Let's talk SomaYoga and how it can benefit YOU!!!

Right now, in our western culture, it seems there are so many "types" and "styles" of Yoga floating around. Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin and restorative, just to name a few. I, personally, think this is great! We can all benefit from some aspect of a Yoga practice and if a certain style or class brings you to your mat, that is awesome! You do you and move in a way that makes your body feel great. I am all for people finding a Yoga practice that works for them. And, during this crazy pandemic, it is so helpful to get on our mats and find movement and inner peace.

So, what exactly is SomaYoga??

I get asked this question a lot! What is SomaYoga? Let's break it down. SomaYoga is a blending of classical Yoga postures (asana), therapeutic movements, and somatic movement to help us release tension in our physical body and also our mind. "Soma" refers to how we feel in our body at this present moment. In this practice, we work with muscle function and we teach ourselves how to build better movement patterns, along with releasing tension. This practice is often called a "moving meditation", as it draws our attention and focus inward. We learn a lot about our bodies by sensing and feeling the movements and postures we are practicing. The class or session is led by a SomaYoga teacher who verbally cues the movement. However, each participant is moving into their own range of motion. Everyone's movement will look differently, as our bodies and experiences in our body are different. During a SomaYoga class or private session, we do not use mirrors or listen to music. This helps us go inward and really get to know our body and our Self. We also work with specific breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation. We use props during class such as therapeutic strips, blocks, blankets and straps. (See picture above). These are used based on the needs of each individual. No one body is the same, so we move in a way that feels good in our own unique body. This practice ultimately comes from within our Self. At the end of a practice or session, our bodies are fully relaxed and our minds calm.

What is somatic movement?

Somatic movement is where we "bring the brain in". We consciously contract muscles and then consciously release them. Our brain controls our central nervous system, so in order to fully release muscles we need to draw awareness to that area of our body. We focus more on the releasing of the muscles than the contraction. Most of us are really good at contracting muscles! Think of how we sit at a computer and our shoulders are contracting and tightening without us even realizing it! With Somatic movement, we learn to release muscles that are tight, and to help us with this, we "tap" the muscles with our fingers, which brings our brain in and helps us to fully release. Somatic movement helps us create more mobility by re-educating our muscles, which gives us freedom in our body to move throughout our day with joy, ease and free from pain.

What is therapeutic movement?

Therapeutic movements gives us a strong and sturdy foundation. These specific movements work with range of motion. They help us create stability in our bodies which we need in order for our muscles to function the way they were created to function. Many times we over-use certain muscles in our body and under-use others. This creates tension and over time can create muscle imbalances. We ultimately want to strive for this congruency between mobility, stability and strength in the muscles around our joints. We need our joints and muscles to be mobile, to be stable and to be strong. Therapeutic movements help us create more functional working and movement patterns in our body. This gives us brilliance in our own unique body!

What is classical asana?

Classical asana or postures give us stamina and strength. These are postures that may be somewhat familiar to someone if they have taken Yoga classes before. Think of table top, cat and cow or downward dog. These postures give us a full expression of our bodies. When we have mobility and stability in our muscles and joints, we can then build strength by adding these classical poses to our practice. However, if we work on strengthening before having mobility or stability in the body, we risk injury and our practice is not pleasurable. Even with these poses, we are feeling and sensing the body and not worrying about what the pose looks like. It is expressing the freedom in your own beautiful body.

Who benefits from this practice?

ANYONE! This practice is great for ANY BODY at any age. It does not matter if you have taken a Yoga class before, this practice is geared for all! We work with where you are at in your body! Athletes can benefit from this practice as they may over-use certain muscles and can then learn ways to release tension. SomaYoga is different from "stretching" in that we practice a combination of movements to teach our bodies how to relax and release. Sometimes athletes may focus on strengthening, but have lost mobility or stability in their body, which can lead to injury. We are wanting to add strength only when we find mobility and stability in our body. Someone recovering from an injury can benefit from this practice. Sometimes when there is an injury to one side of the body, we over compensate and over-use muscles on the opposite side. This practice of SomaYoga draws us inward and we notice. We create better movement patterns so that we are not just using certain muscles on our more dominant side of the body. The movements are small and the person practicing is guided to move at their own range of motion. We work towards contracting and releasing muscles and are not moving into pain. Someone with chronic pain can find this practice beneficial. If you have tension in the body or are experiencing chronic pain, we work to find ways you can move to help you release tension. We want again to create movement that does not create pain and tension, but rather allows you to move with ease. A student who has been practicing Yoga for years can benefit from this practice. Its all about balance in our Yoga practice. SomaYoga allows us to slow down and really go inward and learn about our bodies. We notice every movement and how it feels. During this practice, we create even more awareness about our body. Isn't that what Yoga is about? Yes, Self-realization!

Sessions can be done virtually or in-person.

As I am writing this, we are in the middle of a pandemic, so the safest option is to schedule sessions virtually, but that will hopefully change soon! As long as you have access to zoom and a place to lay down, on the floor or even in your bed, we can work together. You do not need to have props to gain benefits from a session. You do not even need to have a mat! What is great about scheduling a private session, is that the session is tailored to your specific needs. We will talk about what is happening in your body at the time of the session, and we work together to meet your goals. After each session, you will receive a specific written plan with movements you can do at your own pace during the week. The movements are not one size fits all, so we can really tune in to you! If you are not sure about this practice or have questions, feel free to reach out! I am happy to talk more about it!

Be well my friends. Be You and Be Brilliant!!

Namaste,

Stefanie Yeager, www.brilliantlifemn.com

shine@brilliantlifemn.com