I love yoga and practice it at least two times a week. Yoga not only relaxes me but also strengthens my body. Practicing yoga regularly improves my mood and makes me feel happier. Yoga is not just a simple exercise; it’s a time of self-love for my body and soul. I love testing different kinds of yoga, from classes to YouTube channels. I keep seeing a new type of somatic yoga popping up, which makes me curious.
Let’s dig deeper. What is somatic yoga, and how does it differ from others? Let’s investigate its specific benefits. Let’s answer other questions, such as whether it can help release trapped emotions, whether you can lose weight with somatic yoga, and more.
So, let’s research and find out what somatic yoga is. What are the benefits of somatic yoga?
So, what is somatic yoga?
The term ‘somatic’ refers to the body, and in this context, it focuses on body awareness and movement patterns to improve physical and mental well-being.
Somatics is a bodywork and movement study focusing on internal physical perception and experience. It emphasises the mind-body connection, helping you become more aware of your internal body sensations and how they relate to your physical and emotional states (1).
Somatic therapy explores how emotional trauma can be stored in the body. Although not researched as much as cognitive behavioural therapy, somatic therapy can be beneficial for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), prolonged grief, anxiety and depression and self-esteem issues (2).
Somatic Yoga combines elements of somatics with yoga to create a mindful and holistic approach to physical practice and healing. Its practices are about feeling connection and discovery rather than an end goal or perfected movement.
Through Somatic yoga, we learn to be aware of our body’s tension, relax our muscles, and keep them relaxed (3).
To answer the question what is somatic yoga in simple words : Somatic yoga is not about perfecting asanas or achieving flexibility; it is about focusing on fluid movement and focusing the intention of body parts that need it the most. Somatic yoga is about breaking away from rigid, repetitive moves we make every single day and letting your body move in a more relaxed way.
Somatic Yoga Concept consists of:
- Body Awareness: Somatic Yoga emphasises awareness of body sensations and movements. Practising Somatic Yoga will teach you to tune into your body to understand and release physical or emotional tension and pain.
- Gentle and Slow Movements: Somatic Yoga movements are typically very slow and gentle, encouraging mindful exploration rather than forceful stretching or straining. You are encouraged to practice Somatic Yoga with your eyes closed for a deeper connection with your body.
- Integration of Mind and Body: Somatic yoga combines breathwork, mindfulness, and physical movements to create harmony between mind and body, leading to a more connected sense of self.
- Self-Regulation: Somatic Yoga helps you to listen to your body and adjust movements according to your needs, fostering a sense of autonomy and self-care.
- Neuroplasticity: Somatic Yoga promotes neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to create new neural connections and form healthier movement patterns.
How Somatic Yoga is Practiced
Awareness Exercises: Sessions often start with exercises designed to increase body awareness, such as scanning the body for tension or mindful breathing.
Gentle Movements: Movements are slow with attention to detail, focusing on the quality of the movement rather than the range.
Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices, such as meditation or mindful breathing, are integrated to enhance the connection between mind and body.
Customisation: Movements are personal and adjusted to your needs.
Most Known Somatic Yoga Techniques:
Pandiculation: A technique that involves contracting and releasing muscles to reset the nervous system and relieve tension (4). The best way to describe it is trenching a cat or dog or stitching and yearning in the morning (5).
Feldenkrais Method: Focuses on gentle movement and directed attention to improve function and reduce pain.
Alexander Technique: Emphasizes improving posture and movement efficiency.
Hanna Somatics: A method that uses slow, mindful movements to release chronic muscle tension and improve overall movement.
Somatic Yoga benefits
- Pain Relief: By addressing habitual tension and poor movement patterns, Somatic Yoga can help alleviate chronic pain, particularly in the back, neck, and shoulders.
- Improved Flexibility and Mobility: Gentle, mindful movements help increase flexibility and range of motion without the risk of injury associated with more intense practices.
- Stress Reduction: Focusing on mindfulness and body awareness promotes relaxation and reduces stress, anxiety, and related symptoms.
- Enhanced Body Awareness: Increased body and movement awareness helps to move more organically and prevent injuries.
- Better Posture: Somatic Yoga helps correct posture and encourages more aligned, functional movement patterns.
- Emotional Healing: By connecting deeply with the body, practitioners can release stored emotions and trauma, leading to emotional healing and well-being.
- Improved Breathing: Integrating breathwork improves respiratory function and promotes calm and relaxation.
- Neuroplasticity: The practice can help rewire the brain for better movement patterns and responses to stress.
With so many potential benefits of somatic yoga, let’s see if there are any scientific studies supporting the claims of somatic yoga benefits.
Is Somatic Yoga Evidence-Based?
Like with all spiritual practices, somatic yoga has many potential benefits, but these can vary from person to person. You always gain way more when you believe it works. There are few Somatic Yoga studies, but I could find a few. Several proven benefits include reducing stress, improving psychological symptoms, and enhancing physical well-being.
1. Reduction in Stress and Psychological Symptoms:
A study on healthy women revealed that 12 weeks of somatic yoga training significantly reduced somatisation scores and stress-related psychological symptoms, including anxiety, depression, anger, and fatigue (6).
2. Improvement in Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN):
A pilot study involving cancer survivors with CIPN found that somatic yoga and meditation significantly improved symptoms and increased self-confidence, balance, and stability. (7)
Now that you understand somatic yoga, let’s see how you can incorporate it into your routine.
How to practice Somatic Yoga
If you would like to give somatic yoga a go but don’t know where to start, here are some good YouTube videos you can watch and hopefully reap somatic yoga benefits:
25 Min Somatic Flow to Soothe Your Nervous System | Jaz Pilates
This somatic yoga practice combines gentle movements and deep breathing techniques to help release tension and restore inner peace. It’s perfect for relaxing and reconnecting with your body, seeking relief from anxiety, or simply enhancing your overall well-being.
40 Min Somatic Movement To Release Stress & Tension |Devi Daly Yoga
This somatic yoga practice is created to release stuck patterns, helping your brain connect to deeper feelings and emotions being held in your body.
10 Min Morning Somatic Routine |Yoga With Tim
This quick routine of somatic yoga involves gentle movements designed to help you connect with your body. It promotes mind-body awareness to help reduce stress and anxiety.
50-minute Somatic Yin Yoga Sequence with Meridian Massage | by Body Illumination YOGA & PILATES with Rebekah
A great 50-minute practice that will make you feel relaxed and grounded. Make sure to check this channel for more somatic movement practices.
35 Minute Somatic Yoga Exercises To Release Trauma | By Body Illumination Yoga & Pilates With Rebekah
Another amazing and very powerful somatic yoga practice by Rebekah can help you relieve trauma by focusing on the upper body.
Simple Somatic Yoga To Unstick The Morning Stiffness
| Megan MacCarthy
Megan is a great somatic yoga techer and has great videos that focuses on f=diferent body parts like lower spine, shoulders, hips realese and more.
How is Somatic Yoga different from other types of yoga?
Somatic Yoga differs from other types of yoga mainly in its focus on mindfulness, internal awareness, and gentle movement to address chronic tension and improve neuroplasticity. Unlike Vinyasa or Ashtanga, which focus on dynamic sequences and physical intensity, Somatic Yoga prioritises slow, exploratory, more fluid and personalised movements and body awareness to re-educate the nervous system and release stored tension.
Somatic Yoga focuses on body awareness to relieve chronic pain and promote overall well-being. It fosters a deep connection between mind and body rather than emphasising physical fitness or flexibility.
Can you lose weight with Somatic Yoga?
What about weight loss with Somatic Yoga? If you ask any gym bunny, they will start laughing at your face, claiming that yoga is generally not exercise. However, I found something exciting while researching semantics.
If you are suffering from chronic stress, you will have increased cortisol levels. High cortisol levels can accumulate fat in your body, especially around your belly. Studies have proven that semantic yoga practices like Diaphragmatic breathing reduce cortisol levels (8).
What Is Somatic Yoga? Conclusion:
I have had experience in releasing emotions after relieving tension in the hips or shoulders, and I believe that trauma can be stored in the body. Both scientific research and various therapeutic practices support this concept (9). I am suffering from very stiff shoulders and back that is only improving slightly with physiotherapy, so I would love to test somatic yoga and see if it helps. I will update this article to add my experience when I find a good specialist. For now, I hope this article on what somatic yoga is and what somatic yoga benefits is helpful. I hope you have a clearer understanding and I have anssered the question what sometic yoga is.
I would love to know your thoughts and if you have tried it and experienced somatic yoga benefits.
If you are interested in breathwork and want to learn more, read: WHAT IS BREATHWORK? BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND BENEFITS
Check out my favourite yoga YouTube channels: THE BEST YOGA YOUTUBE CHANNELS FOR ALL LEVELS AND NEEDS.
Please note: This post is for informational purposes only and is based on research. It’s not medical advice. It’s always best to consult a healthcare professional with health concerns. Enjoy practising somatic yoga!
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/somatic-therapy
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-somatic-therapy-202307072951
- https://www.ekhartyoga.com/classes/1182/so-what-is-somatics
- Yoshihara, K., Hiramoto, T., Oka, T., Kubo, C., & Sudo, N. (2014). Effect of 12 weeks of yoga training on healthy women’s somatisation, psychological symptoms, and stress-related biomarkers. Biopsychosocial Medicine, 8, 1 – 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0759-8-1.
- Martarelli, D., Cocchioni, M., Scuri, S., & Pompei, P. (2011). Diaphragmatic Breathing Reduces Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/nep169.
- Galantino, M., Brooks, J., Tiger, R., Jang, S., & Wilson, K. (2019). Effectiveness of Somatic Yoga and Meditation: A Pilot Study in a Multicultural Cancer Survivor Population with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy. International journal of yoga therapy. https://doi.org/10.17761/2020-D-18-00030.
- https://somaticmovementcenter.com/pandiculation-what-is-pandiculation/
- https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/practice/pandiculation-the-benefits-of-stretching-like-a-cat#:~:text=What%20is%20pandiculation%3F,of%20yawning%2Dand%2Dstretching.
- Kolk, B. (1994). The Body Keeps the Score: Memory and the Evolving Psychobiology of Posttraumatic Stress. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 1, 253–265. https://doi.org/10.3109/10673229409017088.
Silvija Meilunaite PN1-NC, is a certified nutrition coach and a writer in the nutrition and self-improvement field with a passion for exploring science-based knowledge focusing on holistic health and plant-based nutrition.
Featured in the Wellness on Time magazine.
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