Are you feeling stuck and sluggish, uninspired or disconnected from your true self? In this insightful interview, renowned yoga therapist and somatic movement educator James Knight shares how the practice of Gentle Somatic Yoga can help you release deeply held tension, ease chronic pain, and reconnect you with your innate vitality and joy.
Somatic movement is a type of movement that reconnects us with the fullness of our being, James explains. It focuses on movement from the inside out guided by what we are feeling, rather than meeting a specific fitness goal. It’s a way to reconnect our emotional body to our physical body.
James is a leading voice in the integration of yoga and somatic movement. In this free talk, he discusses how he got started on the journey into somatic yoga and became a leading guide in empowering a more conscious experience of the intimate connection between mind, body and spirit.
How did it all get started? James shares his own journey from feeling lost as a high-fashion model to discovering the unique value of somatic movement-inspired yoga and the deep inner transformation, peace and purpose that followed.
He studied for many years with Eleanor Crisswell, a leading teacher of Hanna Somatic Education. This in turn led to the formulation of Gentle Somatic Yoga as he integrated this work with his love of yoga.
Unlike many yoga styles that focus on stretching and strengthening muscles, Gentle Somatic Yoga works with the nervous system to release long-held patterns of tension and pain.
“We have these reflexes to pain, these defense structures and armoring we develop to survive,” James explains. “What I found using the Hanna Somatic Education is that when we can release and re-pattern our muscles, hydrate our fascia, and learn to self-regulate our nervous system, then our natural state of peace and well-being arises.”
A key principle of Gentle Somatic Yoga is that our authentic self is always present, but it can get buried under layers of stress, trauma, and unconscious holding. By gently unwinding these patterns and creating more space in the body, “the creativity of the heart, the wisdom of the heart, the wisdom of the gut naturally arises because there’s more space for it now,” says James. “It’s a process of remembering, not achieving. We can actually become wiser because we can listen to our body’s messages and respond to them.”
Whether you’re completely new to yoga or have a regular practice, Gentle Somatic Yoga offers accessible tools to release pain, improve posture, calm your nervous system, and rediscover your body’s natural intelligence.
In his 6-week live, interactive online course, James will share the essential practices of Gentle Somatic Yoga, guiding you to “experience it for yourself” and discover how this integrative approach can transform your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being at any age.
Click on Get Access Now to download and learn more.
Also check out James’ course: Awaken the Possible: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Transformation through Gentle Somatic Yoga
