ALL ABOUT FRONTLINE WELLNESS
About Us - Compassionate Yoga Guides with Expertise in Trauma-Informed Practices
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Welcome to Frontline Wellness, where our passion for yoga meets a deep commitment to inclusivity and healing. At Frontline Wellness, our team of dedicated yoga teachers goes beyond the traditional, offering a unique blend of yoga practices seamlessly woven with trauma-informed techniques. We are here to guide you on a journey of self-discovery, well-being, and healing. Find out more about our approach here.
Our Vision: Yoga for Every Body, Every Journey
At the core of Frontline Wellness is a belief that yoga is a transformative and inclusive practice. Our team of instructors are not only well-versed in the physical aspects of yoga but also hold specialised training in trauma-informed practices. We recognise that each individual comes with a unique journey, and we are here to create a safe and nurturing space for every body to explore and heal.
Meet Our Compassionate Team
Our instructors are more than guides on the mat; they are compassionate individuals with a deep understanding of trauma-informed yoga. Each teacher at Frontline Wellness brings a wealth of experience, incorporating their expertise seamlessly into classes. This approach allows us to provide a supportive environment where students can embark on their yoga journey with confidence and trust. Find out more about the team here.
Holistic Wellness Through Trauma-Informed Practices
Beyond the physical postures, our classes integrate trauma-informed practices, emphasising choice, mindfulness, breathwork, and empowerment. We recognise the importance of creating a yoga space that feels safe and welcoming for everyone. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or new to yoga, our trauma-informed approach ensures that our classes are accessible and supportive.
Community and Connection
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Frontline Wellness is more than just a space for yoga; it's a community where like-minded individuals come together to support and uplift one another. We value the connections forged on the mat and believe in creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.
Embark on Your Healing Journey with Us
If you're seeking a yoga experience that goes beyond the physical and embraces the healing potential of trauma-informed practices, Frontline Wellness is your sanctuary. Our team are here to guide you through a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and joy. Come, join us on the mat, and let us be a part of your holistic wellness and healing.
OUR APPROACH
Trauma-informed – What’s the big deal?
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As trauma-trained yoga facilitators, our priority is to create healing spaces and practices that honour the unique journey of each participant. We welcome our participants as they are, without judgement. We acknowledge that for participants who have experienced trauma, showing up is often the hardest work of all. Our focus is on giving participants the space to breathe, to move, to rest, to be curious about their practice and their body, in a way that serves them, by promoting and celebrating their choices.
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Trauma is more common than people realise and can manifest differently in different people. No two trauma responses are the same, even for people who have witnessed the same trauma event.
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Trauma impacts our bodies, minds, and nervous systems, and can happen without us even being aware that we have reacted to a traumatic event. Trauma symptoms can show up and remain unresolved for months, or even years. Sometimes trauma symptoms manifest months or years after the trauma event. Trauma symptoms can cause us to be suspended in a state of heightened arousal leading to increased heart rate, shallow breathing, and a sense of hypervigilance; or suspended in a state of hypoarousal, where we can experience lethargy, dissociation, and a numbing of sensations. Sometimes we can move between these two extremes.
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Being trauma-informed means acknowledging the widespread impact of trauma and adopting an approach that assumes the presence of trauma in every yoga class. Trauma-informed yoga goes beyond the physical shapes, focusing on creating an environment that fosters the choice, safety, and empowerment of all participants.
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Being trauma-informed recognises that consent-based practices are paramount. Most often people who have experienced trauma, have been exposed to an event/s in such a way they had no control over what happened to them. When it comes to the First Responder community, we have no control over what jobs we are called or how we respond to them. We must show up, we must respond, and we must act in accordance with our training. We are generally only called when people are in crisis and therefore, we can witness in a day, or a week, the trauma load most will never witness in their lifetime.
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Trauma-informed yoga is a powerful healing tool because it recognises that trauma is stored in the body. Through mindful movement and breathwork, participants can turn towards their inner landscape and begin to lean into sensation and release tension, as they feel ready; a process that promotes healing from within. Trauma informed yoga promotes choice, including the choice to do or not to do. Trauma-informed yoga facilitators empower individuals by offering a range of options for shapes and breath practices, suggestions for modifications, and movement, but allowing each participant to choose what feels right in their body. Facilitators use language that is inclusive, invitational, and non-coercive. This ensures participants feel in control of their yoga experience and allows them to engage with yoga in a way that feels supportive and comfortable for their unique needs. Although we share in the practice together, our yoga practice is our own.
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Trauma-informed yoga promotes the agency of each participant, and encourages participants to listen to, honour and respect their bodies, moving in any way that best supports them. Trauma survivors may have experienced a loss of control and power. In a traditional yoga class, the facilitator holds a position of influence, and a power imbalance can be perceived to exist between facilitator and participant. Trauma-informed yoga recognises and addresses the power dynamics inherent in this relationship. In a trauma-informed yoga, the facilitator is a guide only, offering suggestions and invitations that participants might like to try out, but only if they choose to do so.