Yoga Asanas

Written By Wolf Yoga

Trauma is not merely a psychological injury, it is a rupture across the entire psychophysiological field. While clinical science has begun to appreciate trauma's embodied nature, Yoga, as preserved in the Vedic tradition and by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, has always addressed trauma as the loss of contact with Self.

At Wolf Yoga, we engage ancient yogic science through the lens of contemporary neurobiology, subtle energy medicine, and trauma-informed care. Our approach draws from Maharishi Vedic Science, restoring coherence across mind, body, and consciousness,  through alignment with Nature.

Polyvagal Theory

The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body and a central component of the parasympathetic nervous system, often referred to as the “rest and digest” system. Originating in the brainstem, it branches throughout the chest and abdomen, regulating vital functions such as heart rate, digestion, immune response, and mood. It serves as a primary communication channel between the brain and body, enabling internal homeostasis and emotional regulation.

According to Polyvagal Theory, developed by neuroscientist Dr. Stephen Porges, trauma dysregulates the vagal pathways and disrupts the nervous system's ability to shift flexibly between states of safety, mobilization (fight-or-flight), and immobilization (freeze/dissociation). Instead of fluidly responding to the environment, the traumatized nervous system becomes "stuck" in defensive modes, impairing a wide range of physiological and emotional processes.

Specifically:

  • Sympathetic overactivation (fight/flight) leads to chronic anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues, and cardiovascular strain.

  • Dorsal vagal dominance (freeze/shutdown) can manifest as emotional numbness, dissociation, low energy, and digestive suppression.

  • Ventral vagal engagement, the state associated with safety, social connection, and healing, becomes less accessible.

Impaired vagal tone has been associated with:

  • Decreased heart rate variability (HRV)

  • Weakened immune function and inflammation control

  • Irregular sleep-wake cycles

  • Disrupted gut-brain axis signaling

  • Blunted emotional responsiveness and social engagement

Restoring vagal regulation is therefore a central aim of trauma healing. Practices like deep diaphragmatic breathing, mantra, meditation, yoga, and safe relational connection have been shown to activate the ventral vagal complex, supporting calm, connection, and physiological balance.

Subtle Anatomy and the Koshas

Yoga views the human being as composed of five koshas (sheaths), each one subtler than the last:

  • Annamaya Kosha – The physical body

  • Pranamaya Kosha – The breath and life-force layer

  • Manomaya Kosha – The mind and emotional field

  • Vijnanamaya Kosha – Intellect, intuition, and discrimination

  • Anandamaya Kosha – Bliss body, pure Being

Trauma fragments these sheaths and energy flow. According to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Yoga restores the inner faculties sequentially, beginning with the body and senses, then refining the mind, intellect, and ego, ultimately allowing consciousness to expand toward unity with the Self. This systematic restoration enables the practitioner to experience samadhi, the silent source of thought, and to integrate that silence into dynamic activity.

“Yoga is the process of culturing the mind so that it can maintain pure awareness and experience the Self at all times.”
— Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita and Yoga Sutras

The Three Bodies and Prana Vayus

Yoga also recognizes the three bodies:

  • Sthula Sharira (gross/physical)

  • Sukshma Sharira (subtle/mental/pranic)

  • Karana Sharira (causal/soul imprint)

To heal trauma fully, we must engage all three. Practices that work only at the physical or mental level are incomplete.

The five Prana Vayus, currents of vital force that direct bodily and emotional function:

  • Prana – Heart, breath, and emotion

  • Apana – Grounding, elimination, and stability

  • Samana – Digestion, assimilation, and clarity

  • Udana – Growth, speech, upward momentum

  • Vyana – Integration and full-body circulation

Through breath and movement, we balance these currents.

Chakras and Nadis

Yoga’s subtle anatomy includes seven chakras and three primary nadis: Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. These channels govern physical and emotional equilibrium. Trauma blocks chakras, especially those tied to survival (Muladhara), grief (Anahata), and self-expression (Vishuddha).

Trauma-Informed Yogic Interventions

We employ trauma-informed techniques grounded in somatic psychology and Vedic tradition:

  • Yoga Nidra – Induces deep rest, neuroplastic recalibration, and limbic soothing

  • Restorative Asana – Builds trust and safety within the body

  • Pranayama – Elevates HRV, regulates vagal tone, balances hemispheres

  • Bandhas & Mudras – Cultivate subtle containment and energetic precision

  • Chanting & Mantra – Stimulate vagus nerve, regulate breath-brain rhythm, and settle the emotional body

These interventions are non-coercive, allowing the nervous system to reorient toward safety and trust.

Maharishi Yoga Asanas

Unlike posture-focused yoga styles that prioritize form and effort, Maharishi Yoga Asanas focus on enlivening consciousness in the physiology. These ancient occult asanas  are practiced without strain, allowing prana to flow and awareness to deepen.

Each asana is performed:

  • Slowly, mindfully, and with internal awareness

  • Without forcing flexibility or muscular exertion

  • With attention to the flow of prana and stillness

Maharishi emphasized that the effectiveness of asana lies not in how it looks, but in how it transforms brain coherence and physiological harmony. 

Research on Maharishi Yoga Asanas shows:

These findings affirm that Maharishi Yoga Asanas are more than physical discipline—they systematically integrate cardiovascular, respiratory, and neural systems to foster a state of restful alertness, preparing the body-mind for deeper states of consciousness.


These movements are especially powerful for trauma survivors because they do not trigger performance anxiety or emotional bypass. They establish a neurophysiological platform for inner silence and cosmic awareness.

The Therapeutic Integration of Thai Yoga Bodywork

Complementary to the internal yogic processes, Thai Yoga Bodywork (Nuad Boran) offers a sophisticated somatic modality deeply aligned with yogic principles of prana and energy flow. Rooted in an intricate system of Thai medicine, this therapeutic practice integrates passive assisted yoga postures, acupressure, and rhythmic rocking, targeting the Senlines, energy meridians analogous to the nadis described in yogic anatomy.

Thai Yoga Bodywork operates by applying mindful pressure along Sen pathways and facilitating dynamic joint mobilizations. Thai Yoga Bodywork releases myofascial restrictions and restores neurovascular circulation. This process encourages parasympathetic dominance.

Thai Yoga Bodywork stimulates proprioceptive and interoceptive awareness, fostering  neural integration. This somatic attunement is vital for trauma survivors whose sensorimotor circuits are often dysregulated.

Thai Yoga Bodywork’s slow, deliberate pace and its non-verbal, tactile dialogue establish a safe somatic container, enabling the release of trauma that is stored in the body’s connective tissues and energy channels without triggering retraumatization. Its holistic effect encompasses lymphatic drainage, modulation of the fascia’s tensegrity system, and harmonization of bioelectrical currents, facilitating profound restoration of vitality and subtle body coherence.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga According to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi redefined the Ashtanga system as the natural unfolding of consciousness in a refined nervous system. Each limb arises spontaneously from the ground of Being:

  • Yama – Moral integrity flows naturally from contact with inner silence

  • Niyama – Purity, contentment, and surrender become effortless virtues

  • Asana – The body becomes a vehicle of stillness and self-referral

  • Pranayama – Breath refines automatically as awareness deepens

  • Pratyahara – Senses withdraw inward without force, toward bliss

  • Dharana – Concentration becomes unbroken due to charm of Being

  • Dhyana – Meditation is effortless inward settling, not control

  • Samadhi – Transcendence into pure consciousness, a state of invincibility

These limbs are not practices to be forced, they are expressions of a coherent nervous system aligned with cosmic law. When trauma is released and prana flows freely, these stages unfold naturally.

References

  • Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita: A New Translation and Commentary, Chapters 1–6

  • Sands, William F. PhD. Maharishi’s Yoga: The Royal Path to Enlightenment

  • Egenes, Thomas. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A New Translation and Commentary

  • Shearer, Alistair. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

  • Porges, Stephen. The Polyvagal Theory

  • van der Kolk, Bessel. The Body Keeps the Score

  • Frawley, David. Yoga and Ayurveda: Self-Healing and Self-Realization

  • Porges, S. W. (2007).
    The polyvagal perspective. Biological Psychology, 74(2), 116–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.06.009

  • Porges, S. W. (2011).
    The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.

  • Thayer, J. F., Åhs, F., Fredrikson, M., Sollers III, J. J., & Wager, T. D. (2012).
    A meta-analysis of heart rate variability and neuroimaging studies: Implications for heart rate variability as a marker of stress and health. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 36(2), 747–756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.11.009

  • Kok, B. E., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2010).
    Upward spirals of the heart: Autonomic flexibility, as indexed by vagal tone, reciprocally and prospectively predicts positive emotions and social connectedness. Biological Psychology, 85(3), 432–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.09.005

  • Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (1966). The Science of Being and Art of Living. New York: New American Library.

  • Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (1994). Maharishi’s Commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita: Chapters 1–6. Maharishi Vedic University Press.

  • Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (1969). On the Bhagavad-Gita: A New Translation and Commentary, Chapters 1–6. Penguin Books.
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