What is Spiritual Abuse & Why Does it Matter in the Context of Yoga?

Spiritual abuse is often misunderstood, but it is one of the most damaging forms of trauma because it strikes at the core of a person’s identity and self-worth. It is not an isolated issue; the mechanisms of control are universal, transcending specific religions or cultures. As author Chanchal Garg noted, the experience of losing your autonomy to a toxic system is a crisis that transcends culture and religion.

I. Defining Spiritual Abuse: The Theft of Agency

In its essence, spiritual abuse is a form of power misuse. Experts define it as the mistreatment of a person who is in need of help, support, or empowerment, with the result of weakening, undermining, or decreasing that person's personal autonomy and self-worth.

It is, functionally, an abuse of power that damages the individual by:

• Gaslighting & Reality Denial: You are told that you are "the problem" for simply noticing that there is a problem. This manipulation causes the victim to question their sanity, judgment, and memories.

• Boundary Violation: Spiritual or leadership positions are used to control or dominate another person. This often includes framing boundary crossing (like required sharing of personal history) as a means of proving spirituality or loyalty.

• Shame & Condemnation: The individual is left bearing a weight of guilt, judgment, and condemnation, creating confusion about their fundamental worth. Ultimately, the goal is to keep people in, whether or not they are finding life there.

II. The Impact: The Body Keeps the Score

Why does this matter in the context of our yoga practice? Because the lasting damage of spiritual abuse lives not just in the mind, but in the body—and the body keeps the score.

1. The Disconnect and the Three Pathways

The autonomic nervous system guides how we live, love, and work. A traumatic event overwhelms this system, and the disturbing experience becomes "stuck" in the nervous system.

With the development of Polyvagal Theory (Stephen Porges), we understand three distinct pathways of response:

• Sympathetic: Triggers the familiar "fight or flight" response.

• Dorsal Vagal: Triggers immobilization, shutdown, and collapse.

• Ventral Vagal: Supports regulation, allowing us to move through our days with a sense of safety.

2. The State of Chronic Dysregulation

Trauma rewires our bodies and brains. Spiritual abuse keeps the system stuck, unable to metabolize the stress, resulting in chronic dysregulation:

• The Loss of the Brake: The vagus nerve, which acts as the body's natural brake pedal, gets blocked from helping the body recover fully from stress activation. Chronically low vagal tone means the brake is off all the time.

• Allostatic Load: This continuous wear and tear builds up, known as Allostatic Load. This wear-and-tear is the root cause of many chronic health issues—from gut issues and chronic pain to depression and insomnia. You cannot be in sympathetic (stress) and parasympathetic (healing) at the same time.

III. The Solution: Yoga as the Path to Agency

The path to healing begins with reclaiming your internal authority and honoring what is true.

Reversing the Damage: Agency vs. Authority

Many survivors struggle with traditional, hierarchical yoga models because the required surrender of personal autonomy can replicate the original trauma dynamic.

In our trauma-sensitive classes, we reject this model entirely.

• No Guru Culture: We reject the model that requires placing the teacher as the ultimate authority. The teacher acts as a facilitator, guiding you toward your own internal wisdom.

• Your Authority: Our class is centered on choice-based language ("you might explore," "if you wish") to ensure you always maintain control over your body and practice.

The Healing Practice: Choosing to Try Softer

Spiritual abuse conditions you to believe you must ignore your pain and "try harder." We practice the opposite.

• Awareness: As Will Rezin says, "When we become aware, we regain access to choice". We cultivate agency by first reconnecting with ourselves and building awareness of our inner world.

• Compassion: This allows us to meet trauma symptoms (like decision paralysis) with compassion, acceptance, and patience—refusing to self-shame the physical response.

• Boundaries: We use the mat to practice small acts of agency (saying "no" to a pose, resting when needed) so you can build the muscle to set healthy boundaries in life.

Conclusion: Reclaiming Your Story

The work of healing from spiritual trauma is the hard, non-linear work of reconstruction—of rebuilding your sense of self and finding practices that are true and less harmful. We cannot outrun or outperform our pain. We can only learn to honor it, turn toward it, and move through it.

Your mat is a safe, consistent space where you can practice those small, brave steps of self-inquiry. It is a commitment to coming home to yourself.

Your Next Step: Try Softer

To make this journey accessible, we offer specialized classes focused on Integrative Health and nervous system regulation.

• New to our community? Get started with our New Client 3-Class Trial for just $30 (use within 60 days).

• Park Residents: Don't forget your temporary 10% OFF package discount during the furlough with code GCNPCARE—a way to support your self-care during this high-stress time.

Additional Resources:

1. https://chanchalgarg.com/ - (Chanchal Garg's main website) author of Unearthed: The Lies We Carry 
& The Truths They Bury

2. https://www.brokentobeloved.org/ - one-stop for all things related to religious trauma & spiritual abuse primarily from Christian Faith Communities (podcast, virtual & in person summits & more.

3. Moving Up the Polyvagal Ladder

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