Ellie Grace

Ellie Grace
Trauma-Informed Yoga Specialist & Body-Oriented Therapist

About Me & My Practice

I’m a yoga educator, trauma-informed teacher trainer and meditation guide with over 10 years’ experience. I came to yoga 14 years ago during a time of traumatic grief and found it profoundly healing. Since then, I’ve been passionate about helping others find peace and regulate their nervous systems through embodied practices that foster safety, resilience and connection.

What to Expect From Our Sessions

It’s becoming more widely known that traumatic experience is stored in the body and, unless discharged or released, will manifest as a multitude of symptoms including – but not limited to – anxiety, depression, insomnia, gut issues or a general state of dis-ease, stuck-ness or fear.

Trauma informed yoga offers a gentle, evidence-based approach to releasing these restored experiences. It can be a powerful companion to psychotherapy, offering a “bottom-up” approach via the body that complements the “top-down” work of talk-based treatment.

Firstly, my work is to share with you how challenging life experiences cause us to hold on, shut down or become cut off from our bodies as a way of coping – and to understand that these are trauma responses designed to protect us.

Secondly, it’s to guide you in practices that will counteract those responses and gradually teach your nervous system that it’s safe to feel safe. The aim is to create balance within yourself so that you can feel more calm, more at ease, more peaceful and more connected to yourself in ways that allow you to flourish.

We’ll begin with a confidential check-in to see how you’re doing before I offer tools including breath work, mindful movement, guided meditation, relaxation techniques or a combination. You may choose to sit, lie down or stay still. We may talk during the session or move quietly; everything is optional and guided by your preferences.

It’s not unusual for people to feel strong emotions arise as they allow whatever has been suppressed or held onto to leave the body. Tiredness is also common, and all of it is welcomed as a positive release. 

This is not a practice about performance — it’s about presence. It’s about slowing down, softening and reconnecting with your breath, body and inner wisdom and being with “what is”. Over time, people report feeling less reactive, calmer, clearer, more joyful, and more in tune with themselves and their lives.

My approach is accessible and compassionate with a balance of energising or therapeutic practices, depending on what’s needed. There are no advanced poses or expectations and there’s no such thing as being “bad” at yoga. All bodies and backgrounds are welcome.

My long term aim is to support you in developing a toolbox that you can use on your own in times of difficulty and I may give you practices to explore beyond our sessions including journalling or further reading if you want to learn more about yoga and/or trauma.

My recommendation is to start by booking a session with me and allowing the cumulative effects of the practice to develop over time. As with any therapy, the best results are seen with consistent and regular practice. 

Some of the Benefits of Trauma Informed Yoga

• Reduced stress, anxiety and physical pain
• Better sleep, energy and mental clarity
• Increased self-awareness, confidence and intuition
• Greater emotional regulation and resilience
• Stronger connection to self, others and life
• Enhanced creativity, spaciousness and joy

Experience

I’ve supported a wide range of individuals experiencing stress, anxiety, trauma or overwhelm—from NHS doctors and busy professionals to students, veterans and underserved communities. 

I developed the first yoga education programs for medical students at several UK universities and train yoga teachers through my trauma-informed yoga and social change program. 

I sit on the Board of Directors for The Yoga For Life charity, offer training for healthcare professionals and regularly speak at conferences and on podcasts. My guided meditations are available for free on the Insight Timer app.

Fees

£85 per 50 minute session with a limited number of concession slots available.

If you’re interested in learning more, I like to offer a free 20-minute initial consultation over the phone. This is a chance for us to get to know one another and find out if we’re a good fit for working together. Please email me to arrange a call.

Qualifications

• MA in Yoga Studies, Loyola Marymount University, California
• Yoga, Mindfulness & Social Change certificate, LMU CA 
• AYT-certified Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training, Bahamas
• Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Norman Blair, London
• 11th Step Yoga for Trauma and Recovery Program, LMU CA
• Prison Yoga Training with James Fox and Prison Yoga Project, San Diego CA
• Mindful Resilience for Trauma Recovery Yoga Teacher Level 1, Veterans Yoga Project & Dr. Dan Libby, Venice CA
• The Power of Breath in Clinical Practice & Mass Disaster, Semel Institute, UCLA
• Fully insured