Yoga Therapy, Yoga Nidra, Breathwork and Meditation for Trauma and AuDHD
“We are not going to change the whole world, but we can change ourselves and feel free as birds. We can be serene even in the midst of calamities and, by our serenity, make others more tranquil. Serenity is contagious.” ~ Sri S. Satchidananda, The Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali
Every body and mind can be befriended. Yoga, yoga nidra, breathwork and meditation is especially beneficial for trauma survivors (bodywork you do yourself) and AuDHD (autism and ADHD) and ADHD brains
“Eve is a wonderful yoga teacher, kind, compassionate and knowledeable in her subject. I thoroughly enjoyed her trauma sensitive yoga workshop and took a lot from it. With 365 Ways to Feel Better, Eve has provided exactly what we need – 365 ways to feel good every day! I have bought it and recommended it to friends and students – it has something for everybody.”
Emma Turnbull, is a yoga studio owner and yoga teacher and trainer at Yoga Wise She attended a trauma sensitive workshop for yoga instructors with me in Essex, January 2019
Read on to find out how you can work with me (one to one as a client or mentee/supervisee, online or by telephone across Ireland and the UK or face to face in Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland), or book me for events ). You can also find about the benefits of trauma sensitive yoga and meditation and access a rich array of resources including several trauma sensitive and ADHD-friendly yoga nidras, yoga poses and breath practices and poses to go with the book, 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing by signing up below.
“I was looking for an alternative to counselling after reaching a rather low point in my life. Since I have started more regular trauma sensitive yoga therapy sessions, there seems to be a huge change in me (others have noticed it also). I feel that my confidence has grown and my outlook on life has improved greatly.”
D, Essex, UK
“Thank you for the brilliant yoga nidra”
GF, Hertfordshire, UK (on retreat in Connemara, Co Galway, Ireland)
What is yoga?
For several thousand years, people have been practising yoga and meditation. Modern neuroscience is now able to measure what people in India and elsewhere knew all along.
I’ve been practising yoga and attending classes since 2001. I’ve been teaching for years (since 2013) and am always conscious of how much I don’t know.
While I’ve studied, trained and practised a lot and intend to continue to learn and practice yoga for the rest of my life (I can’t imagine starting the day without my yoga and meditation even if it’s a short practice), I still have so much left to learn.
There is so much jargon around yoga – I don’t want to add to it but in case this is helpful information, the yoga I share comes from the Hatha Yoga tradition (although technically, any physical practice could be described as Hatha).
Still, I love sharing ways in which we can use these ancient practises to not only help ourselves feel better in the moment but to create lasting improvements.
Trauma sensitive yoga: Bodywork we do for ourselves
My introduction to yoga, in 2001, was wonderful for pain relief but painful emotionally as I’d be sobbing in Savasana.
Since then, of course, I’ve learned a lot about how effective yoga can be in helping with post traumatic growth as well as regulating (feeling better) in the moment.
You don’t need to be flexible, strong, have great balance or stamina.
Every body can be befriended and working patiently, you can not only build flexibility, strength, stamina and balance but, with practise, rewire the brain and retrain the nervous system.
As well as teaching and including yoga and meditation (mostly mindfulness) in some of my workshops and events (most memorably teaching 120 people some basic breath practices and a little chair yoga at a BACP event), I do a lot of work with individuals who like the idea of mindfulness and bodywork they can do themselves (as well as other benefits including better concentration, strength, stamina, fitness and flexibility).
What is yoga nidra?
I’ve been facilitating yoga nidras since 2012 and designing my own since 2013. I’ve recorded HUNDREDS of yoga nidra videos over the years. In 2023, in addition to the new ones I create, I started a daily practise again for myself to better support my ADHD brain. While I already loved yoga nidra, I’m even more besotted as I’ve noticed the improvement in my focus, concentration, sleep and capacity to rest. I also feel SO much more relaxed about the Sankalpas I’m working towards.
Yoga nidra (also known as yogic sleep) allows deep rest while being awake. Some claim that 30 minutes equals two hours of sleep. It lowers blood pressure, increases dopamine and boosts concentration by having something (the voice guiding the practice) to keep coming back to every time the mind wanders. Just as some days, our balance, stamina, strength and flexibility means our physical yoga practice is easier / more challenging, a regular yoga nidra not only helps us cultivate the mind (and with practise, rewire the brain) but to be more mindful around our capacity to focus, concentrate and relax into each practice.
I made this series of videos to explain a bit about what yoga nidra is and how to benefit:
Watch this to find out more about what yoga nidra and trauma sensitive yoga nidra is.
Watch this for some research and benefits around yoga nidra.
Watch this for more on using a Sankalpa (a positive intention or resolve) to, with practice, rewire your brain and make manifesting your goals and dreams SO much easier.
And watch this for some simple ways to prepare for your yoga nidra practices to maximise the benefits.
Subsribe to my YouTube channel here
Become a client
You can book some online yoga and meditation on its own or have it as part of your Self care coaching processIf you’d prefer a one to one approach, when we speak (get in touch to book your free telephone consultation)
Book some yoga therapy or yoga teacher/yoga therapist mentoring or supervision
Whether you want ad hoc or monthly mentoring or supervision, get in touch if my approach appeals. If you’re with Yoga Alliance Professionals, working with me can count towards your yoga CPD.
Click here for prices.
There are lots of trauma sensitive and ADHD friendly yoga practises, meditations, breath practises and more in the book, 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing. You can access book bonus videos and other yoga poses, breath practices and meditations by signing up below
Read some selected articles and columns about yoga and meditation here
I’ve written countless features, columns, blog posts and more about yoga and meditation since 2004. I hope you find this selection helpful. And you can also search the blog and Substack archive
Because yoga, meditation, yoga nidras and breathwork are such an enormous part of my daily survival toolkit (aka self-care and Self care), ALL the episodes may be of interest. Especially these:
Episode 1: The Feel Better Every Day Podcast
Episode 3: Shola Caroline Arewu