Trauma-Sensitive Yoga at Broadmeadows CCU
Enabled by our Community Wellbeing Fund, we facilitated an 8-week pilot of our Trauma-Sensitive Yoga program (now called Therapeutic Movement & Mindfulness) at Northern Health Community Care Units.
“We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to run this program at the NHCCU. Anu was very skilled at managing any difficulties that arose and made our participants feel at ease.”
- Program Partner at Northern Health Community Care Units
Our Partner
Northern Health Community Care Units (NHCCU) provide 24-hour recovery-focused rehabilitation in a community residential setting to people who usually have multiple and complex needs.
Community Care Units aim to increase a person’s psychosocial independence through a variety of person-centred programs to develop daily living skills, including:
access to multidisciplinary clinical support and treatment, including regular medical mental health review, allied health and 24-hour nursing support;
residential rehabilitation programs based on need;
individualised assessment, care planning and review of suitability for less restrictive treatment and care;
psycho-education and support to family/carers and promotion of continued links between people and their family/carers;
monitoring, engagement and support of people receiving compulsory treatment under the provisions of Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022;
promotion of community links and partnerships to foster integration into the broader community.
NHCCU requested an 8-week pilot of our Trauma Sensitive Yoga Program in 2024.
The Program
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Weekly at Broadmeadows CCU for 8 weeks, we delivered our Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Program.
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSY) is an evidence-informed, modified approach to yoga supporting people in reconnecting with their bodies in a safe and empowering way. Collective Being’s TSY approach integrates somatics, yoga-based movements and mindfulness practices.
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This was a voluntary program open to all patients at Broadmeadows CCU. Patients are aged between 18-64 years, and experience multiple and complex mental health needs.
The program was also attended and supported by CCU staff, who were encouraged to participate (as opposed to observe) to minimise power dynamics between staff and participants.
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Collective Being Facilitator, Anu, delivered this pilot program. A senior trauma-informed yoga teacher and Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) facilitator, Anu has extensive delivery experience in both voluntary and involuntary mental health settings.
To adapt this program to the CCU setting, Anu focused on rhythm, repetition, and consistency across the weeks. This enabled participants to build familiarity with the practices, and to make choices based on what their bodies needed.
The Outcomes
With the support of our Community Wellbeing Fund, 16 patients at the Broadmeadows CCU participated in this pilot program.
One of the core CCU staff members reflected that: “I noticed participants appearing more relaxed during and following each session, this was observed through body posture, an ability to reflect, and anecdotal reports of feeling relaxed.
Participants seemed to test out different positions and engage with movements that suited what they needed in that moment. It was common for multiple participants in the room to engage with a different variation of the guided position.
Participants who attended most sessions became familiar with the poses and began to associate certain poses with different internal sensations and emotions. Some participants reported and were observed to use the practices outside of the session, especially in response to experiences of dysregulation.”
What Participants Say
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