A breakthrough that changed everything

A story on how somatic yoga can help release trauma and lead to transformative insights.

In this post, Jill shares personal stories on how somatic yoga aids in trauma release and transformation, encouraging self-love and body awareness.

Let me start by saying, I am definitely not a therapist, nor is this post about curing, or even trying to prove anything about somatic yoga. Rather, I’d like to share my perspectives and stories on what I’ve noticed teaching yoga and just living life.

Also, it’s important to know that trauma affects everyone differently. Without going into deep trauma theory, I think we can all agree that we’ve experienced trauma in some form – I’m sure many times in our lives.

Even in watching our pets.

Shake it off

Anyone else now have that song stuck in your head? You’re welcome Swifties.

Last week, I went to the lake and took our dog, Mala ( yes, like a mala bead – hence her nickname – which has also evolved to MalaPeed from her puppy training days) aaaaanyways…. 

While we were at Lake of the Woods, during evening time, when the lake is much more still, and the locals are fishing. My dog, Mala, could swim for hours just to chase ducks. Also, knowing the anglers around me wouldn’t be super happy about scaring their fish away, I held her down until she was calm and the duck swam off.

As soon as she was released, she shook off. Yes, she was wet, yes, it was getting a little chilly, but the shake was definitely to release her buildup of energy that I suppressed by holding her down.

I did not hold her out of anger, frustration, or any kind of negative energy. Yet, she still had to shake.

How many times in our lives would it have been helpful for YOU to shake? And not even necessarily because of something “negative“. And also, it might be slightly awkward for me just to suddenly start shaking my body, throwing my arms around, jumping up and down, and whatever else in a public place.

Thankfully as humans, we are gifted other ways of processing stuck emotions in the body.

Obviously, I’m a little biased towards yoga and all the practices that surround it. I have seen it support myself and my students in tremendous ways.

Somatic Transformation

One more story.

Years back, I had a student who was {probably} skeptical if yoga could help her, hesitant if her body could even move that way, and yet, she still committed to come. After just a few weeks of consistent practice, she shared with me that in one of the classes, she had a realization and a knowing that she needed to leave an abusive relationship.

I don’t remember how long after it was, but she shared with me if it works for yoga, she probably would still be in that relationship. And how grateful she was.

I haven’t seen her in a while. And that’s totally OK. Because sometimes the yoga practice ebbs and flows in our own lives. Sometimes we get busy and life is beautiful. And sometimes we feel overwhelmed and sad as if nothing can pull us out of our suffering.

But what I’ve noticed for myself, that even in moments when I don’t feel like teaching, and when I walk into the room feeling like “f***” — I teach the medicine that I also need. And many times, those in my class need the same medicine.

It was her experience that started stirring a new way of teaching. A deeper somatic and embodied way to practice and move.

So I’m here to share with you that yoga might be the medicine you need right now. But it also doesn’t have to be just “yoga” of calisthenics.

What is Somatic Yoga

The yoga we teach here at Asana, is the yoga of the mind, body, and soul. It’s about feeling the shifts in your own body that awakens aspects of your life that bring you closer to your own truth – something no one else can give you. You have to feel it yourself as a somatic yoga experience.

Somatic Yoga – the way I teach it – is being fully immersed in your body. Not what the person next to you is doing – although that can be fun and inspiring too. It’s about remembering the divine being that you are and holding yourself as sacred – even when you don’t really feel like it.

Even when you’re speeding through town to make it to class on time and feel more stressed when you arrived than you were earlier – the practice drops you into a deeper place.

Have you noticed when you’re stressed, overwhelmed, and have a giant to-do list that nothing gets done in a way that feels nourishing. Even if you just spent the whole day checking that list off. And then you stub your toe, loose your keys, and get major acid reflux after barely eating anything?

That’s because you weren’t embodied – in your body. You were everywhere else in your mind to get that shit done.

How do you feel after days like those? Probably not great. And then we complain we don’t have time for yoga.

But, how do you feel after a class that connects you to your heart? Brings you out of the anxious feelings? Grounds you into the slowness of nature’s rhythms?

Don’t expect some big “aha” everytime you come to class. But do expect nothing to be the same.

What would it be like?

But what if you were to commit to a consistent practice of some somatic movement that connects you to you?

If you could waive a magic wand, what would you wish a somatic practice could do for you? 

What, then, could transpire into real life? 

Simply by loving yourself. 

Because that’s truly what yoga reminds us to do.

To love you.

And that’s what I’m here to do. To help you remember. Remember that you are love. To remind you to love you.

Would you like to try yoga {again}?

Yoga can be as challenging or gentle as you want it to be. We have classes for those seeking to sweat it out {like Awakening Flow + Yogilates} to help bring clarity in life. We have classes that drop you in deeper to your heart, stillness and embodied movements {like Luminous Flow}. And we have classes that are somewhere in between all that {like Sol Flow}. Check out our class descriptions here.

If it’s been a while since you’ve tried yoga, it might be time to come back, again. I’m different. You’re different. The practice will also feel different. Come my dear friend. I miss you.

You can book a class right here. I’d love to give you a hug, if you’re open to receive it.

Somatic Healing Flow

Transformation can happen in any yoga class where your soul is ready. But a one-on-one session opens up space to process, unwind and be held more intimately (into me I see) so that you can step into your life more lovingly and clearly. Book a private session with Jill here.