The experience of being sexually abused often brings a sense of mistrust towards one’s own body and instincts, accompanied by confusing, disturbing and deeply shattering feelings.

Sometimes, memories of the event(s) are clear. Often, however, they are mentally vague, leaving a deep sense within the body that something terrible has happened. When memories resurface through the body, it can lead to re-traumatization and fear.

How can survivors come home to their bodies, befriend them, and compassionately process memories and feelings as they arise through the body, dreams and insights? The ancient practice of yoga, specifically Kripalu yoga, is a powerful tool for nurturing and encouraging this healing process.

Kripalu yoga strongly emphasizes developing a loving, respectful relationship with the body while building strength and flexibility. Unlike many forms of exercise and dance that treat the body as an object to be commanded, Kripalu yoga encourages appreciation and care for the body as one’s home.

The word “Kripalu” means “compassion.” As we practice the postures, we are invited to be with ourselves in a compassionate manner rather than being harsh, forcing and judgmental. Performing strengthening postures with kindness builds self-confidence and fosters a vibrant, empowered sense of being in one’s body.

We are also invited to develop “witness consciousness”, the ability to observe sensations, thoughts and feelings without reacting to or suppressing them. This development of the Compassionate Witness Within is a key ingredient in Kripalu yoga, making it significantly beneficial for survivors.

Learning to listen to the body’s needs and honoring them, rather than dismissing them, can profoundly shift one’s relationship with oneself. Developing the capacity to experience a range of sensations, feelings, thoughts and images without reacting or fleeing is central to remembering trauma in a way that heals rather than re-inflicts wounds.

Another powerful aspect of Kripalu yoga is the practice of Meditation-in-Motion. In the early stages of healing, this involves gently letting go into whatever stretches the body wishes to explore on its own, without external guidance. It is a chance to allow the body some space to move and breathe without external impingements. This nurtures the development of self-trust in one’s own body and impulses. 

In the later stages of healing, as one becomes more attuned to their body and the capacity to witness is more developed, the body may spontaneously express and release old feelings and experiences without residual trauma. The body is amazingly wise, re-experiencing only what it is currently capable of integrating.

The third key healing ingredient in Kripalu yoga is its consistent affirmation that there is an inner source within each of us, available for guidance, sustenance, love and life. The purpose of yoga is to reconnect and unite us with this source within our beings.

Throughout a Kripalu yoga class, the teacher frequently reminds everyone—including themselves—of this inner vitality and the opportunity to come home to the center of one’s being. This center is inviolate and cannot be destroyed by trauma. Unprocessed trauma may temporarily block access to the source, but it is always there, whether we can feel it or not.

Practicing Kripalu yoga in a group with other survivors can be supportive and synergistically healing. There is a common understanding of mutual vulnerability regarding feeling our bodies and learning to love them. Because everyone in the room shares similar concerns and challenges, the space becomes very safe to explore new ways of being with ourselves and releasing the past.

As our bodies become our own, we begin to feel safer in the world, developing tools to face our fears, reclaim our beauty, and reconnect with a source of inner strength.

Vitalah Simon, M.Ed., RYT-500, BC-DMT, LCAT, of YogaShine studio, is a licensed dance/movement therapist and registered yoga teacher. For more information about online and in-person sessions, call 914-769-8745 or visit YogaShine.com.