is somatic yoga legit? My Creative Self-Experience of the Mind-Body Relation.
Honestly, it is true that the wellness world is overwhelmed with trends that are going to transform your life. At the time when I heard about somatic yoga I was cynical. Another fusion practice? However, being a person that has always had a tight, sore upper back due to years of bending over a computer, I was in need of actual solution.
The question that kept on reoccurring to me was: Is somatic yoga legit? So, I decided to dive in. My practice was a 30-day one, where I delved into the research and listened to my own body to give a conclusive answer. What I learned was not only a new way of stretching, but a lost key to tension which I had believed was here to stay. It is my story and the facts I was able to discover on the way.
What is Somatic Yoga, Really? It’s Not Your Average Vinyasa
Imagining the rush of a hot room, then you are wrong. Somatic yoga is mindful, internal and slow. Somatic is a Greek word soma, which means the living body in its entirety. It is not the way a pose appears on the outside, but the feeling one obtains on the inside.
The essence of it is the re-education of your nervous system. Most of us have so-called sensory motor amnesia. It is an elaborate way of saying a very basic issue, which is that your brain has lost the ability to command certain muscles to release them voluntarily. They are so long in a low-level state of contracting, either due to stress or boredom, or even old injuries that you no longer experience the tension. It becomes your new normal. Somatic yoga involves conscious, gentle movements to remind these areas to be back to consciousness, and remind your brain, “You can relax, now, you can relax now.
The Science of the Practice: Why Your Brain is the Secret To Your Tight hips.
This is not a mere feel-good theory but an idea that is based on neuroscience. It has something known as the sensorimotor feedback loop which is the magic. Brain and muscles are talking to each other all the time. Between a deliberate action of a slow movement internally, such as flexing the pelvis softly on the floor, you are transmitting a rich and detailed sensation input to the brain.
This happens directly to your motor cortex which is the part of your brain that is in charge of voluntary movement. Repeatedly, you basically replace the dysfunctional movement pattern (clenched shoulder) with a new, relaxed movement pattern with the same action. In a study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, it was emphasized that somatic education methods may result in a significant improvement of motor control and perceived pain reduction. It is not so much about stretching but also reminding your body of its natural ability to relax.
My 30-Day Myers-Briggs Experiment of Somatic Yoga: Cynic to Disciple.
I just had one aim: 15-20 minutes of somatic movement daily in a month and targeting my nagging pain of the upper back and shoulders. The first week was… boring. I was lying most of the time on a yoga mat and made small almost invisible movements. No perspiring endorphins, no feeling of bodily activity. I said to myself, was I doing anything?
However, on or around day 10, there was a change. When I was performing an easy arch and flatten movement to my lower back, I could sensation an extremely satisfying release, a melting feeling, I had never felt that during my regular yoga class. It was not a stretch, as it was as though my muscle was just turning off. My awareness, however, was the most changed. I began to become aware of clenching my shoulders during the day. Previously I only knew when the ache has already developed. I was now able to laugh at myself and make myself relax consciously. There is the real strength of the practice, I have learnt.
The differences between Somatic Yoga and Traditional Yoga: A Comparative View.
It is not hard to generalize all the yoga, but it is important to know the differences.
Characteristic Somatic Yoga Traditional Yoga (e.g. Hatha, Vinyasa)
Main area of attention Internal emotion and nervous system control Physical alignment, strength, flexibility, and spirituality.
Pace and Intensity Very slow, dull and minimum effortPace can be slow, slow, moderate, and strenuous.
Purpose Movement To become more aware of the brain and to relax chronic muscle tension To stretch, develop and attain certain postures (asanas).
Role of the Mind Wholesomely dedicated to internal kinesthetic sensation May be dedicated to breath, posture indicators, or meditation.
Best For Dealing with chronic tension, reducing pain, stress, relaxation General fitness, enhancing flexibility, community building.
One is not superior to the other, they are used in various ways. In my case, the conventional yoga was similar to tidying a disordered room. Somatic yoga was the discovery and repair of the broken drawer slide that was making the mess in the first place.
Who Profits most of all? Spoiler: It Might Be You
According to my experience and the research, somatic yoga is an effective instrument of particular categories of people:
Individuals with Chronic Pain: In case you experience chronic pain in your neck, back, or shoulders which have not been relieved due to standard stretching exercises, then this is a game-changer. It deals with the neuromuscular origin of the problem.
Desk Workers and the Victims of Tech Neck: The forward head position is an ideal recipe to sensory motor amnesia. Somatic movements are a direct opposition to this.
Stress Balls and Stress-prone Personality: This exercise is so relaxing to the nervous system. Releasing physical tension sends a direct message to your brain that it is safe to relax which dampens the fight-or-flight response.
Anyone Feeling out of touch with their body: In case you think that you are merely a brain operating a meat-suit, somatic practices are a beautiful way to recover the relationship with your body and reestablish it.
The Somatic Yoga FAQ.
Q1: Does somatic yoga have a real effect on real pain, or is it only placebo?
It is valid according to my experience and according to the science. And although the mindful element of it is of value, the transformations are physiological. What you are literally doing is retraining your nervous system to quit storing some unwarranted tension in it, a direct cause of most common pain problems. It is not a fast solution, it is a long-term re-education.
Q2: I’m not flexible at all. Can I still do somatic yoga?
Absolutely! In fact, it’s perfect for you. It does not need any flexibility. The movements are minute and are executed within your entirely comfortable motions. It is not about success, but knowledge.
Q3: What is the difference between this and simply stretching?
Stretching refers to a mechanical strain on a muscle. Somatic movement is a neurologic talk to that muscle. Stretching may temporarily cause you to stretch out a tight muscle, but until your brain tells it otherwise, the muscle will only shorten once more. The tighten command is changed in the source by somatic work.
Q4: How long until I see results?
This depends, however, a lot of people, including myself, observe that there is slight improvement in the awareness in a couple of weeks. Modifications in long-standing patterns of tension may require a month or longer of regular practice. It is not about time, but about the consistency.
Q5: Is it possible to practice somatic yoga with an injury?
Somatic yoga finds extensive application in therapeutic practices in terms of rehabilitation of injuries since it is gentle. But first, you must always discuss it with your doctor or physical therapist. Make sure that you have a qualified instructor who will help you to work with your particular condition in mind.
The Ultimate conclusion: Is Somatic Yoga the Real Deal?
Hence, 30 days of training, endless time spent in research, and a considerable decrease in my personal levels of chronic pain made me answer the question of whether or not somatic yoga is a legitimate thing or not. is a resounding yes.
It is not a showy Instagram activity. You will not be burning hundreds of calories and learning how to do handstands. What it provides is, perhaps, even better: a sustainable experience of discharging the existent deep, functional tension that lacks in traditional exercise. It is an art of listening, learning, and finally, returning what you are saying back to your body. When you have tried all you can do to achieve that aching and nothing has taken hold, maybe this is the missing link you have been looking at. I know it was for me.