“Say not, ‘I have found the truth,’ but rather, ‘I have found a truth.’” ~Kahlil Gibran

The origin of yoga is rooted in Hindu religion, but current styles range anywhere on a scale from sacred to secular. Trauma-informed yoga teachers have the right to incorporate the idea of a “higher power” into their teachings, but should address the presence or absence of spirituality in the language of the class description.

When a person experiences a traumatic event, it can be hard to reconcile any sort of divine order in the chaos that encompasses their experience; some might completely lose hope or faith while others hold on to their faith and attempt to make meaning from their experiences. Both of these attitudes are valid and entirely up to the individual.

To be trauma-sensitive or trauma-informed is to have empathy for both of these viewpoints. It is not up to a yoga teacher to convince or force a student that their way is the “right” way. Besides, you can’t force faith.

Attempting to provide reassurance with statements like “Trust the universe” or “This is all part of a bigger plan” may be encouraging to some, but these statements can be extremely harmful for those who feel isolated.

Oftentimes, the pain and suffering of a traumatic event comes from injustice. Your traumatized student may be wondering, “What sort of loving god lets bad things happen to good/innocent people?”

There are also people who want so badly to believe in something bigger than themselves but can’t find that feeling to be true. Statements meant to be empowering can leave these types of students disempowered—feeling even more lost or discarded.

Here are some more examples of potentially unhelpful statements in a trauma-informed yoga class:

Trust the universe. Trust god. Trust in a bigger plan.

You have a purpose on this earth. We are all here for a reason.

There is a part of you/you have an inner resource that has never been disturbed by trauma.

Your thoughts create your reality.

Everything is meant to be. It will all work out.

Later you will look back and understand why this had to happen.

Everything happens for a reason.

This experience is the result of karma. Karma can be a result of things done in a past life.

Your happiness is a reflection of your faith in god/the Universe.

God/the Universe is Always supporting you on your path.

You Are Love. You just need to Choose Love over Fear.  

Here, use this Sanskrit mantra/chant/sing—it will take away your pain.

God/the Universe gave you the tools you need to get through this.

And please, avoid anything to do with the law of attraction.

The problem with most of these statements is that they are presented from a place of privilege as absolute truths. It is unethical to tell a parent who has lost their child in a car accident, “What is meant to be, will be” or to tell a sexual assault survivor, “Your thoughts create your reality.”

I recently had a teacher describe a secular style of teaching as stripping all the richness of yoga that brought him to be a teacher in the first place. There is room for everyone in the yoga community. Teachers with faith can teach students with faith. But if you are committed to the greatest amount of trauma sensitivity and inclusivity, you must consider whether your students will be helped or harmed by dogmatic language.

It is still possible for participants to experience the healing effects of yoga without being preached to. Ultimately, you have to decide if you trust the yoga to heal others or if you feel that You are the one doing the healing with your words.

Can you give up your power as a teacher and instead empower your students by giving them the agency to heal themselves without spiritual concepts? Can you guide students towards embodiment in the present moment with just awareness? Or must you share your opinions on the secrets of The Universe and big questions we ultimately don’t have concrete answers for?

It is possible to teach in a secular, trauma-informed manner while practicing on your own spiritual path. You can be authentic and live your own life according to your own beliefs while still holding space for others to heal themselves and allowing others to come to their own conclusions with time.

As a yoga teacher, there is no question that you should be teaching from a place of authenticity. If spirituality is what brought you to yoga and the idea of teaching in a secular way sounds too limiting, by all means Be Yourself. The difference between “good” yoga and “bad” yoga is only that which is safe. Make it clear to your students what your platform is going to be before they show up for class, so that they can feel safe and understood.

When marketing a trauma-informed class, use the term “secular” in the description to let students know it is safe for all spiritual orientations. If you intend on using more dogmatic language, you might describe the class as including a “rich spiritual curriculum” or “practices for mind, body, and spirit” etc.

Some might argue that all trauma-informed classes should be secular. I don’t think this has to be the case. For example, I have seen many churches start to offer yoga on site. It is possible to teach a trauma-informed class which facilitates safety within the body and within relationships while also providing connection to a higher power IF that is something the student already believes. It might be quite healing for members of a congregation to get to experience the feeling of faith and trust within their community as they begin to address traumatic experiences and their effects on the body.

If you are providing trauma-informed yoga for a secular organization, it is best practice to keep the language secular.

Yoga teachers are a kaleidoscope of beliefs, values, and traditions. Style is unique to each individual on the path. There is room for everyone. If you are willing to open yourself up to hold space for traumatized students, let me be the first to say Thank You. Just be sure you are cultivating an environment of healing and not harming.

For more understanding on this topic, check out:

“Everything Happens for a Reason, and other Lies I’ve Loved”   book and Ted Talk by Kate Bowler

Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga by David Emerson & Elizabeth Hopper, PhD

The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker

Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D