What's the difference between somatic yoga and regular yoga?

All yoga is technically somatic (body-based), but 'somatic yoga' specifically emphasizes internal sensation over external form. Instead of prioritizing how a pose looks, somatic approaches prioritize how it feels. Movement is slower, more exploratory, and guided by interoceptive awareness rather than visual alignment cues.

Can somatic practices help with trauma?

Yes. Trauma is stored in the body, not just the mind. Somatic approaches like Somatic Experiencing (SE) and trauma-informed yoga work with body sensations to process and release traumatic stress that talk therapy alone may not reach. However, somatic practices work best as part of comprehensive trauma treatment, not as standalone solutions.

How do I develop somatic awareness?

Start by pausing throughout the day and noticing physical sensations: temperature, tension, movement, stillness. In yoga, close your eyes and feel the pose rather than checking your form in a mirror. Body scan meditation builds this capacity systematically. The key is consistent practice—interoceptive awareness strengthens over time.

Somatic Defined: Body-Based Yoga & Awareness Practices

What Does "Somatic" Mean?

Somatic comes from the Greek word soma, meaning "body." In wellness contexts, it refers to practices that work through the body rather than just on the body—approaches that treat physical sensation as meaningful information, not just noise to push through.

This represents a shift in perspective. Conventional fitness treats the body as a machine to be optimized. Somatic approaches treat the body as a living teacher, holding wisdom that the thinking mind alone can't access. Tension patterns, breathing habits, movement tendencies—these all carry information about your history, emotions, and current state.

In yoga, somatic practices emphasize internal experience over external appearance. Rather than striving to make a pose look a certain way, you explore how it feels—what sensations arise, what subtle movements release tension, where you're holding effort unnecessarily. The mirror disappears; attention turns inward.

Key Concepts in Somatic Practice

Interoception

The ability to sense internal body states: heartbeat, breath, muscle tension, gut sensations, temperature. This differs from proprioception (knowing where your body is in space) and is considered a core skill in somatic work. Research links strong interoception to emotional regulation, self-awareness, and overall wellbeing.

Embodiment

Being present in your body rather than treating it as something you carry around. Many people live "from the neck up," disconnected from physical sensation. Embodiment practices restore this connection—feeling the body as self, not as object.

The Body Keeps the Score

Popularized by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk's work, this phrase captures the somatic understanding that experiences—especially traumatic ones—are stored in the body, not just the mind. Tension patterns, chronic pain, and stress responses can reflect unprocessed experiences. Healing these patterns often requires body-based approaches, not just talk.

Benefits of Somatic Practice

Regular somatic work develops:

Body awareness — Notice tension, discomfort, and stress earlier, before they become chronic

Emotional regulation — Sense and process emotions through their physical expressions

Nervous system regulation — Move between states of activation and calm more fluidly

Trauma healing — Process and release experiences stored in the body

Authentic movement — Move in ways that serve your body, not external standards

Presence — Anchor attention in the body to stay present rather than lost in thought

Somatic Approaches in Yoga

Somatic Yoga

Emphasizes slow, exploratory movement guided by internal sensation. Less about achieving poses, more about feeling your way through movement. Often includes pandiculation (gentle contracting and releasing of muscles) inspired by Thomas Hanna's work.

Trauma-Informed Yoga

Uses somatic principles to create safe practice for people with trauma histories. Emphasizes choice, consent, and interoceptive awareness. Avoids adjustments without explicit permission and offers multiple options rather than "correct" alignment.

Yoga Nidra

Guided awareness through body regions builds interoceptive capacity while inducing deep relaxation. The systematic body scan is fundamentally a somatic practice.

Yin Yoga

Long holds with emphasis on sensation rather than stretching intensity. The sustained attention to physical experience cultivates somatic awareness.

Developing Somatic Awareness

You can cultivate this capacity:

Pause and scan. Several times daily, stop and notice: What sensations are present? Where is tension? How is your breath?
Close your eyes in practice. Remove visual distraction and turn attention inward.
Slow down. Speed bypasses sensation. Move slowly enough to feel.
Name sensations. Pressure, warmth, tingling, tightness, ease—develop a vocabulary for body experience.
Follow impulses. When your body wants to move, stretch, or adjust, let it. Trust its intelligence.
Practice body scans. Systematic attention through body regions builds interoceptive capacity.

Start simple: If you're new to somatic awareness, start with just noticing your feet on the ground, your seat in the chair, your breath in your chest. These basic anchor points begin building the capacity for more subtle awareness over time.

Somatic Practices Beyond Yoga

The somatic field extends beyond yoga:

Somatic Experiencing (SE) — Peter Levine's approach to trauma resolution through body sensation
Feldenkrais Method — Movement education using awareness to improve function
Alexander Technique — Retraining habitual movement patterns
Hakomi — Somatic psychotherapy integrating mindfulness and body awareness
Dance/Movement Therapy — Expressive movement for psychological healing

Explore Somatic Yoga

Find classes that emphasize body awareness and internal experience.

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