Charmaine studied yoga under Ana Forrest, a trauma survivor, and creator of Forrest Yoga which she designed specifically for healing the people. Charmaine completed a trauma-informed yoga training with David Emerson of the Justice Resource Institute in Massachusetts, and yoga to manage anxiety and depression with Amy Weintraub of Life Force Yoga.
She is a registered Hatha yoga teacher and Ayurvedic Health Practitioner & Educator. We believe that all areas of life impact one’s health and that staying healthy means having a sound mind, body, and spirit.
Who benefits from Trauma-Informed Yoga?
People suffering from:
- PTSD and complex trauma
- Addictions
- Anxiety and depression
- Chronic pain
- Any person wanting to regain their sense of self.
Reclaim your life after trauma. Choose to take charge of your life today and reconnect with your body and feelings. This will turn your life around!
Why incorporate Yoga into Psychotherapy?
Exposure to chronic trauma changes the brain by decreasing the activity in the interoceptive regions of the brain – the parts that connect physical experiences in the body to awareness of those experiences. Survivors protect themselves from exposure to what the body experiences and how the brain interprets those experiences by disconnecting. This is why they experience symptoms such as being easily startled, avoidance, and flashbacks or nightmares.
Yoga can be a powerful tool when combined with psychotherapy.
Current research shows that the most effective treatment for PTSD and Complex Trauma integrates traditional therapy modalities with body-mind approaches that extend treatment to include working with feelings and sensations seated within the body.
What is Trauma-Informed Yoga (TIY)
Trauma-sensitive yoga is an empirically validated adjunctive treatment for complex trauma or chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD, developed by David Emerson at the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute in Massachusetts, specifically for people who have experienced PTSD and Interrelational Trauma.
Studies show increased activity in the interoceptive regions of the brain and decreased PTSD symptoms in participants. Relearning how to feel what’s happening in their bodies, for example, when they flex and extend their muscles, may restore the interoceptive regions of the brain.
What to expect in a TIY class:
- TIY is a way for us to practice feeling safe and comfortable in our body.
- We use a non-coercive approach at all times and therefore no physical assists are given.
- We practice yoga as a way to notice what we feel in our body and make choices on what to do with our body based on what we feel.
- Our primary focus is on experiencing physical sensations rather than achieving a pose.
- We may experiment with breathing, moving, stretching, strengthening, and resting.
- The teacher provides safe, professional guidance to help participants focus on particular dynamics – for example, which muscles they are using, what it feels like to have their feet on the ground, and what it feels like to breathe.
- We offer a safe, non-judgmental environment appropriate for all levels
- We welcome feedback and input from clients regarding our yoga classes.
Links to Trauma-informed Yoga Research Studies