“Yoga can be an essential tool in befriending the body, and re-establishing safety from within.”

Atira brings to her yoga classes an understanding of somatic psychology and trauma recovery through her studies in BMC (Body-Mind Centering), Embodied Flow TM, and Somatic Experiencing. This awareness and focus on awakening practices allow the yoga practice to be a space for deep healing and growth at subtle levels, and to reconnect safely to the somatic intelligence and innate aliveness of the body’s wisdom.

For the past 13 years, Atira has been creating and delivering trauma-informed yoga programs for sex-trafficked survivors in shelter care in Asia and has been researching the efficacy of trauma-informed yoga as an approach to re-establish inner connection and safety in the felt sense of the body. She is passionate about fusing trauma-informed yoga, somatic trauma psychology and activism to bring the practice of yoga to those in vulnerable populations. Through her activism work, Atira founded Yoga for Freedom, which has raised over $65,000 to communities in India and Nepal to support the trauma recovery of child sex slaves and to provide shelter, food and psychological first aid in earthquake recovery.

Atira has created an innovative somatic approach in her trauma-informed yoga teacher trainings where she supports and mentors yoga teachers in yoga, embodied social justice, somatic trauma psychology and yogic philosophy, specialising in trauma-informed yoga for sexual abuse recovery. Deeply dedicated to the roots of yoga and yogic philosophy, her teacher trainings have touched the lives of many yoga instructors, who in turn have shared the wisdom of trauma-informed yoga with marginalized populations in domestic violence shelters, refugees and asylum seekers organisations, women’s prisons and LBGTQ activists.

Atira believes in fusing spirituality, somatic trauma approaches and embodied social change to make a difference in the world through the practice of Karma Yoga, the path of action and selfless service.

Atira also teaches Sacred Feminine Yoga, an embodiment practice for women with a particular focus and intention on supporting women to reclaim respect, acceptance and love for their bodies, emotions, sensuality, sexuality and cycles. She mentored under Devashi Shakti from Tigress Yoga and was one of Tigress Yoga’s senior teachers. She has also studied with Jane Hardwicke Collings from the School of Shamanic Midwifery, Vicki Noble, the 13 moons women’s mysteries, and completed her doula training in 2011 with the School of Spiritual Midwifery.

Through the practice of deep listening, authenticity, awakening and healing in her classes, Atira inspires and empowers students through her infectious exuberance, courage and joy for life, to live an authentic life of joy and purpose both on and off the yoga mat.

Atira is now offering her yoga offerings online, through her 10 hr, 50 hr and 100 Hr Yoga Alliance Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Trainings, and has taught internationally in South America, Australia, Europe, Thailand and Bali.