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The Group Guide
Connecting people to community
Client and Family Education
What to know about

Trauma-sensitive yoga

Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSY) is an adaptation of hatha yoga built from the ground up for people with complex PTSD. Every instruction is an invitation, not a command; you're never physically adjusted; and the whole session works to restore a sense of safety, choice, and ownership over your own body.

Who it's for, and who it's not

A fit for complex or treatment-resistant PTSD, or significant dissociation.
An adjunct to trauma-specific therapy, not a replacement for it.
If body awareness feels overwhelming, talk therapy may help first. In crisis? Call or text 988.

What it's used for

Complex PTSD and histories of interpersonal trauma (sexual, childhood, domestic).
People whose trauma is held in the body, or who dissociate during talk therapy.
What to expect
1Sessions usually run 30 to 60 minutes, with invitational language throughout.
2You're always free to stay still, skip a posture, modify, or leave the room.
3No hands-on adjustment. Simple postures, breath, and noticing sensation.

TSY has a small but growing randomized-trial evidence base.

A 2014 randomized trial found 10 weeks of TSY significantly reduced PTSD severity in women with treatment-resistant PTSD.1
A 2021 review found consistent positive outcomes for women with PTSD and depression, though studies are small.2
A 2020 trial found a PTSD-focused yoga program improved symptoms in veterans and civilians.3
Making the most of it
Every choice is yours. Skip or modify any movement, anytime.
Notice, don't push. Sensing the body is the practice.
No experience needed. Come exactly as you are.
Questions to ask before you join
1Is the facilitator TSY-certified, and through which program?
2Is this offered alongside other trauma treatment?
3Is it a set number of weeks, or an open drop-in group?

Ready to find a group?

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In crisis? Call or text 988 (US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7).

The Group Guide is a directory, not a clinic. This handout is general education, not medical or mental health advice. Listings are written by group leaders and are not endorsements. Confirm details, cost, and fit with any group you contact. Sources on page 2.

The Group Guide
Connecting people to community
Client and Family Education

Sources

Trauma-sensitive yoga · references keyed to the numbers on page 1.

1van der Kolk, B. A., et al. Yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (2014).

2Kysar-Moon, A., et al. Trauma-sensitive yoga interventions and posttraumatic stress and depression outcomes among women: a systematic review. International Journal of Yoga Therapy (2021).

3Davis, L. W., et al. Symptoms improve after a yoga program designed for PTSD: a randomized controlled trial with veterans and civilians. Psychological Trauma (2020).

In crisis? Call or text 988 (US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7).

The Group Guide is a directory, not a clinic. This handout is general education, not medical or mental health advice. Listings are written by group leaders and are not endorsements. Confirm details, cost, and fit with any group you contact.