Healing through movement
In June this year, I had the privilege of co-facilitating a Yoga for Trauma and Refugees weekend workshop with Tools for Inner Peace, a charity I’ve been working with since its launch in 2015. It was a heartwarming, enriching experience that highlighted how valuable and healing yoga can be.
We hosted 12 people, including a mix of refugees, individuals working in refugee support roles and yoga teachers. The workshop took place in the stunning Peak District, at the Lockerbrook centre, perched on a hill overlooking a serene lake and rolling hills. The natural beauty provided the perfect setting for a weekend dedicated to understanding trauma and its impact on both body and mind.
The facilitation team consisted of myself, Katyayani, a yoga teacher with over 25 years of experience of somatic and children’s yoga, and YogaTara, a Somatic Experience therapist, spiritual psychologist and yoga therapist. I felt fortunate to work alongside such seasoned teachers and guides.
YogaTara led us through a comprehensive exploration of trauma—its different types, how it manifests and ways we can manage its signs and symptoms through yoga or other body-centred practices.
These insights were coupled with restorative yoga nidra led by me and practical yoga sessions led by Katyayani, who focused on mindful movements rooted in classical yoga, which is naturally trauma-attuned. By drawing the attention inward and slowing down the breath, there’s a grounding effect that activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the innate healing power of traditional yoga, which is somatic by nature.
The weekend proved especially meaningful for some of the refugees, who had endured significant hardships in their lives. One participant said about the surrounding landscape, “I didn’t even know this existed”. It was his first time seeing the English countryside and he was in awe.
Others were able to better understand and articulate their experiences through a trauma-informed perspective, discovering how mindful movement and breathwork can support their healing.
Whether in the UK or beyond, the need for trauma recovery is immense. Yoga provides a simple, accessible and effective way to calm the nervous system, relax the body and mind and rebuild confidence, purpose and self-esteem.
Tools for Inner Peace continues its impactful work in the UK, Lebanon and Sierra Leone to empower refugees, conflict survivors and homeless youth. You can donate to support the work and find out more at www.tools4innerpeace.org.