When ‘Trauma-Informed’ Becomes the New ‘Vino & Vinyasa’

IS trauma really a selling point for yoga?

Interestingly, you don’t see this phrase in the Pilates space or in personal training, it seems to be very much the reserve of yoga teachers. Of course, there is a place for having awareness around trauma. In a one-to-one setting, where someone is specifically seeking support, that awareness can be incredibly valuable. There are also opportunities to share this work through workshops aimed at particular demographics.

However, a general yoga class is a very different setting. When you’re holding space for everyone and anyone to attend, what does it mean to advertise the class as trauma-informed? Yes, there may be people in the room who benefit from language that lands gently but isn’t that always the case, regardless of whether “trauma” is our stated focus?

Trauma no matter how how it influences our present, always has lingering pulls to the past or what has been. It encourages the overthinking, the lack of being present and the hesitation for action that The Gita encourages us towards. Make no mistake it is valid, real and can be impactful. It affects a lot of function. It is important to seek safe spaces, therapy and support so my question today is not ‘is trauma valid’, my question is does it belong as an educational tool in a yoga class for the many taught by a non academic trauma professional?

The challenge is that by talking so much about trauma, we risk creating suggestion. Are we shining a light on something that doesn’t need to be explicitly foregrounded? Could awareness be implicit rather than explicit — present in how we teach, but not worn as a badge?

Would we talk excessively about grief or abuse so openly or use it as a selling point? Banging on and on about it knowing that people are carrying it in ways we will never see? Knowing the power of suggestion could be catastrophic for them in  a group class with no escape?

Perhaps most importantly: when we make trauma-informed our USP, are we staying true to yoga philosophy or are we just rebranding, in the same way others sell Beer Yoga events? Is it the thinking teachers Vino & Vinyasa?

Maybe the better question is: what do we really want our teaching to be remembered for? Impact or influence?

Five minute task:

Ok you paid for the trauma course, you know it’s good info and helps people but how could you phrase or signal that you can adapt? Could you  change your bio from ‘trauma informed qualified teacher’ to ‘classes for sensitive nervous systems’? See what you can come up with and I bet it speaks to more people.