216 • PART III: YOGA FOR EDUCATING FOR SELF-REGULATION AND ENGAGEMENT
CALM BODY, CALM MIND: STRESS AND TRAUMA
As described in Chapter 2, today’s students experience substantial stress and a significant
subgroup of students have known personal, interpersonal, and/or community trauma (see
Cook-Cottone [2004] for an overview of children and trauma). Part of being sensitive and
responsive to the diversity among our students is being prepared to work with all levels
of stress and trauma. Notably, some argue that the recent history of mass shootings, social
tensions and civic unrest, along with ongoing war and international instability is creating a
vulnerability among students that is unmatched in history. Most quality yoga teacher train-
ings have a component that informs teachers-in-training about trauma, trauma effects, and
how to teach in a trauma-sensitive manner.
Trauma, Schools, and Yoga
School-based yoga can help students learn skills to self-regulate and calm. Harper (2013)
calls this using the thoughtful brain, or integrated brain and letting the protective brain relax
its control. Childress and Harper (2015) argue that all yoga teachers who work in schools
should have a basic understating of the effects of trauma on children. With training, school-
based yoga teachers will be prepared to respond to the needs and potential reactions of
TABLE 10. 1 Hierarchy of Neurologically Based Response Strategies
ProbLem stage resPonse anD eXamPLe
Problem or challenge
presentsSocial engagement, communication, and self-soothing systems are
activated. The muscles of the face and throat are stimulated and
social engagement is attempted (i.e., activation of the myelinated
parasympathetic nervous system).
Sonya’s mom storms into the room, obviously drunk and enraged.
Sonya asks, “Mom, are you okay? What happened?” Sonya says to
herself, “You’ve got this. Everything is going to be okay.”
Problem or challenge is
unresolved or escalatesThe body prepares for fight or flight. The nervous system activates
the sympathetic nervous system sending information and energy
to the limbs and away from rest and restorative processes such as
healing and digestion.
“No, Sonya, I am not okay. I just ran over your f%##@# bicycle
in the driveway.” She reaches for a belt, “Get over here. Let me
show you how many hours I worked to pay for the %%#% bike.”
Sonya runs upstairs, slams her door, and pushes a chair against it.
She tries to open the window. It’s stuck. She hears her mom coming.
Her mother beats her horribly when she’s drunk. Sonya can’t escape.
Problem or challenge is
unresolved or escalatesThe body is immobilized or freezes. The nervous systems activate
the vagus nerve and dorsal vagal systems.
Her mom gets through the door. She has the belt and she is
enraged. Sonya has dropped to the floor. Unable to escape, she is
immobilized, frozen.Source: Adapted from Cook-Cottone, 2015; informed by Levine, 2010.