Why Teaching Restorative Yoga Through a Trauma-Aware Lens Is Important
I believe every style of yoga can — and should — be taught through a trauma-aware lens.
Because when we understand how experiences of stress and trauma shape the body and mind, we begin to teach with more awareness, choice, and care.
Restorative yoga is often described as the art of rest — long-held, supported shapes that invite the body and mind to slow down, soften, and replenish.
But rest isn’t always easy, or even accessible.
For many people, stillness can feel unfamiliar, vulnerable, or unsafe.
That’s where a trauma-aware approach becomes essential.
Rest isn’t always restful
We often assume that lying down and closing the eyes will automatically create a sense of calm.
But for someone living with chronic stress, trauma, or dysregulation, stillness can actually heighten discomfort or anxiety.
A trauma-aware lens helps teachers understand why this might happen — and teaches us to offer practices that meet students where they are, rather than where we expect them to be.
Safety before stillness
In trauma-aware teaching, safety is the foundation of everything.
Before the body can release, it needs to feel supported — physically, emotionally, and energetically.
In restorative yoga, this might look like:
Offering plenty of choice in how students set up or shape their practice.
Explaining what to expect — how long shapes will be held, when the next transition is coming.
Inviting rather than directing through choice-based language.
Being mindful with touch, proximity, and tone of voice.
Encouraging students to keep eyes open, move, or adjust at any time.
These seemingly small details help build trust and predictability — two things the nervous system needs before it can rest.
Rest as a relationship
Restorative yoga isn’t just about the poses. It’s about building a new relationship with rest itself.
For many people, rest has been tied to guilt, laziness, or unworthiness. A trauma-aware approach helps to reframe rest as a practice of permission — not performance.
When we allow rest to be responsive instead of rigid, students begin to reclaim it as something they’re allowed to experience, not something they have to earn.
Why it matters for teachers
As teachers, our words, tone, and presence shape the environment we create.
A trauma-aware restorative class doesn’t look radically different — but it feels different.
It can feel safer. More inclusive. More human.
It gives students space to explore what rest means for them.
And in doing so, it allows space to unfold gently, without pressure or expectation.
Bringing it all together
Teaching restorative yoga through a trauma-aware lens isn’t about fixing anyone — it’s about understanding the many ways people might arrive in your space.
It’s about holding space where choice, agency, and safety are valued just as much as stillness.
Because restorative yoga isn’t just about resting the body — it’s about restoring trust, connection, and the possibility of feeling at home in ourselves again.
If this approach resonates with you…
Join me for this in person training on the Sunshine Coast in March 25-Hour Restorative Yoga Teacher Training – Through a Trauma Aware Lens
Together, we’ll explore how to guide supportive rest, inclusively, and ways to support the nervous system — for every body and experience.
