INCORPORATING YIN YOGA & FASCIA HEALING INTO YOUR COUNSELING SESSIONS

Trauma-Informed Yin-Yoga for Mental & Emotional Health

People often ask how Yoga Therapy fits into my work. The answer is that yoga is not a separate service as much as it is one of many therapeutic tools that may be gently woven into a holistic healing session when it feels supportive and appropriate...
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People often ask how yoga fits into my work. The answer is that yoga is not a separate service as much as it is one of many therapeutic tools that may be gently woven into a holistic healing session when it feels supportive and appropriate.

As a Registered Yoga Teacher and lifelong student of yoga for more than forty years, I have explored many traditions, including Hatha, Vinyasa, Power Yoga, Hot Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yin Yoga, meditation, and mindful movement. While I have appreciated something in each practice, my deepest personal healing has come through Yin Yoga.

Yin Yoga is not about achieving the perfect pose. It is about slowing down, softening, listening, and creating space for the body to release what it has been carrying.

You may have heard the phrase, "Our issues are in our tissues." While that statement is an oversimplification, I have found there is wisdom within it. Gentle, sustained stretches work with the body's connective tissues, especially the fascia, creating opportunities for physical, emotional, energetic, and even spiritual release.

During my own practice, I have found myself unexpectedly crying while holding a long, gentle stretch. Sometimes I knew exactly what I was releasing. Other times I had no idea. I simply trusted that old emotions, limiting beliefs, stored stress, or energetic patterns were ready to leave my system.

That personal experience has deeply influenced how I work with clients.

When appropriate, I may intuitively suggest incorporating gentle yoga movements or supported stretches into a counseling, coaching, or healing session. Sometimes this happens on a yoga mat. Sometimes it happens on the healing table through subtle movement, gentle positioning, or slow swaying motions that help invite relaxation and release.

There is never anything forced.

There is never any pressure to achieve a pose.

There is never forced breathing.

You are always encouraged to breathe naturally, comfortably, and at your own pace.

Whenever possible, I also prefer a warm, comfortable environment, as warmth allows the muscles to soften so the deeper connective tissues can gradually open without strain. Gentle swaying within a pose may also help encourage the fascia to soften and release.

Depending upon the session, these practices may be combined with meditation, mindfulness, Energy Healing, crystals, candles, essential oils, sage, or other supportive approaches as part of an integrative healing experience.

Trauma research has also helped shape my perspective. As discussed in the book The Body Keeps the Score, trauma is not simply remembered by the mind—it can also be reflected in the body. While more vigorous styles of yoga may not feel supportive for everyone, particularly those with unresolved trauma, many people have found that slow, gentle, trauma-informed practices such as Yin Yoga can provide a greater sense of safety, regulation, and healing. Studies involving military veterans and survivors of trauma have contributed to this growing understanding.

Every person is different, and every session is individualized.

Sometimes gentle movement becomes an important part of the healing process. Other times, conversation, meditation, or energy work is the most appropriate path. My role is simply to listen deeply, trust my intuition, and offer what feels most supportive in the moment.

If integrating Yoga Therapy into your sessions feels like something that may support your healing journey, I encourage you to let me know. Likewise, if I feel it may be beneficial, I may suggest it as one of the many ways we can work together to help release old patterns, restore balance, and support your natural capacity to heal.

Thank you for reading. May you be blessed greatly, beyond your wildest imagination.

Love,
Jennifer

Jennifer Michaels, M.A.
The Art of Love Counseling
Holistic Counselor, Spiritual Life Coach, Energy Healer, Artist & Author of What is Love? My Question... God's Answer
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