Somatic Yoga
Somatic Yoga: The Yoga of Internal Experience
Somatic Yoga is a practice that emphasizes internal physical perception and experience. The term "somatic" comes from the Greek word soma, meaning "the living body in its wholeness." It is less about the external shape of a pose and more about the internal, felt sense of the movement.
Core Philosophy
Somatic Yoga aims to re-educate the nervous system to release chronic, involuntary muscle contractions. It does this through slow, gentle, and mindful movements that bring awareness back to these "forgotten" areas of the body, re-establishing the brain-to-muscle connection.
Key Techniques
A key technique is pandiculation, which involves:
- Slowly contracting a muscle.
- Slowly and consciously lengthening (releasing) that contraction.
- Completely relaxing and integrating the new sensory information.
What to Expect in a Class
- Internal Focus: You will be guided to pay close attention to your internal sensations.
- Slow, Mindful Movements: The movements are small, slow, and often done lying on the floor.
- Focus on Release, Not Stretching: The goal is to release chronic contraction from the "inside out."
Key Poses
- The practice doesn't focus on traditional asanas, but on gentle, exploratory movements. Examples include pelvic tilts, gentle spinal twists, and slow limb movements, all performed lying down with focused awareness.