How to be trauma sensitive & receive consent as a yoga therapist

Welcome to episode 19 of The Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy and meditation podcast.

This episode has been taken from a live Q&A session with lead teacher, Brandt, and his yoga therapy students.

In this Yoga Therapy Q&A session, Brandt focuses on the topic of being trauma sensitive with all clients as a yoga therapist, even if you don’t know all of their trauma history. Brandt offers advice on how to gauge whether someone may have some trauma, how to approach people by always giving options. Brandt also covers consent in the context of yoga therapy as well as how to allow clients & students the space to give honest feedback.

Other topics covered include optimal transition times when you’re seeing multiple clients in a day, tips for meeting with clients over zoom instead of in person, the importance of strengthening muscles and why the Breathing Deeply curriculum focuses on strengthening over Iyengar style alignment!

This Q&A is full of incredible information & advice especially if you are interested in approaching people in a trauma sensitive way, whether you are a yoga teacher, yoga therapist or a practitioner of any other type of modality working with the body.

We hope you enjoyed this video! Let us know in the comments or send us a message on Instagram or Facebook any key takeaways that you have!

Om Shanthi

Timestamps:

• 00:35 – How much time should I leave to transition between yoga therapy clients?
• 03:51 – What are the best methods to approach clients in a trauma sensitive way when you aren’t sure if they have any trauma? 
• 11:00 – What is consent in yoga therapy? 
• 15:03 – Giving people permission to give feedback on things that make them uncomfortable
• 16:33 – How can I do muscle testing with a client over zoom?
• 18:28 – What is the benefit of strengthening muscles over focusing on alignment?

Breathing Deeply is a Yoga Therapy and Meditation School, founded by lead teacher Brand Passalacqua in 2014. We hold online and in-person Yoga Therapy Foundations and IAYT accredited Advanced Programs and retreats along with Meditation Programs, including online meditation teacher training and certification and holistic weight loss with Being At Peace with Food.

Breathing Deeply is made up of an active and thriving community of yogis, caregivers, therapists, teachers, medical professionals, parents & children with the same intention—to serve others, lessen suffering, and co-create a new paradigm in wellness.