Healing Through Yoga: Trauma and the Body’s Wisdom
By: Korynn Amm, MA, LMHC-A, NCC, 500CYT, Wellness Specialist | PILLARS OF WELLNESS
Trauma and Disconnection from the Body
According to Felicia Cover’s dissertation, The Experience of Implementing Trauma-Informed Yoga through the Eyes of the Clinician (2022), Americans face approximately a 1 in 12 chance of experiencing a traumatic event severe enough to induce Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) before the age of 75. However, in the wake of COVID-19 and rising racial tensions, this number is likely even greater today.
Trauma can change the way we experience and relate to our bodies. The body serves as an anchor for our sense of self and how we interact with the world around us. Through constant communication between the brain and body, we process physical sensations, emotions, thoughts, and experiences. Our nervous system continuously receives information from within the body, such as heart rate, muscle tension, and breathing, as well as from the external environment, organizing these signals and using them to guide our responses and behavior. Trauma, especially severe or chronic trauma, can disrupt these neural pathways and interfere with how sensory information is processed and integrated. Research on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its dissociative subtype (PTSD+DS) shows that trauma can alter multisensory processing, which affects thinking (cognition), emotion regulation, social connection, and our sense of self (Kearney & Lanius, 2022).
Trauma survivors may experience a nervous system that remains stuck in a defensive state, leading to chronic sensory and emotional overwhelm. Common signs of this include being hypervigilant or shut down, difficulty regulating emotions, impulsivity, reduced sense of agency or control, social withdrawal, or difficulties in relationships. Research suggests that trauma is not solely stored as memories or thoughts; it is experienced through the body and nervous system. Because trauma disrupts the brain-body connection, healing often requires approaches that engage the body directly. Yoga may help restore awareness of bodily sensations, improve nervous system regulation, strengthen the sense of agency, and rebuild a felt sense of safety within one’s own body (Kearney & Lanius, 2022).
What Trauma Research Tells Us About Embodiment
Bessel van der Kolk is one of the most influential trauma researchers and clinicians in the world. He is a psychiatrist, educator, and researcher best known for helping shape our modern understanding of how trauma affects both the brain and the body. He has spent decades studying Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), childhood trauma and adverse experiences, dissociation, the relationship between the nervous system and healing, and body-based approaches to trauma recovery, including yoga, movement, neurofeedback, and mindfulness.
Van der Kolk is perhaps most widely known for his bestselling book The Body Keeps the Score, which brought the concept of the mind-body connection in trauma to a broad audience. In the book, he argues that trauma is not simply a story stored in memory but an experience that becomes embedded in the nervous system, physiology, and body.
Van der Kolk et al. (2014) noted in his research that traditional PTSD treatments tend to focus on thoughts and symptoms, whereas trauma also affects a person’s relationship with their body. Trauma survivors often experience a reduced awareness of bodily sensations, difficulty identifying and expressing emotions (alexithymia), problems regulating emotional responses, and an altered perception of internal bodily states. Because body awareness is essential for emotion regulation, reconnecting with physical sensations may be a key part of healing. Van der Kolk et al. (2014) argued that healing from trauma involves more than changing thoughts; it also requires restoring awareness of the body and its internal signals. By helping individuals notice and tolerate bodily sensations such as breath, tension, and arousal, yoga offers a pathway to healing that complements traditional talk therapy and addresses the profound impact trauma has on the mind-body connection (van der Kolk et al., 2014).
Why Yoga Helps: Breath, Choice, and Interoception
Yoga is a 3,000-year-old mind-body-spirit practice that integrates physical movement with mindful attention to breath, energy, and internal experience. The term “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning “to yoke” or “to unite,” and is often understood today as a practice of union between body, mind, and awareness.
Mindfulness can be developed through several therapeutic approaches, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), all of which have shown benefit in trauma treatment. However, some researchers argue that purely cognitively (mind) focused interventions may offer a more indirect route to addressing the dysregulated physiological responses triggered by traumatic memories or reminders (Minton, Ogden, & Pain, 2006; van der Kolk, 1996). In contrast, incorporating body-based practices such as yoga may provide a more direct pathway to healing by emphasizing present-moment awareness and engaging the body to strengthen interoceptive awareness. Interoceptive awareness is your ability to notice and interpret internal bodily sensations. In simpler terms, it’s how well you can “feel inside your body” and understand what those signals mean. This increased awareness can support individuals in noticing and tolerating internal physical and physiological states rather than avoiding them, ultimately enhancing their ability to respond to internal cues in a more adaptive way.
Emerson and Hopper (2011) shares that there are two primary roots to our suffering: craving (greed, grasping, clinging, addiction) and aversion (fear, terror, hatred, avoidance, anger, and resentment). Trauma is an all-encompassing, deeply embedded aversive state that becomes hardwired and persistent in the nervous system. “An experience becomes traumatic when this natural fight/flight defense is aborted” (Emerson and Hopper, 2011).
When someone is in the middle of a traumatic experience, the mind often goes into survival mode, sometimes shutting down, fragmenting awareness, or narrowing attention just to get through it. But the body doesn’t simply “turn off.” It holds onto the survival responses that were activated in that moment: fight, flight, freeze, or collapse. Especially in states of freeze or helplessness, the nervous system records a powerful message of “I had no control here.” That imprint doesn’t stay in the past in a neat, cognitive way; it lingers as felt experience (Emerson & Hopper, 2011).
For many trauma survivors, this is why the aftermath shows up less like a clear memory and more like sensation: tightness in the chest, nausea in the gut, shallow breath, tension, dizziness, numbness, or a deep internal sense of dread. The body can respond as if the danger is still happening, even when intellectually the person knows they are safe. This is because trauma is stored and reactivated through sensory and physiological pathways, not just narrative memory.
This is where yoga becomes both powerful and, at times, initially uncomfortable for trauma survivors. Yoga asks us to turn inward, to notice breath, sensation, and internal experience. But for a body that has learned “inside is where danger lives,” that invitation can feel counterintuitive or even unsafe at first. The very act of noticing the body can activate protective responses, because the body has been associated with overwhelm, violation, or loss of control.
And yet, this is also where healing begins to shift. Contemporary neuroscience increasingly supports the idea that our sense of self is deeply rooted in interoception, the ability to perceive and interpret internal bodily signals. In trauma, that connection between mind and body can become disrupted or dysregulated. We may feel disconnected, flooded, or unable to accurately read what our body is communicating (Emerson and Hopper, 2011).
Healing as a Return to Ourselves
When people think of yoga, they often think of stretching, flexibility, or difficult poses. However, in the traditional yogic understanding, these physical practices are only one small aspect of a much larger path. Yoga gently works to rebuild that connection. Rather than forcing awareness, yoga invites individuals to gradually reconnect with their bodies in a way that emphasizes personal choice, respects individual pacing, and reinforces a sense of safety. Through this process, the nervous system can begin to experience the body not as a source of danger, but as a source of grounding, stability, and self-awareness. Over time, this can help the body learn a new association: that internal awareness does not automatically equal danger. Instead, it can become a place of grounding, regulation, and reconnection.
In that sense, yoga is not about “fixing” the trauma but about supporting the nervous system as it relearns safety in the body. The trauma may belong to the past, but the body’s alarm system can continue reacting as if it is still present. Healing involves slowly updating that system, bringing the body back into the present, where the danger is no longer happening, even if it still feels that way for a while. Disconnection from the body and self can reduce awareness of danger, stress, and personal needs. As a result, individuals may struggle to respond effectively to stressors, engage in self-care, and develop meaningful relationships with others (Emerson and Hopper, 2011).
Many traditional therapies use a cognitive, or “top-down,” approach that focuses on thoughts and beliefs. Yoga-based interventions use a “bottom-up” approach that begins with bodily sensations and physical experiences. Through movement, breathing, and mindful awareness, yoga helps individuals reconnect with themselves and their bodies. It encourages people to stay present, notice their internal experiences, and develop greater comfort with what they feel. Over time, this increased self-awareness can improve emotional well-being, mental health, and relationships with others (Emerson and Hopper, 2011).
In “A Practical Approach to the Eight Limbs of Yoga,” Sharma (2023) explains that yoga is far more than physical postures; it is a comprehensive system for ethical living, self-discipline, mental focus, and spiritual growth. Drawing from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the article presents the Eight Limbs of Yoga as a practical roadmap for achieving harmony of body, mind, and spirit. The eight limbs are:
- Yama – Ethical principles that guide how we relate to others (e.g., nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing).
- Niyama – Personal observances and self-discipline (e.g., contentment, self-study, purity).
- Asana – Physical postures that cultivate stability, strength, and comfort in the body.
- Pranayama – Breath regulation practices that influence physical and mental wellbeing.
- Pratyahara – Withdrawal of attention from external distractions to develop inner awareness.
- Dharana – Concentration or sustained focus on a chosen object or point of attention.
- Dhyana – Meditation, in which concentration becomes continuous and effortless.
- Samadhi – A state of deep absorption, unity, or self-realization.
The article emphasizes that these limbs are interconnected rather than isolated practices. While many people in the West primarily associate yoga with physical postures, Patanjali’s model suggests that true yoga involves ethical behavior, self-reflection, breath awareness, concentration, and meditation. Following the eight limbs helps individuals cultivate self-control, reduce suffering, improve health, and move toward a more meaningful and purposeful life.
For trauma-informed work, this distinction is especially important. Yoga is not about achieving the “perfect pose” but about learning to meet the body with curiosity, awareness, and choice. The practice offers opportunities to notice sensations, regulate the nervous system, and attune to self, and reconnect with oneself in the present moment, making it a powerful tool for healing and self-discovery.
Conclusion
Trauma can leave us feeling disconnected from our bodies, our emotions, and even from ourselves. While traditional therapies can play an important role in healing, recovery often involves more than understanding what happened; it also involves reconnecting with the body that carried us through it. Through breath, movement, mindfulness, and the freedom to choose what feels right in each moment, yoga offers a gentle pathway back to ourselves. Over time, it can help cultivate a greater sense of safety, presence, and trust within the body. In this way, yoga is not simply a form of exercise, but an invitation to reconnect with who we are beneath the wounds we have carried, a compassionate journey of coming home to ourselves.
References
Cover, F. D. (2022). The experience of implementing trauma-informed yoga through the eyes of the clinician (Doctoral dissertation, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology). ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/openview/d4a2606bf7ac1d1595d64eb31b510114
Emerson, D., & Hopper, E. K. (2011). Overcoming trauma through yoga: Reclaiming your body. North Atlantic Books.
Kearney, B. E., & Lanius, R. A. (2022). The brain-body disconnect: A somatic sensory basis for trauma-related disorders. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16, Article 1015749. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.1015749
Minton K, Ogden P, Pain C. (2006). Trauma and the body: A sensorimotor approach to psychotherapy. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Sharma, D. (2023). A practical approach to the eight limbs of yoga. Annals of Yoga and Physical Therapy, 6(1), 1052. https://doi.org/10.26420/annyogaphysther.2023.1052
Van der Kolk, B. A., Spinazzola, J., Stone, L., West, J., Rhodes, A., Emerson, D., & Suvak, M. (2014). Yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 75(6), e559-e565. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.13m08561
If you or someone you know is navigating the effects of trauma, you don’t have to do it alone. At Pillars of Wellness, our clinicians provide compassionate, evidence-based care tailored to your unique needs, including approaches like mindfulness and yoga-informed therapy. Whether you’re looking for individual therapy, specialty services, or our Rapid Relief Intervention Program, we’re here to support you. Meet our team or call us at (219) 323-3311 to get started today.