TRAP Yoga: Trauma-Informed Yoga in East Texas
- Jessica Boggio
- Feb 24
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 28
Two years ago, she didn’t open a yoga business because it was trendy.
She opened it because she needed something different — and no one else was offering it.
Her first yoga experience had been confusing and overwhelming. The class moved too fast. The instruction assumed familiarity. Instead of calm, she felt lost.
She walked out in fifteen minutes.
But what could have been the end of the story became the beginning.
She tried again — this time in a slower, more intentional class. And instead of leaving early, she stayed. She kept showing up. And that’s when something shifted. Emotions surfaced. Tears came unexpectedly. Anger rose from places she hadn’t fully processed.
One instruction stayed with her: leave your emotions outside the door.
She couldn’t.
They were already in the room.
That tension — between what was being taught and what people were actually feeling — sparked something deeper. As a lifelong educator with a master’s degree in education, she doesn’t ignore misalignment. She studies it.
A Teacher by Nature, A Researcher by Calling
She didn’t just pursue certification. She pursued understanding.
Instead of choosing the most convenient program, she enrolled in an India-based institute to study yoga closer to its origins. She wanted more than the Westernized version. She wanted depth.
She studied the history of yoga across cultures. She researched ancestral African movement practices like Mapouka — a hip-based vibration practice rooted in release and regulation. She explored anatomy, learning how trauma can be stored in the body, particularly in the psoas muscle.
At some point, she realized she had already been practicing trauma-informed methods — long before she had the language for it.
“Trauma is trapped in our bodies.”
That insight became foundational.
When Personal Experience Deepened the Work
Yoga wasn’t just educational for her. It was transformational.
It helped her process abandonment wounds. It supported her through grief. It steadied her during anxiety. And when she later experienced trauma in her own life that led to PTSD symptoms, yoga became more than practice — it became a tool.
Instead of stepping back, she pursued further training.
She became certified as a PTSD Warrior, expanding her ability to work with veterans and individuals navigating post-traumatic stress.
“Now I can work with veterans.”
Her approach is practical and compassionate. If a trigger arises in class — a loud noise, a wave of emotion — she doesn’t ignore it. She names it. She reorients the room. She reminds people they are safe.
Choice is central to her sessions. No one is forced to push through discomfort. Students can pause, modify, or simply sit.
This isn’t performance yoga.
It’s nervous system work.
Filling a Gap in East Texas
As she grew in her practice, she noticed something else.
There were very few Black yoga instructors in East Texas. Even fewer trauma-informed spaces intentionally designed with cultural familiarity and representation in mind.
“There’s literally nothing wrong with being unapologetically black in a space where we haven’t been invited to yet.”
She didn’t start TRAP Yoga to compete with other studios. She started it to expand access — to create a space where people who may not have seen themselves reflected in traditional wellness environments could feel welcomed.
She is recognized as the first Black trauma-informed yoga business owner in East Texas.
And she built it from lived experience.
Why TRAP Yoga Is Mobile
TRAP Yoga operates as a mobile wellness practice by design.
Instead of opening a studio with heavy overhead and barriers to entry, she chose flexibility and accessibility. Parks. Retreats. Community events. Private sessions. Corporate groups.
She handles the permits. The waivers. The liability coverage.
She removes friction so people can focus on the work.
And the name itself carries the mission.
“TRAP stands for Trauma Release And Peace.”
Every session ends with the same question:
How do you feel now?
The answers are often simple — relaxed, lighter, grounded.
Two years in, TRAP Yoga continues to grow. What started from a confusing first class has become a resilient, research-driven, faith-rooted wellness practice serving East Texas.
She is a teacher at heart. Resilient by experience. Unapologetically Black. Deeply in tune with her body and spirit. Guided by research, lived reality, and conviction.
She saw a gap — and built what she couldn’t find.
Book a Session for Trauma Informed Yoga in East Texas
TRAP Yoga offers mobile, trauma-informed sessions throughout East Texas, including group classes, private sessions, retreats, and community wellness events.
Whether you’re navigating stress, anxiety, PTSD, or simply looking for a more inclusive and intentional wellness space, Trap Yoga creates room for you to show up as you are.
Follow TRAP Yoga on social media or use her booking link/QR code to schedule a session or inquire about group packages.
Why I Interviewed Her
I interview business owners who are building something meaningful in East Texas — not just profitable.
TRAP Yoga stood out because it wasn’t created from trend. It was created from experience. From research. From resilience.
She is doing more than teaching yoga. She is expanding access to trauma-informed wellness in a region where that access has historically been limited.
And that matters.
This is exactly the kind of work ETX Uncovered exists to highlight.
Know someone in East Texas building something meaningful?
I’d love to hear about them.
And if you’re building something yourself and want a clearer picture of how visible your business is online, you’re welcome to book a free Local Visibility Assessment.
Call or text Jess @ 903-431-8634 — or schedule a time here.
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