By Leslii Stevens, Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher, ERYT500, YACEP, Ayurveda Partitioner
"I assure you, trauma's not 'all in your head.' It's also in your heart, your nerves, and your stomach. It's in your trembling hands, your uneven breathing, your vision that suddenly gets blurry." Trauma from domestic violence isn’t something you simply ‘get over.’ It imprints itself on your body, your mind, and your spirit. Every cell in your body remembers what you’ve been through because trauma doesn’t just live in the mind—it lives in the body. And for survivors of domestic violence, the impact of that trauma is layered, affecting every part of your life: emotionally, mentally, physically, and even financially.
I know this because I’ve walked that journey myself. And one of the most profound tools I discovered in my own healing is trauma-informed yoga a practice that meets survivors where they are, offering a safe space for healing without forcing us to relive our trauma.
The Far-Reaching Impact of Domestic Violence
Domestic violence isn’t just about the physical scars. It’s a complex, often hidden cycle of control, manipulation, and abuse that leaves deep wounds far beyond bruises or broken bones. Victims of domestic violence face a multitude of challenges that go unnoticed by the outside world.
Emotional and Psychological Abuse: Gaslighting, manipulation, threats, and constant criticism wear down your self-esteem. Over time, you start to question your reality, your worth, and your ability to make decisions. Emotional abuse can strip away your sense of identity, leaving you feeling lost, powerless, and invisible. The effects of this abuse can last for years, even after the relationship ends, manifesting as anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and PTSD and C-PTSD.
Physical Abuse: While physical abuse is often more visible, its effects run deeper than the surface. Every slap, shove, or punch reinforces a sense of fear and helplessness. Over time, this abuse can trigger chronic pain, tension, and physical symptoms like headaches, digestive problems, and immune system dysfunction. Trauma-informed yoga teaches us how to reconnect with our bodies, helping us gently address these physical manifestations of trauma.
Mental Health Struggles: Victims of domestic violence often experience long-term mental health challenges. PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), C-PTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), anxiety, and depression are common among survivors. These mental health conditions can lead to feelings of isolation, shame, and guilt, making it even harder to reach out for help. Trauma-informed yoga allows us to focus on breath, grounding, and movement to find moments of calm amid mental chaos.
Financial Abuse: Financial control is a lesser-discussed but equally damaging form of abuse. Abusers often limit access to money, employment, or education to keep their victims dependent and trapped. This creates a cycle of powerlessness, making it nearly impossible to leave the abusive situation. Even when survivors manage to break free, they often face the financial fallout of having no resources, no job history, and sometimes even ruined credit.
The Body Keeps Score: How Trauma Lives in Our Cells
Domestic violence isn’t just something that happens to you—it’s something that happens within you. Trauma gets stored in our bodies. It shows up in tense muscles, shallow breathing, digestive issues, insomnia, and an inability to relax. Every flinch, every stress response, every instinct to flee is a result of the body remembering the threat—even when the threat is no longer present.
Trauma-informed yoga helps us unravel these physical responses. It’s not about forgetting or forcing yourself to move past the trauma, but about gently reconnecting with your body in a safe, compassionate way. It allows survivors to explore movement and breath without triggering overwhelming emotions or flashbacks.
Trauma disrupts the nervous system, pushing us into a constant state of ‘fight or flight’ where we either freeze up, overreact to stress, or become numb. Trauma-informed yoga helps re-regulate the nervous system by focusing on grounding practices, slow and mindful movements, and breathwork that brings you back to the present moment.
Every cell in our body was there when the trauma occurred. Trauma-informed yoga teaches us to speak kindly to those cells, to acknowledge the pain we’ve endured, and to give ourselves permission to heal, one breath at a time.
Why Trauma-Informed Yoga Works for Domestic Violence Survivors
Traditional yoga may not always feel safe for someone recovering from trauma. It can trigger flashbacks, panic, or feelings of vulnerability, especially in poses that expose parts of the body or involve touch. Trauma-informed yoga acknowledges these realities. It focuses on creating a safe, non-judgmental space where you’re always in control of your practice. You choose how far to go, what to explore, and when to stop.
Some key components of trauma-informed yoga that make it particularly effective for survivors of domestic violence include:
Empowerment: Trauma-informed yoga puts you back in the driver’s seat. Instead of a teacher dictating your movements, you are guided to listen to your body and do what feels right for you.
Non-hierarchical teaching: There is no pressure to “achieve” or perform. This removes the power dynamics that may feel threatening to a survivor who has experienced control and manipulation in abusive relationships.
Choice and agency: You always have the choice to skip a pose, modify it, or simply rest. This practice encourages survivors to rebuild trust in themselves and their own decision-making abilities—something that is often eroded by domestic violence.
Grounding practices: Trauma can make you feel disconnected from your body or overwhelmed by emotions. Yoga postures like child’s pose, mountain pose, or even simply lying on the mat help ground survivors in the present moment, reminding them they are safe, here, and now.
Breathwork: Controlled breathing techniques (pranayama) help calm the nervous system, reducing anxiety and stress. It also helps survivors gain control over their body’s reactions, which can often feel unpredictable after trauma.
Moving Forward: Healing, Not Just Surviving
Healing from domestic violence is not linear. It’s not as simple as walking away from the abusive relationship and suddenly everything is okay. The scars of domestic violence—emotional, physical, mental, and financial—stay with you long after the abuse has ended. But there is hope, and there is healing.
Trauma-informed yoga offers a gentle and accessible way for survivors to reclaim their bodies, rebuild their sense of self, and begin the process of healing. By connecting breath to movement, and body to mind, we learn to release the trauma that has been stored deep within us. We learn that we are more than our past, more than our trauma, and more than the pain we’ve endured.
This journey is personal to me, and I’ve seen firsthand how trauma-informed yoga can transform lives. Domestic violence may leave us feeling broken, but healing is possible. You deserve to feel safe in your body again. You deserve to rebuild, reclaim, and restore. And with the right tools, support, and compassion, we can all find our way back to ourselves—stronger, wiser, and more empowered than ever before.
Healing is possible. One breath at a time.
with love & light Leslii
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Text "START" to 88788
For immediate safety, call 911