Movement Wellness From Inside Out

Are you looking to take your yoga practice to the next level? If so, you might consider incorporating somatic movement into your routine. Somatic movement is a practice that focuses on the internal experience of movement and can help you develop greater awareness of your body and how it moves. Incorporating somatic movement into your yoga practice can unlock new levels of flexibility, strength, and control.

This way of Yoga is unique and powerful in the ways it can help to release patterns of tension and restriction, leading to significant improvements in flexibility, range of motion, and overall movement quality.

In this article, we will explore the benefits of incorporating somatic movement into your yoga practice, including improved safety and effectiveness, a deeper experience of yoga, and addressing underlying causes of physical dysfunction.

What is Somatic Movement?

Somatic movement is an approach that emphasizes the mind-body connection and focuses on using awareness to release patterns of tension and restriction. Somatic movement practitioners believe that many physical dysfunctions are caused by chronic patterns of tension that are stored in the body and can be released through gentle, mindful movement.

Unlike traditional stretching, somatic movement involves moving through a range of motion while focusing on the sensations in the body rather than holding a position for some time. Working this way can invite a deeper and more immediate connection to and changes within the movement faculties of our brain and body. This difference in approach can lead to more durable and favorable flexibility and range of motion changes.

Improved Safety and Effectiveness

When combined with traditional yoga poses, somatic movement can help improve your yoga practice's safety and effectiveness. By focusing on awareness and alignment, somatic movement practitioners can help you to prevent injuries and ensure that the body is moving safely and effectively.

Somatic movement can also help improve traditional yoga poses' effectiveness by releasing patterns of tension and restriction. For example, if you have tight shoulders, incorporating somatic movement into your routine can help to release the tension in your shoulder and upper back muscles, allowing you to deepen your shoulder-related poses like cow's head pose and improve your form in warrior poses.

Deeper Experience of Yoga

Incorporating somatic movement into your yoga practice can also help you to employ mindfulness of connect with the subtle sensations of movement and to appreciate the full range of benefits that yoga can offer. By bringing awareness to the body, somatic movement practitioners can help students to deepen their experience of yoga by enhancing stretches and flexibility.

Somatic movement can also help improve your body awareness, leading to a more mindful and present yoga practice. By focusing on the sensations in your body during movement, you can become more attuned to your body's needs and limitations, allowing you to practice yoga in a safe and effective way.

Addressing Underlying Causes of Physical Dysfunction

One of the most significant benefits of incorporating somatic movement into your yoga practice is its ability to address the underlying causes of physical dysfunction. By releasing patterns of tension and restriction, somatic movement practices within yoga poses and movements can help to improve posture, reduce pain, and increase range of motion.

For example, suppose you have chronic low back pain. In that case, somatic movement can help to release the tension in your lower back muscles by creating a more integrated and healthy connection to your hip and shoulders, which can alleviate your pain and improve your posture. This way, you can address and resolve issues like poor posture and muscle imbalances that have led to chronic pain and dysfunction over time.

The Benefits of a Somatic Movement Practice Outside of Yoga

In addition to enhancing your yoga practice, a somatic movement practice can also provide various benefits outside of yoga. For example, somatic movement can help to improve your posture, reduce chronic pain, and improve your overall movement quality.

Incorporating somatic movement into your daily routine can also help to alleviate stress and tension, leading to a more relaxed and centered state of mind. Somatic movement can be especially helpful for people who spend a lot of time sitting or standing in one position or who move in limited ways, as it can help release tension and improve muscular circulation. In addition, it can re-introduce and reeducate more healthy movement patterns and muscular function.

Conclusion

Incorporating somatic movement into your yoga practice can help you to deepen your experience of yoga, improve your overall movement quality, and address underlying causes of physical dysfunction. By focusing on awareness and releasing patterns of tension and restriction, somatic movement can help enhance the benefits of traditional Yoga and fitness work to create more durable and favorable changes that can last for years.

Our Yoga and Movement classes and Postural Yoga and Movement Therapy work incorporate the principles and practices of somatic movement with traditional Yoga techniques. With consistent practice, you can enjoy the many benefits of somatic movement to move, feel, and be better both on and off the mat.