Intero
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga
Intero Yoga
A trauma-sensitive yoga space
Trauma is an emotional response to an event that poses a threat to ones' physical, emotional or mental safety. But how it affects us is unique to each individual. The body remembers the experience and can manifest it in different ways such as depression, anxiety, and disease. These classes offer tools for healing and befriending the body through gentle movement, breath work, and mindfulness.
About Intero Yoga
Welcome! Yoga has been a passion of mine since 2008. What started as a personal, physical practice, has transformed into a tool for helping others on their journey to healing from trauma and becoming "whole" again. Whether in group classes or one-on-one training, this space is designed to help you through your journey.
Benefits of Trauma-Informed Yoga
Improve mind-body connection
Yoga puts an emphasis on recognizing and strengthening the mind-body connection, which is important for survivors to heal. The mind might be saying one thing, but the body could be stuck in hypervigilance. Yoga provides the time and the space to notice what the body is saying.
Helps balance the nervous system
After experiencing a highly stressful or traumatic event, it can be hard for your nervous system to go back to and stay in its "window of tolerance." Through body awareness, intentional breathing and various shapes and movements, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, which tells your body and in turn your mind, to calm down.
Focuses on the present moment
When you've experienced trauma or a stressful event, it can be hard to keep your mind in the present, instead of in a loop in the past or anticipating the future — both of which can compound stress. In yoga, a lot of emphasis is placed on noticing the breath or sensation in the body (interoception) which draws the mind directly to the present moment.
Helps to reclaim a sense of control
Through the practice of interoception- recognizing sensation in the body, choosing how to respond to that sensation, and then recognizing the effects of that choice, you can come to realize that you have control over your body and the ability to respond versus react to what might come your way.
My Classes
Designed For You
Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga
By appointment
TCTSY is an evidence-based method based on the hatha style of yoga, incorporating a series of physical forms and movements. Modifications are made to maximize experiences of empowerment and to cultivate a more positive relationship to one's body.
Unlike many public yoga classes, TCTSY does not use physical hands-on adjustments to influence a participant's physical form. Rather, TCTSY presents opportunities for participants to be in charge of themselves based on a felt sense of their own body.
The emphasis is not on the external expression or appearance (i.e. doing it "right"), or receiving the approval of an external authority. Rather, the focus is on the internal experience of the participant.
This shift in orientation, from the external to the internal, is a key attribute of TCTSY as a complementary treatment for complex trauma. With this approach, the power resides within the individual, not the TCTSY facilitator. (TCTSY-F). Further, by focusing on the felt sense of the body to inform choice-making, TCTSY allows participants to restore their connection of mind and body and cultivate a sense of agency that is often compromised as a result of trauma.
First-Responder Flow
Thursdays 12:30-1:30pm (Temporarily Paused)
This class, designed for police, fire and paramedic warriors, offers a space to breathe and move through the secondary trauma that often comes with the job. Just showing up is often the hardest part, but once you're here you can choose your path, whether through movement, stillness or just breathing.
One-on-One
In-person or Online
Maybe you're not quite ready to join a group class, but would still like to explore the benefits of yoga. In this setting, your practice can be completely tailored to your circumstance and level, and correspond with any additional healing paths you might already be on.
"Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self."