Gentle Somatic Yoga - The Embodied Approach

Gentle Somatic Yoga (GSY) offers a revolutionary approach! Why?

Firstly, instead of focusing on alignment and execution of poses, practitioners are encouraged to discover and tailor nourishing movements to what feels physically and emotionally healing for them at that moment.

Secondly, we are all different, and so is our body. Therefore, GSY emphasizes finding our inner guidance and adjusting the poses to our needs rather than forcing the body to move according to some external instructions. This requires a deep connection and attunement to our inner environment, scientifically known as interoceptive awareness.

Interoception is the body's ability to constantly monitor, collect and interpret signals from our inner environment, bodily systems, and organs to keep us healthy and balanced.

The essence of the practice:

1. Restorative and therapeutic Somatic Movements Flows are designed to support the body or soma with brain-to-muscle reeducation. This further facilitates the strengthening and generating of certain neuro-pathways to release physical and emotional stress-holding patterns stored in the body.

Besides the above benefits, strength, improved flexibility, coordination, and an embodied sense of peace are natural outcomes of GSY.

2. Somatic Movement Flows target specific muscle groups by breaking down complex movements mindfully into small parts and pieces. The practitioners are guided to

• move slowly and smoothly,

• often pause to sense and feel how the movements resonated with them

• the flows start and end with body scans, inviting the brain to experience the newly established strength, length, and flexibility.

3. Another GSY technique is when the practitioner mindfully contracts specific muscle groups and slowly releases them until they return to their optimal length. Through this practice, the brain receives new information from Sensory Motor Amnesia (loss of voluntary muscular control), allowing more space for an integrated mind/body experience.

The success of Gentle Somatic Yoga in therapeutic settings has less to do with poses and exercises than with the observation of internal felt sensation and brain-to-muscle repatterning.

For a first-hand experience, consider trying a class!