Exercises
Somatic exercises and somatic yoga, slowly
Somatic exercises are slow, gentle movements done with close attention to how they feel from the inside. The word somatics was popularised by the philosopher Thomas Hanna in the 1970s. A typical move tightens a muscle group slowly, then lets it go even more slowly, often lying on the floor. Somatic yoga brings that slow, inward attention into yoga shapes.
Somatic exercises are slow, small movements done with your full attention on how they feel from the inside. You move at a fraction of normal speed, notice what changes, and rest between each one. The aim is awareness, not effort or stretch.
This page explains where the idea comes from, how somatic yoga relates to it, and six simple floor exercises in the somatic style. They take about fifteen minutes and need only a mat.
What does somatic mean?
Soma is Greek for body. In this sense it means the body as you sense it yourself, from the inside, rather than the body as someone else sees it from the outside. Somatic practices are the ones built around that inner sensing.
The American philosopher Thomas Hanna popularised the word somatics in the 1970s. He studied with Moshe Feldenkrais, whose Feldenkrais Method also uses slow, attentive movement, and later developed his own approach, now usually called Hanna Somatic Education. His 1988 book Somatics set out a short series of floor exercises and the idea he called sensory-motor amnesia: that habits of holding can become so familiar that we stop sensing them. Today the word somatics is used broadly for several methods, including the Feldenkrais Method and the Alexander Technique.
What is somatic yoga?
Somatic yoga brings that slow, inward attention into yoga. Shapes are entered and left very slowly, the breath stays easy, and the teacher asks you to notice sensation rather than reach a position. It sits close to the quiet, interior side of yoga, the same attention used in a body scan meditation.
Is somatic exercise safe?
For most people, yes, because the movements are small and slow. See a doctor or physiotherapist first if you have back or neck pain, a recent injury or surgery, or numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms or legs. Stop anything that causes sharp pain.
Somatic exercise is a movement practice, not a treatment or a therapy. It is often marketed with big promises; this page makes none. If you are working through trauma, anxiety or another mental health concern, speak to a licensed mental health professional.
How do you do somatic exercises?
Most somatic exercises follow the same rhythm: tighten a group of muscles slowly, about halfway, then let go even more slowly than you tightened, and rest completely before the next rep. Hanna called this kind of slow contract-and-release movement pandiculation, after the natural stretch-yawn of waking up. Use about a third of your strength and three or four slow reps of each.
Six somatic exercises to try
- Arrive, 2 minutes. Lie on your back with the knees bent and feet flat, arms by your sides. Notice which parts of the back touch the floor and which do not. This is your starting map.
- Arch and flatten, 4 slow reps. Breathing in, gently arch the lower back a little away from the floor, tilting the pelvis. Breathing out, slowly flatten the lower back towards the floor. Make the release slower than the arch. Rest for a breath between reps.
- Arch and curl, 4 slow reps. Interlace the fingers behind the head. Arch the back gently as before, then, breathing out, flatten the back and slowly curl the head and shoulders a little off the floor, elbows forward. Lower down even more slowly than you came up, and rest.
- Side bend lying down, 3 slow reps each side. With the knees bent, slowly draw the right hip a little towards the right armpit, shortening the right waist, then let it lengthen back very slowly. Keep the movement small. Switch sides.
- Slow knee drops, 4 each way. Knees bent and together, let them tip slowly to the right, only as far as is easy, then bring them back at half that speed. Repeat to the left. It is a slow cousin of the Supine Twist.
- Slow Cat-Cow, 5 rounds. On hands and knees, move from arching to rounding the spine at a third of your usual speed, sensing each segment move. The Cat-Cow page shows the shape; here, slowness is the whole exercise.
Finish lying on your back in Savasana for a few minutes and compare how the back meets the floor with how it felt at the start.
Common mistakes
- Going too fast. If you cannot feel the details, slow down by half.
- Using too much effort. Light effort makes the subtle changes easier to sense.
- Skipping the rest. The pause between reps is part of the exercise.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: do only the arrive, arch and flatten and knee drops, with a folded blanket under the head.
Harder: make every rep slower, add a few seconds of rest, or close the eyes so you rely more on sensing.
Where do somatic exercises fit in a yoga practice?
Pair them with the slow joint work in mobility exercises, the guided rest of yoga nidra, or the small, careful movements of the gentle neck exercises with chin tucks.
Questions
Who was Thomas Hanna?
Thomas Hanna was an American philosopher who wrote about the body and movement and brought the word somatics into wide use from the 1970s. He studied with Moshe Feldenkrais and later developed his own approach, now usually called Hanna Somatic Education. His 1988 book Somatics introduced the floor exercises to a general audience.
Is somatic yoga the same as Yin or restorative yoga?
Not quite. Yin holds still shapes for minutes, and restorative yoga rests the body on props. Somatic yoga keeps moving, very slowly, and puts the attention on sensing each small movement from the inside. A class can borrow from all three, so ask the teacher what to expect.
Can somatic exercises help with trauma or anxiety?
Somatic exercises are a movement practice, not a therapy, and this page makes no claims about trauma or mental health. Some people find slow movement calming. If you are dealing with trauma, anxiety or panic, a licensed mental health professional is the right first step, and they can tell you whether body-based work suits you.