Supporting Women in a Local Safe House: Trauma-Informed Yoga in Practice

Recently, I’ve had the privilege of facilitating trauma-informed yoga sessions within a local safe house.

For safety and privacy reasons, I can't share too many details but what I can share is the quiet, steady shift that happens when people are given space to reconnect with their bodies in a way that feels safe and where they are given choice.

What Trauma-Informed Yoga Looks Like in Real Life

Trauma-informed yoga is about:

• Restoring a sense of agency

• Supporting nervous system regulation

• Offering choice rather than instruction

• Creating consistency and predictability

• Helping people connect to themselves in a safe environment

  
  

Many of the women in safe house settings have experienced very complex trauma. For some, their bodies have not felt like safe places to be.

In our sessions, everything is invitational. There is no pressure to share. No expectation to achieve. No hands-on adjustments. Just breath, gentle movement and the option to rest.

Why Nervous System Regulation Matters After Trauma

When someone has experienced trauma, the nervous system can remain in survival mode. This might show up as:

• Hypervigilance

• Emotional shutdown

• Difficulty sleeping

• Anxiety or panic

• Anger that feels hard to regulate

• Feeling disconnected or numb

Trauma-informed yoga supports nervous system regulation by:

• Slowing and deepening breath

• Activating the parasympathetic response

• Building interoceptive awareness

• Supporting present-moment focus

• Encouraging safe rest

  
  

Over time, participants begin to notice subtle changes.

One woman shared this reflection:

“I discovered what it meant to be in-tune with how I am feeling instead of pushing it further down into the depths of my head and heart... Sometimes the greatest challenge is slowing down and listening. To my surprise, beyond the physical benefits, I began to face the stress in my personal life with more optimism. Without trying, I learned to use my breath to bring my thoughts back to centre. I felt calmer and more empathetic, and even found myself control the anger and emotion.”

Structure Creates Safety

In each group trauma informed yoga class, I taylor the course and the environment to the different needs of the group, while trying to give as much information as I can about what to expect in each class.

Each session includes:

• A gentle arrival practice

• Simple breathwork

• Slow, floor-based movement

• Restorative shapes with blankets and bolsters

• A guided body awareness practice

• Nervous system and and trauma informed educational teaching

  
  

The structure stays similar week to week. The room layout remains consistent. Language stays invitational. When trauma has removed choice from someone’s life, restoring even small moments of agency is important.

Trauma-Informed Yoga in Community and Charity Settings

Trauma-informed yoga can sit alongside counselling, advocacy and practical assistance as a complementary nervous system support.

It offers participants tools they can carry with them:

• Grounding techniques before sleep

• Breath practices during anxiety

• Early awareness of stress signals

• A way to slow down without guilt

This work is not about fixing people.

It is about creating regulated, respectful space where bodies can begin to feel safer again.

Bringing Trauma-Informed Yoga to Your Organisation in Bath and the UK

At Active Stillness, I offer trauma-informed yoga in Bath and surrounding areas for:

• Charities

• Community wellbeing programmes

• Carer organisations

• Corporate wellbeing initiatives

  
  

I have worked locally with Oasis Bath, Bath Mind, South Side, Bath Carers, Bath Parent Carers forum, Salvation Army and Focus Councelling. If your organisation supports individuals experiencing trauma, stress or burnout, trauma-informed yoga can provide practical nervous system regulation tools in a structured and accessible way.

You can find out more at www.activestillness.org or get in touch to explore how we might work together.

Contact Me