Yoga for PTSD: Supporting Healing Through Somatic Practices
What Is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, such as physical or sexual assault, military combat, accidents, natural disasters, or emotional abuse. Individuals with PTSD may relive the trauma through flashbacks or nightmares, feel constantly on edge, avoid reminders of the trauma, or experience shifts in their mood and sense of safety.
Symptoms of PTSD can interfere with daily life, relationships, work, and personal well-being. While therapy and medication are important tools in recovery, healing often requires a multifaceted approach—one that includes attention to both the mind and the body.
Who Can Develop PTSD?
PTSD can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, background, or profession. Some people may develop PTSD shortly after a traumatic experience, while others may notice symptoms months or even years later. Not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD, but for those who do, early intervention and supportive care can make a significant difference.
Certain factors may increase a person’s risk, such as a history of childhood trauma, a lack of social support, or repeated exposure to traumatic events. First responders, veterans, survivors of interpersonal violence, and people recovering from addiction are all at higher risk—but PTSD is not limited to these groups.
Because trauma is held not just in memory but also in the body, many people with PTSD find themselves feeling disconnected from their physical selves. This is where body-based healing methods like trauma-informed yoga can offer meaningful support. At Alta Mira, we understand this and incorporate a variety of holistic treatment options to help clients heal; mind, body, and spirit.
How Can Yoga Help Those Who Have PTSD?
By applying a trauma-informed lens, yoga can be used to help individuals feel safer, more empowered, and more in control of their bodies. In this setting, yoga prioritizes emotional safety and internal awareness.
Participants are invited to explore movement rather than follow strict commands. Poses are often gentle and grounding, with modifications available to suit all ability levels. Touch is generally avoided unless explicitly invited, and there is an emphasis on creating a predictable, calm environment.
One of the key goals is to help individuals rebuild trust with their own bodies. After trauma, many people experience dissociation which can cause them to feel detached or numb. Yoga based on trauma-informed practices helps re-establish a sense of self, allowing participants to notice bodily sensations without judgment and begin to regulate their nervous system in a healthy way.
The Role of Somatic Experiences in Healing
Somatic therapy, like yoga, works with the body to process unresolved trauma. “Somatic” simply means “relating to the body,” and these approaches are grounded in the idea that trauma doesn’t just reside in thoughts or emotions, it lives in the nervous system and physical body as well.
During traumatic events or experiences, the body may enter a fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode. Even after the threat has passed, this stress response can remain “stuck,” leading to symptoms like hypervigilance, panic attacks, or chronic tension. Somatic practices, including mindful movement, breathwork, and body awareness exercises, can help release this stored trauma.
By engaging the body in safe and intentional ways, somatic experiences allow people to move through sensations they may have been avoiding. Over time, this can restore a sense of safety, increase resilience, and create space for more ease in daily life.
Moving Toward Wholeness
Yoga is not a replacement for therapy, but for many people with PTSD, it can be a powerful complement. Yoga invites participants to reconnect with themselves gently, without pressure or expectation. It encourages curiosity over perfection, and awareness over performance.
At Alta Mira, we recognize the importance of holistic, evidence-based care for those with PTSD and co-occurring conditions. Our integrated treatment programs incorporate a variety of therapeutic approaches including individual and group therapy, medication management, experiential therapies, and somatic work like yoga and mindfulness-based stress reduction.
Healing from trauma takes time, compassion, and support. If you or someone you love is living with the effects of PTSD, know that recovery is possible and that the path to healing may begin not just with words, but with breath, movement, and a return to the body.
