In-Person & Livestream Courses
100-HOUR IN-PERSON TRAINING
Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) and
Somatic Wellness™ Program (Level’s 1, 2, & 3)
with add-on Certification optional
In-Person Training Program facilitated by James Knight, Founder of GSY, E-RYT, Certfied Hanna Somatic Educator, and/or GSY Faculty.
GSY Training Level’s 1, 2, & 3 are offered at various locations worldwide, as well as livestreamed, and online. It is possible to mix and match the courses in each of the various platforms.
Please see our Events Page for our current schedule.
2023 Our next GSY Level 1 in-person training is hosted by Yogaville, (Satchidananda Ashram), Virigina
November 3rd-8th.
Would you like to immerse yourself within a thriving non-denominational spiritual community experience, all the while being trained in GSY? Enjoy taking part of the Ashram’s daily activities: complimentary yoga and meditation classes, inspirational spiritual talks, kirtan, eating organic vegan food (grown at the Ashram), and walking/hiking on the beautiful forested trails on their 800-acre property including along the James River.
When you sign up for the GSY Level 1 Training at Yogaville, you will also be a part of James’ Spiritual Retreat Weekend Nov. 3-5. The difference is that GSY Level 1 participants will stay a few days longer (until Nov. 8) to complete the GSY training. One of the perks to this training is that you will also gain complimentary access to our GSY L1 self-paced online course. Please email us if you have any questions. To register and learn more about this program, visit the Yogaville Ashram website here.
2024 In-Person Level 1 & Level 2 Trainings are hosted
back-to-back in Sayulita, Mexico
***We have a limited number of rooms allotted to us that GSY has reserved and paid for. Reserve your space with a deposit soon to ensure you get the room accommodation you want. Special perk: You can bring family, friends, and partners complimentary (no charge) if they are not taking the GSY training, and your room choice can accommodate them! These trainings will most likely sell-out so reserve now!
GSY Level 1 Training: Your Journey Begins at the charming beach town of Sayulita, Mexico!
Learn 25+ Somatic Movement Flows®, neuroscience, history, and philosophy of GSY. Many yoga teachers, yoga therapists, bodyworkers, and other healthcare professionals are drawn to these trainings (CEU’s offered). However, we’ve also designed this course for ANYONE wanting to learn these deep self-care tools for optimal health and aging gracefully (no previous yoga training necessary). Certification optional.
Join James Knight, Founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga, for an unforgettable training & retreat in a tropical paradise setting.
James has been coming to Sayulita, Mexico almost every year since 2012 and it is one of his favorite places in the world. 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… As mentioned above, you are also invited to bring friends, partners, or family members at no additional cost if your room accommodation allows, and they don’t mind waiting until your breaks to spend time with you (trust us… they won’t be bored!).
GSY Level 2 Training: Your Journey Continues at this international surfing destination and yoga influenced town, Sayulita, Mexico!
*Prerequisite: Completion of GSY Level 1 either in-person (YES, you can take GSY L1 in Sayulita the week before this training starts! And/or you can take GSY L1 online or livestream beforehand.).
Learn an additional 29+ Somatic Movement Flows®. The theme for this Training & Retreat is the Energy Body (aura and chakra’s), and also integration of the Whole Self (mind/body/emotions/spirit). James’ facilitation style is non-hierarchal and he teaches from personal experience of being an experienced Yogi, Movement Educator, and Integrative Therapist for over 30 years. All of James’ teachers have been leaders in their field and James is honored to pass this embodied knowledge on to you!
As mentioned elsewhere on this page, you are also invited to bring friends, partners, or family members at no additional cost if your room accommodation allows. We offered this invitation last year and it was a huge hit. In fact, we took over the entire hotel and booked all rooms available. Participants guests enjoyed taking surfing lessons, adventuring to nearby beach towns, spa treatments, and other fun activities.
Gentle Somatic Yoga Level 3 in-person and livestream
Training and Retreat
In-person training August 16-19, 2024
*Prerequisite: Completion of GSY Levels 1 & 2
Join James Knight, Founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY), for an unforgettable vacation getaway while you continue your educational journey with GSY. The venue we choose in Tucson, Arizona and is a world class Resort and Ranch. Friends, family, or partners can come for a nominal fee (for food and taxes) and enjoy all the amenities the Resort offers. Click HERE to view the numerous optional activities.
Some highlights of this GSY L3 course
Through this innovative course you will be invited to dive deeper into understanding how to apply the neuroscience of your past GSY training by evaluating your student & clients’ needs and choosing the best protocol for them so they can feel more comfortable in their body. The techniques that you will learn can enhance your skill level for customized one-on-one sessions, as well as be implemented into group movement classes.
Learn and embody
- 12+ Assisted Pandiculation protocol sequences with a specific anatomical focus.
James will pass on to you his tried-and-true customized hands-on techniques from over 30-years being in private practice to reverse common physical complaints and conditions. He has helped hundreds of people come out of chronic pain, stiffness, posture imbalances, and other health challenges. This method is particularly sought out by yoga therapists, yoga teachers, bodyworkers, and other health care professionals that offer on-on-one sessions.
- 30+ Somatic Movement Flows® modified for using a chair as a prop
Be inspired to embrace everyday movement as a lifestyle. Since most of us, from modern culture, spend a lot of the in a chair, it is important to mindfully move the body (soma) and create opportunities to strengthen the brain-to-muscle connection.
These therapeutic sequences are supportive for all of us: seniors or anyone with limited mobility, the desk worker, corporate wellness, and activities that involve prolonged sitting like flying on air planes for long distances, driving, attending concerts, plays, or the theater, etc…
More details:
For the past couple of years, we at GSY, have been exploring different platforms to offer our training programs. A new one offers part livestream and part in-person experience. This not only cuts down on cost, but it also offers the best of both worlds: learning out of the comfort of your own home, and also the in-person experience where the direct transmission can come through hands-on exchange. The livestream dates and times are:
Live on Zoom: On the following dates from 1:00 – 3:00 pm (PDT), 2024
Saturday/Sunday, July 27-28
Saturday/Sunday, August 3-4
Explore this Life-Enhancing Curriculum that you won’t find anywhere else!
Who Would Benefit From Attending The Gentle Somatic Yoga & Wellness® Program?
This Program is designed for EVERY BODY – from the everyday person looking to empower their self-care, to the highly-experienced Movement Educator looking to enhance the leading edge of their skill set.
Gentle Somatic Yoga & Wellness attracts a wide variety of movement experts including yoga teachers, yoga therapists, body-workers, dance teachers, occupational therapists, as well as other health care professionals who would like to expand their scope of practice to include a more therapeutic approach to mindful movement. Upon successful completion of the Program, you will be qualified to integrate 85+ Somatic Movement Flows® (SMFs) into your classes and/or private practice to ensure remarkable results while expanding your specialty niche.
With that in mind, however, it is not necessary to be a movement educator in order to benefit from what these courses offer. They are open and available to ANY and EVERYONE interested in empowering themselves with skills to enhance their health and well-being.
Add-on Certification Option
After you have successfully completed a Course (GSY Practitioner Levels 1, 2, & 3) you receive a GSY Certificate Of Completion demonstrating your commitment to the art and science of Gentle Somatic Yoga & Wellness®. Additionally, you have the opportunity to go the extra mile and become a Certified Practitioner by purchasing the Certification Option and passing the certification’s Final Teachback requirement.* This is done by submitting a Final Teachback video (full instructions HERE). Your teachback video will then be evaluated by our Certification Staff, after which you will receive a detailed report card with personal feedback. Once certified, you will be acknowledged with a Practitioner Certificate as having demonstrated your competence and skill for providing Gentle Somatic Yoga & Wellness in an official capacity, either one-on-one or in a group setting, as part of your professional instruction service(s).
*Prerequisite: Successful completion and certification of each Level is required before taking the next Course. For example, you must have successfully completed the Level 1 Course in order to be eligible for Level 2 Course. The certification option must be purchased separately for each Level completed.
Frequently Asked Questions
A typical Gentle Somatic Yoga & Wellness Practitioner Levels 1 and 2 training day includes:
- GSY Class – A direct firsthand experience of this scinece and heart-based practice, beginning with a GSY class consisting of 5 – 7 Somatic Movement Flows®, pandiculation* (our signature technique that offers immediate and long lasting results), pranayama, and meditation; by gathering together as a Collective Soma right from the start, we set the tone for the day and prepare our Somas to receive and learn new information.
- Learning Lab – A signature of the GSY Training, where we deconstruct the Somatic Movement Flows into their constitutent parts and pieces, with a goal to highlight and explore tips and modifications; this occurs within a non-hierarchical, participatory discussion.
- Lecture – PowerPoint presentation of the neuroscience, history, philosophy and methodology of GSY.
- Practice Teachback – Participants pair-up and teach the day’s Somatic Movement Flows to one another; this further supports the embodiment of the practice.
- Review – Case studies pertaining to common physical conditions and challenges; integration; closing circle.
What Type of Learning Experience do these Courses Offer?
- A typical Gentle Somatic Yoga Teacher Level 3 training day includes:
- Assisted-Pandiculation Demonstration – Customized hands-on pandiculation* sequences that are tailor-made to address specific needs (e.g. chronic pain, injury recovery, performance enhancment). These are James Knight’s tried-and-true gems derived from his decades-long clincial and bodywork client experiences. Even the layperson can utilize these tools to provide healing assistance to others such as family members and friends.
- Practice – Participants pair-up and rehearse the techniques with one another; this supports the embodiment of those techniques.
- Review – Case studies pertaining to common physical conditions and challenges; integration; closing circle.
* Pandiculation is a highly-effective therapeutic technique utilizing one’s own body weight and the forces of gravity to assist with neuromuscular re-education. Assisted Pandiculation is where another person provides touch in order to expedite this re-education process. For an expanded explanation of the techniques, click HERE.
Adjunct Module Options
These are optional GSY specialties offered in a week-end workshop setting, distinct and apart from the in-person and online coursework:
- Chair Module – SMFs modified using the chair as a prop; applicable for specialty populations such as Seniors, desk workers, and corporate wellness programs
- SomaDynamics™ Module – Learn and embody unique Stance and Gait SMFs that incorporate the latest scientific discoveries in generative movement; facilitated by certified Restorative Exercise Specialist Teya Alden.
- Presence Module – The quality of Presence is a defining factor in the art of movement that is uniquely Gentle Somatic Yoga. This quality has been embedded into the practice through James Knight’s own personal teaching style. In order to cultivate and incorporate one’s own intuition as an enhancement to the skill of teaching, this module introduces the dimension of “sacred container” as a space in which information becomes available and exchanged.
How Can I Apply My Education And Certification?
- Expand your scope of practice by teaching customizable Gentle Somatic Yoga classes to your population. Have the option for designing targeted classes based on your student and client needs.
- Experienced yoga teachers, yoga therapists, and movement educators can develop advanced classes and workshops to support the next step in movement as a healing art for their students. Apply the principles of Gentle Somatic Yoga and provide workshops and programs to help with common physical conditions such as neck and shoulder tension, chronic back pain, tight hips and hamstrings. If you are already working with specialty populations, Gentle Somatic Yoga will distinguish your expertise in the field.
- If you are a teacher/educator looking to address a niche demographic such as the desk worker, Senior, beginning yoga students, plus sizes, pregnancy, cancer survivors, PTSD/trauma, etc., this practice is a terrific way to establish yourself as a specialist in the field.
- Physicians, Chiropractors, Physiotherapists, Massage Therapists, Bodyworkers, and other practitioners can teach stand-alone Somatic Movement Flows to their clients and patients. The new skill set you will learn through this Gentle Somatic Yoga training will dramatically advance all therapeutic and healing processes.
For more information or if you have questions, please email us.
EARN 100 HOURS OF YOGA ALLIANCE APPROVED CEUs
