Why I said YES - Going to Ukraine

Last July, I had a conversation with a wonderful woman from Ukraine. She is part of the Bible Association of Ukraine, which offers help and support to families who have lost someone they love in the war against Russia. 

Within two minutes of our conversation, she asked me if I would consider coming to Ukraine to teach movement at camps for people affected by the war.

My response was: Yes!

Trauma-sensitive CrossYoga is not a standalone, cure-all or quick fix for people experiencing fear, grief and trauma in everyday life. But it can make a real difference.

Why?

Because grief and trauma are also embodied experiences. When we experience prolonged stress, fear or grief, our bodies can respond by holding tension - often in the shoulders, chest, jaw or core. If this tension remains, it can contribute to discomfort and pain.

It can also affect our ability to sense and interpret what is happening inside our bodies - the interoception. Our ability to perceive signals such as hunger, thirst, tiredness e.g. It becomes harder to recognise and respond to what our body needs.

Breathing can also become shallow or restricted. This can make it difficult for the body to move into a state of rest and recovery, which may affect sleep and overall wellbeing.

This is where gentle, trauma-sensitive CrossYoga and movement can offer support.

Through calm movement, stretching, breathing and simple self-massage with balls, people can begin to reconnect with their bodies and gently release some of the tension they are carrying.

Sometimes, that reconnection can bring a sense of relief.

It may even create enough safety for emotions and tears to surface.

No feeling or thought exists only in the head.

We are created as embodied human beings: body, mind and spirit. And our bodies can sometimes become an important pathway towards healing, restoration and greater connection.

In this short video, I share more about why I believe CrossYoga can be helpful for people living with fear, grief and trauma.

If this resonates with you and you want to collaborate in the future, feel free to send me a message at rie@crossyoga.org.