Here are 9 signs are a great way to know that your Prana energy is out of balance:

1. Extreme fatigue, exhaustion, and tiredness
2. Feeling depressed or stuck in a rut and unable to make the changes we want in life
3. Having repetitive negative or destructive thoughts
4. Lacking in motivation and zest for life
5. Reacting very emotionally to anything we perceive as negative
6. Headaches, dizziness, and general aches and pains
7. Illnesses such as colds, allergie,s and immune disorders or other chronic illnesses
8. Feeling stressed and anxious
9. Digestive issues such as constipation and diarrhea

Practicing the GSY Somatic Movement Flows, such as Namaste Flow, regularly supports returning the body back to a balanced state called Homeostasis.

The Dictionary defines homeostasis as “the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.”

Simply meaning, the living organism of the body is working the way that it designed to be in an optimal state.

Image courtesy of:

Signs of Prana being in balance (homeostasis):

1. Feeling strong, healthy, and full of energy
2. Experiencing a sense of peace and well-being
3. Being compassionate and empathetic
4. Having intuition
5. Being confident
6. Feeling creative and inspired
7. Having positive and loving feelings towards ourselves and others
8. Feeling at one with the universe (https://www.learning-mind.com/)

So how does Somatic Movement Flows balance the Prana and keep the body in a homeostatic state?

Repeating a short bit from above, when the body is in pain muscles tense out of a subconscious reflex to protect itself. Also, when those muscle groups fatigue then it is natural that other muscles near that part of the body get recruited to keep the body stable. This, in turn, causes pain in other parts of the body and causes further imbalances in posture and energy.

The method of Gentle Somatic Yoga (GSY) re-patterns muscle groups and the nervous system. When practicing the main technique in GSY, called pandiculation, muscles are reset to their optimal length in a resting position.

When the body doesn’t feel threatened by pain, the energy is freed up and flows more easily through the body.  This allows the Prana to do what it is designed to do: heal the body’s imbalances and to keep it strong and vital.

Want to learn how to do this?

 

Please join us in real-time to practice Gentle Somatic Yoga® and connect with our international Somatic Wellness community. Somatic Sanctuary™ is an ongoing monthly 2-hour LIVESTREAM Somatic Movement Workshop Series 

Click the link below to learn more about this experiential Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) workshop monthly livestream event: 

Learn more or register here!

To receive a FREE 30-minute home practice, click here. 

How Gentle Somatic Yoga^® Works With the Energy Body

The practice of self-care is constant, especially considering the seemingly endless amounts of life challenges that can drain your energy.  I, for one, can feel my energy drain when reading headlines in the news or when I think about the current political turmoil.  That’s why I felt inspired to record and share a new video that supports you to invigorate your energy body, no matter what is going on in the outside world.

In the video, I share a Somatic Movement Flow called Namaste Flow. It is considered pranayama (a breathing technique to increase life force energy) paired with movement.  It’s simple yet powerful!

Last week we talked about how Gentle Somatic Yoga^®(GSY) can help get relief from the pain and inflammation caused by autoimmune diseases.  In that blog, we also referred to the Prana (life force or energy) and how that energy can get blocked when the body is in pain.

In this week’s blog post, we’re diving deeper into the topic of Prana and how keeping the energy flow balanced is one of the key components to GSY and Somatic Movement Flows^®.  

Click on this LINK to explore a self-care video to increase your vitality: 

For more self-care videos like this, please visit our virtual library found on our Somatic Wellness TV

Somatic Movement Flows^® and the Energy Body

Here are 9 signs are a great way to know that your Prana energy is out of balance:

1. Extreme fatigue, exhaustion, and tiredness
2. Feeling depressed or stuck in a rut and unable to make the changes we want in life
3. Having repetitive negative or destructive thoughts
4. Lacking in motivation and zest for life
5. Reacting very emotionally to anything we perceive as negative
6. Headaches, dizziness, and general aches and pains
7. Illnesses such as colds, allergie,s and immune disorders or other chronic illnesses
8. Feeling stressed and anxious
9. Digestive issues such as constipation and diarrhea

Practicing the GSY Somatic Movement Flows, such as Namaste Flow, regularly supports returning the body back to a balanced state called Homeostasis.

The Dictionary defines homeostasis as “the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.”

Simply meaning, the living organism of the body is working the way that it designed to be in an optimal state.

Image courtesy of:

Signs of Prana being in balance (homeostasis):

1. Feeling strong, healthy, and full of energy
2. Experiencing a sense of peace and well-being
3. Being compassionate and empathetic
4. Having intuition
5. Being confident
6. Feeling creative and inspired
7. Having positive and loving feelings towards ourselves and others
8. Feeling at one with the universe (https://www.learning-mind.com/)

So how does Somatic Movement Flows balance the Prana and keep the body in a homeostatic state?

Repeating a short bit from above, when the body is in pain muscles tense out of a subconscious reflex to protect itself. Also, when those muscle groups fatigue then it is natural that other muscles near that part of the body get recruited to keep the body stable. This, in turn, causes pain in other parts of the body and causes further imbalances in posture and energy.

The method of Gentle Somatic Yoga (GSY) re-patterns muscle groups and the nervous system. When practicing the main technique in GSY, called pandiculation, muscles are reset to their optimal length in a resting position.

When the body doesn’t feel threatened by pain, the energy is freed up and flows more easily through the body.  This allows the Prana to do what it is designed to do: heal the body’s imbalances and to keep it strong and vital.

Want to learn how to do this?

 

Please join us in real-time to practice Gentle Somatic Yoga® and connect with our international Somatic Wellness community. Somatic Sanctuary™ is an ongoing monthly 2-hour LIVESTREAM Somatic Movement Workshop Series 

Click the link below to learn more about this experiential Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) workshop monthly livestream event: 

Learn more or register here!

To receive a FREE 30-minute home practice, click here. 

The post Somatic Movement Flow®: Namaste Flow and the Energy Body appeared first on Gentle Somatic Yoga.

How does this work? 

In the next several paragraphs, I’m going to discuss why isolating and engaging muscle groups in the feet, there is a brain-to-muscle repatterning that affects the muscles of the neck and shoulder area.

First, did you know that our entire body is encased in fibrous tissue that functions as the biological fabric that keeps our muscles, organs, and joints all together? This is called the fascia. When your body is inactive or experiences stress ongoingly, the fascia can become stiff and sticky. As a result, this causes the body to become less flexible and mobile.

Also, there are fascial lines throughout the body. According to Tom Meyers, author of Anatomy Trains, there are 12 specific fascial lines mapped throughout the body.

These lines wrap around specific muscles, separate muscle fibers, and muscles from bones, as well as connect them. They are involved in all movements the human body is capable of performing.

The fascial line that is repatterned (lengthened) in the Foot Sliders runs from near the bottom of the foot (heal), up the back of the calves, legs, and back, and then goes up the back of the skull, over the top of the head and attaches near the forehead.

As a result of performing this Somatic Movement Flow, the connective tissue (mainly the fascia and muscles) are lengthened, thereby unlocking tension and stiffness in the back of the neck and upper back.

Secondly, for those of you not familiar with anatomy and physiology, perhaps you’ve heard of Reflexology? Reflexology is a manual therapy (often included in a massage) utilizing the application of pressure to specific points on the feet, hands, and ears to relieve stress and promote overall health. (See the map of the foot that highlights areas of the body that are affected by pressing on these points)

The area of the big toes is important for reflexologists because that is where the head, brain, pituitary and pineal glands, and upper cervical spine (neck) reflexes are located. When these reflex points are stimulated through mindful touch and movement, it can effectively release tight muscles of the neck and upper back.

Through consciously bending the big toes as in the Foot Sliders, specifically the area where a crease connects the toe and the ball of the foot, the muscles of the back of the neck restore to a more optimal length in a resting position. This is the reason why most people experience such a dramatic increase with their range of motion during the post-check part of this Flow.

In conclusion, it is noteworthy to mention that with consistent practice with this, and every Somatic Movement Flow, the positive effects are cumulative and long-lasting.

See our Tips and Guidelines to enhance your success.

Modification: 

If you find it difficult to sit comfortably on the floor, then you can explore this Somatic Movement while sitting in a chair. This is especially helpful if you are a desk worker and want quick relief from looking down at your computer monitor. In either case, just kick off your shoes and practice up to five repetitions with each foot. Remember to check-in before and after exploring the movement with each foot. When we do this, it causes the brain to register the reward of increased flexibility it anchors in the repatterning for long-lasting positive results. 

Give it a try and see for yourself! This flow is just one example of movements that I will be teaching and guiding you through in my new workshop series.

I’m excited to announce the newest edition to the Gentle Somatic Family of offerings:

Please join us in real-time to practice Gentle Somatic Yoga® and connect with our international Somatic Wellness community. Somatic Sanctuary™ is an ongoing monthly 2-hour LIVESTREAM Somatic Movement Workshop Series 

Click the link below to learn more about this experiential Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) workshop monthly livestream event: 

To receive a FREE 30-minute home practice, click here. 

The post Erase Neck Pain ~ Somatic Movement Flow®: Foot Sliders appeared first on Gentle Somatic Yoga.

The practice of self-care is constant, especially considering the seemingly endless amounts of life challenges that can drain your energy.  I, for one, can feel my energy drain when reading headlines in the news or when I think about the current political turmoil.  That’s why I felt inspired to record and share a new video that supports you to invigorate your energy body, no matter what is going on in the outside world.

In the video, I share a Somatic Movement Flow called Namaste Flow. It is considered pranayama (a breathing technique to increase life force energy) paired with movement.  It’s simple yet powerful!

Last week, we talked about how Gentle Somatic Yoga^®(GSY) can help get relief from the pain and inflammation caused by autoimmune diseases.  In that blog, we also referred to the Prana (life force or energy) and how that energy can get blocked when the body is in pain.

In this week’s blog post, we’re diving deeper into the topic of Prana and how keeping the energy flow balanced is one of the key components to GSY and Somatic Movement Flows.  

For more self-care videos like this, please visit Somatic Wellness TV gentlesomaticyoga.com/somatic-wellness-tv/

Somatic Movement Flows^® and the Energy Body

Image courtesy of prana.com

Here are 10 signs are a great way to know that your Prana energy is out of balance:

1. Extreme fatigue, exhaustion, and tiredness
2. Feeling depressed or stuck in a rut and unable to make the changes we want in life
3. Having repetitive negative or destructive thoughts
4. Lacking in motivation and zest for life
5. Reacting very emotionally to anything we perceive as negative
6. Headaches, dizziness, and general aches and pains
7. Illnesses such as colds, allergies, and immune disorders or other chronic illnesses
8. Feeling stressed and anxious
9. Digestive issues such as constipation and diarrhea
10. Sexual problems such as a lack of, or excessive libido (https://www.learning-mind.com)

Practicing the GSY Somatic Movement Flows, such as Namaste Flow, regularly supports returning the body back to a balanced state called Homeostasis.

The Dictionary defines homeostasis as “the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.”

Simply meaning, the living organism of the body is working the way that it is designed to be in an optimal state.

Image courtesy of https://sciencetallis.weebly.com/5-homeostasis-and-response.html

Signs of Prana being in balance (homeostasis):

1. Feeling strong, healthy, and full of energy
2. Experiencing a sense of peace and wellbeing
3. Being compassionate and empathetic
4. Having intuition
5. Being confident
6. Feeling creative and inspired
7. Having positive and loving feelings towards ourselves and others
8. Feeling at one with the universe (https://www.learning-mind.com/)

So how does Somatic Movement Flows balance the Prana and keep the body in a homeostatic state?

Repeating a short bit from above, when the body is in pain muscles tense out of a subconscious reflex to protect itself. Also, when those muscle groups fatigue then it is natural that other muscles near that part of the body get recruited to keep the body stable. This, in turn, causes pain in other parts of the body and causes further imbalances in posture and energy.

The method of Gentle Somatic Yoga (GSY) re-patterns muscle groups and the nervous system. When practicing the main technique in GSY, called pandiculation, muscles are reset to their optimal length in a resting position.

When the body doesn’t feel threatened by pain, the energy is freed up and flows more easily through the body.  This allows the Prana to do what it is designed to do: heal the body’s imbalances and to keep it strong and vital.

Want to learn how to do this?

 

Please join us in real-time to practice Gentle Somatic Yoga® and connect with our international Somatic Wellness community. Somatic Sanctuary™ is an ongoing monthly 2-hour LIVESTREAM Somatic Movement Workshop Series 

Click the link below to learn more about this experiential Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) workshop monthly livestream event: 

Learn more or register here!

To receive a FREE 30-minute home practice, click here. 

The post Somatic Movement Flow®: Namaste Flow and the Energy Body appeared first on Gentle Somatic Yoga.

This week’s Somatic Movement Flow® is called Around the Clock, a short video that focuses on relieving chronic back pain and freeing up the pelvis. As you practice Gentle Somatic Yoga®, know that all Somatic Movement Flows® support fortifying your immune system and supporting those with autoimmune disease. In our new virtual event called Somatic Sanctuary, I teach 5-7 Somatic Movements each month for you to add to your self-care toolkit.

For more self-care videos like this, please visit Somatic Wellness TV gentlesomaticyoga.com/somatic-wellness-tv/

During our very first Somatic Sanctuary workshop in December, we held an optional Q&A after the hour-long virtual class.  A participant asked an excellent question and I felt inspired to share the answer with all of you!  She asked, “Can Gentle Somatic Yoga (GSY) help with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?”   The quick answer is Yes, to this and other autoimmune diseases.

To fully understand its positive impact on MS,  let’s review.

How it works for autoimmune diseases…

What is an Autoimmune Disease?

Simply put, an autoimmune disease is a malfunction of the immune system in which the body mistakenly attacks its own tissues. 

Autoimmune diseases, such as Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia, to name a few, can cause the body to recoil, out of fear, as a way to try to protect the body from experiencing more pain. This subconscious reflex takes a tremendous amount of the body’s resources (energy) to keep the muscles in a contracted state.

It’s a vicious pain cycle, causing a “log jam” of energy. 

Energy inside the body cannot move freely where there is pain and inflammation. Instead, it becomes congested. And when the body is in pain, we tend to stay in a sympathetic nervous system response, such as fight, flight, or flee. In other words, when we don’t feel safe, there is a natural instinct to protect ourselves. We wrote more about this in a previous blog here. When experiencing ongoing chronic pain, this can also cause more symptoms of imbalance and undesirable conditions within the Soma. 

In Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) we turn these conditions around by unwinding from muscular tension and pain. And when exploring the Somatic Movement Flows, muscles can return to their optimal length in a resting position; therefore, “log jams” of energy from contracted muscles are released. When the log jam is released, the body’s energy is freed and redirected to boost the immune system.  

In GSY, the “energy” we are referring to is also called Prana. Prana enters our Soma at the moment of conception. It is literally life force energy that supports us to grow and keep us vital and healthy. It is a mysterious force that is always functioning without us thinking about it.

When the body doesn’t feel threatened by pain, the body’s energy is freed up so that Prana can do what it is designed to do, which is to heal the body’s imbalances and to keep it strong. 

Another great benefit from this turnaround is that when we come out of the vicious cycle of pain, we start to feel more open and safe.  From this undefended state, we return to our natural state of peace and well-being.  This invites optimism and joyful experiences to return.

Want to learn how to do this?

Please join us in real-time to practice Gentle Somatic Yoga® and connect with our international Somatic Wellness community. Somatic Sanctuary™ is an ongoing monthly 2-hour LIVESTREAM Somatic Movement Workshop Series 

Click the link below to learn more about this experiential Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) workshop monthly livestream event: 

Learn more or register here!

To receive a FREE 30-minute home practice, click here. 

The post Somatic Movement Flow®: Around the Clock appeared first on Gentle Somatic Yoga.

As this year winds to a close, I felt inspired to share a Somatic Movement Flow® with you that helps support letting go of the past and welcoming in the new for your wellbeing.  The Flow is called The Rainbow, which feels powerfully appropriate as we welcome a new year together. 

In nature, the Rainbow is created when light returns after a storm.  It’s no doubt that we have collectively experienced turbulent and uncertain times together in 2020.  And so, the Rainbow holds a promise, which is that light will always return after stormy times.  

For more self-care videos like this please visit Somatic Wellness TV gentlesomaticyoga.com/somatic-wellness-tv/

As you practice this Somatic Movement, your arm swoops through the air as if tracing a rainbow.  As you do this, I invite you to imagine it clearing away all of the things in your life that no longer serve you.  And when you reverse the arc, visualize receiving things that make your soul shine.  You deserve it!

Physically, the Rainbow Flow also supports letting go of stiffness and tension in your neck, shoulders, and upper back.  With a focus on pandiculation rather than stretching, this flow helps reprogram your muscles that result in increased flexibility, strength, and an overall feeling of peace and well-being. What a wonderful way to welcome a new year together!

How it works for overall wellbeing…

Pandiculation 

Pandiculation is achieved by the mindful choice to engage a specific muscle group with an anatomical focus. Once the muscle group is sufficiently loaded, we use the body’s weight in combination with the natural force of gravity as information for how to slowly and smoothly disengage the same muscle group. 

Once this muscle group has reached its fullest range of motion without pain or strain, then we release all muscular effort before moving onto the next repetition. This conscious process helps to re-pattern and strengthen the brain-to-muscle connection so that we can regain voluntary control of our physiology (self-healing). It also resets the muscle to a longer and more optimal length when it is in a resting position. Thus, a person maintains better flexibility, strength, and coordination. This type of movement promotes overall wellbeing for your body (soma).

Read more about Pandiculation in this previous blog post!

Aura/Energy Field

In GSY ,we intend to clear and expand our human energy field (aura). This, in turn, informs our physical body to be vibrant and healthy, thus supporting our overall well-being. Disease and inflammation cause the aura to be weak and smaller. Through the movements and meditations in Gentle Somatic Yoga and Wellness, the aura expands and gets bigger. 

FUN FACT: Auras can be seen!

Auras, the energetic field that surrounds all living things, can be seen by a fascinating process called Kirlian photography.

What is that?

Kirlian photography was created when Russian electrical engineer Semyon Kirlian and his wife Valentina developed Kirlian photography after observing a patient in Krasnodar Hospital who was receiving medical treatment from a high-frequency electrical generator. They had noticed that when the electrodes were brought near the patient’s skin, there was a glow similar to that of a neon discharge tube.

The Kirlians conducted experiments in which photographic film was placed on top of a conducting plate, and another conductor was attached to a hand, a leaf or other plant material. The conductors were energized by a high-frequency high-voltage power source, producing photographic images typically showing a silhouette of the object surrounded by an aura of light.

In 1958, the Kirlians reported the results of their experiments for the first time. Their work was virtually unknown until 1970, when two Americans, Lynn Schroeder and Sheila Ostrander, published a book, Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain. High-voltage electrophotography soon became known to the general public as Kirlian photography. Although little interest was generated among Western scientists, Russians held a conference on the subject in 1972 at Kazakh State University.“

Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirlian_photography

”Each atom, and everything on the planet is surrounded by its own energy field known as The Torus. This self-sustaining, balanced dynamic energy flow process is the base for everything powerful on the planet, consisting of a single axis and two vortices. Energy passes through one vortex, along the center of the axis, out the other vortex, wraps back around the circumference, and renews by passing through the original vortex. 

This shape can be clearly seen in some of nature’s most powerful creations: the tornado, the whirlpool, the black hole, magnetic fields, energy fields around planets and the sun, etc. It is also found around each living organism, such as people and plants.” (https://monatomic-orme.com/about-orme/torus-energy-field/)

.

Image courtesy of Mag Benedicte (2013)

In GSY’s Level 2 Course: The Journey Continues, students learn about the Energy Body and emotions and how they tie into Somatics.  This process brings vitality and well-being to your mind, body, and spirit (Soma).

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Click HERE.

Blessings for a renewed timeframe,  

James Knight

Founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga® | Somatic Wellness™ 

P.S. Check out this recent interview with Jeff Krisman of ONEConsciousness Deep Conversations Podcast, where I was asked some of the most provocative questions that no one has ever asked me before.  It evoked transparent sharing about spirituality, unity consciousness and of course, Gentle Somatic Yoga and Somatic Wellness!  

You can watch the video here or listen to the podcast here.

To receive a FREE 30-minute home practice, click here. 

The post Somatic Movement Flow®: The Rainbow appeared first on Gentle Somatic Yoga.

With the spirit of gift giving in a way that I can contribute back to the collective I have a new Flow for you to explore. 

For more self-care videos like this, please visit Somatic Wellness TV gentlesomaticyoga.com/somatic-wellness-tv/

Last week’s newsletter included a Somatic Movement Flow® for the lower back, hip, and legs. I’d like to share another with you that covers this part of the body in a different way. 

The Somatic Movement in the video above can help those of us who sit for lengths of time, like the desk worker, and it can be especially useful to people who are standing on their feet all day. A huge thank you to service workers: retail, hospital and healthcare, and food service to name a few. This Flow can help relieve the pain in the lower back and hips that comes with the pressure of standing or sitting too long.

This is also for people who like to walk, hike, run or bike, as this is an excellent sequence to improve performance and strength. 

This Somatic Movement Flow, called the Somatic TFL and Psoas Release, will reset the inner and outer thigh muscles to their optimal length in a resting position. This means you gain flexibility, strength and range of motion.

How it works…

The key benefit of this Flow is the release of tightness in the TFL (tensor fasciae latae), the IT (iliotibial) Band, and the Psoas muscle.

What are these muscles, and why are they important?

The tensor fasciae latae muscle group helps to stabilize the hip in extension and assists the gluteus maximus during hip extension.

The psoas is the primary muscle group that connects the upper body to the lower body. Its function is a major contributor to flexion of the hip joint and plays an essential role in helping us to walk. The psoas also affects posture and stabilizes the spine. Most people in the modern world have tight psoas muscles. This can cause a multitude of problems, such as chronic low back pain, poor posture, constipation, leg length discrepancy, internal or external leg rotation, and sciatica.

The iliotibial band (IT band) is a long piece of connective tissue, or fascia, that runs along the outside of your leg from the hip to the knee and shinbone. This band helps to extend and rotate the hip. It works with the quadriceps (front thigh muscles) to provide stability to the outside of the knee joint during movement. 
 

Please enjoy practicing this Somatic Movement Flow and enjoy the immediate benefits of release. Click here for tips and guidelines to ensure long-lasting results.

Enjoy!

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Click HERE.

To new traditions and counting our blessings,

James Knight, Founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga & Wellness

Please join us in real-time to practice Gentle Somatic Yoga® and connect with our international Somatic Wellness community. Somatic Sanctuary™ is an ongoing monthly 2-hour LIVESTREAM Somatic Movement Workshop Series 

To receive a FREE 30-minute home practice, click here. 

The post Somatic Movement Flow®: Somatic TFL and Psoas Release appeared first on Gentle Somatic Yoga.

This is a new endeavor for me to remain consistent in offering you videos and discounts that allow you to learn more about self-care and healing your body, teaching others how to heal theirs or teaching others to teach their clients and students.

And as I promised, I have a new Somatic Movement self-care video for you and a new promotion. Keep reading to learn more.

For more self-care videos like this, please visit Somatic Wellness TV gentlesomaticyoga.com/somatic-wellness-tv/

The video this week is called “Swimming Frog,” and the anatomical focus is the legs, hips, and lower back. This is the perfect self-care sequence to help you improve strength, flexibility, and coordination for those who enjoy walking, hiking, biking, and/or hiking. Also, for those of you who have, or have had at some point, sciatica, this is a good one for you to reverse those symptoms, along with the intent to change the pattern once and for all. 

You might be surprised how quickly you will feel results with this Somatic Movement Flow. The good news is that the more you practice, the more you’ll enjoy the long-term benefits. It takes, on average, 21 days of practice to fully repattern your brain-to-muscle connection to return your muscles to their most optimal length (flexibility!) in a resting position. 

How it works…

In Gentle Somatic Yoga®, instead of focusing on stretching, we pandiculate. 

What is the difference?

Stretching involves deliberately extending our muscles and tendons to feel their elasticity. Oftentimes, this action is held in a static position for a period of time. For most people, that can feel somewhat uncomfortable and at the same time pleasurable. A common collective belief comes to mind: “No pain, no gain”. 

The negative part of stretching can come if we don’t pay attention to our body’s message that enough is enough. Many people hold a stretch too long, and what they don’t know is that if the body feels in danger of injury (on an unconscious or conscious level), it could stimulate a physiological response to stress called the “stretch reflex”. 

Reflex implies that the body reacts quickly in response to the threat of danger and recoils instinctively to protect itself. Thank goodness we have this reflex because it keeps our body safe. Think about if your hand gets too close to fire. Without thinking, your body will respond and move away quickly so it won’t get burned. We don’t need to “think” about it. It’s a natural reflex. 

By the way, this is a very primitive aspect of our nervous system and actually doesn’t occur in our brain, but rather in our spinal cord. 

The Art Of Pandiculation, on the other hand, is very different from stretching. Instead of a static experience of holding the body in a specific shapes for extended periods of time, we move in and out of shapes intentionally. 

Pandiculation is the main technique and hallmark of Gentle Somatic Yoga and makes it unique compared to other popular styles of yoga.

Pandiculation involves three phases: 

1. Choose an anatomical focus, for example, the hamstrings. With this focus, mindfully engage this muscle group… but just long enough so that you can feel the muscles contracting. From here, pause and let yourself embody the sensations that emerge. 
2. From this place of internal awareness, consciously disengage and slowly lengthen this muscle group to its fullest range of motion without pain or strain. In other words, come to your “edge” without moving into a typical stretch. Sometimes the body will be in a stretch, but in Gentle Somatic Yoga (GSY) we intend not to hold this position for longer than 3 seconds. Why? To avoid triggering the Stretch Reflex. 
3. Then, MINDFULLY release all muscular effort. In GSY, it is important to build this internal awareness of choice points and feel it from the inside/out. This is called interoception and is actually the definition of Somatics. Somatics is a term that Thomas Hanna coined when developing Hanna Somatics. 
4. Pause for a few moments and repeat instructions #1-4 for several repetitions. This process engages the sensory motor cortex, and this is the process that repatterns the brain-to-muscle connection. The end result is that muscles release stress and tension naturally. The muscles return to their optimal length in a resting position. Good news… this new length of muscle fibers and connective tissues affirms flexibility, strength, and vitality throughout the Soma. Best part: the results can be long-lasting if practiced regularly. 

Animals employ pandiculation instinctively as preparation for movement. You might be able to witness this in your own pets as they wake from a nap and move their limbs. Adults are the only ones who change from pandiculation to stretching based on popular ideas about exercise. 

The Swimming Frog Flow highlights:

• The muscles in the hip to knee, called hip flexors, 
  • the quadriceps in the front of the thigh 
  • and the hamstrings in the back of the thigh
  • IT band
  • Tensor Fascia Latae (TFL)

• The muscles in the lower leg
  • Gastrocnemius
  • Soleus
  • Plantaris

The most common complaints involve the hamstrings and lower back, which in turn can affect other muscle groups close to them, creating a cascading effect. The other muscle groups that have been “recruited”  learn to compensate for the tight or injured muscles and leading to overall pain and stiffness.

Swimming Frog allows you to learn how to pandiculate the muscles in the areas mentioned above to help address a list of symptoms, including sciatica,  pelvic floor disorder, tightness of psoas, neuropathy, and/or hip flexor tightness (the inability to sit comfortably on the floor cross-legged comfortably). Add this to your self-care routine and see a difference the more you use it!

See our Tips and Guidelines to enhance your success.

Enjoy!

If you have any additional questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Click HERE.

Blessings on a joyful, stress-free holiday season,

James Knight, Founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga & Wellness

To receive a FREE 30-minute home practice, click here. 

The post Somatic Movement Flow®: Swimming Frog appeared first on Gentle Somatic Yoga.

You can watch and practice all Flows at once, or explore them one at a time at your convenience. The anatomical focus continues to build on previous videos I’ve shared: neck, shoulders, and upper back. 

For those that like to understand, from a scientific and practical level, how/why Gentle Somatic Yoga & Wellness® is highly effective and unique compared to other styles of yoga might also enjoy further explanations found in this video. I’ll also provide more details in this week’s blog. You can find it on our website under blogs here. 

For more self-help videos like this please visit Somatic Wellness TV gentlesomaticyoga.com/somatic-wellness-tv/

How it works…

The video above shows how to self-correct from poor posture from being sedentary, which many of us who work from home or due to today’s pandemic, now work from home. 

Sitting, even for short amounts of time, causes compression on the spine. And, when the body maintains the same shape the muscles in the front body can remain contracted, even when you think you are relaxed. 

Consider this:

Next time you are standing in line at a store look at the people near you and look at their posture.  You might notice that many people have their head and shoulders forward and down (haunched). Interestingly, most people are not even aware of this, let alone know how to change it. 

In our blog from a few weeks ago, Foot Sliders, we talked about fascia. Fascia is what our entire body is encased in:  fibrous tissue that functions as the biological fabric that keeps our muscles, organs, and joints all together. When your body is inactive or experiences stress ongoingly, the fascia can become stiff and sticky.  As a result, this contributes to the body becoming less flexible and mobile. 

Go here to read more https://www.gentlesomaticyoga.com/somatic-foot-sliders/

So why am I mentioning this? 

Because it is important to consciously move our body everyday for a  variety of reasons. And, the ones I’m going to share with you in this blog are the most important for this flow.

• Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. These changes range from individual neurons making renewed connections strengthening the brain-to-muscle connection. 

• Plasticity

Every time you learn something, neural circuits are altered in your brain. These circuits are composed of a number of neurons (nerve cells) that communicate with one another through special junctions called synapses.

When you learn something new, it is actually these synapses whose efficiency increases, thus facilitating the passage of nerve impulses along a particular circuit.

• Posture

The way gravity moves through the body is an unconscious experience. When we sit for too long with our head, bones, and ligaments not properly aligned, our muscles work against gravity.  In other words some muscle groups become overly engaged intending to keep the body upright and can stay contracted even when the body changes position. This reflex is called sensory motor amnesia. 

• Sensory motor amnesia

Sensory Motor Amnesia is the root cause of most chronic muscular pain and misaligned posture. It is when the brain has lost the ability to relax tight, contracted muscles that are in effect functioning on “cruise control”.

With Sensory Motor Amnesia we temporarily loose voluntary control of specific muscle groups. When this happens the muscles stay contracted despite our best efforts to relax them. 

How do you reverse Amnesia? 

In Gentle Somatic Yoga and Wellness, the Somatic Movements are designed to assist in unwinding from unconscious habits, creating new neural pathways,  and increasing neuroplasticity. 

Through these practices, you can retrain the brain to notice (sensory) how to move – or not move.   From here you can make the decision to mindfully contact chronically tight or contracted/frozen muscles and instruct them about how to release or “unwind” (motor). We do this through practicing therapeutic corrective exercises called Somatic Movement Flows. Through slow and mindful movement, your pain and stiffness can be erased and new neural pathways in the brain will keep it this way.

See our Tips and Guidelines to enhance your success.

Enjoy!

In Radiant Health,

James Knight, Founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga and Somatic Wellness

To receive a FREE 30-minute home practice, click here. 

The post Somatic Movement Flow®: How to Correct Poor Posture | Celtic Cross, Somatic Neck Release and Looking Over Shoulder appeared first on Gentle Somatic Yoga.

This week’s Somatic Movement Flow® is called ‘Nodding Yes with Self Massage variations’. It will guide you into innovative ways to dissolve tension in this part of your body. You’ll notice I modified this Flow for the chair with hopes that you can practice this anywhere: on the plane, at your desk, or while watching a movie on the couch 😊.

As mentioned above, this Flow can be especially helpful to prevent or manage headaches. Be sure not to “overdo it” by pressing too hard with your fingers, or staying in a stretch too long (not more than 3 seconds!). Move in a way that feels good and nourishing to your body!

For more self-help videos like this, please visit Somatic Wellness TV gentlesomaticyoga.com/somatic-wellness-tv/

Did you know…

Tension headaches affect about 1.6 billion people (21.8% of the population) followed by migraine headaches, which affect about 848 million people worldwide every year! 

Although there can be many causes of headaches and migraines, Gentle Somatic Yoga® may be able to help prevent, diminish, or abort this unpleasant experience.

From a body (soma) level, anything you can do to lessen muscle tension in the face, scalp, neck, shoulders, and upper back, can significantly help headaches and promote overall relaxation. Included in this blog is a self-care video above that you can try on your own and experience the benefits.  

More things to ponder: 

If you would enjoy learning more about this subject, I thought it could be helpful to review the human nervous system, specifically alpha brainwaves and the parasympathetic nervous system because understanding this might inspire more ways to learn for self-correction. In Gentle Somatic Yoga®, the practitioner is not only repatterning muscles to a more optimum length (flexibility), he/she is also mindfully retraining the nervous system. This is done specifically through the art of interoception, breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation. 

In review of the brainwave states: 

Beta brainwave dominant: happens during our normal waking state when attention is directed towards cognitive tasks like engaging in problem solving, judgment, decision making, or focused mental activity. Emotionally this state can be provoked by worrying and/or, feeling defensive.

Alpha brainwave dominant: happens when one is more in a calm, neutral, and receptive state of acceptance. This is more of a “witness” state where one can observe without reacting…. Emotionally, this state can be enhanced by being relaxed, trusting, and peaceful…

Theta brainwave dominant: happens when one is daydreaming… or just about to fall asleep and there is a vague awareness of images and symbols within the mind’s eye… this is the intriguing space between the conscious and the subconscious worlds… Emotionally, this state is achieved when one is not “trying”… it happens when we are super relaxed and drifting with our consciousness… allowing enjoyable/pleasant feelings to arise without thinking about anything in particular…

Delta brainwave dominant: happens when one has entered deep sleep. Most people are not aware of this state. However, there are practices/skills that one can foster to enter this state consciously. Those include: Gentle Somatic Yoga® when we are in longer Body Scans/Savasana, biofeedback, and yoga nidra. 

In review of the nervous system: 

When we are in a Sympathetic Nervous System dominant state, we are triggered into the stressful reflex to fight, freeze, or flee. This is due to the perception that our life is in danger (real or not). 

When we are in a Parasympathetic Nervous System dominant state, we feel safe, calm, and receptive to learn something new. Also, when in this state, we avoid overworking/overdoing, and by doing so we restore the body (soma) into optimal states of health and wellbeing. This is the preferable state, and a natural byproduct, when practicing Gentle Somatic Yoga®. It ensures long-lasting beneficial results! 

Remember, the beneficial effects are cumulative; the more you practice. 

See our Tips and Guidelines to enhance your success.

Enjoy!

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Click HERE.

Wishing you a joy-filled and stress-free holiday season!

James Knight, Founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga & Wellness

To receive a FREE 30-minute home practice, click here. 

The post Holiday Somatic Movement Flow®: Nodding Yes with Self Massage appeared first on Gentle Somatic Yoga.

How does this work? 

In this blog, let’s discuss how and why most people find “miraculous” immediate results in this Somatic Movement Flow!

First, an interesting fact… Did you know that Americans spend more than $50 billion a year on back pain? Back pain can be caused by a variety of problems, including injury to muscles attached to the vertebral column. And, unfortunately, many traditional modalities (prescription medicine, surgeries, and gadgets to name a few) used to treat this condition offer temporary relief to the symptoms but the pain eventually comes back.

In Gentle Somatic Yoga & Wellness, we teach you how to reverse these conditions by going to the root of the cause of chronic pain/stiffness and repattern the brain-to-muscle connection for beneficial, long-lasting results.

Next, highlighting some anatomy involved in this Flow: the erector spinae is a group of muscles that work together to extend the vertebral column and thus maintain good posture. The muscles are stimulated by the spinal nerves. Many of these muscles are small and susceptible to injury. This is compounded when muscles are tight and compress the nerves that pass through the spinal cord. This can lead to chronic pain, and this can affect emotional equilibrium. 

One of the unique aspects of this Somatic Movement Flow® is that participants are invited to isolate and articulate the muscles surrounding each vertebrate. The brain loves this challenge because slow, smooth, and mindful movements can release deep stress-holding patterns held within muscles and repattern them back to their optimal length. In layman’s terms, this means that you gain flexibility and mobility of the spine.

In conclusion, remember, the beneficial effects are cumulative the more you practice. Also, you can easily explore this Somatic Movement sitting in a chair.

See our Tips and Guidelines to enhance your success.

Enjoy!

If you have any additional questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Click HERE.

May the Holiday Season of 2020 bring happiness and joy to you and your loved ones.

James Knight, Founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga & Wellness

To receive a FREE 30-minute home practice, click here. 

The post Somatic Movement Flow® : Beads on a Necklace appeared first on Gentle Somatic Yoga.