Grounding Yoga To Calm Stress | Trauma-Informed

This trauma-informed, grounding yoga practice for beginners supports you when you're feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed. We’ll be seated for the entire class with no standing or supine postures, exploring gentle movement, cultivating awareness, and focusing on connection with the surface holding us. If you’d like a gentle grounding yoga practice that remains low to the ground and releases stress and anxiety, I invite you to join me! Please note that this practice is a supportive tool and not a replacement for professional mental health care.

Transcript

Welcome and thank you for joining this trauma-informed seated grounding class for beginners to calm stress and anxiety. We'll connect with the support holding us and honor our current feelings to offer ourselves gentle nervous system support. There are no props required, And if you're ready to begin, I invite you to start in a comfortable seat of your choosing, Resting your palms on the mat or floor. For you, This might look like sitting cross-legged. Or you could bend your knees, Placing your feet on the mat and resting your hands between them. Or finding any other shape. And as you get comfortable, I offer a gentle reminder for you to move at your own pace. Knowing you can take breaks or end early. And as you rest your hand, You might notice the weight or light pressure as you make contact with the surface supporting you. Maybe you notice the texture. Or you could move your hands if you don't prefer stillness. Perhaps you press each finger into the mat. If your feet are resting against the floor. You might also notice how this feels. Making this gentle connection. And if you're comfortable with breath work. You might choose to inhale. Perhaps breathing into your belly. And exhale, Sigh or release. Maybe you continue to elongate your inhales and exhales. Maybe finding softness in your jaw and shoulders. Maybe your abdomen. And as you rest here, You might notice feelings arise or become louder. I offer a gentle reminder that there's no right way you need to feel during this practice. If feelings like anxiety, Stress, Or overwhelmed are here today. They're welcome. And instead of trying to push these feelings away, We'll explore creating a little more connection and awareness, Allowing support within your body. I invite you to take what feels supportive. And remember that you can always pause and or explore something else at any time. You're welcome to stay here, Or you might continue with me, Knowing you never have to, Just because I'm moving on. But if you would like to. I welcome you to extend your legs out long. Option to have as much of a bend in your knees as feels comfortable. And if you like, You might bring the palms of your hands behind you. So that we can broaden the inner chest. Maybe bring awareness to your hands and other parts of you as they rest on the mat. You can broaden as much as you like. You might lift your gaze. Soft shoulders. Maybe a few deep breaths here. As you're ready, Gently coming forward into a forward fold. You might allow yourself to rest passively here, Rounding in your spine. Palms can face up. Rest on any part of you. Or continue to press into the mat. Into the surface holding him. Maybe with each exhale you find a little more softness, A little more room. You're welcome to fidget as much as you like here. As you're ready. I invite you to slowly lift up. Taking all the time you need. And from here, Keeping your left leg extended. As we draw our right heel in toward our body. You might take a moment to find what feels comfortable here. And this might be enough here, Just as you are. Or you might choose to gently fold over your left leg. Still having as much of a bend in your knee as you like. No need to push into anything. Just being here. In this moment. Allowing the support underneath you to hold you. And resting here a few moments. When you're ready to lift up, I welcome you to walk your hands toward your body. And finding a gentle twist so you might bring your left hand to your right knee. And my arm reaches out behind. Inhale, Lengthen. And exhale, Twist. Honoring your body's limits. And gently releasing. Repeating this on the other side. So you might extend your right leg out. Bringing your left heel in toward your body as much as feels comfortable. And as you're ready, Folding over your right leg. Maybe rounding in your spine. Taking your time here. As you're ready. Gently rising back up. And finding our twist on the other side. So bringing your right hand to your left knee, Left arm reaches out behind, Maybe softening in your jaw and shoulders. And gently unraveling back to center. Moving forward, You have two options. The first is to bring both of the soles of your feet together. Finding a gentle butterfly shape. Having your heels as close or as far away from your body as you like. Maybe you place blocks under your knees or you could even do this laying on your back if you prefer. And the second option is to bring both of your legs out long. Widening your ankles to a point that feels supportive. And you might stay seated upright. Or you might gently fold forward. Taking your time. Whichever version you've chosen, I'll let you know when we're about halfway, So if you would like to switch, You're more than welcome to. So whichever version you've chosen. Take a moment to settle. Allowing gravity to do all the work here as you rest. Maybe with your hands on the floor. Or anywhere else you choose. Deepening this connection you have. With what holds you. In here for a few moments. We're about halfway, So if you would like to switch to the other posture, You're more than welcome to. Whichever shape you've chosen. I welcome you to slowly rise up. Gently bringing your knees back together. And from here, Bringing your feet about as wide as the yoga mat to gentle bend in your knees. As we send our legs from left to right. Moving in a pace that feels supported. Being gentle with yourself. As you're ready, Coming back to a seated posture of your choosing. Maybe you rest one hand on your heart. Father on your belly. Or maybe you bring your palms back to the earth. Whichever is speaking to you. Taking a few more moments here as we connect with what supports us. Maybe breathing into your belly. Or allowing gravity to soften any tension you might notice. Or maybe you just allow yourself to be here in this space. You're welcome to stay here or maybe you bring your palms to prayer center to close our class. Grounding is a supportive way we can return to the present and give our thinking minds a gentle pause as we bring our awareness to our immediate sensations and surroundings. This doesn't always mean having a complete change of emotion or feeling in our body. But it can support creating more moments of presence. These small moments add up. And make a difference. Even if the initial changes seem small. Every time you show up for your meds. And everything you do to care for yourself matters. If your eyes are closed, I welcome you to slowly bat them open. If they are open, Coming back to the room and space around you. I thank you for joining this gentle grounding practice to calm stress and anxiety. Hopefully you were able to tune in for a moment and tend to yourself. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day. That we get to practice again soon. And from my vulnerable heart to yours. Take care.