Managing Stress

Stress is a natural part of life, but when it becomes chronic or overwhelming, it can affect our physical health, emotional wellbeing, relationships, sleep, and overall quality of life. Chronic stress has become increasingly common in modern-day living, shaped not only by the pressures of work, caring responsibilities, and social demands, but also by the wider geopolitical climate, economic uncertainty, and global events that impact our sense of safety and stability.

My approach brings together trauma-informed yoga, nervous system education, and practical self-regulation tools to help people understand the physiology of stress and build sustainable skills for grounding, resilience, and long-term wellbeing.

Understanding Stress: A Short Introduction to Polyvagal Theory

Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, helps us understand how the nervous system shapes our responses to stress, threat, and safety.


It explains that our bodies move through different states depending on how safe or overwhelmed we feel:

  • Ventral vagal (safe & connected) – when we feel calm, grounded, and able to engage with others

  • Sympathetic (fight or flight) – when stress rises and the body prepares for action

  • Dorsal vagal (shutdown or overwhelm) – when stress becomes too much and the system withdraws or collapses

These shifts are automatic, shaped by past experiences, and influenced by the body more than the thinking mind.

By learning how to recognise these states—and how to gently support our system back toward safety—we can change the way we respond to stress in everyday life.

How Yoga Can Help

Yoga offers powerful, evidence-informed tools for supporting the nervous system and managing stress.
Through movement, breath, and mindful awareness, yoga can help:

  • Increase interoception (the ability to feel what is happening inside the body)

  • Support regulation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

  • Reduce physical tension and stress hormones

  • Improve mood, sleep, focus, and emotional balance

  • Build a consistent toolkit for responding to stressful moments

  • Strengthen resilience and a sense of groundedness

Because my approach is trauma-informed and rooted in neurobiology, sessions are gentle, choice-based, and accessible to all experience levels.

What I Offer

Stress Management Workshops

Workshops designed to help participants understand stress from a body-based perspective. Using simple movement, breathwork, and nervous system education, these sessions teach practical tools for grounding, calming, and building confidence in managing stressful moments.

These sessions explore:

  • The physiology of stress

  • Burnout and overwhelm

  • How to recognise your nervous system patterns

  • Techniques for down-regulating stress responses

  • Everyday practices for resilience and balance

Workshops can be delivered for community groups, staff teams, charities, and health organisations.

Neuroscience of Stress Workshops

These educational workshops explore the science of stress in a way that is accessible, practical, and immediately useful.

Topics include:

  • How chronic stress and trauma affect our brain and body

  • Polyvagal theory and nervous system patterns

  • Why “bottom-up” approaches (movement, breath, sensation) support regulation

  • How interoception and neuroplasticity influence recovery, resilience, and connection

Workshops can be delivered as stand-alone sessions or packaged with yoga, movement, or mindfulness sessions.

Practical Nervous System Regulation & Self-Care Workshops

I facilitate practical, hands-on sessions teaching simple techniques for resourcing and regulating:

  • Nervous system regulation

  • Stress reduction and burnout prevention

  • Breathwork and grounding strategies

  • Building sustainable self-care habits

  • Creating a home practice that is realistic and supportive

These sessions are ideal for frontline workers, community organisations, and people experiencing ongoing stress or recovery.