Healing Yoga: the journey of self love, from harming to healing

“The greatest journey she ever took was to heal herself. You can go around the world a thousand times. Until you go inside your soul and make peace and LOVE, you have not actually gone anywhere. How kind can you be to yourself in the next moment? That is the journey.”

—Jaiya John

These words are my new mantra. Again reminded this past week that vulnerability is the only gateway to the heart. I crashed off my patio while looking at the full moon and landed on my right side. My wrist and knee are now recuperating, and I am humbled just to be still. This active whirling dancer is sitting on the inner journey of listening and releasing the habits and patterns of my “doing” identity. I’m grateful nothing is broken; just the ego is bruised.

This month we begin our fall season of classes and workshops. Our teacher training is coming to its completion in October, and I’m debating on how to move forward. So much of our teachings at YAF are sharing the tools needed to move into our healing and connecting to our true inner selves of the heart. I want to begin teaching the philosophies and the methodologies of deeper, refined meditations for releasing the old patterns of traumas—the anger, the hurts, and the old beliefs that no longer serve in learning to love.

Yoga therapy is not just a physical practice but offers teaching with a heart-to-heart individual relationship between teacher and student. Holding a safe place to shift the mind’s struggle of gripping onto the patterns of thought, speech, and action that only add to the suffering. The mind is in the body, the breath, the thoughts, the behaviors of identity, and our moods. Each tool of yoga can influence these layers, and ultimately through practice and nourishing of new patterns, open the gateway to our deeper intelligence.

Learning self-love versus self-loathing is a journey of the soul. This is my life commitment to keep growing, and so I surrender my need to be perfect and accept my humanity. I am forever grateful for my injuries to remind me to come back to my practice in a new gentle way. As I prepare for my retreat in Portugal, my injury becomes a gift to move deeper in mindful meditation and to accept my limits by nourishing my grateful heart.

Everyday healing is not for the weak of the spirit. My hero at this moment is Michael Taylor, my dear friend, and colleague who is truly living the moment-to-moment acceptance of cultivating patience as he sits each day in uncertainty. His entire system is healing from a transplant last April.

And for anyone undergoing any type of treatment, whether a cancer diagnosis, an autoimmune disease, or just a much-needed mental rest from the exhaustion of living, know that we at YAF are holding the space of love and support for one another. May we all be nourished and feel connected as a community. This is what it means to be human.

Let’s meet each other where we are. Learn the gift of shifting anger into passion, fear into love, and appreciation for the brilliance of all the teachers that walked this path before us. Let’s move each thought, speech, and action from harming to healing. When you can observe your thoughts of anger or worry or fear and witness the thoughts as a pattern of learned habit, in that moment of awareness, pause, reflect and choose a better, right thought—the one that arises from a new pattern of practicing detachment from the self-preservation of identity. The ability to choose a better action from a kinder, compassionate perspective allows for a new experience to unfold, living a life with the possibility of less suffering, a pathway inwards with the desire to experience self-love.

The light in me honors the light in you,

Laura Jane

What is Yoga for Trauma?

Yoga for Trauma is a beautiful practice of healing, breathing, and moving together in community.

— Kim Eisendrath

To understand what a Yoga for Trauma class is, first, it is important to understand what trauma is. Trauma is defined as any event you experience that leaves you feeling helpless, hopeless, out of control, in despair, or unable to respond or defend yourself. Each person responds to trauma differently, depending on the severity of the event, and one’s own ability to process that experience based on their own unique nervous system.

No matter what the event, trauma and stress live in our body until it is given the opportunity to work itself out. The nervous system does not discern the trauma; it only knows that a stressful situation happened. 

I have had several clients tell me over and over that their trauma wasn’t so bad. They minimize their own experience rather than acknowledge it. I help them understand that their trauma is just as impactful as anyone else’s trauma. I support them in understanding that their experience is their own unique experience. Validation is essential in moving through trauma recovery, whether it is in a yoga class, in therapy, or from a support system.

A Safe Space

A qualified yoga teacher should be able to make every class a trauma-informed yoga class at a minimum; that being said, every class is not specifically designed to be trauma-informed. The most important aspect of a Yoga for Trauma class is creating a space of feeling seen and safe for anyone who makes the brave decision to show up. Walking into a room for a class may be enough for someone, and they can choose how they proceed from there. Knowing that there are no expectations other than to be present.

In this special class, the teacher, or guide, as I like to call myself, sets up the room with the placement of students in mind to make them feel as safe as possible in their surroundings. I allow students to become very familiar with the space they are in, with special detail to make sure that the student knows exactly where they are in the room as well as all of the sounds, sights, smells, and unique aspects of the space they are in. Additionally, my intentions for this class are to create a healing community, a sangha, during our time together, which is also in the detail of the setup.

Our human compassion binds us to one another, not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future

—Nelson Mandela

Sensation, Breathwork, and Language

Creating sensation in the body is a key point of Yoga for Trauma; we are often so dissociated with our bodies that we are not aware of sensations that are happening inside of them. I give lots of cues to be aware of internal sensations to bring the body back to the present. 

Breathwork is another part of Yoga for Trauma, first by becoming aware of one’s breath and then getting techniques that can support bringing the nervous system into a space of homeostasis. Through breathwork, we are also creating sensations in the body. Becoming aware of how one breathes without judgment creates another layer of self-awareness. We are trying to become in tune with what is happening in our bodies with incredible compassion, so we can use that awareness to see how emotions sit in our bodies. Yoga for Trauma is a full-circle experience to create awakenings in the mind, body, and spirit. 

One additional and critical aspect of this class is the use of language. As noted earlier, there are no expectations, no “have to’s,” no “just try this.” The language is filled with possibilities of opportunities and, of course, endless choices, so participants are given the opportunity to have much-needed autonomy over their bodies.

My classes include students of all abilities in their practice, from those with no yoga experience to those who need to practice in a chair to those who have practiced regularly for years. Within the abilities, specific poses are chosen throughout the practice to allow for emotional release. Certain parts of the body hold different emotions; I take my students through a majority of these poses, within their own version of the practice, often with explanations of why we are doing them. It is important for students to develop trust with their teachers. I create a commonality that we can all build that trust upon, and then it is reinforced that the yoga pose is in how it feels rather than how it looks. 

Polyvagal Theory

A significant understanding of the nervous system is crucial for leading this type of class, and I have extensively studied the Polyvagal Theory by Dr. Stephen Porges. Using this methodology has allowed my students to tap into the full spectrum of their nervous system, being able to move through it in a way that allows for the ease of transitions within the nervous system. All of this is explained during the class, not needed for a science lesson, just some digestible information.

Just Be Present and Willing

When someone tells me that they are not “good” at yoga, my response is that when you show up, you are a yogi. The concept of being “good” at yoga is a misnomer. There is no “good” at yoga; it truly is the willingness to attempt to be present and put in the right effort for your body at this moment in time. Somedays, a person, myself included, needs a heart-pumping, muscle-intensive practice, while gentle movement and meditation are best on other days. Becoming aware of what is needed in one’s own body and then using that awareness to take what you need in an adaptive form is an incredible and empowering growth experience. Yoga for Trauma teaches us this process. With regular practice, it is profound how one's psyche can change. It all starts with showing up!

On Saturday, October 16, 2022, I am guiding the Yoga for Trauma class at Yoga Among Friends. If you are struggling with trauma, join me by registering here. Or, if someone you know is suffering from trauma, stress, or anxiety that could benefit from this special yoga class, kindly encourage them to check out this blog post and come to class. You’ll walk away with the knowledge and resources to regulate your nervous system as well as a community for continued support and compassion!

Yoga for Trauma is a monthly workshop that meets on the 3rd Sunday of the month. You can view the schedule on Yoga Among Friends’ workshops page.

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About the Author

You can find Kim teaching at Yoga Among Friends:

• Thu 8–9a, Slow Flow–Zoom

• Select Sundays 3–5 pm, Yoga to Transform Trauma–Studio (Meets Monthly)

Kim Eisendrath, RYT 200, has been practicing yoga for almost 20 years and finds it a source of strength and inspiration to come into her body while expanding her mind. She is a certified yoga teacher, studying under Laura Jane Mellencamp and Julie Pate, and a certified TRE® provider, focusing on trauma-informed and accessible yoga.

Kim wants to help people discover their gifts to recover from emotional and physical stressors through the practice of yoga and TRE. She is finally living her soul’s calling by giving back to others through these practices.

Her credentials include:

• Yoga Alliance RYT 200

• Yoga Alliance 25-hour Yoga for Trauma Training

• Tension/Trauma Release Exercise (TRE®) provider

• M.A.T. Special Education

• ADHD Coach

Questions about Yoga for Trauma, TRE or other yoga classes? Reach out to Kim.

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The invitation awaits…

As we continue to enjoy the summer season, we are noticing the long days of light getting shorter. We are once again preparing for school to return and taking advantage of any opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

This summer has been an overwhelming rollercoaster of emotions. As a nation and as a local community, we are still reeling from the horrible tragedy of the Highland Park shooting on July 4th. We are extending our grieving hearts to all the families that will forever be changed by that horrific event. Life is a daily reminder that we can choose to harm or heal depending on our willingness to be conscious of our thoughts, actions, and habits. And we can choose to be better at healing.

I am once again offering an opportunity to inspire a sense of community with yoga retreats. My greatest joy is bringing souls together to share in belonging and nourish the deeper parts of themselves.

Celebrating life is not a luxury. It is mandatory for humanity to move out of the mind of rage and anger and feel a true sense of peace. Being able to experience belonging to a community and cultivate a week of healing yoga is my gift in offering retreats.

This September, I am taking a group to Portugal and spending the week reminding myself that life is full of blessings. I just have to leap into the unknown and enjoy the uncertainty of letting go and letting the adventure of life unfold. I am always humbled by the amazing beauty the world has to offer.

Traveling offers experiences that have enriched my life beyond what I could have imagined. And being together with the shared intention of healing the heart has been one of the greatest joys of Yoga Among Friends. This is why our community has survived throughout these turbulent times; we are a center for the heart. Welcoming and belonging are among the most necessary elements for humanity to thrive. To feel included, to be seen, and to be heard are important elements for all healing.

At Yoga Among Friends, our mission is to offer a safe place to fall apart and be seen for the depth of being enough. There is no competition to strive for but to be willing to release the armor of learned habits and enjoy the beauty of living a fully vibrant and healthy life. When we attend a YAF retreat, we are opening ourselves up to going deeper to love and get nourished. I am forever grateful for all the ways yoga has inspired a lifestyle of living in loving kindness. We can all use a good hug.

Taking even a day retreat can make a huge difference in our health. A day spent reflecting on “What’s good about this day?” helps us heal. Reflecting on this thought allows us to notice the beauty around us. And instead of seeing the world through a lens of agitation and frustration, we are choosing to take the time to find the qualities of peacefulness that remind us to slow down, take a breath, and choose a kinder thought. We are willing to become aware of the small little moments that inspire us to choose appreciation for the blessings in our lives. We can always experience frustration by comparing our lives to anyone else’s and setting ourselves up for disappointment by desiring a particular outcome to ease our constant, chattering minds.

At times, the process of healing begins by simply noticing the tension in my physical body and getting onto my mat. Just making the effort to lie down and put my hands on my belly and take ten full diaphragmatic breaths. I didn’t change the outer world. Just chose to shift my perspective and allow for the wonder of what is being presented to flow into my conscious mind. I do see and listen better, allowing me to appreciate the simple graces.

Life is a gift, and it does offer us every opportunity to celebrate. If we ever feel lost or overwhelmed, all we have to do is become still and listen to our hearts. Find our north star. This allows us to embrace an inner smile, which if we share throughout the day, there is a chance we will get that smile back. We can choose to offer more empathy for the pain that most people are living with. The pain of physical, emotional, and spiritual grief.

If we invite life in on our inhale and then on our exhale, let go of taking anything personally. we can choose to hold space in our hearts for all souls that are suffering. We can choose to extend that heartfelt belonging even in the midst of sorrow. We can move forward with the possibility that life is presenting miracles.

These are the teachings of yoga. It starts on a gross level and moves the mind deeper into a refinement of ease. We do have the ability to come inward and heal. Yoga is living in a state of mind and heart that can feel balanced. And so we all need to retreat. Each time we step on the mat, we are giving a restored renewal into ourselves.

Now, imagine an entire week of this gift. It brings great joy to feel alive. A courageous heart will go forth and engage with life despite confusion and fear. The invitation awaits…

With love and light,

Laura Jane

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2023 Jamaica Yoga Retreat with Laura Jane Mellencamp-Murphy

Sunday, February 12, 2023 – February 19, 2023

7 nights at Good Hope, a 200 acre historical property in the beautiful Jamaica countryside with access to a private beach. This yoga retreat is for all life experiences. Perfect for all levels of practitioners, yoga teachers, and bodywork therapists.

Save $100 when you register and pay the deposit by November 1, 2022.