Language We Use—and Don’t Use—at NeuroNest Yoga
- Dr. Danielle Niaz, PhD – Founder & Lead Instructor
- Sep 9
- 2 min read
🗣️ Language We Use—and Don’t Use—at NeuroNest Yoga
Language is medicine—or a weapon.
It can ground us in safety or yank us back into shame.
At NeuroNest, every word we speak (or don’t) is intentional. We know trauma survivors and neurodivergent folx hear everything differently. We choose clarity over cliché, and truth over spiritual bypassing.
So here’s what we don’t say—and what we say instead.
❌ What We Don’t Say (and Why)
“Let it go.”
🙅♀️ Why not: You’re not a Disney princess and trauma isn’t a balloon. This phrase invalidates grief, anger, and lived experience.
✅ Instead:
“Notice what’s here. You don’t have to change it.”
“You are allowed to hold both pain and peace.”
“Drop into your heart.”
🙅♀️ Why not: Vague. Emotionally overwhelming. May trigger dissociation or pressure to feel something you don’t.
✅ Instead:
“Take a breath. Feel the weight of your body on the ground.”
“Notice what feels most present in this moment.”
“This pose heals trauma.”
🙅♀️ Why not: Weaponized woo-woo. Poses don’t heal trauma—safety does.
✅ Instead:
“This posture might offer support for grounding or release. Try it and see.”
“Your experience matters more than the shape.”
“If it hurts, you’re doing it right.”
🙅♀️ Why not: No. Just—no. Pain is not proof of transformation.
✅ Instead:
“Discomfort can offer insight—but pain is your cue to pause.”
“You don’t need to push to receive.”
“Just breathe through it.”
🙅♀️ Why not: For trauma survivors, breath can be a trigger, not a tool.
✅ Instead:
“If breath feels safe today, explore it gently.”
“You can always return to stillness or sound if breath is hard.”
“We’re all one” / “Everything happens for a reason.”
🙅♀️ Why not: Spiritual bypassing 101. Glosses over real suffering and systemic harm.
✅ Instead:
“You belong here, in your unique story.”
“What happened to you matters. What you do with it is yours to choose.”
✅ Language We Do Use at NeuroNest
“You are welcome here exactly as you are.”
“This is an invitation, not a command.”
“You get to choose what’s right for your body.”
“Opt out anytime—your presence is enough.”
“If you feel something rising, that’s not wrong. That’s information.”
“It’s okay to cry, stim, shut down, or rest. You’re still participating.”
“There is no right way to heal—only your way.”
🌈 We Also Avoid…
Instead of…
We Say…
“Crazy/insane”
dysregulated, overwhelmed, outside my window of tolerance
“Normal”
common, familiar, culturally typical
“Addict”
person living with addiction / survivor of substance use
“Wheelchair-bound”
wheelchair user / mobility device user
“You should…”
you’re invited to… / here’s an option…
Final Thoughts: Words Shape Safety
In a trauma-informed space, language is part of the container.
We don’t use shame, force, or guru-speak.
We speak like humans. Like survivors. Like people who’ve lived through things and are still here, still soft, still reaching for healing.
You deserve words that don’t hurt you.
You deserve space where language doesn’t betray you.
You deserve truth spoken in tenderness.
That’s what we build here.
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