“The body holds what the mind has learned to survive.”
and healing begins when we learn how to listen.
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga
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Trauma-Sensitive Yoga
At The Shift, I believe wellness should be accessible, inclusive, and representative of the people it serves.
For many individuals, especially those from historically marginalized communities, traditional yoga spaces can feel intimidating or unwelcoming. Limited representation, pressure to perform, and an emphasis on flexibility or appearance often create barriers before someone ever steps onto the mat.
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga offers a different experience.
Rooted in the principles of Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY), this evidence-based, body-centered practice uses movement, breath, and present-moment awareness to strengthen the connection between the mind and body. Rather than focusing on perfect poses or physical performance, the practice emphasizes choice, curiosity, and noticing your own internal experience.
Throughout each session, there is no expectation to keep up, perform, or do anything "correctly." Instead, the practice encourages you to explore movement in a way that builds awareness, confidence, and trust in yourself over time.
Whether you're managing stress, anxiety, burnout, difficult life experiences, or simply looking for a more intentional approach to wellness, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga provides another way to practice listening to yourself.
This isn't about becoming good at yoga.
It's about discovering what it feels like to trust yourself, one choice at a time.
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Formats
1:1 Trauma-Sensitive Yoga
(60 minutes)
1 session = $75 I 4 Pack = $280
A one-on-one, personalized wellness session designed to help you slow down, reconnect with yourself, and explore the relationship between your mind, body, and daily experience. Sessions may include gentle movement, breathwork, reflection, and psychoeducation, all guided at your pace and centered around choice.
Using the body as a source of information rather than something to fix, these sessions create opportunities to build self-awareness, reconnect with your needs, and develop a more trusting relationship with yourself.
Shift Circle Focus Group
(75 Minutes)
Drop In = $12
A themed group experience that combines trauma-informed movement, psychoeducation, and community connection. Each session centers on a specific topic (anxiety, grief, stress, relationships, identity, or life transitions) and explores how these experiences can influence the way we think, feel, and move through the world. Participants are invited to engage in movement, reflection, and discussion while exploring self-awareness and personal wellbeing.
Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)
What is Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY)?
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Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) is a choice-centered, evidence-based approach to movement that supports awareness of the mind-body connection. Rather than focusing on flexibility, appearance, or getting poses "right," TCTSY invites you to notice your own experience and make choices based on what feels supportive for you in the moment.
While TCTSY was developed to support individuals impacted by trauma, trauma isn't limited to a single event. For some people, it may include childhood experiences, grief, abuse, or violence. For others, it may involve chronic stress, systemic oppression, racism, discrimination, medical experiences, or patterns carried across generations. These experiences can influence how we relate to our bodies, our emotions, and our sense of safety.
At The Shift, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga also creates space to experience yoga beyond many of the expectations of Westernized yoga culture. Whether yoga becomes a way to reconnect with your body, support your spiritual practice, manage stress, or simply exist without pressure or comparison, your experience is your own. There is no expectation to perform, fit a certain image, or practice like anyone else.
How is Trauma-Sensitive Yoga different from a traditional yoga class?
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Many people are introduced to yoga through a Western lens that emphasizes physical postures (asana), flexibility, appearance, and getting poses "right." While movement is one part of yoga, it is only one aspect of a much broader practice.
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga offers something different. Grounded in accessibility, autonomy, and choice, the practice invites you to explore movement in ways that feel supportive for your body and your lived experience. Rather than following commands or striving for the "perfect" pose, you'll receive invitations that allow you to decide how, when, or whether you'd like to participate.
At The Shift, we believe yoga should be accessible to everyone, regardless of race, body size, physical ability, age, experience level, or spirituality. Whether you're looking to reconnect with your body, support your mental health, deepen your spiritual practice, or simply experience movement without pressure or comparison, there's space for you here.
Is Trauma-Sensitive Yoga right for me?
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Trauma-Sensitive Yoga is designed for anyone looking for a more intentional, choice-centered approach to movement. You don't need previous yoga experience, flexibility, a trauma diagnosis, or a particular level of fitness to participate.
Many people are drawn to this practice because they feel disconnected from their bodies, struggle to slow down, experience stress or anxiety, or have never felt comfortable in traditional yoga spaces. If you're looking for a space where curiosity is valued over performance and your experience matters more than how a pose looks, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga may be a good fit for you.
What can I expect during a session?
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Each session is guided using invitational language, meaning you're offered choices rather than instructions. You'll have opportunities to explore movement, stillness, breathing, and present-moment awareness while deciding what feels supportive for your body.
Sessions also include opportunities for psychoeducation to help you better understand the mind-body connection, the impact of stress and trauma on the nervous system, and how choice, awareness, and movement can support overall mental and emotional well-being. My goal is not only to guide the practice, but to help you understand the "why" behind it so you can carry those insights into your everyday life.
Rather than focusing on achieving poses or following directions perfectly, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga encourages you to notice what you're experiencing and respond in ways that feel supportive. There is no expectation to keep up with others, perform movements a certain way, or share personal experiences. Every session is an invitation to explore movement with curiosity, strengthen trust in your own body, and discover that there isn't one "right" way to practice yoga.