By Leslii Stevens ERYT500, YACEP, Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Ayurveda Practitioner
On a quiet evening in a college town in Massachusetts, a 23-year-old college student, Kelly (name changed for privacy), took her routine walk. Her mind danced between the pressures of tomorrow’s creative writing exam and the fluttery excitement of a crush who always sat beside her in class. The familiar rhythm of her steps brought her a sense of calm, until it didn’t.
A sudden rustling in the tree line just to the left and few feet away shattered her peace. She froze, her heart racing, and before she could run, it was too late. What followed was an attack that would alter her life forever.
In the immediate aftermath, Kelly did what most survivors are told to do, she sought therapy. She revisited the memory over and over, hoping that confronting it would bring her relief. But relief never came. Despite years of traditional therapy, she was left with debilitating headaches, panic attacks, and a constant sense of unease. Trust felt impossible. Her marriage began to crumble under the weight of her trauma. "It's like you're not even here," her husband told her, echoing her own feelings of disconnection.
Twelve years later, Kelly was at her breaking point. On the verge of divorce and desperate for answers, she stumbled upon a therapist who introduced her to Trauma-Informed Yoga, who specialize in PTSD, Sexual Assault and Rape and gave her a list of Trauma-Informed Yoga Teachers and where they taught. Kelly began taking classes with me and slowly started her journey into the transformative practice of Trauma-Informed Yoga.
Understanding the Body as the Archive of Survival
During our first session, Kelly was skeptical but hopeful. She shared the frustrations of feeling “stuck,” despite her best efforts to heal. That’s when I introduced her to a concept that changed everything “Your body is not the enemy. It’s the archive of survival.”
Trauma doesn’t just live in the mind, it embeds itself in the body, creating patterns of tension, pain, and emotional reactivity. Kelly’s body was holding onto the terror of that night years ago, and no amount of talk therapy could unlock what her muscles, breath, and nervous system were still guarding.
Trauma-Informed Yoga, Yoga Therapy and Somatic Therapy offered her a new path one rooted in the belief that healing happens when we reconnect with our bodies.
The Turning Point: Movement, Breath, and Safety
Through my program Soul Reclaimers Kelly learned that releasing trauma required gentle, intentional practices. Together, we worked on:
Breathwork: Learning to breathe deeply and intentionally calmed her overactive nervous system and reduced the frequency of her panic attacks.
Movement: Simple, accessible yoga poses helped her reconnect with her body and release stored tension, especially in areas like her hips and shoulders, where trauma often hides.
Grounding Practices: Techniques like standing poses and mindful walking helped Kelly feel safe in her own body for the first time in over a decade.
As we progressed, Kelly began to feel lighter both physically and emotionally. A light bulb went off in her mind she wasn’t broken. Her body wasn’t failing her. Instead, it had been doing its best to protect her all these years.
Transformation: Mind, Body, and Soul
Over time, Kelly’s headaches diminished. Her panic attacks became less frequent and less intense. But more importantly, she started trusting herself and others again. Her marriage, once on the brink of collapse, found new life as she began to show up more fully.
Kelly describes Trauma-Informed Yoga as the pivotal moment in her healing journey. “For the first time, I felt like I wasn’t just surviving I was living. I never thought I could feel this way again.”
Today, Kelly is not only thriving but also sharing her story to inspire others. Her journey is a testament to the power of reconnecting with the body to heal the mind and soul.
If Kelly's story resonates with you, take the first steps toward healing. My Yoga Soul Reclaimers Therapy Programs are designed to meet you where you are, creating a safe space to release trauma and reconnect with your body.
