What Is the Freeze to Flow Workshop? Healing Trauma Through Movement

Here’s a simple overview of my monthly Freeze to Flow Workshop, what it is, what it supports, and why it can be so helpful for anyone who feels anxious, overwhelmed, or a little disconnected from themselves.

What the Workshop Is Designed to Help

The workshop is designed to support and better understand the nervous system, a key part of feeling grounded, focused, and emotionally steady.

When our nervous system is balanced, we feel safe and calm. When it’s out of balance, we can feel anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected.

A Quick Nervous System Refresher

Your nervous system is your body’s communication network. It helps you move, think, feel, and respond, whether you’re calm or dealing with stress.

Two main divisions:

• Central Nervous System (CNS): The brain (control centre for thoughts, emotions, memories) and the spinal cord (carries messages between the brain and body).

• Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Branches out through the body and includes:

  • Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): runs in the background (heartbeat, breathing, digestion).

  • Somatic Nervous System: voluntary movement and sensation.

Within the Autonomic Nervous System:

• Parasympathetic (Rest & Digest): helps you relax and restore.

• Sympathetic (Fight or Flight): revs you up in times of stress.

Keeping these two branches in dynamic balance is crucial. When they’re out of sync, we feel off-centre.

Why “Freeze to Flow” Uses Somatic Yin

Your body has built-in tools for balance, breath, digestion, and heart rate, constantly working to keep you steady. When you’re out of balance, the right inputs can help your system re-tune.

In Freeze to Flow, we use:

• Somatic movement: tiny, choice-based motions that help the body feel safe and release stored tension.

• Yin-inspired shapes: long, supported holds to downshift the system.

• Meditation and gentle pacing: a calm environment that signals “you can soften now.”

Together, these tools invite the nervous system back toward rest-and-digest, creating conditions for relief and reconnection.

How Trauma Can Be Held in the Body

Our bodies are not just physical structures; they’re repositories of experience. Trauma, whether from a single overwhelming event or prolonged stress, can be held in the fascia (the connective tissue around muscles and organs) and in the body’s implicit memory.

This can show up as:

• A sense of being stuck or “on edge”

• Unexplained physical discomfort

• A nervous system that stays on high alert, making it harder to truly relax or feel safe

The good news: with mindful, gentle practices, somatic movement, Yin-based stillness, and compassionate awareness, we can begin to soften these patterns, layer by layer.

What You’ll Experience in the Workshop

• Arrive & Ground: a slow start to meet your body where it is

• Somatic Movement: small, rhythmic choices (you’re in control)

• Yin-Inspired Rest: supported holds that tell the body it’s safe to release

• Meditation & Breath: down-regulating techniques you can use at home

• Integration: time to notice, reflect, and land gently

This is a pressure-free space. You’re invited to move at your own pace, rest when you need, and choose what feels right for you.

What Changes Over Time

With consistent, gentle practice, many people notice:

• More regulation (fewer spikes of overwhelm)

• Easier sleep and steadier energy

• Less tension in the body and more mobility

• A growing sense of safety, ease, and presence

There’s no magic pill and no deadline for healing. The bravest step is simply showing up. I’m here to support you, so your body can let go of what it’s been holding and move forward with a little more freedom.

A Soft Invitation

Freeze to Flow runs monthly at Happy Mat Yoga Studio. If you’ve been living in “go-mode,” feeling stuck, or craving practical tools for your nervous system, this workshop is a tender place to begin.