As yoga becomes more widely acknowledged by the allopathic health care system as a powerful, adjunct healing modality, yoga teachers are seeing a growing number of students in their classes who have been referred by their health care providers in order to address the aftermath of traumatic experiences including PTSD, addiction and other mental health conditions. Yoga teachers are uniquely positioned to support their students’ need for safe classes that teach them healthy, body-based self-regulation strategies. Trauma sensitive yoga is now considered essential for all yoga teachers and studio directors can support their teachers and in turn their students by providing this training in trauma sensitive yoga theory and techniques so that their teachers are always offering classes that are safe and accessible to everyone. Yoga studios are gathering places for people seeking community. This is particularly important for trauma survivors who are struggling with isolation As Dr. Judith Lewis Herman, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Harvard University Medical School writes, “Helplessness and isolation are the core experiences of trauma. Empowerment and reconnection are the core experiences of recovery.” Thus, yoga classes can serve as a way for survivor’s to break isolation and reconnect with their communities. For more information about trauma sensitive yoga please check out Nicole’s website at www.finebalanceyoga.ca.