma-sensitive yoga uses physical postures and breathwork, it differs significantly from regular yoga classes. In a typical yoga class, the focus is often on performing poses, physical challenge, or relaxation. The teacher may give fairly directive instructions (“place your foot here,” “hold this position”), and there is often attention on alignment or achieving a certain shape. In trauma-sensitive yoga, the approach is different:
- Choice is central. Participants are invited rather than instructed and prescribed(“you might try…”). Everything is optional and invitational.
- There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. The focus is not on how a pose looks, but on what someone experiences in their body.
- Safety and predictability are essential. Classes are structured in a calm, repetitive, and transparent way.
- There is no physical adjustment or touch. This helps maintain a sense of control and autonomy.
- The focus is on feeling, not performing.
The goal of trauma-sensitive yoga is not flexibility or strength, but restoring a safe relationship with one’s own body.
Healing Through the Body
Research shows that this approach can be highly valuable, especially for people for whom previous treatments have not been sufficient. Renowned trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk, together with colleagues, found that participants in a ten-week trauma-sensitive yoga program experienced significant improvements. Symptoms of PTSD and depression decreased, and harmful coping mechanisms such as self-harm were reduced. Even more importantly, the long-term effects appeared to be stronger for those who continued practising yoga. Beyond the numbers, what stands out most are participants’ personal experiences. Many describe how trauma-sensitive yoga helped them reconnect with their bodies in a safe and manageable way. Instead of avoiding or suppressing emotions, they begin to develop the capacity to notice and tolerate them.
Coming Home to Your Body
An important aspect of trauma-sensitive yoga is restoring a sense of ownership over the body. Trauma can leave someone feeling disconnected or out of control. TSY helps people rediscover: this is my body, I can make choices, I am allowed to feel what I feel. This process is often accompanied by increased self-care and growing trust in the body. Participants learn to listen to bodily signals and respond to them with care and compassion.
Learning to Regulate Emotions
Through the combination of breath and movement, participants develop skills to calm themselves. This can be helpful when dealing with stress, triggers, or overwhelming emotions. It creates a sense of agency: instead of being overtaken by reactions, there is space to respond consciously. From that place, more perspective and hope often emerge. There is room to make different choices and to relate to the future in a new way.
Change from Within
The effects of trauma-sensitive yoga go beyond symptom reduction. Many people notice a shift in how they relate to themselves. Feelings of shame, self-criticism, and worthlessness gradually make way for self-acceptance, compassion, and gentleness. This change also impacts relationships with others. People often feel more connected, are better able to set boundaries, and feel safer expressing themselves authentically.
A Valuable Addition to Therapy
Trauma-sensitive yoga can work very well alongside psychotherapy. As people begin to feel safer in their bodies and better able to regulate their emotions, it often becomes easier to talk about traumatic experiences in therapy. Body-based and cognitive processes naturally reinforce each other.
Feeling the Truth
An important insight within trauma-sensitive yoga is the difference between “telling the truth” and “feeling the truth.” Many therapies focus on putting experiences into words. But trauma cannot always be fully expressed that way; part of it lives in the body. TSY invites us to also pay attention to what is felt in the present moment. Because true healing often begins when that embodied “truth” can be safely experienced and acknowledged.
A Different Path to Healing
In summary, trauma-sensitive yoga offers a gentle yet powerful path to healing. By increasing body awareness, developing emotional regulation, and restoring a sense of safety and control, it can support deep and lasting change. For many, this means not only fewer symptoms but also a renewed sense of connection with themselves, their body, and the world around them.
If you feel drawn to experience trauma-sensitive yoga in Curaçao, in a session fully tailored to you and your needs, you are very welcome to reach out. At the same time, it is important to emphasise that trauma-sensitive yoga is not a standalone therapy. It can be a valuable complement, but it is always advisable to discuss this with your therapist or physician so that it fits within your personal process.
You are also always welcome to join my regular weekly classes. While I already incorporate many trauma-aware elements into these sessions, my regular classes are not fully 100% trauma-sensitive yoga sessions. In a group setting, my guidance sometimes needs to be a bit more structured and directive in my cues or tone of voice. At the same time, I always aim to leave as much space as possible for choice, for listening and connecting to the body, and for creating a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental environment. A fully trauma-sensitive approach is available in one-on-one sessions or in specially designed group classes upon request.
For yoga teachers who want to learn more about trauma-sensitive yoga, the following books are highly recommended: Trauma-Sensitive Yoga in Therapy: Bringing the Body into Treatment by David Emerson, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, and Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman.