Yoga as a therapeutic tool for self-connection

In a world that often keeps us busy, distracted and focused on the needs of others, it can be surprisingly difficult to stay connected to ourselves.

You may have experienced moments when you’re not quite sure how you’re feeling, what your body needs, or when you’ve pushed through stress without noticing the impact it has had on you. This disconnect can happen for many reasons and is something many people experience at different stages of life.

Yoga can offer a way back.

The foundations of yoga

Yoga means many things to many people.

Its roots lie in the Sanskrit word yuj, meaning “to unite” or “bring together”, which describes the idea of union between the mind, body and spirit. Traditionally, yoga describes a range of practices to realise this union, one of which are the physical shapes and movements you typically see in western yoga class.

Whether you have practiced yoga for spiritual reasons or something else.
Yoga can be used as a tool in our busy modern world to support us. 

The Therapeutic Benefits of Yoga

A contemporary approach to yoga identifies several therapeutic benefits of yoga on physical and mental health.
Research suggests that yoga may help to:

• Reduce stress and support emotional wellbeing
• Improve strength, balance and mobility
• Support nervous system regulation
• Increase awareness of bodily sensations and emotional experiences
• Foster a greater sense of connection with yourself

It is the two final aspects, awareness and self-connection, that sits at the heart of my approach.

Reconnecting with Yourself

For some people, feeling connected to their thoughts, emotions and physical sensations comes naturally. For others, it can be much more challenging.

As someone who is neurodivergent and identifies with the experience of complex trauma, learning to recognise my own feelings, needs and bodily sensations has been an ongoing journey.

Through my own experience, I discovered that yoga could be a tool for developing awareness, curiosity and compassion towards myself.

This is what inspired me to create Yoga for Self-Connection.

A Choice-Based Approach

My sessions are designed to support you in reconnecting with yourself through a yoga-based practice that centres choice, agency and empowerment.

Rather than focusing on achieving a particular shape or level of performance, the emphasis is on being in your experience in the present moment and making choices.

The approach draws on principles from:

• Trauma-informed practice
• Attachment theory
• Neuroscience
• Research on complex trauma and PTSD

I am trained in the Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga model developed by the Centre for Trauma and Embodiment in the United States, an approach that has been researched and shown to have a meaningful impact on people with PTSD and complex trauma. 

An Invitation to Have a Body

You do not need any previous yoga experience, a particular level of fitness, or a specific reason for attending.

During the session, you are invited to see what it is like to be in your body, try different shapes, and notice sensations as you wish.

If you would like to learn more about the sessions I offer, please visit my page here.