Somatic Yoga & Therapy Norwich
Understand more about a somatic approach to yoga & therapy.
SOMA meaning the living body; somatic practices teach you how to become more attuned to the felt experience within your body and in relationship to your mental, emotional well-being, and external circumstances.
The term “somatic” in relationship to yoga or therapy refers to an approach that emphasises the internal experience of the body and invites you to attune to physical sensations in relation to movement, emotions & energy.
Somatic practices bring awareness to how the body holds emotions, memories & trauma. Through embodied awareness, breath & movement, we can process emotions, transform psychological states and release physical & emotional tension.
I am a qualified and experienced Yoga Teacher & Yoga Therapist.
The latest stage of my development has been training in somatic modalities within the fields of yoga & therapy and is now a huge part of my work, informing my approach in both of these disciplines.
Somatic Yoga
Since qualifying as yoga teacher, I have done over 300HRs advanced teacher training with the school of ‘Authentic Flow’, a leading global yoga school that combines ground-breaking teachings in somatics, science and non-dual tantric philosophy to offer the art of Embodied Yoga. This approach is inspired by the world-renowned therapeutic somatic modality ‘Body-Mind Centering’, developed by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen.
In this approach we explore the body through movement and felt-sense awareness. Classes emphasise sensing, feeling, and moving from subtle-body attunement; learning to tune in to the language and wisdom of the body and release patterns of tension or holding. This style of practice encourages movement and yoga postures /āsana/ to arise from deep awareness of internal sensations, movements, and directions of energy; enabling the body to flow naturally and freely with an emphasis on moving in ways that are true to your own inner rhythms.
In this approach, there is no "perfect" posture or particular focus on alignment; rather, the focus is on listening to your body, trusting its wisdom, and allowing movement to emerge organically. It’s about finding authentic flow — a state where movement, breath, and presence merge into a fluid expression of self.
In my somatic yoga classes, you are encouraged to engage with the body in a playful and spontaneous way. Rather than following rigid alignment sequences or predefined movements, this approach fosters a creative exploration of movement that allows for authentic self-expression to emerge throughout.
"THE MIND IS LIKE THE WIND AND THE BODY LIKE THE SAND: IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW THE WIND IS BLOWING, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE SAND.”
Bonnie Bainbridge-Cohen
Somatic Therapy
Somatic Therapy is a therapeutic approach that uses the body as a gateway to healing emotional and psychological issues. It is based on the understanding that the body and mind are deeply interconnected, and that therefore trauma, stress, and unresolved emotional and psychological tension can be held in the body and manifest as physical and mental illness, chronic pain and chronic health conditions.
In somatic therapy, as an alternative approach to talking therapy, I work with you to help you become aware of how your body might hold onto past experiences and emotions. By integrating elements of mindfulness, yoga, movement, breathwork, and touch, somatic therapy can help release deep layers of tension and emotion, move stuck energy, change unhelpful default patterns, and facilitate emotional processing on the journey towards healing and health.
A somatic approach encourages you to attune to the subtle sensations within your body, helping you to reconnect with the body's innate wisdom and healing capacity.
Somatic therapy is particularly effective for trauma recovery and I have additional training in Somatic Therapy for Trauma with The Embody Lab.
Somatic Release
Somatic release techniques are body-based practices and methods used to release stored stress, trauma, tension, and emotional blockages that have been held in the body, causing dysregulation in the nervous system as the body remains in a state of fight, flight, or freeze, which may result in chronic pain, illness or mental discomfort such as heightened anxiety.
Somatic release aims to bring the body back into a state of balance and relaxation, promoting healing and emotional well-being. Practices may include shaking and repetitive movements using big muscle groups and can serve as a way to help discharge this built-up tension in the body, releasing excess energy and stress that has accumulated in the nervous system.
This process will begin with attuning to the felt-sense of the body through small and subtle movements and gradually increases in intensity as the body begins to release tension. The process helps to regulate the nervous system by shifting the body out of a heightened state of arousal (sympathetic activation) and into a calmer, more relaxed state of safety within the body (parasympathetic activation).
By helping our experiences and emotions move through our system, we are teaching our system a new and healthy way to respond and be in relationship with the daily stresses and challenges of life.
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Marie is an amazing teacher. Through 1-1 sessions, she has enabled me to build a mind-body connection to help overcome a range of difficulties.
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Marie's classes are brilliant and give me a way to reset, reduce anxiety and move in a way that feels right for me.
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Marie’s classes are a wonderfully liberating experience, an opportunity to give the body freedom to speak in a way that feels right and natural.