Youth Empowerment Program

The Children’s Law Center offers Trauma-Informed Yoga as a way to help facilitate healing and health for children, youth and families.

Studies show yoga can help youth heal from trauma and, perhaps more importantly, facilitate a more lasting recovery. Abused and neglected children often struggle with a sense of disembodiment, where they “check out” of their bodies to cope with sexual assault, physical abuse, neglect, and violence. Some of these youth experience developmental harms that affect their relationships, education, and overall functioning. The elements of yoga practice (breathing, postures, and meditation) equip youth with immediate and ongoing skills to handle stress and trauma-responses. Yoga teaches youth how to reconnect and reintegrate mentally, emotionally, and physically, which is essential to healing and resilience. A trauma-informed yoga practice strengthens the mind and body connection, reduces overstimulation and reactivity, and encourages relaxation. Through yoga, youth have the freedom and authority to reclaim control of their bodies, as well as their experiences.

Trauma-Informed Yoga promotes:

• Present moment awareness
• Shared authentic experience
• Identification of physical and emotional feelings
• Personal experimentation, choice, curiosity, and self-care
• Coping skills to increase self-control, self-care, and self-regulation
• Increase capacity for emotional and physical intimacy
• Self-awareness and introspection, behavioral change, cognitive change, self-acceptance, and sense of connection with others

– David Emerson, 2016

“For real change to take place, the body needs to learn that the danger has passed and to live in the reality of the present.”
– Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D., The Body Keeps the Score

For more information about the Trauma-Informed Yoga Program, contact Sarah Crisafi, MEd., RYT200, RMCLC Clinical Consultant and Registered Yoga Teacher by filling out this form: