Trauma-Informed Yoga Touch: What It Is — and What It Absolutely Is Not

You’ve seen the glossy yoga photos: sweaty hands on hips, deep assists, and massage-style adjustments shared like trophies on social media.
Let’s be clear — that is not trauma-informed yoga.

Yoga was never meant to pull you further outward into performance or sensuality. Its entire purpose is to guide your awareness inward — toward your breath, your body, and your truth.

When I began practicing yoga, I quickly realized how much misunderstanding surrounds it here in the West. My teacher — who has practiced every single day for 22 years — was told early on that before she could ever teach, she must practice five days a week for ten years.

That guidance wasn’t meant to gatekeep — it was to protect the integrity of the practice.
Because yoga is not a workout. It’s not choreography. It’s not an aesthetic.
It’s a science of mind and spirit, rooted in self-discipline (tapas), determination (virya), and devotion (bhakti).

Contrast that with what we see today: newly certified teachers fresh from a 200-hour program, encouraged to touch, adjust, and even massage students in ways that pull attention away from their own internal experience.

Massage or any kind of sensual touch during a yoga class — especially from teacher to student — is not only inappropriate; it’s counter to the entire purpose of yoga.
It forces the practitioner’s awareness outward, into self-consciousness or anxiety, when the goal of yoga is inner steadiness, self-connection, and mindfulness.

A truly trauma-informed teacher understands this deeply:
Touch is not a shortcut to connection. Safety and trust are.

Three Foundations of Trauma-Informed Touch

1. Touch is never assumed — and never needed

A yoga class is not the space for massage, manipulation, or surprise adjustments.
Touch, if used at all, comes only after a relationship of trust and rapport is built over time — and even then, permission must be asked every single time.

Consent isn’t implied by a waiver. It’s a living, breathing conversation between teacher and student.

2. Trauma-informed teaching builds inward focus, not outward distraction

The four pillars of trauma-sensitive yoga — experiencing the present moment, making choices, taking effective action, and creating rhythms — are impossible to achieve if students are distracted by another person’s touch or gaze.
The body is the classroom. The teacher is simply the guide.

3. Discipline and devotion create freedom, not force or flair

In yogic philosophy, liberation (moksha) arises from abhyasa (consistent practice) and vairagya (non-attachment).
There’s nothing “freeing” about forced adjustments or performance-based classes.
Freedom comes through the quiet power of daily devotion — returning to the mat with reverence, not resistance.

Bringing It Back to True Practice

Yoga is the art of turning inward — of finding steadiness amidst chaos, and cultivating presence through discipline, determination, and devotion.

A trauma-informed space honors autonomy, not authority.
It offers choice, not correction.
It builds trust, not tension.

That’s the kind of practice I’m devoted to teaching, and it’s the foundation of everything I share inside my work — from The Daily C.A.L.M. Practice to my upcoming book, RISING: A Woman’s Journey of Healing Through Rituals.

If this message resonates, I invite you to go deeper.

Pre-order RISING today and receive your free bonus gift — the Rising Rituals Journal, a 7-day guided ritual PDF to help you create grounding, healing rhythms at home.

✨ How to claim your gift:

1. Pre-order the paperback HERE

2. Save a screenshot of your receipt.

3. Email it to [email protected] with subject line “RISING BONUS.”

4. The first 25 submissions will be entered to win a free 30-minute CALM Clarity Call with me.

Because yoga was never meant to be performed — it was meant to transform.

 By Mandi Gardner