Trauma Informed yoga (TIY) - October–November 2026
Saturday mornings
09:30 - 11:00 - women's group
12:00 - 13:30 - men's group
3 October - 28 November
No groups on 31 October or 21 November
£35 per 90 minute session · Drop-in* · London N7
18+ · No previous yoga experience required · No equipment required
Each session will be facilitated by Alex Cat.
These groups offer an integrative yoga practice drawing on both TCTSY and Trauma Informed Yoga
The group is for people who struggle with feeling connected and safe in their body
These are yoga groups rather than groups for talking about trauma. You won't be asked to share your trauma history or personal experiences with the group. The therapeutic work happens primarily through the experience of practising together.
*Why a drop-in group? A closed group can offer safety and continuity, but logistically it also required committing to a full 8 week course & large upfront payment.
I’ve therefore chosen to offer these as drop-in sessions which allows people financial flexibility. The consistent structure and approach offers predictability. It’s a balance. I’m always open to people’s guidance and feedback.
Feeling safe
Sometimes we want to take a regular yoga class, learn how to make some yoga shapes, sweat, feel strong, flexible, energised or calm, and be with others ..... but it doesn't feel safe.
For those of you who have experienced relational trauma, sometimes called Complex PTSD or Complex Trauma, this may be especially true.
Being with others can be something we want while also finding it anxiety-provoking. Noticing our own bodies (or other people’s) can be challenging.
The intention for these yoga sessions is to offer a rare and precious thing - the feeling of safety, the feeling of ‘not trauma’.
“With yoga, I reclaimed my body. That is a gift because I so hated my body.
Or I claimed it, not reclaimed because I was so young. I claimed it. It was a long process to consider myself not an outline. ... I think yoga helped define me.”
outer Safety
There are some practical things I can do to create conditions that may support a sense of safety.
Our group is small - no more than 10 people
The studio is large so that there’s always space between people and no-one needs to have others behind them
We have the whole building at our disposal, including the cafe and reception area; there are individual bathrooms and changing areas
You can wear any clothes you’re comfortable in and that allow us to share our space; you’re welcome to keep your socks on
There is no partner work
You’ll never be physically adjusted or touched by Alex
No-one will be singled out with compliments or criticisms
Just as in a regular yoga class shapes, movements and variations are offered, and clear guidance given. You’ll also be invited to explore making choices and letting your preferences guide you rather than striving for an 'objective' ideal
You're welcome to engage with the session in ways that work best for you within the structure of the group. For example, you can step out and take some time in the reception area, sit at the back of the room and read a book, or listen without doing the shapes
Predictability is woven into the experience through consistency & repetition eg. there are no sudden silences, many sessions draw on the same series of shapes
The shapes and movements are always offered as invitations
“You can’t remind me enough that I have choices...it was actually the first time that I started looking inward for what I needed rather than mimic what everyone else was doing…”
inner safety
If the outside world feels safe enough we can turn our attention inwards. Yoga shapes and movements are one way to do this. We notice the feeling of them and in doing so, we notice ourselves.
If a sensation feels unsafe, you might react by dissociating or panicking. Another possibility is to change the sensation by changing how you’re doing the shape. You don't have to stay with a sensation that feels unsafe, and nobody else will make you. Ironically, choice and agency can make what once felt intolerable, tolerable.
“….I just really suddenly got the idea that I have a body and that I have control over it…that I’m the one that decides what my body does or doesn’t do….”
The group as an experience of Not trauma
Our yoga practice embodies 4 fundamental experiences:
I notice sensation — I exist
I make choices about what I do — I have the right to self-determination
I notice what I want and need — what matters to me, matters
My choices are guided by what I want and need — I am worthy of self-love and self-care
Quietly welcoming each other's yoga practice sends a very powerful message:
You exist
You have the right to self-determination
What matters to you, matters
You are worthy of love and care
This is what I mean by the feeling of ‘not trauma’.
Not that nothing difficult happens. Not that you will always feel safe. Not that every choice you make will be good for you. But that the group will not make you give yourself up in order to be part of it.
This is a rare and precious thing when one hasn't had it.
“My not being able to get into my own skin was something that I did early on just to survive, and I just carried it forward…
And now ... I can recognise I don’t need to do that.
It brings an appreciation that if you haven’t been there you couldn’t possibly imagine.
”
Is this group right for you?
Groups aren't the right starting point for everyone. For some people, particularly when symptoms are currently intense or dissociation is deep or difficult to manage, individual work can provide more flexibility and support.
If you're experiencing significant anxiety or depression, complex patterns of dissociation including DID, depersonalisation or derealisation, deep somatic dissociation, or if substance use is currently affecting your ability to remain present and engaged, 1–1 work may be a better place to start.
If you're unsure whether this group is right for you, you’re welcome to make an initial enquiry and we can talk about what you're looking for.
Privacy & Paperwork
If you’re joining a group, you’ll need to complete the group booking form before booking your place. The form asks about your physical health, previous yoga experience and anything that may be relevant to your participation in the group. You don't need to provide details of your trauma history.
The information you provide is held digitally on password-protected and encrypted devices and systems. It is used only in relation to your participation in, or interest in, trauma-informed yoga practices with Alex Cat, and is handled in accordance with my Privacy Policy and Confidentiality Policy.
Additional Information
Each session will be facilitated by Alex Cat
Groups are for people aged 18 years and over.