MindfulWell│Trauma Senstive Yoga & Somatics
Healing that moves through the body.
Sometimes healing needs to move through the body, not just the mind. Our trauma-informed yoga and somatics sessions offer a gentle, felt-sense approach to nervous system regulation, supporting you to reconnect with your body as a safe place to be.
Get in touchWhen something overwhelming happens, the body often reacts faster than the mind can process it — fight, flight, or freeze. That's the sympathetic nervous system doing its job. The trouble is, that alarm system doesn't always fully switch off afterward. For some people, it stays partly "on," long after the moment has passed — showing up as stress, tension, or just a body that never quite feels settled.
Researchers have also found that trauma can dampen a part of the brain called the insular cortex — the area that helps us read our own body's signals. That's often why it can feel hard to know what you're feeling, physically or emotionally, after trauma. Trauma Sensitive Yoga was developed specifically to work with this: rebuilding a felt connection between mind and body, gently and at your own pace, through movement, breath, and the simple practice of noticing.
It's a recognised adjunct treatment for PTSD, with research showing meaningful reductions in trauma symptoms over a course of weekly sessions.
"There is no right way to move — only what feels safe and available to you in this moment."
Three ways in to a body that's learning to feel safe.
Noticing what's there
Learning to read your own body's signals again — what trauma researchers call interoception — so your body starts to feel like an ally rather than something to brace against.
Choice, always
You decide where to sit, whether to try a shape, or to simply rest instead. Nobody adjusts you physically — every choice you make is the right one.
Breathing on purpose
Trauma often shows up as shallow, guarded breath. Learning to breathe fully again is one of the most direct ways to help the nervous system settle.
Whether you're navigating stress, trauma recovery, or simply seeking a deeper connection to your hauora.
These sessions create a supportive space to come home to your body at your own pace, in your own time. No yoga experience is needed — this isn't about flexibility or achieving a pose, it's about noticing what's true for your body, moment to moment.
Skills the body can hold onto.
- A stronger ability to notice bodily sensations and what they're signalling.
- More ease staying present, in your body and in the room.
- Breath-based tools for moments of stress, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed.
- Genuine relaxation and self-soothing skills you can call on anywhere.
- A stronger sense of control, built through practicing choice, session after session.
Amy Reis Williams
Counsellor and somatic facilitator, and founder of MindfulWell. Amy's approach blends polyvagal theory, somatic practice, and mindfulness with a whole lot of warmth. Every session is held with patience and genuine respect for wherever you're starting from — you won't be pushed here. You'll be met.
A few gentle questions
Do I need any yoga experience?
None at all. This isn't about flexibility, strength, or getting a pose "right" — it's about noticing what's true for your body, at whatever level of movement feels available to you.
Do I have to do everything that's offered?
Never. Every cue is an invitation, not an instruction. You're always free to move differently, rest instead, or simply stay still.
Is this the same as therapy?
No. This is wellbeing support offered alongside — not in place of — individual therapy. If something bigger surfaces for you, your facilitator is there to gently point you toward further support.
What should I bring?
Whatever makes you comfortable. A mat and something to move in is enough — there's no right kit, and props are available if you'd like them.
If you'd like to go deeper
Books
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Overcoming Trauma through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body
David Emerson & Elizabeth Hopper (2011), North Atlantic Books — the book that helped establish trauma-sensitive yoga as a clinical practice.
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Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma
Peter A. Levine & Ann Frederick (1997), North Atlantic Books — Levine's original, foundational book introducing Somatic Experiencing.
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In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness
Peter A. Levine (2010), North Atlantic Books — on how the body, not just the mind, holds the key to healing from trauma.
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Transcending Trauma: How Yoga Heals
Linda Sparrowe (2011), Yoga International — an accessible look at the early research behind trauma-sensitive yoga.
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The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Bessel van der Kolk (2014), Viking — the widely-read foundational text on how trauma reshapes the body and brain.
Research articles
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Yoga as an Adjunctive Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial
van der Kolk et al. (2014), The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 75(6), e559–e565 — the trial behind the "10 weeks, one hour a week" finding referenced on this page.
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Trauma-Sensitive Yoga: Principles, Practice, and Research
Emerson, Sharma, Chaudhry & Turner (2009), International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 19(1), 123–128 — the foundational paper setting out TSY's core principles.
Come home to your body, at your own pace.
Get in touch to find out about upcoming sessions and how to join.
Get in touch