Trauma-sensitive yoga is what therapists call a bottom-up approach. This term bottom-up refers to how the brain processes information. Yoga is a practice that teaches the body to receive sensory data from the environment to form a perception. David Emerson coordinates the yoga services program at The Trauma Center of the Justice Resource Institute in Brookline, Massachusetts, and author of the book Trauma-Sensitive Yoga in Therapy: Bringing the Body into Treatment. His research/interviews with individuals seeking recovery with PTSD indicated the following:
Yoga improves present moment awareness, instills a sense of ownership of ones body, increases emotional tolerance and awareness, increases emotional regulation, teaches appreciation for self-care and listening to the body, cultivates less judgement and more self-acceptance, improves comfort in relationships and the ability to set healthy boundaries.