World Mental Health Day: Using yoga to heal trauma

October is Mental Health Month, with the 7th being declared World Mental Health Day.

A report by The South African Depression and Anxiety Group states that one third of all South Africans suffer from mental illnesses — and 75% of them will not get any kind of help.

The Mental Health Federation of South Africa, on the other hand, states that more than 17-million people in South Africa are dealing with depression, substance abuse, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia — illnesses that round out the top five mental health diagnoses.

Trauma can also lead to mental health illness. Many victims of trauma live with the pain which is permanently stored in their minds. This can affect their emotional, mental, and physical well-being.

Julie Fernandez, a Yoga Specialist, uses trauma-informed yoga practice to assist survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse.

With the partnership of Exhale to Inhale, a non-profit operating in New York, Connecticut, and Los Angeles, more than 3,000 victims of trauma have been helped.

“There are many spaces to heal when it comes to the immediate effects of violence, but not enough that address the long-term effects of trauma,” Fernandez says.

She combines breathwork, mindfulness, and yoga, to address the long-term effects of trauma.

“We need to provide safe spaces for survivors to reclaim their sense of security,” Fernandez says.

“Our goal is to help women reclaim their power, reconnect with themselves, and become strong enough to make healthy and positive life choices,” she adds.

The specialist believes that kindness and compassion towards ourselves is the first key to healing.

Image courtesy of Supplied. Credit to Beautiful News.