Healing from trauma, stress, or deep emotional wounds often feels like walking between two roads: one traveled alone, contained in your own rhythm; the other taken together with others who share, witness, and hold. Mindful movement, whether solo or in a group, offers paths toward regulation, resilience, and reconnection. While both modalities draw from the same roots, such as embodied awareness, breath, and somatic safety, the differences in setting, community, and internal experience are significant. Choosing which path, solo or group, aligns best with one’s healing process isn’t about right or wrong, but about fit.

The science of mindful movement shows compelling evidence for both solo and group formats. Solo practice builds interoception, inner listening, and the capacity to regulate one’s nervous system from within. Group practice, however, layers on relational safety, social connection, and shared rhythm, all of which potentiate healing in ways that solitary practice can’t always evoke. For many, the optimal journey involves exploring both, noticing where your body, mind, and heart feel most safe and supported.

This blog explores the concept of mindful movement, including how solo practice can support healing, what group practice adds, the considerations and possible challenges, and how to choose the approach that’s right for you.

Understanding Mindful Movement And Its Benefits

Mindful movement refers to practices that bring awareness into motion, such as gentle movement, walking meditation, expressive dance, or somatic stretching, where attention is given to what you feel in your body, how breath and movement interrelate, and what sensations, emotions, or thoughts arise along the way. It differs from still meditation in that the body is not stationary: the healing potential comes from engaging the body in gentle or intentional motion. Neuroscience suggests that movement-based interventions help regulate the autonomic nervous system, reducing physiological reactivity in the amygdala and strengthening prefrontal regulation, thereby enhancing attention and emotional balance.

Solo practice means doing this work by yourself, alone in space or virtually guided, attending only to your own body, mapping inner sensations, and choosing your own pace. Group practice involves others, either in person or virtually, with a shared intention and shared movement, often guided by a facilitator. Research shows that both solo and group settings produce measurable benefits. 

For example, a study comparing group vs individual movement-based mindfulness meditation found that the group setting facilitated greater reductions in avoidance behaviors, although both solo and group settings improved mindfulness and impulsivity in their own ways. Similarly, a more recent study found that novice meditators who practiced in a simulated group or watched others meditate experienced stronger feelings of social connectivity and comparable improvements in state mindfulness.

The Healing Power of Solo Movement-Based Mindfulness Practice

Solo mindful movement can serve as a deeply healing container when you need privacy, pace, and inner attunement. When moving or practicing alone, there is freedom to follow your breath without concern for others’ pace or judgment. Solo practice allows you to feel your own rhythm, notice your margins, and observe where tension holds or where subtle pleasure arises. In moments of emotional overwhelm, the solo path gives you permission to step away, drop expectations, and simply be with what is, breath, body, and motion.

Neuroscientific studies support the notion that solo practice enhances interoceptive awareness, the ability to sense internal bodily signals, such as heartbeat, breathing, and muscle tension. These signals are deeply tied to emotional regulation. Strengthening this capacity helps reduce anxiety and post‐traumatic reactivity. In trauma studies, movement‐oriented interventions (BMOIs) delivered in individual formats show reductions in PTSD symptoms and improvements in affect regulation. Moreover, solo movement is accessible at any time: there is no need to align schedules, arrange transportation, or work within a group dynamic. For people with sensitivity to crowds or social anxiety, solo formats may feel safer and more sustainable.

However, solo practice isn't without challenges. It can inadvertently foster isolation, make consistency harder, or leave difficult emotions unaddressed. There is a risk of getting stuck in patterns of rumination if not held by relational safety. For many, solo practice becomes a strong foundation, but healing often deepens when joined by others in shared presence and care.

The Unique Benefits of Group Mindfulness Practice

Group mindful movement adds an extra dimension of relational healing that solo practice may struggle to replicate on its own. When others share space, breathe in a similar rhythm, and move with shared intention, a felt sense of solidarity, compassion, and normalized struggle arises. Mirror neurons in the brain respond to the movement, posture, and emotional expression of others; seeing others express vulnerability or calm can shift your own emotional states. Shared movement groups often foster a sense of belonging, reduce feelings of isolation in one’s suffering, and help create accountability and commitment.

For individuals recovering from trauma, group movement and body-oriented interventions have been seen to reduce hypervigilance, shame, and isolation, while helping restore feelings of agency and safety. Movement therapy and group somatic work are often used in community trauma settings because of the power inherent in witnessing and being witnessed.

Challenges and Considerations of Group and Solo Mindfulness Practice

While group practice offers many relational benefits, it also brings complexity. Vulnerability in front of others may provoke anxiety, discomfort, or exposure. Sufficient safety must be established, along with skilled facilitation, clear ground rules, and cultural sensitivity, to prevent retraumatization or feelings of overwhelm. In group formats, individual pacing sometimes gets overridden, or people might compare their journey to others', which can trigger shame or discouragement.

Solo practice, while safer in some respects, runs the risk of inconsistency; without group accountability, momentum may lag. There can be moments when self-judgment or getting stuck in emotional or physical discomfort occurs without guidance, which can feel destabilizing. Also, in trauma recovery, sometimes being alone with difficult memories can overwhelm capacity, unless one has external supports (therapist, trusted friend, journaling, etc.).

Another factor is accessibility: group offerings may require travel or scheduling; solo formats may require self-discipline, structure, and access to resources (such as guidance and a safe space). Personal history matters: people with relational trauma might find group settings triggering unless trauma-informed approaches are used.

Choosing What’s Right for You: Solo or Group Movement-Based Mindfulness Sessions

Determining whether solo or group mindful movement is more beneficial for you involves considering several factors: your personal history, current emotional state, willingness to be vulnerable, support systems, goals, and whether relational connection feels restorative or draining for you. If you find calm in solitude and can tune into your breath while observing your inner landscape, solo practice may feel empowering. However, if you often feel isolated, unsafe, or disconnected, joining or building a group may provide relational nourishment, validation, and a sense of belonging.

Another approach to this decision is to experiment with both options. Try solo practice for a period and notice how your nervous system shifts, how safe or present you feel, and how hard it is to stay consistent. Then attend a group session, observe feelings of connection, safety, and challenge. Sometimes what feels best at one stage of life changes over time: group work may initially feel difficult but become more nourishing later, or vice versa. Blending practices can offer a balance: solo work for internal grounding, and group work for relational expansion.

Healing is a non-linear journey. What matters is that the path feels safe, supports your capacity, honors your boundaries, and allows you to fully engage with your body and breath, being present rather than striving.

Final Thoughts: Movement-Based Mindfulness Can Adapt To Your Needs

There is no universal "right" choice when it comes to selecting between group or solo mindful movement; both options hold significant potential. Solo practice encourages inner listening, autonomy, and deeper regulation, while group practice provides collective support, validation, and opportunities for relational healing. In many healing journeys, the combination of both approaches leads to the most profound transformation.

As you consider your path, honor your current state: your readiness, the safety of your relationships, and your capacity for vulnerability. Pay attention to what enhances your presence, what alleviates your tension, and what opens your heart. Niroga Institute offers resources for both solo and group practices, always within a trauma-informed and embodied framework. Allow your healing to be guided by wisdom, courage, and kindness.