The Eleison team is excited to announce the launch of a new trauma-informed yoga program for survivors of domestic violence and sexual trauma in New York. For this project, we will collaborate with Family Services, a non-profit located in Poughkeepsie, New York. Family Services is dedicated to strengthening communities and improving the lives of families, offering a variety of services — including support groups and crisis hotlines — for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes through their Center for Victim Safety and Support (CVSS). Starting in July 2025, the Eleison team will lead trauma-informed yoga classes two times a month to support women who are members of Family Services’ domestic violence and sexual trauma survivors support groups.
Trauma-informed yoga is a practice that combines body movement, meditation, and breathwork with the intention of supporting each participant’s specific needs and experiences. Research has found that trauma-informed yoga leads to various positive mental health effects. Studies demonstrate that trauma-informed yoga can reduce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Additionally, trauma-informed yoga can help stabilize stress-related hormones, increase confidence and emotional regulation, and improve overall well-being. Trauma-informed yoga is often a more accessible form of mental health care for those who may not have access to other mainstream mental health services or biomedical treatments. For survivors of domestic violence and sexual trauma, who experience risk for higher rates of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, trauma-informed yoga may be a particularly useful option. Trauma-informed yoga’s focus on the mind-body connection and healing is especially powerful for this population as this practice assists survivors in reclaiming bodily autonomy and enhances their felt sense of safety in their bodies.
The Eleison team is very thankful to community partners for donating the needed props to launch this program. We express our heartfelt thanks to the Jai Yoga Shala studio for their donation of yoga mats for this program. It is through partnerships like these that we are able to continue to expand survivors’ access to mental healthcare. We are still seeking donations for yoga blocks. If you would like to partner with us to support our trauma-informed yoga programming, we invite you to reach out to us on our website.
