Yoga and Qigong: Ancient Paths to Healing Relational Trauma
Relational trauma — the kind that stems from repeated harm, neglect, or disconnection in close relationships — often leaves lasting imprints not just in the mind, but in the body. Talk therapy is essential, but healing from trauma often needs to go deeper than words. This is where body-based practices like yoga and qigong can offer gentle yet profound support.
Although yoga and qigong come from different parts of the world — yoga from India and qigong from China — they share a great deal in common and can be incredibly helpful in trauma recovery, especially for those healing from early or chronic relational wounds.
Shared Foundations: How Yoga and Qigong Are Similar
Both yoga and qigong are mind-body practices that aim to cultivate a sense of inner balance and vitality. They combine breath awareness, physical movement, and meditative focus to help reconnect the body and mind.
Importantly for trauma healing, both practices help regulate the nervous system. They support us in moving from a state of hypervigilance or shutdown into greater calm and presence. The emphasis on rhythm, breath, and body awareness makes them ideal for gently reconnecting with the body after trauma.
Yoga and qigong are also flexible and adaptable. They can be practiced in ways that are accessible for a wide range of physical abilities and emotional states. There is no requirement to “perform” or push through discomfort. Instead, both practices can be done slowly, mindfully, and with a focus on safety and grounding.
Key Differences Between Yoga and Qigong
While both practices share a holistic view of well-being, there are some notable differences in their style and focus.
Yoga often involves holding poses (known as asanas), sometimes with an emphasis on building strength or flexibility. It includes breathing techniques (pranayama), meditation, and sometimes philosophical teachings drawn from Hindu traditions. There are many forms of yoga — some vigorous, others very gentle — and trauma-sensitive yoga classes are becoming more common.
Qigong, on the other hand, is typically more fluid and less physically demanding. It involves slow, flowing movements often coordinated with natural breathing and visualizations. The goal is to cultivate and circulate qi (life energy) through the body. Qigong is rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Taoist philosophy, and its movements tend to be circular, continuous, and calming.
In practice, yoga may feel more structured or physical, while qigong may feel softer and more meditative. Some people recovering from trauma find qigong easier to begin with, especially if they feel anxious about their bodies or movement.
How These Practices Support Trauma Recovery
Relational trauma can disrupt the body’s sense of safety. It often leads to a nervous system that is chronically dysregulated — swinging between anxiety, numbness, or emotional overwhelm. Yoga and qigong help restore regulation, rebuild self-trust, and support emotional integration.
Here’s how they help:
Reconnecting with the Body: Trauma can cause us to disconnect from bodily sensations. Gentle movement, breath, and grounding help rebuild that connection in a safe way.
Creating a Sense of Safety: Slow, mindful movement allows the body to experience present-moment safety, which is crucial for healing trauma that is often rooted in past fear or danger.
Regulating the Nervous System: Both yoga and qigong help activate the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) branch of the nervous system, reducing fight-or-flight responses.
Processing Emotions Somatically: Some trauma is beyond words. These practices help us release held tension and emotion through the body, without needing to explain or analyze.
Cultivating Self-Compassion: Regular practice can soften the inner critic and build a kinder, more patient relationship with ourselves — something often missing in childhoods shaped by relational trauma.
Finding the Right Practice for You
You don’t have to choose one practice over the other. Many people combine elements of both or explore them at different points in their healing journey. What matters most is how you feel during and after the practice — not how it looks from the outside.
If you’re dealing with trauma, it can be helpful to start with a trauma-informed instructor who emphasizes choice, permission, and safety. You might begin with grounding practices like slow breathing, standing postures, or gentle rocking movements before progressing to more demanding sequences.
Go slowly. Pay attention to what your body needs and where your limits are. You are allowed to rest, to adapt, and to move at your own pace.
Final Thoughts
Yoga and qigong aren’t just physical disciplines — they are deeply compassionate paths back to ourselves. In the aftermath of relational trauma, they offer a space to gently rebuild trust, not only in others, but in our own bodies and inner experience.
There is no need to strive, fix, or prove anything. These practices offer quiet healing — the kind that unfolds breath by breath, movement by movement, with patience and presence. Whether it’s the stillness of a yoga pose or the flowing rhythm of a qigong form, the body can begin to remember: I am safe now. I am home.
