GSY Events
upcoming events you don’t want to miss…
A MONTHLY ongoing 1.5-hr Livestream Workshop with optional .5-hr Q & A
- Saturday, October 5, 10 am – 12 am (PT) ~ Theme: Somatic Wellness™ ~ A combination of Somatic Movement Flows®, Somatic Stability™ (building core strength and bone density), Somatic Harmony™ (Nada Yoga – great for stimulating the vagus nerve), and therapeutic tremoring (helpful in releasing trauma stored in the soma). Facilitated by James Knight
10am PDT San Francisco & Vancouver | 1pm EDT New York & Ottawa | 6p GMT United Kingdom
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This monthly series of livestream Somatic Sanctuary EXPERIENCIAL workshops, are designed to bring balance and alignment to the whole-self (Mind/Body/Emotions, and Spirit). Through this journey of deep self-care, we learn how to self-regulate and make nourishing choices for our soma.
In stressful life experiences, we can temporarily lose our ability to self-regulate. In Gentle Somatic Yoga® we call this sensory motor amnesia (SMA). When we are in this state, movement can become limited and everyday lifestyle is not as enjoyable.
With an attitude of exploration and discovery, we can learn how to listen to our inherent somatic intelligence and intuitively unwind from stressful life experiences stored in our tissues (muscles and fascia) and energy field. We can initiate this process through finding creative body shapes through Somatic Movement Flows® and meditation (Soma Scans).
All are welcome! These practices are designed and adaptable for most people and skill levels.
For more specific information on each month’s theme, please visit our landing page for Somatic Sanctuary HERE.
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Fee: Sliding Scale ~ $15, $20 or $25 USD
Each livestream Somatic Sanctuary workshop is approximately 1.5-hours of nourishing movement practices with an optional .50-hour Q&A session following. CEU’s available for yoga teachers and yoga therapists upon request.
RECORDINGS:
When you sign-up for this workshop, you will receive a Zoom invite via email. For those that live in other time zones that make it difficult to join us, you can still sign up and you will receive replay videos of the sessions for future practice. You will have access to the recordings for 30 days after the event. Beyond that timeframe, the follow-along videos will be available long-term in our ever-expanding virtual video library: Somatic Wellness TV.
Gentle Somatic Yoga Level 1 Hybrid Training with GSY Faculty, Cheryl Mason
Livestream: October 5, 6, 12, & 13, 2024 from 9am to 11:15am (CT). All sessions are recorded. It is ok if you need to miss one or more as long as you can view these prior to the in-person training.
In-person: October 18-20, 2024 at 3rd Street Yoga Studio in Edmond, Oklahoma
Click on the link below for more information.
- October 11th – 13th: Spiritual Retreat Weekend. Theme: Awaken the Possible ~ Facilitated by James Knight
- October 11th – 16th: GSY Level 2 Training. The theme is: Energy Body (aura & chakras), Emotions, and the Whole-Self ~ Facilitated by James Knight
Would you like to immerse yourself within a spiritual community experience, all the while practicing/learning GSY? Enjoy taking part of the Ashram’s daily activities: complimentary yoga and meditation classes, spiritual talks, eat organic vegan food, and walking forest trails on their 800-acre property including along the James River.
The GSY Level 2 training is part of the Spiritual Retreat Weekend. The difference is that participants from the weekend retreat will stay a few days longer to complete the GSY training (certification add-on optional). Please email us if you have any questions.
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***There is a prerequisite for attending GSY Level 2 Training. You must have completed the modules of the method, nueroscience, history, and philosophy of the GSY L1 Training. The recommended way to to do this is sign up for James’ self-paced online GSY L1 course. Please follow this LINK to find out more.***
These in-person events are hosted by Yogaville and the Satchidananda Ashram. Yogaville is a serene oasis in the heartland of Virginia. With a diverse community of heart-centered people and its world renowned Yoga Academy ~ Integral Yoga, Yogaville opens doors to spiritual growth and self mastery. Registration for these events can be found on Yogavillee’s website: GSY L2 Training or Spiritual Weekend Retreat
The nearest airports to Yogaville is Lynchburg (LYH) or Charlottesville (CHO). You can rent a car, or you can arrange and purchase transportation from Yogaville’s guest services.
James Knight has had the privilege of hosting Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) events at Yogaville for many years. He is honored for the opportunity to invite others into this thriving spiritual community and learning the science and lifestyle of all the limbs of yoga.
The schedule of the spiritual weekend retreat offers ample opportunity to explore all the variety of offerings at the Ashram. There will be four Gentle Somatic Yoga workshops where participants can learn up to 16 Somatic Movement Flows® (SMFs). These SMFs are also part of the GSY Level 2 training, so those that are interested in going deeper into embodying the GSY practice can stay on after the Retreat and continue learning the method, philosophy and neuroscience.
Although many participants drawn to this method are movement educators, you don’t need to be a yoga teacher/therapist or bodyworker to take this course. Anyone interested in learning new tools to take charge of their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health are welcome.
Some highlights of the GSY Level 2 training course. You will learn:
- 29+ Therapeutic Somatic Movement Flows® for self-care, resiliency, health, and wellbeing.
- How and why Somatic Movements get to the root cause of persistent pain, stiffness, and poor posture so you can unwind from these unconscious reflexes
- Ways to practice nourishing movements that are suitable and effective for your body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Emphasis will be on finding your own inner teacher and relying less on “doing it right” according to instruction or demonstration
As an ADDED BONUS, when you register for this In-Person & Livestream Training Course, we’ll also give you complimentary access to our self-paced GSY ONLINE Level 2 Course
This Online Course gives you access to the 29+ Somatic Movement Flow Videos and illustrated PDF step-by-step handouts.
LIVESTREAM workshop 6-part series hosted by YogaUOnline ~ Theme: Awaken the Possible: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Transformation. Facilitated by James Knight
Dates: Wednesdays, November 6, 13, 20, 27, December 4 & 11, 2024
4:00 pm Eastern Time / 1:00 pm Pacific Time
Each class in the series is standalone; however, taken together, the classes are consecutive. Join us live or view the recordings (lifetime access!)
In this livestream workshop series, learn new techniques to significantly improve flexibility and soft tissue resilience by incorporating new approaches to whole-self nourishment: mind, body, energy, and emotions. Click the link below for more information.
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Discover the transformative power of Gentle Somatic Yoga® in this 6-part livestream course with founder James Knight.
In this course, you will have the opportunity to practice live online with James Knight, founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga®. Join us for six therapeutic and restorative workshops, which can be taken both as independent stand-alone practices or as a consecutive sequence.
This course will give you new tools to guide you on a heart-guided journey of self-discovery and transformation.
Learn evidence-based and heart-guided self-care/self-healing techniques to relieve deep-seated stress, enhance nervous system functioning.
You will also learn new techniques to significantly improve flexibility and soft tissue resilience by incorporating new approaches to whole-self nourishment: mind, body, energy, and emotions.
Most importantly, the Somatic Movement Flows® that you will learn in this course offers tools to make the benefits of yoga available to everyone, regardless of age, experience level, or physical fitness.
Each class in the series is standalone; however, taken together, the classes are consecutive. All sessions will be recorded and each participant will have lifetime access.
Week 1: Somatic Movement Flows® that prepare the brain to learn something new, reprogram muscle groups to their optimal length in a resting position, and train the nervous system maintain a parasympathetic nervous system state.
Week 2: Identifying in the soma (body) where there is sensory motor amnesia and awaken parts of the brain so that we can regain voluntary control of our physiology. Through learning the technique of therapeutic pandiculation, we can dismantle armoring and other defensive structures due to stressful life experiences held within the soma (all systems: mind, body, emotions, and spirit).
Week 3: Through interoception, discover how to amplify your own Somatic Intelligence and initiate deep self-care.
Week 4: Somatic Awakening ~ Integration of the Whole-Self. Returning to an embodied “Flow State” of peace and well-being.
Week 5:
Week 6:
Join us live or practice with the recordings later ~ lifetime access!
90-minute classes: 1.15+hr movement classes, optional 15-min. Q & A.
Seasonal LIVESTREAM Deep Dive Workshop Series ~ Featuring newly created Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) inspired methods that combine the neuroscience & philosophy of GSY and blend it with other complimentary self-care practices. Emphasis is placed on “Learning Laboratories”, which add an extra educational component with intent to customize the movements for you and your students/clients. CEU’s available to yoga teachers and yoga therapists.
- Saturday, November 16, 2024, 10 am – 1 pm (PDT) with THEME ~ Somatic Stability™ ~ GSY combines with mat Pilates that add safe weight-bearing somatic movement sequences that will not only strengthen muscles and increase bone density, but also repattern muscle groups to their optimal length in a resting position. Co-facilitated by James Knight and GSY practitioner Rachael Shepherd.
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Purpose and cumulative benefits to Somatic Stability™: Building core muscle strength and bone density
After age 30, the average person’s muscle mass decreases approximately 3–8% per decade, and this rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60. Muscle weakness contributes to fatigue, lack of coordination, and reduced activity tolerance. After age 50, bone mass and bone density decrease as well. Women can lose up to 20% of their bone density within 5 to 7 years following menopause. With weak muscles and bones, it’s no wonder there is such a high incidence of falls and broken bones as we age.
A common question people ask is what form of exercise to stay fit would complement Somatics and beat what Thomas Hanna referred to as the myth of aging. This question is especially relevant for people with pain, stiffness, and posture imbalances as a result of lifestyle, repetitive movements, injuries and surgeries, and mental and emotional stress.
In this session, James will guide us through safe weight-bearing somatic movement sequences that will not only strengthen muscles and increase bone density, but also repattern muscle groups to their optimal length in a resting position. Somatic Stability™ is inspired by mat Pilates combined with the technique of pandiculation (brain-to-muscle repatterning & strengthening). Modifications and tips will be offered to encourage people of all ages and abilities to follow along.
During these EXPERIENCIAL GSY livestream Deep Dive Workshops, you will go deeper into learning how to tap into your own somatic intelligence and make nourishing choices on how to incorporate movement as a lifestyle. These events are designed with emphasis on the Learning Laboratories (enhancements, tips, and interactive Q & A), so participants can not only embody the practice but also learn the method to share with others.
These Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) inspired workshops and discussions empower the Whole-Self (SOMA) for alignment, vitality, and an embodied sense of peace & well-being. James Knight, founder of GSY, often invites experts from complementary fields of somatic movement to join him to co-facilitate so we can learn, heal, and grow in a conscious community.
All are welcome! These practices are designed and adaptable for most people and skill levels. And, if you are a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, bodyworker, or other health care professional these skills that you learn can be immediately implemented into your classes and/or private sessions. Most people find immediate beneficial results that are long-lasting.
For more specific information on each seasonal Deep Dive themes, please visit our year-at-a-glance landing page HERE.
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Fee: Sliding Scale ~ $25 – $35 – $45 USD
Each livestream Deep Dive workshop is approximately 2-hours of nourishing movement practices with an optional 1-hour “Learning Laboratory” with Q&A session following. CEU’s available for yoga teachers and yoga therapists upon request.
RECORDINGS:
When you sign-up for this workshop, you will receive a Zoom invite via email. For those that live in other time zones that make it difficult to join us, you can still sign up and you will receive replay videos of the sessions for future practice. You will have access to the recordings for 30 days after the event. Beyond that timeframe, the follow-along videos will be available long-term in our ever-expanding virtual video library: Somatic Wellness TV.
2nd Annual ~ Somatic Wellness and Adventure Retreat ~ at the secluded beachside village of Yelapa, Mexico
Dates: March 23- 29, 2025
Join us for a week of combination of daily GSY classes, deep relaxation, self-care, ceremony, and fun! This venue has been hand-selected by James as it’s one of his favorite places to hold spiritual retreats. Immerse yourself into natural rhythms of the earth and cosmos. No cars or roads – only accessible by boat taxi (fly into Puerto Vallarta).
Facilitated by James Knight and local healers & artists.
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In March 2024 our 1st annual Somatic Wellness and Adventure Retreat in Yelapa was so well received, and everyone had such a great time, we decided to rebook the entire Retreat Center of Pura Vida again next year! This will sell out, so reserve your preferred room accomondation now before it is taken (each room accommodation/palapa is unique with view and design). Some air conditioned rooms available – althought not needed this time of year.
Join James Knight, founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY), for an unforgettable spiritual eco-vacation getaway for personal and collective transformation.
James is known for creating spiritual and eco-adventure retreats for many years that are off the beaten path. This retreat is special because you can only get here by boat (nearest international airport is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico), and James has been visiting (and staying for extended times) in Yelapa for over 30 years. He knows this charming beach village well (no cars, roads, or large hotels), and cannot wait to share some of his favorite experiences with you.
Some highlights of this Retreat (more to be announced soon once our landing registration page is published):
- Every morning starts off with a Gentle Somatic Yoga® class. Afternoons bring optional adventures like: taking a boat taxi to small nearby islands for snorkeling and lunch on the beach; embark on a jungle hike upriver to waterfalls, specialty self-care practice sessions with local healers and movement educators, swimming in the warm Pacific Ocean, sweat lodge, sound healing, cacao ceremony, explore one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the world… to highlight a few of the activities
- Learn therapeutic Somatic Movement Flows® for self-care, resiliency, health, and wellbeing. Experiential classes are designed to activate the energy body (aura and chakras) as well as bring balance to the emotional body.
Not only will you be empowered with new skills for personal and/or professional development, be ready for some great surprises of local culture, secluded beaches, yummy food, and more…
Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) is a simple, practical and effective form of brain-to-muscle re-education that goes to the root cause of most chronic muscular pain: the way in which the brain senses, controls, and organizes muscles with movement. The result is living life with an embodied sense of ease and freedom through everyday movement and vibrant health.
- GSY Level 1 ~ Theme: Your Healing Journey Begins with a Supportive Foundation…
- GSY Level 2 ~ Theme: Your Healing Journey continues through an increased awareness of the connection between your physical body, emotional body, and your energetic body (aura & chakras)
Sign up on these Interest Lists to the first to be notified for the dates, venues, and location when registration opens.
Please email us if you have any questions.
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Although many participants drawn to this method are movement educators, you don’t need to be a yoga teacher/therapist or bodyworker to take this course. Anyone interested in learning new tools to take charge of their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health are welcome.
Some highlights of the GSY Level 1 training course. You will learn:
- 25+ Therapeutic Somatic Movement Flows® for self-care, resiliency, health, and wellbeing
- How and why Somatic Movements get to the root cause of persistent pain, stiffness, and poor posture so you can unwind from these unconscious reflexes
- Ways to practice nourishing movements that are suitable and effective for your body. Emphasis will be on finding your own inner teacher and relying less on “doing it right” according to instruction or demonstration
As an ADDED BONUS, when you register for an in-Person or livestream Training Course, we’ll also give you complimentary access to our self-paced GSY ONLINE Level 1 Course
Some highlights of the GSY Level 2 training course. You will learn:
- 29+ Therapeutic Somatic Movement Flows® for self-care, resiliency, health, and wellbeing.
- How and why Somatic Movements get to the root cause of persistent pain, stiffness, and poor posture so you can unwind from these unconscious reflexes
- Ways to practice nourishing movements that are suitable and effective for your body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Emphasis will be on finding your own inner teacher and relying less on “doing it right” according to instruction or demonstration
As an ADDED BONUS, when you register for an in-Person or Livestream Training Course, we’ll also give you complimentary access to our self-paced GSY ONLINE Level 2 Course
