Have you also heard about somatic yoga and are here to know what it is? Or did you come here to learn how to practice it? Then you are at the right place because we are going to share everything about it.
Somatic yoga is a type of yoga that focuses on building a relationship between your body and mind. Here we will learn about its history, principles, and benefits in detail. Moreover, we will also learn about the best poses for this type of yoga.
This brief guide will provide you with every single piece of information you need to know about somatic yoga. Stay with us till the end to clear up all your doubts about it.
The History Of Somatic Yoga
Soma is a Greek word that means body. It was originated by Dr. Thomas Hanna in 1970. It is a very safe and effective practice, and since then, its use has been increasing. It has proved to be very beneficial for stress relief. It can also help you get rid of memories from the past.
Hanna introduced it by giving concepts of habitual bracing patterns. He gave a concept that stated that the body responds to our daily life activities, which cause stress, tension, and trauma in certain ways. It causes muscular reflexes that can become habitual with time and cause pain and stiffness. Let’s check what it is now.
What Is Somatic Yoga?
Somatic yoga is a type of yoga. It is also known as embodied yoga. It increases mindfulness and body awareness to promote your overall well-being. This method helps you gain a deep awareness of your physical sensations, movements, and mental states. It helps you diagnose the places where there are tensions and enables you to release them.
It is an amazing method to bring your mind and body together. Moreover, it can also help you with self-discovery and personal growth. People practising somatic yoga have noticed increased flexibility, reduced stress levels, and improved posture. Ultimately, it makes you whole by nurturing the integration of body, mind, and spirit.
Philosophy And Principles
The primary focus of somatics is body-mind integration. It operates on the principle that our muscles can become tense due to several factors. These may include your habits, stress, or trauma. It aims to teach your brain to relax and move more effectively with gentle exercises.
It is similar to body-mind centering, the Alexander technique, and the Feldenkrais method. It also focuses on mindfulness and body awareness for your overall health. In short, it’s all about being aware of your body and mind together. People use this method to improve their connection between mind and body. It improves vitality and resilience.
The Benefits Of Somatic Yoga
There are several benefits to somatic yoga. It is an amazing exercise for your overall health and well-being. Following are some of its prominent benefits:.
- Pain relief: Somatic yoga can also help you with pain relief through relaxation and releasing tension.
- Stress relief: It can also reduce stress and make you more calm through mindful movement and breath awareness.
- Improves flexibility:It can also improve your flexibility and range of motion with gentle and exploratory movements.
- Improved posture: It is also recommended to improve your posture as well. It can work for it by increasing body awareness and releasing muscular tension.
- Trauma healing: It is also considered a beneficial practice for individuals who have experienced trauma or injury. It helps you with mindful movement and breathwork.
- Awaken sensory motor amnesia: Through specialized techniques, somatic yoga helps individuals reconnect with forgotten or neglected areas of the body, restoring full sensory awareness.
- Emotional awareness: Somatic Yoga facilitates the exploration and processing of emotions by integrating physical sensations and mindful awareness.
- Improved body awareness: Somatic yoga cultivates a heightened sense of body awareness, enabling individuals to better understand and respond to their physical needs.
- Improving mental focus: By combining movement with mindfulness, somatic yoga enhances mental focus and concentration, promoting clarity of thought.
12 Best Somatic Yoga Poses
There are several poses in somatic yoga. You will slowly learn all of these when you start practicing them. You can also get the help of a trainer. Here are the 12 best poses we will advise you to practice for maximum benefits. These include;
- Tree pose
- Balasana
- Bridge pose
- Chair Pose
- Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Cat pose
- Low Lunge
- Tadasana
- Cobra pose
- Corpse Pose
- Baddha Konasana
- Seated forward bend
Final Words
Somatic yoga is a practice used to increase mindfulness. It improves your mind-body connection. It is a combination of movement, bodywork, and psychotherapy. You can easily practice it at your home. It is very beneficial for stress and pain relief.
If you don’t know how to practice it, you can start by watching videos on YouTube and following the step-by-step instructions. If you still feel difficulty doing so, you can take the help of a trainer or join any nearby class. That was all about it. You can always contact us if you have any other questions about it.