Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

[Zahabiyah Khorakiwala <>]

Hi All,

 

If you are interested in ongoing resources to support survivors of sexual violence through yoga and if you would like to stay up to date on various training opportunities, etc. feel free to “like” my Facebook page Transcending Sexual Violence through Yoga:

 

http://www.facebook.com/#!/ZabieKhorakiwalaYoga

 

Thank you for all of the support and kind e-mails!

 

Warmly,

Zabie

 

From: Zahabiyah Khorakiwala
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 9:15 AM
To: 'Warren, Alysha';
Subject: RE: Yoga Support Group for Survivors of Sexual Assault

 

Hi Alysha,

 

This is an area that has been quite successful at UC Irvine! I am the Violence Prevention Coordinator in our office and also a certified yoga instructor so this is a fusion of both of my worlds. There is incredible research that is surfacing on the impact that yoga has on survivors of sexual violence from Emerson and van der Kolk. I have attached a few articles that have been very helpful to me. “Overcoming Trauma through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body” is an incredible book, especially when working with a yoga teacher to ensure the class you are offering is trauma-sensitive. I modeled our program after Bija Bennett’s book, “Emotional Yoga.” It is a fantastic read and has many great activities and passages to use in classes. She connects the 8 limbs to themes such as allowance, allegiance, harmony, will & power, etc. The chapters connected quite seamlessly to the experiences that survivors often experience and I asked each student to purchase a copy for our group. This came to be one of their most cherished items (besides their yoga mat)! The book has excellent journaling prompts as well as advice on developing emotional rituals to focus on self-care.

 

Additionally, The Breathe Network is a great new organization and their mission is to connect survivors of sexual violence to healing and practitioners who offer trauma-informed, mind-body-spirit oriented techniques in order to support integrated and sustainable healing. They have many excellent resources on their website: http://thebreathenetwork.org/. This article by their founder beautifully describes the healing impact of yoga: http://www.yogachicago.com/nov11/rapevitctims.shtml

 

Below is a description of our program and I have also attached the application to give you an idea of the structure. You will find this program to be truly transformational for victims of sexual violence. If you have any questions as you develop your program or workbook, I would be happy to share any additional resources with you. Feel free to call/e-mail.

 

Yoga as Healing, UC Irvine Campus Assault Resources and Education (CARE)

 

UCI Campus Assault Resources and Education (CARE) is excited to announce a new support service for survivors of sexual violence--Yoga as Healing. The CARE Office believes in all forms of healing and this program will explore reconnection to the self through mind, body, and spirit. In Bennett’s book, Emotional Yoga, she reminds us that our emotions often times act as a bridge between our bodies and minds, which are intimately intertwined and connected with our emotions (2002). This program will provide survivors of sexual violence a means of becoming reacquainted with their bodies, help them become grounded in the present moment, and allow them to explore the benefits of mindfulness as they flow breath to movement in guided practice and meditation.

 

Memories of sexually violent experiences can be intrusive, which can create challenges for survivors. These memories can also make it difficult for survivors who are looking to establish connection in their lives and learn how to trust again. The entire experience of practicing yoga, can help survivors find union between seemingly disconnected and challenging aspects of the self; allowing participants to slowly build the pieces into an integrated whole. In The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Treatment, Rothschild recognizes the need for therapy to consist of helping people to stay in their bodies and to delve deeper into understanding these important bodily sensations (2000). Yoga’s focus on self-acceptance provides survivors with tangible benefits that will become noticeable throughout their practice. This gradual integration can be transformational and healing for a survivor of sexual violence.

 

Healing after sexual trauma requires patience and consistency. “Yoga allows survivors to regain a sense of comfort and ease within their own shape, to process nonverbally feelings that transcend language, and to experientially cultivate gratitude towards the body, which serve as a reminder of one’s resilience (Boeder, 2012).” Join us for this 8-week yoga series to find deep connection, build community, and continue on your journey to heal.

 

To learn more about the 8-week series offered for survivors during Winter quarter, please e-mail to .

 

Testimonials from past program participants:

 

“I learned that I can take control of my mind through the movement of my body. I learned peace. This is a powerful program and is deeply needed in every school and community.”

-Spring 2012 Yoga as Healing Graduate

 

“I learned yoga poses, how to set boundaries and how to be assertive. The chapters in Emotional Yoga also helped me learn about my boundaries and strength. Most importantly, I found a way to be calm at my most stressful and emotional times.”

-Spring 2012 Yoga as Healing Graduate

 

“This program has changed my life for the better.”

-Spring 2012 Yoga as Healing Graduate

 

“Prior to the program, I was having difficulty with eating. When I would get stressed either emotionally or with school, I would have a panic attack and eat until I felt better. I felt that the satisfaction of eating, as if I was hungry, calmed me down. I have gained 30 pounds since I was raped, but I am proud to say that since the beginning of yoga, I have been able to control my emotions way better and I have stopped eating/binging.”

-Spring 2012 Yoga as Healing Graduate

 

“Zabie has forever changed my life. Before I was lost and numb. She has shed light into my life and guided me to be the strongest I’ve ever been. She has showed me the positive aspects of my life and taught me to be loving, open, and confident.”

-Spring 2012 Yoga as Healing Graduate

 

“Each class was so thought out in structure in order to assist in our recovery. The myriad of resources in our handbooks, to the details outlined for each week, to the group activities were so novel and incredibly helpful in my healing process.”

-Spring 2012 Yoga as Healing Graduate

 

“This program has been one of the most significant involvements at UCI. I am forever grateful.”

-Spring 2012 Yoga as Healing Graduate

 

“The moment I met Zabie I felt safe, important, and cared for. Through this program I learned to love myself. I learned that I am valuable, beautiful, and not damaged. I learned how not to run away from my struggles and confront them. I learned that I am valid and that I need to love myself and help myself to heal.”

-Spring 2012 Yoga as Healing Graduate

 

“I am currently in EMDR therapy, seeing a psychiatrist, and getting acupuncture and massages. Yoga has allowed me to move deeper in my recovery by becoming one with my body, which I needed since my body image was so poor. I am able to join what I learn in therapy (on an intellectual level) and integrate it on more of a meta-physical level, which integrates my healing into a more body, mind, and soul journey.”

-Spring 2012 Yoga as Healing Graduate

 

“This program showed me that yoga really does serve my needs and relieves me in a way other things can’t.”

-Spring 2012 Yoga as Healing Graduate

 

“There are not enough words in the world to express my gratitude for Zabie and what she has done for me in my recovery. Her knowledge of yoga and crisis management, her devotion to details, her passion for yoga and healing, her warmth, compassion, understanding, her ability to support us on a level that is remarkable has allowed me to move so far in my recovery.”

-Spring 2012 Yoga as Healing Graduate

 

Below is a compiled literature list:

 

·         Yoga for Survival, New University article on UC Irvine’s Yoga as Healing Program

·         Interview: Yoga Teachers as Part of the Clinical Team
Emerson, D., Yoga Therapy Today, Summer 2012, pp 24-25.

·         Application of Yoga in Residential Treatment of Traumatized Youth
Spinazzola, J., Rhodes, A., Emerson, D., Earle, E., Monroe, K., Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2011, 17(6) 431-444.

·         Transcending Trauma
Sparrowe, L., Yoga International, Fall 2011, pp 48-53, 89.

·         Warriors at Peace - Pollack, N., Yoga Journal, August 2010, pp. 74-104

·         Yoga Therapy in Practice: Trauma-Sensitive Yoga: Principles, Practice, and Research - Emerson, D., Sharma, R., Chaudry, S., Turner, J., International Journal of Yoga Therapy, No. 19 (2009), pp. 123-128

·         Yoga and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: An Interview with Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. - Integral Yoga Magazine (2009), pp.12-13

·         The Core - David Emerson

·         What to Expect from a Trauma Center Yoga Class- David Emerson

·         Thoughts on Breathing -David Emerson

·         Heal Life's Trauma -Denise Kersten Wills

·         Emotional Yoga by Bija Bennett

·         Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach

·         ReThinking Rape by Ann J. Cahill

·         When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron

·         True Balance: A Commonsense Guide for Renewing Your Spirit by Sonia Choquette

·         Trauma Stewardship by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky

·         Overcoming Trauma through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body by David Emerson

·         Yoga Mind, Body and Spirit by Donna Farhi

·         Simply Color by Diantha Harris

·         You Can Heal Your Life by Louis Hay

·         Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror by Judith Herman

·         Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea Judith

·         The Sevenfold Journey: Reclaiming Mind, Body & Spirit Through the Chakras by Anodea Judith & Selene Vega

·         Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn

·         Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter Levine

·         In An Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness by Peter Levine

·         Anatomy of the Spirit by Carolyn Myss

·         Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom by Christiane Northrup

·         Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy by Pat Ogden

·         Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

·         The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment by Babette Rothschild

·         8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery: Take-Charge Strategies to Empower Your Healing by Babette Rothschild

·         The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well Being by Daniel Siegel

·         Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society by Bessel A. van der Kolk, Alexander C. McFarlane, Lars Weisaeth

·         Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga by Amy Weintraub

 

Warmly,

Zabie

 

Zabie Khorakiwala, M.Ed
Violence Prevention Coordinator
UCI Campus Assault Resources and Education (CARE)    

G320 Student Center                                                  

Irvine, CA 92697-2220                                                  

(949) 824-3005

 

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

 

 

 

From: Warren, Alysha
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 8:22 AM
To:
Subject: Yoga Support Group for Survivors of Sexual Assault

 

Hi Everyone,

 

I hope you’re all doing well and have enjoyed the summer.

 

I’m working with a local yoga teacher to create a yoga support group for survivors of sexual assault. We’re collecting different models of support groups as we mold ours. We plan to incorporate mindfulness and yoga into a traditional support group model.   Does anyone have any models? I would  appreciate any information, resources or insight that you would be willing to provide. We have been using “Overcoming Trauma through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body” (authors: David Emerson and Elizabeth Hopper, PhD) as a guide.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Best,

Alysha

 

 

Notice: This email (including attachments) is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act 18, U.S.C. 2510-2521, is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Please reply to the sender that you have received the message in error, then delete it.  Thank you

 

Alysha B. Warren, LPC

Therapist/Sexual Violence Resource Coordinator

Counseling and Psychological Services

Davison Health Center

Wesleyan University

327 High Street

Middletown, CT  06459

www.wesleyan.edu

Phone: 860-685-2910

 

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