The Trauma-Conscious Yoga MethodⓇ is a healing modality that helps us turn toward that from which we would instinctively retract or retreat. It is our survival instinct to turn away from the pain inside, to push it down or to fight against it. TCYM, a modality deeply inspired by Internal Family Systems Therapy, teaches us to expand our window of tolerance at the pace of our own unique nervous system, so that we can befriend, support and transform the suffering inside.

🌺 🌿✨ We find that which once ailed us is actually an ally.

I wish to share with you Christina’s tender note to me following a Level 1 TCYM training several years ago. During the course of our four days together at a TCYM certification training I lead in Austin, I witnessed Christina’s relationship with herself metamorphose from one of blame and shame to one of awe, respect and gracious care.

🌙🌺 🌿✨Here is a letter Christina wrote to me following the training, which she so generously has invited me to share with you:

“Nityda, As for what has changed for me, I think the biggest thing is my relationship with my body. I’ve had chronic autoimmune conditions for as long as I can remember but didn’t notice how that created an adversarial relationship with my body. (For instance, when people asked me what autoimmune diseases are I would tell them “It means my body hates me and attacks me.” Wow!)

The somatic meditations we did in our training helped me relate to my body in a way that I never have before. Its still a work in progress but I am better able to recognize when I feel separate from my body or angry at my body. I am slowly learning to treat my body with kindness and compassion.

Because I didn’t often feel positively connected with my body, I would not talk with my clients much about it and if I did it was superficial and cautious. I now consider mind-body connections with every client, whether they mention it or not. Now that I’ve learned it, I can’t “unsee” it. It filters every assessment and plan I have with clients. I suggest and model breathing and movement in session in ways I was not comfortable doing before.

I’ve also reconnected with my own personal Hatha yoga practice (which I have neglected for years mostly because I didn’t trust my body to do it) and am now also exploring other parts of yoga that I didn’t know existed! I’m also allowing myself to not do yoga “perfectly”, which restricted my practice previously, and remind myself that doing something with proper form is more important than how far I can fold or whatever it might be. I try not to compare myself with others in class and allow myself to move in ways that feel good to me (or realize that I don’t know what feels good so just move and learn about myself during the process!).

Finally, another thing that impacted me was your statement about not practicing something with clients unless we practice it ourselves. This is obvious in many ways but I think previously I would have viewed yoga or body work as something I could talk intelligently about and teach others without my own personal practice. I now recognize the error in those thoughts which makes me hold that lens with anything I introduce in my therapy sessions.

I’ve talked with colleagues so much about your workshop that they reflect things like “you really did enjoy that, didn’t you?” or “you’ve mentioned that workshop a few times.” I hadn’t realized how much I was talking about it until they brought it to my attention! Just another way it keeps that learning in focus for me and reminds me how I’ve grown.

I appreciate you creating a space for that to happen!

– Christina Dixon, LCSW, TCYM

I get tears and chills every time I re-read Christina’s note. What a beautiful transformation, right?! Christina’s story is an inspiration.

So…I’m thinking we do a little exercise here….

Next, I invite you to take a journal and contemplate the following:

🌺 🌿✨What parts/aspects/patterns from within yourself are you fighting against? (these “aspects/patterns” could be physical like ongoing chronic pain; mental, like negative self-talk or fear-based beliefs that keep you from acting; and/or emotional/mood-related like self-doubt, depression, grief, or fear).

🌺 🌿✨How might compassionately turning toward, rather than away, from these parts/aspects/patterns perhaps help you heal and transform them?

🌺 🌿✨How might somatic, embodiment, and trauma-conscious yoga practices like TCYM support you in this healing work?

🌺 🌿✨What are you willing and ready to do now to create positive lasting change and evolution in your life (list one to three things, or more if you’ve got ’em)!

Beautiful being, thank you for taking the time to contemplate your own personal evolution. When we work on ourselves we work to improve the world. My liberation is tied up in your liberation, and your liberation is tied up in the next person’s. We are all deeply interconnected- the wisdom of the yogic sages tells us this.

If you have been thinking of joining us in the movement to transform trauma healing and education around the world, perhaps today is your day. Click here to learn more.

To your liberation. To our liberation. I bow,

Nityda 💕