Trauma-Informed Yoga for Survivors of Modern Slavery
In our latest blog, we're chatting to Cat, Snowdrop's very own trauma-informed yoga teacher. Find out exactly what that means, the best parts of Cat's role and the profound changes she's seen in clients through the provision of alternative therapies such as yoga.
Can you tell us a bit about what you do at Snowdrop?
I am a trauma-informed yoga teacher. I offer 1:1 relaxation sessions and a weekly yoga group. In the summer holidays, I also offer family yoga. In the 1:1 sessions, I follow the client’s lead. Some may want support with leaving the house when they are anxious, some may have a physical ache or pain that they want help with. I write each person a programme of four sessions to suit their needs.
Group yoga is good fun! We do some yoga postures and stretches, and we also play games that get the body moving and generate a lot of laughter. The relaxation part is always valued by the clients.
What’s the best part of your job?
There are so many! Seeing a very anxious person start to relax their body, guiding someone through a stretch that creates a feeling of release they didn't think possible, building trust so a person can let go and close their eyes for a while during relaxation. I love hearing people share that they used their new skills to achieve something amazing, like riding on a bus when they were scared, or staying calm during a time of challenge, or sleeping well for the first time in a long while.
How does trauma-informed yoga differ from other types of yoga?
The style of yoga I offer for clients at Snowdrop is a blend of trauma-informed yoga, Hatha and restorative yoga. Trauma-informed yoga blends traditional yoga teachings with a modern understanding of the nervous system. The aim is to support emotional safety and offer tools to help traumatised people cope in a world that feels scary. I blend this with Hatha (postures, breathing, meditation) and restorative yoga (longer held, supported postures for pain and injury recovery), along with my own games and fun to offer what the client or group needs in the moment.
What kind of activities do you offer in your family yoga sessions?
Family yoga is for kids and grown ups to move together, be silly together and relax together. We play imagination games: can you walk like a giant? How about a fairy? We experiment with balances, creating shapes with our bodies and singing action songs with yoga postures. We always end with a relaxation. Usually, Bernice the butterfly travels around to rest on the people that are most still. The kids love when Bernice chooses them.
What kind of changes do you see in clients because of your yoga sessions?
During group, I frequently see people fall asleep, which is a huge thing. The clients are stressed, exhausted and not sleeping well. So, for them to trust the Snowdrop venue and the space offered in yoga is a big deal. They get the opportunity to rest and recuperate, in a space just for them. I see people growing in confidence as they discover new ways to manage emotions. I see people starting to feel safe being in their own bodies, and preparing to start counselling with new tools for coping with life. It's really amazing!
Thank you so much to Cat for chatting with us!
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