The Yoga Foundation offers free yoga for vulnerable individuals facing mental health challenges.
Since 2009 The Yoga Foundation has helped vulnerable individuals heal and reach their full potential through free, trauma-aware yoga.
We serve those without access to yoga, including people facing mental health challenges, addiction, complex trauma, and disability. Our programs create safety, build connection, and foster lasting well-being.
With research as our foundation, our work promotes healing without re-traumatisation, equipping participants with lifelong tools for mental, physical, and emotional health. With 15 years of experience, we are a trusted provider committed to quality, impact, and evidence-based practice.
We work with a diverse groups of people including:
At-risk youth
Domestic, family and sexual violence survivors
Refugees
People experiencing homelessness
People recovering from psychological and physical injuries.
Our specialised programs adapt yoga’s core elements—movement, breathwork, relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation—to meet each participant’s unique needs. A veteran with PTSD may benefit from relaxation and mindfulness, while a teenager with depression may need more movement and to cultivate self-compassion.
Trauma aware yoga
Trauma-aware yoga is an approach to creating a safe, sensitive space in which students can learn to regulation skills through connection with the breath and increased body awareness
Trauma makes it hard for people to relax and feel physically safe in their bodies. Our programs cultivate mindfulness, encouraging participants to notice what they are feeling in their bodies as they move. A major challenge in recovering from trauma is being able to fully relax and let go. We help people move towards feelings of safety and calm by fostering a connection between mind, body and breath. This discharges tension and enables emotional regulation. The benefits for healing are enormous.
The core principles of trauma-aware yoga include:
Choice
Interoception
Taking effective action
Present-moment experience
Some of our programs are ongoing and have run for over ten years; others have an eight week duration and can run between one and four times a year depending on client funding and other factors.
If your organisation is interested in one of our yoga programs, we’re happy to discuss your specific requirements so we can design the right program for your clients. Contact us at team@yogafoundation.com.au today.
