HUMBOLDT — PARTNERS Family Services has started a trauma informed yoga program.
Kristin Ochitwa, clinical counsellor with PARTNERS, said yoga can be used as a method for treating the effects of trauma.
“The main thing with trauma informed or trauma sensitive yoga is really being cognizant of the language you’re using and making sure the students have a choice in what they are doing in the class,” Ochitwa said. “Having a choice and what feels good on their body and what their breath feels like and exploring what different movements feel like.”
She said that when a person experiences trauma they might experience a lot of aftereffects such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, shallow breathing, nightmares, panic attacks and a hyper-aroused state.
Yoga focuses on regulating breathing and using breathing to connect the mind and body, and this is where it can be used to help the treatment of people with trauma.
“It’s about being able to overcome some of that dysregulation and reestablish a sense of safety in themselves and their environment as well, and hopefully come to terms with their trauma that they’ve experienced or traumatic memories. And hopefully reintegrate themselves and move forward with that.
When we can use our breath and regulate our breathing we in turn regulate our nervous system and that’s going to help with the dysregulation and reestablish that sense of safety.”
PARTNERS started the six week program on Oct. 16.
Ochitwa said if anybody has any questions about trauma informed yoga they can contact their office at 306-682-4135.
“Yoga is yoga and it’s really about feeling what we feel and getting into the present moment and getting to know ourselves,” she said. “Figuring out what we need and what it takes to make us feel safe and overcome that dysregulation and carry about our day.”
