How To Create Mindful Somatic Yoga Sequences Your Students Will Love

As yoga teachers, I know you want to give your students yoga classes that leave them feeling great in their minds and their bodies. I know this because I want the same thing for my students!!

Making your yoga classes more somatic is a great way to encourage your students to deepen their mind-body connection. To get them to tap into the intuitive cues of their body and allow them to heal. Leaving them feeling a sense of ease and clarity.

If you’re wondering how to build a sequence with somatic exercises, I’m here to help 😉.

What Is The Somatic Approach To Yoga?

The somatic approach to yoga emphasizes slow, mindful and gentle movements for heightened body awareness to retrain the nervous system, release chronic tension, and improve overall emotional well-being. Unlike traditional yoga, which often focuses on external alignment and poses, the somatic approach prioritizes internal sensations and the body’s natural ability to heal and adjust.

This more somatic approach to yoga is a powerful way to create a deep awareness between mind and body, fostering holistic healing. Through mindful movement, it encourages you to move away from rigid structures. It asks you to instead listen and take intentional movements with your body, allowing for a more intuitive and personalized yoga practice throughout. A somatic practice is particularly valuable if you are recovering from injury, managing chronic pain, or seeking a more meditative and restorative yoga experience.

Additionally, somatic movement is accessible to all, regardless of age or fitness level. It invites a compassionate, non-judgmental exploration of the body, promoting self-acceptance and a deeper sense of inner peace. By focusing on the body’s internal cues, it offers a path to greater self-awareness and lasting transformation 😍😍.

What is the difference between somatic yoga and regular yoga?

The primary difference between somatic yoga and regular yoga lies in their focus and approach. Somatic yoga emphasizes slow, mindful movements and internal body awareness to re-educate the nervous system, release chronic tension, and enhance overall well-being. It prioritizes how the body feels from within rather than achieving perfect external alignment in poses. “Regular yoga”, on the other hand, often focuses more on structured poses (asanas), alignment, and physical flexibility, with an emphasis on flowing through sequences or holding postures.

Modern yoga focuses on moving energy up and out of the body, while a somatic yoga practice asks you to bring your full awareness back into the body.

While regular yoga can be more physically demanding and externally oriented, somatic yoga is gentle and introspective. Somatic yoga encourages a deep connection with the body’s internal sensations, leading to a more personalized and therapeutic practice, whereas regular yoga typically follows established poses and sequences.

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Somatic Principles

As a yoga teacher you’re probably thinking of different ways to make your yoga classes more somatic. I love this! In order to do this, it’s important to first understand some of the principles of somatic movement:

Emotion equals sensation

Each emotion can be felt in your body. Somatic healing principles ask you to fully feel the sensations of your emotions. To stop pushing them aside and repressing and fully feel them in your body.

Proprioception, interoception, and exteroception

These are the different forms of awareness you can hold with your physical body: internal body awareness(interoception), external awareness of the world around you(exteroception) and awareness of how your body moves in space(proprioception).

Body-mind connection/integration

Somatic exercises focus not only on deepening the connection between the body and mind but also on re-educating your brain on how your body moves through space. It asks you to consciously recognize, without judgment, how your muscles are feeling and how they are moving.

Somatic awareness

This is the concept of being able to recognize and listen to your body’s internal cues.

Bodyset

Often known as somatic markers, but I prefer the term bodyset, ask you to pay attention to the positioning of your body in certain situations, especially decision making situations.

Body wisdom

There is an innate wisdom of your body; when you tune in to your body’s internal cues, rather than the external, you tap into this wisdom in order to restore balance in both the mind and body.

There are more somatic release techniques and principles of somatic experiencing but I think these are a great start for you, as a yoga teacher, to consider when incorporating somatics into your practices and teaching.

Benefits of Somatic Practices

Now that you know the principles you’re probably wondering why you’d want to practice somatic yoga yourself or with your students. I have an entire post on somatic yoga benefits, but here is a short list of how this mindful approach to subtle movements can benefit you:

Neuroplasticity: creates new neural pathways so that you do things differently.

Improves posture: you can correct poor posture from sitting hunched over a desk all day.

Sensory motor amnesia correction: sensory motor amnesia is when you can no longer sense or feel into certain areas of the body or muscle groups. Somatic yoga poses as well as other somatic practices help bring your awareness back into these areas.

Increased mind body connection: you’ll gain a greater awareness of what is happening in your body and how to tend to yourself accordingly.

Energy release: somatic yoga poses allow emotions and any stuck energy to fully move through and release.

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How To Build A Somatic Yoga Sequence

Building a somatic yoga sequence involves focusing on gentle, mindful movements that can address specific ailments or problem areas. 

I want to give you options! So I’ll go through different types of sequences and what somatic movements can be incorporated. As a seasoned yoga teacher you should be able to take it from there. Basically, you can use these as a jumping off point. Even if you already practice yoga regularly and have some somatic training under your belt, these mini outlines can help you develop a yoga class your students will love.

Keep in mind that when creating a somatic yoga sequence, it’s essential to focus on slow, mindful movements that connect the mind and body. The goal is to create a sense of ease and awareness while addressing specific needs such as anxiety, weight loss, or trauma. Here’s how to tailor sequences for different purposes with suggested movements:

Somatic Yoga Sequence for Stress Relief

This is a great opportunity to teach somatic yoga for beginners. You can explore and incorporate some easy somatic movements and exercises that are accessible to most everyone:

• Somatic Breathing exercises to calm the nervous system.
• Rock and sway: can be done in most yoga poses, gently rock or sway the upper or lower body depending on position. This is very soothing to the nervous system. 
• Spinal Rolls: from a forward fold, seated or standing, slowly undulate the spine up and down in a wavelike motion. 
• Body Scan Meditation: similar to a yoga nidra, to deepen relaxation.

This GENTLE SOMATIC YOGA is a great example of using movement that feels comfortable to regulate your nervous system.

Somatic Yoga Sequence for Lower Back Pain

Sequences for low back pain are always super popular. Make your low back centered classes somatic by adding these movements:

• Gentle Pelvic Rocks: Inhale press the seat into the ground as the back arches very slightly, exhale and you scoop the pelvis forward pressing your back into the mat. This helps to mobilize the lower back.
• Supine Hip Circles: to release tension in the hips bring students into a low bridge pose and let them circle the hips one direction and then the other.
• Knee-to-Chest Pose: This is great for spinal decompression but you can add somatic exploration by encouraging a gentle rock or incorporating touch.

Somatic Yoga Sequence for Improved Mobility

Mobility classes are another really popular option for students. I love adding moves like these into a somatic yoga class for mobility:

• Arm and Shoulder Circles: to increase upper body flexibility, slowly circle one arm at a time or both. Go one direction and then the other.
• Hip Rolls: can be done in most positions, just simply add some gentle hips rolls one direction and then the other. 
• Somatic Cat-Cow: Play with hand and knee placement, lean into one side and then the other. Or add in hip rolls here too. Cat-cow is one of the best moves to play with in a somatic class.
• Standing Somatic Sway for full-body integration. One hand on belly, one hand on heart and gently sway side to side.

Somatic Yoga Sequence for Anxiety

When creating a sequence for anxiety you want to focus on grounding and calming the nervous system. Maybe doing something entirely on the floor. Incorporating some of these moves:

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Check in with different areas of the body, consciously clenching and then relaxing them.
• Supine Pelvic Tilts: Slowly rock the pelvis to release tension in the lower back.
• Somatic Child’s Pose: Rest in Child’s Pose while gently swaying side to side or using your hands to incorporate touch/massage.
• Gentle Neck Rolls: Move the neck in slow circles to release built-up tension.

Somatic Yoga Sequence for Weight Loss

You might be surprised at how effective somatic yoga for weight loss can be. When you incorporate mindful movements that engage the whole body you can really see results:

• Somatic Cat-Cow: Focus on moving the spine fluidly to increase flexibility and engage the core.
• Somatic Sun Salutations: Move slowly through modified Sun Salutations, paying attention to how each movement feels.
• Standing Somatic Twists: Twist gently from the waist, emphasizing the connection between the core and the limbs.
• Slow Somatic Lunges: Transition mindfully into lunges, feeling the engagement of your legs and core. Add some rocking motions.

Somatic Yoga Sequence for Trauma Release

When building a somatic yoga for trauma sequence you want to emphasize safety, grounding, and releasing stored tension. 

• Grounding Breaths: Deep and slow, focusing on the connection to the earth. 
• Somatic Shaking is great for trauma release: Gently shake the body, allowing tension to dissipate. Start with one leg, then the other and work your way through the whole body.
• Reclined Butterfly Pose: Lie back with the soles of your feet together, breathing into the hips to release stored emotions.
• Supported Child’s Pose: Rest in Child’s Pose with support, allowing the body to fully relax and feel safe.

In each posture, move with intention and listen to your body’s signals, adjusting the practice as needed to maintain a sense of ease and connection.

Closing Thoughts

If you find yourself loving somatic yoga benefits not just for yourself but for your students too, you might want to consider learning about somatic coaching. You can either work with a somatic coach or become one yourself! I actually have a really great Somatic Yoga Training Certification specifically to help you do that!