More and more people are turning to yoga for nervous system support — including those with ADHD, autism, sensory sensitivity, chronic pain, and trauma histories.
And while yoga can offer powerful tools for regulation, embodiment, and self-connection, the way we teach matters just as much as what we teach.
Yoga trainings must absolutely bring a neuro-affirming lens into the way we approach teaching Yoga.
Classical yoga approaches often centre stillness, focus, breath retention, and a “one-pointed” mind.
These tools have value — but when taught rigidly or without adaptation, they can unintentionally overwhelm or dysregulate neurodivergent students.
For example:
Long body scans can trigger dissociation or shutdown
Eye contact or stillness may feel unsafe for autistic students
Certain breath practices may spike anxiety or sensory discomfort
Cueing like “let go of your thoughts” can feel invalidating to students with executive function differences or RSD
This doesn’t mean yoga is inaccessible to neurodivergent students — it means the delivery needs to adapt.
And this is where a neuro-affirming approach makes all the difference.
Emerging studies are confirming what lived experience has long told us:
At Jala Yoga, we believe yoga should always be accessible, adaptive, and affirming — from how we teach, to how we train teachers.
In our 350hr Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Training, we help students:
Understand neurodivergence through a strengths-based lens
Learn to offer sensory-friendly, choice-rich, trauma-aware practices
Adapt breath and meditation for nervous system sensitivity
Teach invitationally — not prescriptively
Develop skills in co-regulation, interoception scaffolding, and ND-affirming cueing
Work within scope when supporting clients in private or clinical settings
We also design our training to be accessible for neurodivergent learners, so you can show up in a way that feels real, safe, and sustainable.
We offer:
Flexible assessments (video, written, audio, or 1:1 support)
Optional cameras in online sessions
Movement, breaks, and stim-supportive delivery
Low-pressure participation
Trauma-informed pace and structure
A zero-shame space where masking is never expected
We’re not trying to “fix” how you learn or show up.
We welcome you as you are.
In fact, half of your faculty are neurodivergent!
Yoga and movement teachers who want to teach inclusively
Health professionals integrating body-based tools into therapy
First-time YTT students who care about trauma-informed, neuro-affirming education from the beginning
Neurodivergent practitioners who want to learn in a space that feels safe and spacious
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