Coach Mandeep Kaur is a trauma-informed yoga teacher and life coach who turned her own journey through mental health challenges and autoimmune diagnoses into a mission to help women reconnect with their bodies. In this conversation, she talks about the quiet signals the body sends, the myths around trauma-informed yoga, her daily rituals, and the asanas and breathing practices she recommends for anxiety, burnout, poor sleep, and the hormonal changes that come after 40.
From Seeking Healing to Helping Others Heal
Every healer has a story. Looking back, what life experience transformed you from someone seeking healing into someone who now helps others heal?
My journey began with a search to understand myself. Somewhere along the way, I had lost touch with who I was. My struggles with mental health, and the taboo and shame surrounding them, made me look inward and question many of the patterns I had been carrying.
Yoga became an important part of that journey, along with meditation and other healing practices. They helped me rebuild my relationship with myself and, eventually, my life. Over time, yoga became more than a physical practice. It became a way of understanding the connection between body, mind, and emotions.
My work is rooted in that experience. I bring together the timeless wisdom of yoga with evidence-based coaching tools, mindfulness, meditation, and practical mindset techniques to help people regulate their nervous system, build emotional resilience, overcome limiting beliefs, and move towards a more meaningful life. I know what it feels like to search for answers because I have been there myself, and that lived experience, combined with my professional training, allows me to hold space for others with empathy and without judgement.
What Trauma Says Through the Body: Signals Women Ignore
If trauma could speak through the body, what do you think it would say? What are some of the quiet signals women often ignore until their body forces them to listen?
I think it would say, “I am still holding what you have not had the space to feel and process. You have been carrying too much for too long. I have been whispering for a long time, and I need you to pause, slow down, and listen.”
Women often become very good at functioning while disconnected from what their body is telling them. The signals can be subtle at first: constant tension, shallow breathing, difficulty relaxing, poor sleep, exhaustion even after rest, headaches, digestive changes, irritability, or simply feeling detached from the body. A growing body of research is exploring the relationship between chronic stress, trauma, suppressed emotions, and physical health, including possible links with inflammation and some autoimmune conditions.
I experienced this personally when I was diagnosed with arthritis and another autoimmune condition. It made me reflect on how long I had ignored the quieter signals until my body, in a sense, forced me to listen. I am not suggesting that trauma directly causes any particular illness. I am sharing this from my lived experience and belief system, and from my study of trauma as a trauma-informed yoga teacher. That diagnosis led me deeper into trauma-informed yoga, because I wanted to understand the relationship between body, mind, and emotions, heal myself, and eventually help others do the same.
Today, I believe one of the most important steps in healing is learning to listen to the body before it has to shout.
Busting the Biggest Myth About Trauma-Informed Yoga
Trauma-informed yoga is still misunderstood. If you could erase one myth forever, what would it be?
The myth that trauma-informed yoga is only for people who have experienced severe trauma or have a mental health diagnosis. It is really about creating a space where people feel safe, have choice and autonomy, and can listen to their bodies without pressure or judgement. You do not have to share your story or even identify as having trauma to benefit. We all experience stress, overwhelm, and moments of feeling disconnected from ourselves.
It is a different way of teaching and of relating to the person on the mat, with safety, choice, consent, and compassion at the centre. Ultimately, it is about helping people trust themselves, reconnect with their bodies and come home to them.
A Day in the Life: Daily Healing Rituals and Self-Care
What does your own healing practice look like today? Take us through a typical day, from the moment you wake up until bedtime, and share the rituals that keep you emotionally grounded while living independently and supporting others.
My practice today is less about one big ritual and more about small moments of connection with myself throughout the day. I wake very early, usually around 4:40 a.m. Before anything else, I ground myself and open my heart with a prayer of gratitude. I spend a few moments gratitude journaling, and after freshening up, I move into my own meditation, pranayama, and yoga practice before I begin teaching and coaching.
Depending on what my body and emotions need, I return to practices that have supported me throughout my healing journey. Alongside daily yoga, pranayama, and meditation, I sometimes include somatic movement, TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises), EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), Ho’oponopono, journaling, or simply time in silence. These are the practices I turn to when I need to pause, reconnect, and come back to myself. I also work out and go to the gym regularly, which has contributed tremendously to my mental well-being, and I eat balanced, nourishing meals as another way of caring for myself.
Living independently and supporting others makes it especially important to have practices that bring me back to myself. Since I live close to the ocean, an evening walk on the beach is a ritual I value deeply. It gives me a chance to slow down, breathe, and simply be.
My evenings end with their own grounding ritual: I step away from the demands of the day, become quiet, and reconnect with myself before bed. For me, healing today is not about constantly working on myself. It is about staying connected, listening to my body, honouring what I need, and creating space to simply be.
Movement, Breath, Nutrition, Sleep and Community in Trauma Recovery
What role do movement, breath, nutrition, sleep and community each play in trauma recovery? Which one is most underestimated?
I see trauma recovery as a holistic process in which body, mind, emotions, and environment all play a part. Movement helps us reconnect with the body, release physical tension, and build a sense of strength and agency. Breath helps us slow down, regulate the nervous system, and return to the present moment. Nourishing food gives the body the resources it needs to recover, and quality sleep is essential for emotional regulation, restoration, and resilience.
But I believe community is the most underestimated. We are not meant to heal in isolation. Safe, supportive relationships remind us that we are seen, heard, and not alone, and for someone who has experienced trauma, rebuilding trust and connection with others can be deeply healing. For me, none of these exist in isolation. Healing happens when we create a life where our body feels supported, our nervous system has space to regulate, and we feel connected, both to ourselves and to others.
Best Yoga Poses for Anxiety, Burnout and Emotional Overwhelm
Which yoga asanas do you recommend for women struggling with anxiety, burnout, or emotional overwhelm, and how do they support the body’s healing process?
Grounding Poses for Rest and Calm
I recommend simple, grounding practices:
- Balasana (Child’s Pose)
- Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall)
- Supported Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
- Shavasana
- Yoga Nidra.
Balasana offers rest and grounding, soothes the nervous system, and invites us to turn inward and slow down. Viparita Karani is deeply restful and encourages the body to pause and settle. In Supported Supta Baddha Konasana, bolsters, cushions, or blankets let the body soften, creating a gentle sense of openness and of being held. Shavasana gives the body a chance to become still and consciously release physical and mental tension.
Restorative Yoga and Yoga Nidra
I also highly recommend a gentle restorative yoga practice, where props fully support the body. Restorative yoga encourages deep relaxation, releases physical tension, quietens mental activity, and creates a sense of safety and spaciousness. For women who are constantly giving, doing, and managing multiple responsibilities, consciously practising rest can itself become a powerful form of self-care.
Mandeep Kaur particularly recommends Yoga Nidra for women carrying chronic stress, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm. It is a guided practice of deep rest that allows the body and mind to move away from constant doing and into conscious relaxation. It can support nervous system regulation, ease stress and anxiety, and create a deeper sense of calm and safety. For many women, it is a way to reconnect with the body and give themselves permission to rest without having to achieve anything.
Choice Always Remains With You
These practices work best alongside a balanced lifestyle, proper sleep, and good nutrition. In trauma-informed yoga, I encourage women to modify, pause, or come out of a posture whenever they need to. The choice always remains with the person. Healing is not about forcing the body into a particular shape or pushing through discomfort. It is about creating enough safety and awareness to begin listening to the body, trusting ourselves, and gently reconnecting.
Yoga for Women Over 40: Supporting Hormonal Changes and Menopause
Many women over 40 experience hormonal changes, joint stiffness, and reduced energy. Which asanas and breathing techniques do you recommend to support healthy ageing and a graceful menopause?
For women in their 40s and beyond, yoga can be very supportive as the body moves through hormonal changes, shifts in energy, and changing mobility. These are postures Mandeep Kaur practises, being 43 and navigating her own hormonal changes.
Hip-Opening Postures
I often begin with hip-opening postures.
- Titali Asana (Butterfly Pose) is a gentle hip opener that supports circulation to the pelvic region, maintains mobility, and helps release tension held around the hips and pelvis.
- Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) also supports mobility in the hips and pelvis and can ease pelvic tension and discomfort, including during menstruation.
- Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose) is a deeply restorative posture that supports menstrual health, can ease PMS discomfort, and encourages the nervous system to settle, which makes it particularly helpful when the body needs rest and softness.
- Malasana (Garland Pose) opens the hips and pelvic region, supports lower-body mobility, and helps maintain strength in this area.
- Chakki Chalanasana (Churning the Mill) is a rhythmic movement that builds mobility through the hips, pelvis, and spine, supports circulation through the abdominal and pelvic region, and helps release stiffness.
Gentle Backbends and Supported Inversions
Gentle backbends and supported inversions add energy and restoration.
- Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose) strengthens the body while opening the chest. It can be energising, supports deeper breathing, and helps calm the nervous system.
- Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) opens the chest and abdomen and can bring a feeling of vitality. Traditionally, backbends are associated with stimulating the areas around the endocrine glands, including the thyroid and adrenals.
- Supported Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) is a restorative inversion traditionally associated with the thyroid and endocrine system because of the position of the throat and neck. With support, it encourages relaxation and quietens the nervous system. It should always be practised mindfully and is not a treatment for thyroid disorders.
Breathing Practices for Hot Flashes and Calm
Two breathing practices complement these postures. Sheetali Pranayama is a cooling breath that can naturally cool the body and be soothing during hot flashes, while encouraging calm and relaxation. Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the simplest practices I recommend: place one hand on your heart and one on your belly, close your eyes, and take a few slow, conscious breaths. It is a way to press pause, reconnect with your body, and calm your nervous system.
For me, graceful ageing is not about fighting the changes in our bodies. It is about learning to listen, adapt, and support the body through every stage of life, keeping it mobile, strong, and nourished while also giving it rest, softness, and care.
Pranayama for Stress and Better Sleep
Breathwork is often called the heart of yoga. Which pranayama techniques do you practise most often, and which would you recommend for women dealing with stress and poor sleep?
Anulom Vilom: Alternate-Nostril Breathing
Pranayama is an important part of my practice because the breath is one of the simplest ways to influence how we feel and bring ourselves back to the present moment. The two practices I return to most often are Anulom Vilom and Bhramari. Anulom Vilom, or alternate-nostril breathing, feels deeply balancing and grounding to me. It encourages us to slow down and become more aware of the breath, and it can support relaxation and nervous system regulation. I often use it when my mind feels busy or overstimulated.
Bhramari: Humming-Bee Breath for Sleep
For women dealing with stress and especially poor sleep, I would recommend Bhramari, the humming-bee breath. The gentle humming naturally lengthens and slows the exhalation, and its soothing vibration helps shift attention from racing thoughts to the body and breath. Research has shown promising effects of Bhramari on stress, anxiety, and sleep quality, and it can help quiet mental chatter and ease the transition from an activated state towards rest. I particularly like it as an evening practice because it requires nothing but a few quiet minutes and your breath.
For me, pranayama is about developing a relationship with the breath and using it as an anchor to come back to ourselves. With regular practice, it becomes a simple, accessible tool for emotional regulation and stress management.
Mandeep Kaur on a Five-Minute Practice to Change Your Relationship With Stress
If you had just five minutes with every woman in the world, what one practice would you teach that could genuinely change her relationship with stress?
I would teach her a simple practice I use myself to regulate my nervous system and manage stress. It is called Rhythmic Tapping. It combines conscious breathing with gentle tapping. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose to a count of four, then exhale slowly through your mouth to a count of six, shaping your lips into a soft “O,” as if blowing out a candle. As you breathe, gently tap the centre of your chest, around your heart centre.
We often associate the heart centre with emotions and emotional regulation. The gentle tapping, combined with the longer exhalation, can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the body’s rest-and-digest response, and shift you out of a heightened state of stress into a more regulated, grounded one. For me, this practice is a moment to pause and return to my body. It is simple; it needs no equipment, and you can use it whenever you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or need a moment to come back to yourself.
Final Thought: When Healing Begins
Finally, complete this sentence for our readers: “Healing begins the moment you…”
…stop abandoning yourself, start choosing yourself, and come home to yourself.
Follow her work and watch her practices on Instagram: @coachmandeepkaur.