My Experience in Finding Somatic Yoga Free without Stress and Pain.
I always felt like I was imprisoned in my body. I always had a sleepy, nagging pain in my neck and shoulders that would remind me of all the hours I spent hunched over a laptop. I did it all, vigorous flows in vinyasas, tough stretches, costly massages. Nothing, even, relieved me more than momentarily. I was angry and was about to give up until a physical therapist said two words, somatic yoga.
She said it was not about forcing into poses but listening to the internal voices of my muscles. Cynical and yet in need, I did a search to identify a method of attempting somatic yoga with no obligation and what I found was not merely a practice; it was a revolution of my association with my body. It is my story, and I would like to tell how you may get these amazing resources, as well.
What is Somatic Yoga, Really? And Why Did I Need It?
Before proceeding any further, we should first clarify as to what somatic yoga exactly is. I would imagine that yoga was the ability to assume a perfect posture. The total opposite is somatic yoga. Somatic is a Greek term soma or somatic which translates to mean the living body in its entirety.
Simply put, traditional yoga tends to be concerned with external alignment (e.g., heel here hand there), whereas somatic yoga is concerned with internal sensation. It is a soft, conscious exercise involving slow deliberate movements to unwind the chronic muscular tension that is deep within your nervous system. Imagine talking with your muscles not telling them.
My body was stuck in a loop. My head had lost the skill to entirely relax my shoulder muscles, and had them in a state of low-grade contraction–a condition, called by some, Sensory Motor Amnesia. And that is why the stretching was not working; I was merely stretching a muscle that was being made by the neurological program to be tight. Somatic movements are a re-education of the system to teach your brain to release the tension permanently.
The Turning Point: My First Somatic Yoga Free Lecture.
My initial somatic yoga free online experience is in my memory. One of the videos on YouTube that I have found concentrated on the release of neck and shoulder tension and lasted 20 minutes. The teacher was whispering, and she said that I should focus on the weight of my head on the floor and that I should should do small slow moves with my neck, nothing big, not stretching, just conscious micomotions.
The tension was gone, no sweat and I was even asking myself whether anything was taking place and within the first ten minutes I felt like nothing was happening. However, as I kept repeating the gentle, rolling movement, I experienced a strong, warm discharge in some part of my shoulder which I had not been able to reach previously. It was not a stretch it was a letting go.
As I gradually got on my feet, the freedom of movement in my neck was more evident. The transformation was radical and drastic. Such one somatic yoga free session proved superior to months of aggressive stretching. It was an evidence that my body knew how to fix itself only it required the appropriate kind of attention.
The Science of Feeling Better: The Science behind Somatic Yoga.
This does not require one to be a scientist as it became more intelligible to me when I understood the why. The bottom line is your nervous system and what is referred to as mind-body connection.
The Muscle Control in your Brain: your brain uses signals to control your muscles and make them shrink and loosen. When you experience chronic stress or poor posture or age-old injury, your brain may get stuck by sending the command “contract” to a particular group of muscles (such as my upper traps and levator scapulae).
The Pandiculation Effect: A lot of pandiculation is taken in somatic yoga. The last is seen in the opening of the eyes of a cat or dog–in opening the eyes the cat or dog is able to stretch slowly, and then very slowly to relax a muscle. This movement sends a colossal feedback signal to your brain, which informs it that it is time to reset the length of the muscle in rest. It is as though it were a computer that was frozen down.
Neuroplasticity: This is the capacity of your brain to evolve and develop. With repeated practice of these consideration motions, you are literally rewiring your brain to discharge customary strain habits. New, healthier neural pathways are being established.
According to a study by McGrath et al. conducted in 2017 in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, somatic practices had a significant effect on perceived pain and functional movement in chronic pain participants. This was not woo-woo but a physical, physical, change and that is exactly what I was feeling.
Somatic Yoga Free Resources: Your Guide to Finding Incredible Resources.
Cost is one of the largest obstacles to the introduction of a wellness practice. I am certain that I wanted to be guided to quality at my own cost. Below are the best free somatic yoga materials that I located and can use today:
YouTube is Your Best Friend: The motherlode. Find either somatic yoga free, somatic movement beginners or individual channels such as James Knight Somatics or The Essential Somatics. I began with 15-minute videos focusing on my areas of tension.
Free Trials on Streaming Sites: There are numerous free trials (Gaia, Alo Moves, and other platforms) that last between 7 and 30 days. Professionally created somatic yoga courses are available to you at this time. You only need to set a reminder on your calendar to cancel it in case it is not your thing!
Insight Timer App: This meditation app is free, which is why it is surprising how many guided somatic yoga and movement practices there are. It is an awesome, no-hurry way of getting to know other teachers.
Library Resources: Your local library is not to be left out! There are also numerous options of free access to online services such as Kanopy that is streaming in its videos, including classes in yoga and somatic movements.
My advice? Take a sample of various teachers. They all have a different style, and it is important to find one which suits your voice and pace in order to practice it sustainably.
A Basic Somatic Movement to Try Now.
I will take you through a basic somatic muscle movement of shoulder release. You can do so sitting in a chair or lying on your back.
Get Comfy: Be seated or lying relaxed. Keep your arms close to your sides.
Instruction: To your right shoulder, bring your consciousness. Thou hast no judgment, but be fine and feel. Is it tight? High? Is it on the chair or the floor?
The Movement: Starting very, very slowly, start to pull your right shoulder blade towards your backbone. Don’t hunch or force it. A calculated simplifying contraction. Suppose that you are wading in thick honey.
The Hold: Hold this contraction or squeeze of 4-5 seconds (and keep breathing).
The Slow Release: This is the most crucial section. Slower still than you shortened it, take the shoulder blade back to the original position. Allow 5-7 seconds to pass to get it out. Melt the muscle and release it.
Stop and Reflect: Wait awhile. Do you experience a sensation change in your right and left shoulders? The free side tends to be heavier, more earth-centered and more at ease.
Repeat: repeat this 3-5 times on one side and then a switch to the other.
This small movement is an ideal illustration of the strength of practice of soma. Not the extent of movement but the nature of concentration, the slowing down of discharge.
My Life since I Incorporated a Somatic Practice.
More than one year has passed since I am determined to practice somatic yoga free regularly, at least 10-15 minutes in the morning. The developments have been immense and permanent.
My neck and shoulder pains are 95 percent specific. I can be sure of what somatic movements will take away whatever agony is creeping back after a long drive or a stressful day. I am even taller since I am not always bent. My breath is deeper since my rib cage is not that tight. However, the most significant has been the psychological one. I no longer regard my body as something hostile that has to be brought into submission. I consider it an intelligent companion that can express its requirements, and I have the means to listen to it at last.
Commonly Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Do beginners enjoy somatic yoga?
Absolutely! Actually this is one of the best places to begin. It is not strenuous, does not need any special body flexibility and will provide the basic body awareness that will help in any other form of physical activity.
Q2: What is the difference between somatic yoga and stretching?
Passive, stretching – you are pulling a muscle to stretch it. There is active and neurological somatic movement. You are consciously moving and contracting muscles to make them relax in your brain. Stretching only offers temporary reprieve whereas somatic work entails a lasting alteration.
Q3: Does somatic yoga have any effect on anxiety?
100%, yes. It is not only anxiety in your mind but it occurs physically as a form of tension in the body (clenched jaw, tight chest, shallow breathing). Somatic yoga can be of great influence on the mind by alleviating that physical tension and relaxing the nervous system. It trains your body on what relaxation is like.
Q4: I have an old injury. Can I do this?
Old injuries are usually prescribed Somatic yoga as it is so mild and is aimed at re-educating the muscles surrounding the injured region. Nevertheless, it is important that you consult your doctor or physical therapist beforehand, and listen to your body most of all. Any movement which causes sharp pain should be avoided.
Q5: How frequently should I practice in order to achieve results?
Stability is more significant than time span. The practice of just 10-15 minutes, 3-5 times a week can produce some results in a few weeks. Only after a few sessions, I began to feel better.
It was one of the best choices I ever made concerning my well-being, as I started with somatic yoga free resources. It restored to me a feeling of control over my own body and release which I believed could only be achieved via costly procedures. The body is waiting to have such a conversation. All you have to do is listen.