Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching

Catherine Cook-Cottone and Joanne Spence have written a marvelously useful book for yoga teachers. In any given yoga class, students arrive at the mat with a wide array of visible and less visible mental and physical health conditions - battling an eating disorder, feeling ashamed of their bodies, in the throes of an addiction, living with past trauma, having an incarcerated family member, or being diagnosed with cancer. In addition to being easy and enjoyable to read, teachers spending time with Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching will become wiser and better guides for their students. -- Rob Schware, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Give Back Yoga Foundation
Dr. Cook-Cottone and Joanne Spence have made a vital contribution to the yoga profession. Trauma-informed is such a buzz term, but few people agree on what it really means. Their approach is practical, informed by decades of research, and should be essential reading in all yoga teacher and yoga therapy trainings. -- Chelsea Roff, Executive Director of Eat Breathe Thrive and Co-Executive Director of the Give Back Yoga Foundation
In this meticulously crafted and insightful volume, the authors provide a comprehensive guide to effectively addressing the nuanced complexities of trauma that can manifest during the practice of yoga. Drawing upon a wealth of research, literature, and practical applications, this book seamlessly integrates the essential knowledge and practices required by yoga instructors and healthcare providers. With its attention to detail and lucid prose, this work is destined to become a seminal guide for generations of trauma-responsive care providers, offering invaluable wisdom for years to come. -- Amy Wheeler, PhD Founder, Optimal State, Past President of the Board of the International Association of Yoga Therapists
As someone deeply immersed in supporting first responders to manage chronic stress and trauma, Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching is a game-changer. It's a compassionate and transformative guide, offering practical yoga that resonates with first responders and anyone who has experienced trauma. Whether you're working with first responders or others facing chronic stress, this book is packed with fantastic tools. -- Gina Rollo White, MA Mindfulness Studies, creator of Mindful Junkie, and author of forthcoming Tactical Brain Training ®; Supporting First Responders to Mindfully Navigate Chaos.
This book is a lasting resource guide for trauma-centered yoga. -- Rolf E. Sovik, PsyD. Author of Moving Inward, Past President of the Himalayan International Institute
This book is a gift to anyone who cares deeply about sharing yoga with any population and an incredible resource for anyone wanting to offer these tools in their own training of instructors. Cook-Cottone and Spence's approach to sharing trauma-informed and trauma-responsive yoga is easy to digest and gives tangible tools to inspire and encourage any level of instructor to implement these practices. As a facilitator of both 200 and 300 hour yoga teacher trainings, I am thrilled to have this book as a part of our programs. -- Liz Veyhl, E-RYT 500, Founder & Executive Director of Small World Yoga
Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching is an essential book that will have a powerful impact on the field. It synthesizes the authors' considerable years of experience and research, and offers it to the community with clarity and compassion. Joanne and Catherine have an unwavering commitment to helping teachers create spaces where healing is possible and students are empowered. It's clear that this book will help many move towards those goals. -- Jennifer Cohen Harper, founder of Little Flower Yoga
When working with new yoga teachers, one of the most common questions that I receive is "how can I support a student who is feeling overwhelmed in class?" I am pleased to say that Catherine Cook-Cottone and Joanne Spence's new book has provided the much needed, extensive response to this important question. Research suggests that in our complex and modern world, approximately 90 percent of us will be exposed to at least one traumatic event in the course of our lifetime. Many people looking for support for trauma related symptoms of emotional overwhelm, anxiety, or somatic distress seek out yoga as a source of support. Even when not teaching a trauma-sensitive yoga class, you will have students in your class who have experienced traumatic events. It is imperative that all yoga teachers have the tools to help stabilize vulnerable students by helping them connect to valuable resources. Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching will give you the confidence to handle these moments with skill and sensitivity while also helping you attend to your own nervous system along the way. Whether you are a yoga teacher, studio owner, or provide yoga teacher-trainings, this book is an essential addition to your library of resources. -- Dr. Arielle Schwartz, clinical psychologist and author of Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga, Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma, and The Complex PTSD Workbook
In Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching Catherine Cook-Cottone and Joanna Spence offer an invaluable resource for yoga teachers. This book elegantly bridges the gap between trauma theory and yoga practice, providing a comprehensive guide that is deeply informative and, most importantly, accessible. Their work equips instructors with the knowledge and tools to create healing spaces for practitioners. I believe this is an essential addition to the field of trauma-sensitive yoga. -- R. Nikki Myers, IAYT Yoga Therapist, Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist, MBA, Founder Y12SR: The Yoga of 12-Step Recovery
Catherine Cook-Cottone and Joanne Spence ask us to reimagine the yoga teaching landscape through a trauma-informed and responsive lens. Using ancient yoga philosophy, psychology and insightful discussion prompts, we are given tools to navigate yoga spaces more attuned to our students and better equipped to identify and respond to trauma triggers. This is a must-read for anyone currently teaching yoga and an essential text for modern-day yoga teacher trainings. -- Steph Bertsch, E-RYT & Founder of Heart Fire Yoga
Yoga teachers have become a new type of first-responder as witnesses to their students' complex humanity. The yoga classroom tends to be a reliable space for many bodies to move through their feelings as they tune into their body. Trauma informed and trauma responsive education supports teachers to grow their inner resources while crafting a stable environment for their students' inner lives. Joanne and Catherine provide evidence, anecdote, practices and much heart for yoga teachers of every discipline to build internal connection that enriches their teaching community. -- Jill Miller C-IAYT, author of Body By Breath and The Roll Model
Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching: A Universal Practice is a celebration of the remarkable progress the professions of yoga teaching and yoga therapy have made in a relatively short period of time. The text is a beacon of non-harming (ahimsa), the root of all yoga. Smartly organised, clearly written while presenting best evidence, and approachable for all levels of experience. This book is destined to be a foundational reference for teacher trainings and professional development courses. -- Matthew J. Taylor PT, PhD, C-IAYT, Past president of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, www.smartsafeyoga.com
This book lays out clearly defined guidelines, principles, and practices to make us all more effective yoga teachers, but, more importantly, sets the stage for braver and more transformative yoga experiences for all students who step inside the studio. Whether you're a seasoned teacher or a fresh trainee, this book is a must-have. -- Michele Lawrence MBA, C-IAYT, E-RYT500, Director of Inner Peace Yoga Therapy
As a yoga teacher and teacher trainer, I am thrilled to finally have a cohesive, approachable, and practical resource to better equip myself and future teachers. As Cook-Cottone and Spence rightly acknowledge, trauma is both universal and deeply individual; learning how to guide others through a yoga practice from a trauma-informed and trauma-responsive lens is essential. This book adeptly balances science and application, empowering the reader to embody their own learning while developing a clear, compassionate and safe approach to leading others. -- Caroline Williams E-RYT 200, RPYT, Founder of The Yoga Abbey
Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching makes the sensitive and seemingly complex topic of being a 'trauma-informed' yoga teacher feel like something any yoga professional can accomplish. The yoga world has been waiting for a resource to support not only our students but one that reminds us to support and regulate ourselves first. How we show up as yoga professionals matters, and Cook-Cottone & Spence's book gives us both the specific steps and big-picture knowledge to become better and more nurturing trauma-informed and responsive yoga teachers. A must-read for any yoga teacher training program. -- Rebecca Sebastian C-IAYT, Host of the Working In Yoga podcast
Occasionally, we get introduced to something that makes us question how we managed before. The new book, Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching, is just that. In this groundbreaking guide, authors Cook-Cottone and Spence integrate their expert insights to equip yoga instructors with critical background knowledge and the skills needed to foster safe and empowering spaces for their students. This book belongs in the hands of every yoga teacher and yoga therapist, as well as at the top of the required reading list of every yoga teacher training. An invaluable contribution! -- Lisa Flynn E-RYT 500, RCYT, YACEP, Founder of ChildLight Yoga and Yoga 4 Classrooms, author of Yoga for Children, Yoga for Children-Yoga Cards, and Yoga 4 Classrooms Activity Cards
This book empowers the reader with real, implementable ways to explore and create an attuned and safe space for yoga practice. Every aspect of teaching yoga is explored from the underlying intentions of the practices, structure of a class, practices, communication, cueing, and assisting. The authors' combined wisdom and thought-provoking prompts and reflections support an authentic expression and integration of these aspects of teaching and practicing yoga. -- Marlysa Sullivan DPT, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, Tele-Pain Empower Veterans Program Mindful Movement Coordinator, author of Understanding Yoga Therapy
This book is an incredibly comprehensive resource to support healing practitioners on their lifelong journey to adopting and integrating a trauma-informed lens into the scope of their work. A one of a kind roadmap, a deep exhale, and a profound gift to the field. -- Zahabiyah Yamasaki M.Ed, RYT, author of Trauma-Informed Yoga for Survivors, Your Joy is Beautiful, H is for Healing, and Protect Your Energy
A rare offering of scholarship, wisdom, and practicality that moves us a giant step toward the full healing potential of yoga for our modern world. Every yoga teacher interested in personal and collective wellbeing should read it. -- Edi Pasalis MBA, MTS, Lead Faculty Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, former Director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living
If you are a yoga professional or teach in a yoga teacher training program, this book is essential reading. I don't know how to offer the kind of praise this astonishing book deserves. The discussions, case studies and journal prompts support your personal growth as well as professional development. Far from formulaic, the authors explore the research, the philosophy, the communication, (yes, there's a short course on Nonviolent Communication within these pages!) and the practices essential for offering a supportive, non-threatening environment for the many of us who have experienced trauma. Their years of experience and training in yoga and mental health give Cook-Cottone and Spence the wisdom and compassion to help yoga professionals create "trauma-informed and responsive" space to support healing. I can't think of a better book to give you the competence and confidence to offer trauma-informed and responsive yoga. But don't take it from me. Please buy this book! -- Amy Weintraub MFA, C–IAYT, YA-CEP, ERYT-500, author of Yoga for Depression, Yoga Skills for Therapists, Yoga for Your Mood Deck