LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Whether you were there in person or watched it unfold on TV, the events of 1 October were as traumatic as it gets. Many are still reeling.
13 Action News anchor Tricia Kean looks at a special program helping locals overcome the stress of any traumatic event. Even a global pandemic.
TRAUMA RECOVERY YOGA
This might look like a typical yoga class. But instructor Rebecca Taylor says it's so much more.
"Some of us have really major trauma that interferes with our ability to function in life and this class really aims to work with everyone," says Rebecca.
FREE CLASS
This is Trauma Recovery Yoga. It's a free class offered by Dignity Health and open to anyone. The aim here, is to turn your pain into power.
"These are ways to reprogram our mind from whatever the chaos and the crazy self-talk that a lot of us have, to focusing on what our strengths are," says Rebecca.
If this sounds like something you'd never try, you're not alone.
SIT & BREATH
"I was like there's no way I can identify with someone who does yoga," says Whitney Winlow.
She relented, then decided to give the class a try after facing her own personally traumatic event.
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR HURTING
"And I thought, what a place to be in. To just sit here and breathe. I realized that little step kept evolving into another step. I didn't even realize it was yoga anymore," says Whitney.
Whitney says the hardest part was the first step and acknowledging that she was hurting.
"If I admitted, wait a minute that hurt, that was trauma. Now I don't need to hide these emotions and now I begin to release them in this class... Then you're on your way to just, healing your body, healing your mind, healing your thoughts," says Whitney.
CLASS IS ONLINE
Best of all, you can do it from the privacy of your own home. The pandemic moved the class online and since then, Rebecca says attendance has jumped.
"I definitely get more people attending my class... It really has widened the accessibility," says Rebecca.
Rebecca says that's what it's all about. Making the tools to recovery and empowerment available to anyone.
ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE
"Breathe. We all have craziness in our lives. You don't have to touch your toes. Just sit down and breathe or maybe you just want to lay down and relax and listen to the class. It's accessible to everybody," says Rebecca.
Remember, Trauma Recovery Yoga is free to anyone looking to give it a try. Dignity Health says the class is even popular with emergency workers facing traumatic situations on a regular basis.
To participate in the class click here. Go to the current online list of classes and look under the Fitness section.
