Somatic practices and methods have grown in popularity because they offer a way to reconnect with being whole again.
This is something we have lost and need to re-experience as a society that increasingly suffers from mental and physical issues, in part because of how we conduct ourselves in busy modern lifestyles.
We have forgotten how to express, feel, and be with our bodies. The increased use of abstract realms such as social media, electrical devices, and online communication plays a part. So does the weight of our jobs, goals, careers, family life, and how the world perceives us.
Illness, mental and physical health conditions, injuries, accidents, emotional trauma, stress and anxiety, burnout, chronic pain, body tension, ageing, and ingrained habits are all common causes of losing connection with our bodies and ourselves.
We can change this by using techniques that reset and re-educate the brain to recognise parts of the body that have slipped out of awareness. The philosopher and movement educator Thomas Hanna, who coined the term somatics in the 1970s, called this condition sensory-motor amnesia: the chronic contraction of muscles that have, over time, fallen below conscious awareness and voluntary control.
This re-education and rediscovery of the body through the brain and the nervous system is made possible by practising simple, gentle, slow movements observed and felt by the mind.
Somatic movements allow us to regain control of lost and forgotten muscles and tissues so that they can cooperate and function together again.
It is a return to ourselves in the simplest and purest way, and it is available to everyone, at every age, from all walks of life.
How does it work
Somatic methods such as Feldenkrais, the Alexander Technique, and Somatic Yoga use repetitive, gentle movements to support the brain-body connection. People who suffer from chronic pain can find that these gentle motions help ease their symptoms, and a 2020 review in Frontiers in Psychology describes how somatic practices work with interoception, proprioception, and nervous system regulation to help people living with persistent pain.
People who practise somatic exercise can expect to reduce stress and feel refreshed. The process of using simple motions to create new, less troublesome pathways in the brain is described by Hanna as sensory-motor learning. It is a restorative way to be present in your body.
What are the benefits of Somatic Yoga
The benefits of Somatic Yoga are numerous. The most important is that the practice helps reinstate the ability of the sensory-motor cortex to reconnect with muscles and connective tissues that have dropped out of conscious control, including the fascia.
Following a session, we can experience a deeply felt sense of relaxation, lightness, and calm throughout the whole being.
The practice helps ease ongoing tension, aches, and discomfort in the shoulders, neck, and body.
It improves the flexibility of the spine and freedom of movement in the body, and helps soothe lower back tension and pain.
It increases overall flexibility and joint suppleness, supports fluidity in the connective tissues, and balances the respiratory and nervous systems.
Somatic Yoga helps to improve posture and a sense of balance, strength, and stability.
It supports the body in managing anxiety, relieves stress, and regulates the nervous system. The practice also eases headaches and reduces pain.
Somatic Yoga is a therapeutic, soothing, and restorative path to better health and wellbeing.
Essential guidelines for a successful Somatic Yoga practice
This work is about experiencing rather than exercising. It is about developing the mind of an observer and an explorer. When we work this way, we notice something we might have forgotten or never seen before. We are rediscovering the body and its sensations through the eyes of a young child.
There is no need to stretch or force the part of the body in action. You must move with ease. The movement should be small, comfortable, and simple.
To support this easy movement, move very slowly, so you can notice the sensations and observe whether you are making any unnecessary muscular effort.
Although this work is sometimes called exercise, practise relaxation and letting go of any tension. This is crucial.
Always spend a minute or so resting between each exercise so the brain can digest and register new sensory-motor information.
During these exercises, no one should experience pain or discomfort, even in cases of physical limitations caused by injuries, surgeries, or illness. If something is uncomfortable, reduce the movement and make it extra small and gentle, or use the power of visualisation and experiment with the movement in your mind. Research on motor imagery, notably a review by Mulder in the Journal of Neural Transmission, shows that mentally rehearsed movement activates many of the same brain areas as physical movement, and can support motor learning and recovery when actual movement is limited.
If you would like to experience Somatic Yoga in a guided setting, I teach weekly online and in-person classes. View Classes and Pricing →