“There’s an app Stop, think and Breathe, a meditation app. That app is amazing. I plug in different meditations. Yo
u can personalize it to how I start my day. It’s made such a difference for me to customize it.”
“Trauma, sexual assault, is registered as sensations not stories. We do a huge disservice leaving body out.”
“I realized it was going to be a choice to be empowered and resilient or to be depressed and feel it would never get better. The other path was deep depression. And a feeling that this is it. Always. I’ll always unhappy and unlovable. At first, I never thought I’d get better. I never thought I’d be in a relationship.”
“Trauma doesn’t happen as a story she said it happens to the body.”
“The healing is lifelong.”
“A lot of people share (they feel) stronger self-esteem, confidence, feeling balanced, grounded and taking that into life. Understanding the need for self-care. The yoga has taught them that 1 hour a week dedicated resource, postures – it’s a priority. Initially when I developed the program I thought it would be internal, that was the benefit, but the community building with a survivor group is incredible. We can relate together in a health, moving and empowered way. Beautiful relationship, support – especially for those blamed or judged in a family where there was sexual assault. They didn’t have support around trauma.”
“Another surprise is the impact it (yoga) has on people. We do a pre and post-test and people report to police. It has happened numerous times. Working in cognitive therapy that doesn’t always happen. Something in body happened and they felt strong. They went with each other or decided they were ready to repot what had happened. They had support too. Ability to be intimate is another thing, again with a partner, or asserting boundaries. Safety, mindfulness, assertiveness aligned with what survivors struggle with. They are empowered to seek other resources. Help manage anxiety, depression, at basic level that happens and was what she expected but it was more than that. Genuine healing. It works. We can’t ignore it.”
“If you are feeling you can’t come out of that space, or there’s no light at end of tunnel or long hours of therapy aren’t helping you. There is hope. (There’s a) world of yoga and all other opportunities. Give it a chance. People are out there. If you are feeling there’s no other side to what you’ve gone through, there is. Give other modalities a chance.”
“So much modern yoga is physical but if we look back there are emotional and spiritual elements.”
“Goal is for as many survivors to know about this gem to support their process. That is the message she wants everyone to get.”
“There are days I carry a lot of what I’m experiencing (f/t work is in rape center). I may work with a student or get triggered. I have to stabilize my body. If I’m bringing my energy in it translates. Need to center myself. Anyone doing this work needs to identify ways to resource our own bodies for the sake of helpers and those they are helping.”
In work with college students (as Sexual Assault Specialist at U.C. Irvine), doing outreach to student and faculty, students face victim blaming (such as) ‘They were both drinking. How can it be rape?’ Still hear things about clothes. Not understand rape is prevalent. People still have idea of perpetrator as a stranger jumping out from a bush. It’s not true. It’s often someone survivor knows, trusts, is on a date with or in a relationship (with). I work to dispel stigma and stereotypes to make society a more welcoming space to heal. If people don’t believe survivors there’s not going to be healing. A lot of our work is starting with basics, understanding how often it happens and the importance of believing people and getting resources.”
“Honestly, for the longest time people feel they need to rehash every detail of trauma, emphasizing on verbalizing it, and for some it helps, for others it doesn’t get them to the point that they feel better.”
“I don’t think long hours of therapy is (the) only treatment. We have to think a lot more holistically in healing unique and different ways to support people.”
“I believe that trauma sensitive yoga programs and holistic forms of healing are truly the future of the field. I have been involved in prevention and intervention work for the past six years and I have not seen anything more transformational than the impact that a trauma informed yoga practice has had on the lives of survivors.”
“Trauma doesn’t happen as a story. It happens to the body.”
“There are times when I am triggered, when I can feel trauma boiling through feet and I feel it has no outlet.”
“Think of survivor…. anxiety, depression, GI issues, sweaty palms. So many after effects of trauma. It’s all in the body. Google symptoms of sexual assault and it’s all about regulating the body.”
“We can literally move through it.“
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