Lynn Stoller, OT, MS, OTR, C-IAYT, RYT500, E-RYT200 and outstanding expert contributors skilfully synthesize theoretical concepts and research findings from the fields of occupational therapy, trauma psychology, neuroscience, and traditional Eastern yogic philosophy to produce a Transdisciplinary Model for Post-Traumatic Growth for healing symptoms of combat stress, PTSD, or other unresolved trauma or anxiety disorders. The model is informed by the highly successful yoga treatment protocol used with U.S. military personnel deployed to Kirkuk, Iraq, which the author co-developed (Stoller et al, 2012) and by her experiences teaching yoga to veterans in her local community. Sensory-Enhanced Yoga (R) is designed to help meet the following goals: Decrease hypervigilance and overreaction to sensory input (e.g.visual, crowds, touch, noise, movement). Improve quality of sleep and energy level to support wellness and enhance daily productivity. Decrease intrusive thoughts by learning to become present through breath and body awareness. Enhance one's sense of self-worth and personal empowerment. Whether you are a therapist looking for effective treatment tools for your clients or are seeking healing for yourself, this insightful book will provide you with effective strategies to help promote peace of mind and full engagement in life. Lynn's website: www.sensoryenhancedyoga.org

Survivors of trauma—whether abuse, accidents, or war—can end up profoundly wounded, betrayed by their bodies that failed to get them to safety and that are a source of pain. In order to fully heal from trauma, a connection must be made with oneself, including one’s body. The trauma-sensitive yoga described in this book moves beyond traditional talk therapies that focus on the mind, by bringing the body actively into the healing process. This allows trauma survivors to cultivate a more positive relationship to their body through gentle breath, mindfulness, and movement practices. Overcoming Trauma through Yoga is a book for survivors, clinicians, and yoga instructors who are interested in mind/body healing. It introduces trauma-sensitive yoga, a modified approach to yoga developed in collaboration between yoga teachers and clinicians at the Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute, led by yoga teacher David Emerson, along with medical doctor Bessel van der Kolk. The book begins with an in-depth description of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including a description of how trauma is held in the body and the need for body-based treatment. It offers a brief history of yoga, describes various styles of yoga commonly found in Western practice, and identifies four key themes of trauma-sensitive yoga. Chair-based exercises are described that can be incorporated into individual or group therapy, targeting specific treatment goals, and modifications are offered for mat-based yoga classes. Each exercise includes trauma-sensitive language to introduce the practice, as well as photographs to illustrate the poses. The practices have been offered to a wide range of individuals and groups, including men and women, teens, returning veterans, and others. Rounded out by valuable quotes and case stories, the book presents mindfulness, breathing, and yoga exercises that can be used by home practitioners, yoga teachers, and therapists as a way to cultivate awareness, tolerance, and an increased acceptance of the self.

This evidence-based and trauma-informed resource allows professionals working with children and teens to apply sensory yoga as a holistic and effective tool in addressing symptoms of trauma, toxic stress, anxiety, depression, and related mental health conditions. Based on the Sensory and Mindfulness-based Yoga for Learning Environments (SMYLETM) model, this training program can easily be adopted by a wide range of professionals and applied to various settings, including schools, yoga classes, community centres, and group homes. In reducing stress, emotional dysregulation, and symptoms of hypervigilance and trauma, children and teens are able to benefit from a maintained state of calm and focus, and a heightened sense of self-worth and empowerment allowing for the long-term development of consistent healthy habits and routines.

Originally published by Viking Penguin, 2014.

This book should be of value to all mental health professionals, researchers, and students interested in traumatic stress, as well as legal professionals dealing with PTSD-related issues.

An innovative somatic and attachment-based treatment for working with children and adolescents who suffer from complex trauma and neglect "[This] is a ground-breaking new approach to treating traumatized children, based on the combination of keen clinical observation, sensory integration, and a deep understanding of the latest advances in the neuroscience of trauma."—Bessel van der Kolk, MD, best-selling author of The Body Keeps the Score The SMART (Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment) program addresses three key processes that can be derailed by developmental trauma--somatic regulation, trauma processing, and attachment-building--and uses movement and sensation to target the neurological structures that support emotional and behavioral regulation. Transforming Trauma in Children and Adolescents teaches therapists the eight key skills required for SMART mastery and provides seven regulation tools for clients, helping children and adolescents manage their feelings and attend to developmental tasks like making friends, participating at school, learning to play with others, and developing a sense of self that includes--but isn't defined by--the trauma they've experienced. Enriched with case studies and recommended adaptations, the book includes resources for parents and other caregivers who want to provide ongoing supportive care outside the clinical setting.

Yoga is an embodied practice that promotes well-being, resilience, and connection. Yoga and Resilience: Empowering Practices for Survivors of Sexual Trauma provides tangible tools, rooted in empirical and experiential data, that supports those seeking to use yoga and mindfulness practices as a tool to address the physiological and psychological impacts of trauma. There is a growing evidence base to suggest that yoga can be an adjunctive tool in supporting survivors of sexual violence.Yoga and Resilience: Empowering Practices for Survivors of Sexual Trauma is a collaboration of leading experts dedicated to addressing the impacts of sexual trauma through yoga and mindfulness practices. The work supports a holistic approach to ameliorating the impacts of traumatic stress, and specifically the impacts of sexual trauma. This work serves as resource to survivors, yoga teachers and practitioners, yoga service providers, trauma practitioners and agency administrators among others. This book presents a foundational understanding of sexual trauma and illuminates current best practices for integrating trauma-informed, universally inclusive practices into work with persons and systems impacted by sexual trauma. The text strives to provide concrete tools to better serve survivors and to ensure that teachers and administrators approach service in an intentional and inclusive way.This text is the result of a uniquely co-creative process and is part of a larger series by the Yoga Service Council in collaboration with the Omega Institute and with support from lululemon Here to Be. To date, there have been three texts published: Best Practices for Yoga in Schools, Best Practices for Yoga with Veterans, and Best Practices for Yoga in the Criminal Justice System.