Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Healing in Chicago
At Roots & Rays, we believe the body holds stories — and that with compassion, curiosity, and care, those stories can be met, moved, and transformed.
Therapeutic yoga is more than a physical practice. It is an intentional, trauma-informed space to reconnect with your body, calm your nervous system, and support your ongoing therapy goals. For many, yoga becomes a powerful adjunct to talk therapy or art therapy — a way to integrate insights, release held tension, and invite in a deeper sense of presence and ease.
What Is Therapeutic Yoga?
Therapeutic yoga blends traditional yogic practices with a trauma-informed approach, making space for the whole person. Classes are designed to be accessible, adaptable, and supportive of physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
In a world where stress, trauma, and disconnection are all too common, therapeutic yoga offers:
Grounding and nervous system regulation
Embodiment practices to gently reconnect with your body
Support for emotional processing alongside therapy
Restorative stillness as a key part of healing
Meet Your Guide
Rhiannon Kirby (she/her)
Rhiannon is a dedicated yoga educator with over 23 years of personal practice and 17 years of full-time teaching experience. She draws from a wide range of traditions — including Ashtanga, Iyengar, Sivananda, Anusara, Vinyasa, Restorative, Hatha, Meditation, and Pranayama — balancing respect for classical foundations with care for each practitioner’s unique needs.
With a B.A. in Modern Dance Performance and Choreography and a deep background in anatomy, Rhiannon approaches the body as an evolving landscape for inquiry, healing, and connection. Her teaching emphasizes breath as the guiding force, inspired by the meaning of vinyasa: “to place in a special way.”
Rhiannon has led international yoga retreats, taught in multiple teacher training programs, and currently serves as the lead teacher and curriculum curator for Tula Yoga’s 200-hour Teacher Training in Chicago. At Roots & Rays, she offers yoga as a practice of care, curiosity, and community.
Instagram: @rhiannonkyoga
Email: rhiannonkirbyoga@gmail.com
Weekly Therapeutic
Yoga Classes
Gentle Grounding Flow
Wednesdays, 7:00 am
A breath-led, gentle vinyasa practice to start the day rooted and centered. Expect easeful movement, presence, and nervous system regulation.
Rest & Root
Saturdays, 8:00 am
A deeply restorative class rooted in rest, stillness, and supportive props. Ideal for decompressing from the week and replenishing creative energy. Includes a longer meditation.
How Therapeutic Yoga Supports Healing
Grounding & Nervous System Regulation
Mindful, breath-led movement helps soothe the body’s stress response, creating a sense of steadiness and safety.
Complementing Ongoing Therapy Goals
Therapeutic yoga is an adjunct healing model that integrates beautifully with talk therapy, EMDR, art therapy, or somatic work — helping the body process what the mind is exploring.
Gentle, Accessible Practices for Every Body
Whether you are recovering from trauma, seeking stress relief, or simply wanting to reconnect with yourself, practices are adapted to your current needs.
Join Us at Roots & Rays
Experience how therapeutic yoga can be a bridge between therapy and everyday life — a place where breath, movement, and mindful rest come together in service of your healing journey.
Change begins with a single step — or in this case, a single breath.
“The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness”
— Sakyong Mipham