Trauma-informed yoga is a gentle, mindful practice designed to support emotional healing through movement, breath, and presence. One of the most powerful areas to focus on in this type of practice is the hips—often called the “emotional junk drawer” of the body. Emotions like fear, grief, anger, and sadness can become stored in the hip area, especially after trauma. Trauma-informed hip opening yoga helps to create a safe space for those emotions to be acknowledged and gently released.
Unlike a regular yoga class, trauma-informed sessions prioritize safety, choice, and empowerment. Movements are slow and intentional, with emphasis on feeling rather than performance. In hip-opening sequences, poses such as Pigeon, Butterfly, Lizard, or Happy Baby are introduced with options and modifications, allowing each participant to listen to their body and respond with compassion. There is no pushing, no forcing—only soft invitations to explore.
The goal is not flexibility but connection. As the hips begin to release tension, buried emotions may rise to the surface. In trauma-informed yoga, this is seen not as something to be fixed but as something to be witnessed. Practitioners are encouraged to honor whatever arises, whether it’s tears, anger, or silence, knowing it’s all part of the healing process.
Breathwork and grounding techniques are woven throughout to help manage emotional intensity and keep the nervous system regulated. Each session ends with rest and integration, offering time to simply be—free of judgment, in a space of compassion.
Trauma-informed hip opening yoga is more than a stretch. It’s a way to reconnect with your body, release what’s been held for too long, and begin to reclaim a sense of safety and self. One breath, one movement at a time.