From Inner War to Inner Peace: Yoga for Men in Norrköping, Sweden

Giving back—doing something for others and, at the same time, for myself—is the driving force behind the free trauma-adapted yoga class I offer once a week in Norrköping, Sweden. This is a space for men who wish to find a path toward making peace with their inner war.

After many years working therapeutically in addiction and trauma treatment, I met Josefin Wikström in 2021 and was inspired by her fantastic work with Trauma-Adapted Yoga and PYP. My curiosity to explore new ways to meet what “the body is counting on” made it natural to train with her.

The men who join us change over time. Some come for a short while during treatment, others return every week. We may be very different in age, background, and experience, but on the mat, we are simply men—people—meeting to find inner security and peace.

We often talk about yoga as a support for other treatments, but what I repeatedly see and experience is that other treatments can also serve as a support for yoga. The grounding, awareness, and connection that yoga offers—both to the individual and to the group—are things participants can always carry with them. Every posture, every movement, and every conscious breath is an important step toward a more compassionate society.

I am also a trained Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner and have studied under Dr. Gabor Maté. The approach of Compassionate Inquiry shapes our time together before and after yoga, ensuring that everything felt or experienced can be met with safety and validity. When what we experience within ourselves is allowed to be valid, we can also change and truly meet ourselves. It is this hope and desire that brings me back week after week for those who want and need to make peace with their inner war.

This group exists thanks to volunteer support and the generosity of Vayu Yoga in Norrköping, who lend us space and mats each week. My hope is that more people will find their way here, and that others will see the potential of yoga for their own healing.

The feedback I hear—from someone after their very first class who managed to relax and find peace, to those who come every week and inspire others—means everything to me. We grow and heal when we meet in compassion.

Earlier this year, Swedish news visited our class. You can watch the segment here: Här finner de lugn genom ‘Prison yoga’ – ‘Ett sätt att möta jobbiga tankar’ (The segment is in Swedish, but even without the language, you’ll see the room, the faces of the participants, and the quiet power of the practice.)

You can learn more about the work of PYP Scandinavia here.

Listen to Healing Traumatized Masculinity with Fredrik Wretman on the Gifts of Trauma Podcast here.