For some adults living with the effects of difficult childhood experiences, talking about the past is not always enough.
New research from the University of Oslo suggests that carefully adapted yoga may offer another way to reconnect with the body, manage difficult feelings, and develop a greater sense of control.
Psychologist and yoga therapist Kari Evelin Arellano Lorentzen is studying yoga as part of treatment for adults with complex trauma experiences from childhood. Her work is being carried out as a Ph.D. project at the University of Oslo’s Department of Psychology.
Complex trauma can develop after repeated or long-lasting frightening experiences, especially when they happen during childhood. Its effects can continue into adulthood and may include difficulty managing emotions, feeling safe with other people, trusting the body, or coping with stress.
Many forms of psychological treatment rely heavily on conversation. Talking can be valuable, but Lorentzen’s research suggests some people also want a treatment that helps them work directly with what they feel in their bodies.
Yoga brings attention to breathing, movement, physical sensations, and the present moment. For some people with trauma histories, this may provide a different way to notice feelings without having to immediately explain them in words.
Lorentzen first reviewed international research on adults with complex childhood trauma who had used yoga as part of treatment. Five studies were especially relevant, and they described yoga as a process that could affect several parts of a person’s life.
Participants in those studies often described becoming more aware of their bodies and emotions. Some also felt they had gained a practical tool they could use themselves when everyday life became difficult.
Lorentzen then conducted detailed interviews with 13 adults who had practiced yoga as treatment. The participants came from specialist health services, local services, and yoga programs designed for therapeutic use.
Their stories were similar to those reported in earlier research. Several participants said yoga reduced the pressure they sometimes felt in talk therapy to find the correct words or tell their story in a particular way.
Instead, they could focus on breathing, movement, and what they were experiencing at that moment. Some described feeling calmer and more balanced after yoga, while others said they had learned to relax or breathe in a way that previously felt unfamiliar.
Another important theme was having something they could do for themselves. People who had spent years receiving different forms of care sometimes described yoga as a practice they could continue between appointments or after formal treatment ended.
Group yoga could also create positive experiences with other people. A supportive class may allow participants to be around others while maintaining clear boundaries and deciding how much they want to take part.
However, the research also shows that yoga can be difficult for people with trauma. Paying close attention to the body may bring up fear, painful memories, numbness, or sensations that a person has spent years trying to avoid.
Some participants described sessions that became overwhelming. This means trauma-sensitive yoga cannot simply be treated as ordinary exercise or automatically assumed to be relaxing.
Lorentzen stresses that people should choose whether they want to try yoga and should never be pressured into it. The practice also needs to be adjusted when a movement, breathing exercise, or focus on bodily sensations becomes too intense.
Safety therefore appears to be central. Participants and yoga therapists described the importance of reliable boundaries, a trustworthy instructor, a caring group environment, and the freedom to stop or change an exercise.
Lorentzen also interviewed 15 experienced yoga therapists in Norway. They described growing interest from health professionals but also skepticism about whether yoga should be taken seriously as part of trauma care.
The therapists said their work requires careful judgment. They must help people feel safe while also allowing them to explore difficult sensations and emotions without pushing them beyond what they can manage.
Lorentzen’s Ph.D. research at the University of Oslo includes the international research review and qualitative interview studies with patients and yoga therapists. Her findings contribute to a still-limited research field examining how yoga is experienced as part of care for complex trauma.
The work has clear strengths because it gives detailed attention to the experiences of people receiving yoga-based care and to the professionals delivering it. It also avoids presenting yoga as a simple cure and documents both helpful and distressing experiences.
At the same time, these findings cannot show that yoga is more effective than established trauma treatments. The interview groups are small, people who choose yoga may already be more open to it, and personal reports cannot by themselves prove that yoga caused improvements.
The most useful conclusion is therefore a careful one. Yoga may be a meaningful addition to treatment for some adults with complex childhood trauma, particularly when it supports body awareness, emotional balance, and a sense of personal control, but it needs skilled guidance and should complement rather than replace appropriate health care.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about 6 foods you can eat to improve mental health, and B vitamins could help prevent depression and anxiety.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how dairy foods may influence depression risk, and results showing Omega-3 fats may help reduce depression.
