{"id":205,"date":"2025-07-07T17:21:42","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T00:21:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/?page_id=205"},"modified":"2026-04-24T19:30:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T02:30:25","slug":"trauma-informed-yoga-psychology","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/trauma-informed-yoga-psychology\/","title":{"rendered":"Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignfull is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-87724155 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:55%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"409\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/05\/Picture1.svg\" alt=\"Decolonizing health, healing, and care\" class=\"wp-image-9\" style=\"width:495px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">\n<p class=\"has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Chapter 4.1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xx-large-font-size is-style-default has-small-font-size\"><strong><strong>Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology: Theory and Practice<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By <em>Melissa Jay, Michael Yudcovitch, Swaati Mehra-Ramcharan, sak\u00e2w laboucan, Nicole Lightning-Strongman, and Kitana Connelly<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-text-display has-medium-font-size is-style-text-display--2 wp-block-paragraph\">Book: <a href=\"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/\">Decolonizing Health, Healing, and Care<\/a> <br>Published: June 1, 2025<br>Publisher: <a href=\"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/\">Counselling Concepts<\/a><br>Chapter DOI: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.71446\/si83928741\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.71446\/si83928741<\/a><br>Book ISBN: 978-0-9738085-6-8<br>Format: ePub <br>Distributor: Vital Source<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e4ec366e wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide has-text-align-center has-x-large-font-size\">Purchase your copy at<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons alignwide has-custom-font-size has-medium-font-size is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-c126b804 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\">Vital Source<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-89463222 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xx-large-font-size\">Abstract<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">This chapter introduces trauma-informed yoga psychology as a wholistic, culturally responsive approach to understanding and healing trauma. Readers will explore the types of trauma and the impacts of trauma on the nervous system, including polyvagal theory, triggers, glimmers, and principles of trauma therapy. Melissa and Michael highlight how trauma is both personal and political, shaped by the enduring impacts of colonization and systemic oppression. Integrating decolonization into trauma-informed care offers a transformative path to honouring Indigenous Knowledges, worldviews, and healing practices while fostering cultural safety, partnership, and community-led solutions. Guided by Etuaptmumk or Two-Eyed Seeing, this chapter invites readers to consider how integrating psychological frameworks with Indigenous Wisdom traditions, including trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness that is Indigenous to South Asia, supports more inclusive care that centres body, mind, spirit, and heart. Through the authors&#8217; work at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canmorecounselling.com\/yogaschool.html\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.canmorecounselling.com\/yogaschool.html\">Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School<\/a>, they share how blending the insights of psychology with ancient yoga traditions can deepen practice and contribute to healing rooted in cultural humility, agency, and relational care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Melissa and Michael are so appreciative of the contributions by these co-authors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Kitana Connelly<\/strong> shares <em>Waves Unseen<\/em>, a visual reflection on the layered emotional currents of generational trauma, pride, and healing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Swaati Mehra-Ramcharan<\/strong> offers trauma-informed yoga practices that support grounding, presence, and choice, drawing on her connection to Indian culture, Hindu philosophy, and spiritualism.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>sak\u00e2w laboucan<\/strong> shares a powerful poem and reflection from a queer nehiyaw perspective, inviting readers to consider storytelling as a pathway for reclaiming spirit, identity, freedom, and miyo pimatisiwin.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Nicole Lightning-Strongman<\/strong> offers visual and audio reflections through Tree of Life: Indigenous and Yoga Teachings, inviting deeper awareness of relationality, interconnectedness, and the sacred relationships that sustain us.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-xx-large-font-size\">Citation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Jay, M., Yudcovitch, M., Mehra-Ramcharan, S., laboucan, s., Lightning-Strongman, N., &amp; Connelly, K. (2025). Trauma-informed yoga psychology: Theory and practice. In S. Collins and M. Jay (Eds.), <em>Decolonizing health, healing, and care: Embodying culturally responsive and socially just counselling<\/em> (Chapter 4.1). Counselling Concepts. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.71446\/si83928741\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.71446\/si83928741<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons alignwide has-custom-font-size has-medium-font-size is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-c126b804 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chapter 4.1 Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology: Theory and Practice By Melissa Jay, Michael Yudcovitch, Swaati Mehra-Ramcharan, sak\u00e2w laboucan, Nicole Lightning-Strongman, and Kitana Connelly Book: Decolonizing Health, Healing, and Care Published: June 1, 2025Publisher: Counselling ConceptsChapter DOI: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.71446\/si83928741Book ISBN: 978-0-9738085-6-8Format: ePub Distributor: Vital Source Purchase your copy at Abstract This chapter introduces trauma-informed yoga psychology as a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology: Theory and Practice","_seopress_titles_desc":"Trauma-informed yoga psychology blends trauma therapy with ancient Indigenous Knowledges to apply a decolonial and wholistic lens to relational care.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"both","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":301,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"trauma-informed yoga psychology,trauma therapy,decolonial and wholistic,Indigenous Knowledges,relational care","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-205","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"sandrac","author_link":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/author\/sandrac\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Chapter 4.1 Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology: Theory and Practice By Melissa Jay, Michael Yudcovitch, Swaati Mehra-Ramcharan, sak\u00e2w laboucan, Nicole Lightning-Strongman, and Kitana Connelly Book: Decolonizing Health, Healing, and Care Published: June 1, 2025Publisher: Counselling ConceptsChapter DOI: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.71446\/si83928741Book ISBN: 978-0-9738085-6-8Format: ePub Distributor: Vital Source Purchase your copy at Abstract This chapter introduces trauma-informed yoga psychology as a&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":608,"href":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/205\/revisions\/608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/counsellingconcepts.ca\/decolonizing-health-healing-care\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}