Sensory-Enhanced Yoga® for Self-Regulation and Trauma Healing, by Lynn Stoller, MS, OTR/L, C-IAYT and outstanding expert contributors, skilfully synthesizes theoretical concepts and research findings from the fields of occupational therapy, trauma psychology, neuroscience, and traditional Eastern yogic philosophy to produce a Transdisciplinary Model for Post-Traumatic Growth for healing symptoms of combat stress, PTSD, or other unresolved trauma or anxiety disorders. The model is informed by the highly successful yoga treatment protocol used with U.S. military personnel deployed to Kirkuk, Iraq, which the author co-developed (Stoller et al, 2012) and by her experiences teaching yoga to veterans in her local community.
Sensory-Enhanced Yoga® is designed to help meet the
following goals:
- Decrease hypervigilance and overreaction to sensory input (e.g.visual, crowds, touch, noise, movement).
- Improve quality of sleep and energy level to support wellness and enhance daily productivity.
- Decrease intrusive thoughts by learning to become present through breath and body awareness.
- Enhance one’s sense of self-worth and personal empowerment.
Whether you are a therapist looking for effective treatment tools for your clients or are seeking healing for yourself, this insightful book will provide you with effective strategies to help promote peace of mind and full engagement in life. Lynn’s website: www.sensoryenhancedyoga.org
PART 1 – STRESS, TRAUMA & THE NEUROPLASTIC BRAIN
Chapter 1: The Scope of the Problem/Introduction
Chapter 2: PTSD & Sensory Processing
Chapter 3: Neurophysiology of PTSD
Chapter 4: Brain Changes in PTSD & Mind-Body Practices: the Inverse Relationship
Chapter 5: Combat Stress Management (Contribution by Dr/Col (Ret) Patricia Lillis)
Chapter 6: Yoga Studies for Combat Stress and PTSD
Chapter 7: Yoga for Sexual Trauma Survivors (Contribution by Dr. Danielle Rousseau and Dr. Amanda Napior)
Chapter 8: Yoga for Prison Inmates (Contribution by Dr. Danielle Rousseau and Dr. Amanda Napior)
Chapter 9: Bringing Mind-Body Practices for Victims of Mass Disasters (Contribution by Gretchen Steidle)
Chapter 10: Yoga for Complex Trauma Survivors (Contribution by Dr Alison Rhodes)
Chapter 11: The Yogic Perspective: Healing Trauma Through the Koshas
PART 2 – THEORY & PRACTICE OF SENSORY-ENHANCED YOGA®
Chapter 12: Sensory-Enhanced Yoga® for Self-Regulation & Trauma Healing
Chapter 13: Guideline 1: A Sense Of Safety Is Necessary For Optimal Healing To Occur
Chapter 14: Guideline 2: The Most Direct and Powerful way to Self-Regulate is through Control of the Breath
Chapter 15: Guideline 3: Yoga can Promote Effective Sensory, Motor and Cognitive Processing of Traumatic Experiences and thus aid Healing
Chapter 16: Guideline 4: New Beliefs and attitudes more easily take hold when we first prepare the body to receive and accept them
Chapter 17: Guideline 5: Self-empowerment is born on the wings of the spirit rising from the mind-body connection
Chapter 18: Structuring the Practice
Chapter 19: Description of Therapeutic Postures
Chapter 20: Sensory-Enhanced Flows
References & Bibliography
Appendix A: A/ASP Responses of Combat Veterans
Appendix B: Sensory Qualities of Selected Yoga Postures & Rhythmic Flows
