Yoga at the Centre

Horsham Yoga Body Language of Somatics

We learn to access the body's natural language by welcoming the stillpoint, the peace that is the epicentre of turmoil and chaos as it manifests in body, mind and in our life..

Yoga takes us on a journey through the heart and into the spine, the central nervous system of our own personal body, our organism.

When listening to the body there are several foundational basics. Each one may be experienced separately at first, then we begin to notice how they are all inextricably intereweaved and interdependent one upon another to make a seamless whole.

Pandiculare

A somatic approach of awareness of welcoming the whole body as sensation, thru the sympathetic nervous system and into the senses, the parasympathetic nervous system. Pandiculare is a verb, it means to yawn, so pandiculation is the process of a full body yawn. We all know how satisfying it is when anticipating a yawn. To experience the pause between and during the yawn as it is happening and the pleasure of sustained stillness, like hovering or suspension of the breath.

Pandiculation is a way of teaching the brain to let go of control so the muscles may lengthen and relax. Unlike stretching that causes the muscles to shorten and tighten which causes muscles to bulk, restricting flexibility, long muscles increases flexibility, as well as ranges of mobility and agility. The result is an mprovement in interoception and proprioception both at the ame time as well as a stillpoint to open to meditation.

Interoception

Interoception draws the mind into the stillness within. Within the stillness we connect more directly with our own body, how it feels and what we may be thinking and how both may be related. This switches conciousness from the ego state, the busy doer with the to do list, to the reflective witness state of noticing, or being present to each moment.

Interoception allows us to feel the body from wthin and at the same time invites us to listen to the language of the body so we may understand how the body and mind work together.

Proprioception

Pandiculation allows full activation of our proprioceptive system. It connects us directly to the felt sense of being in a body. And most importantly, not only allows us to be more consciously aware of feeling how the body moves so we may naturally aticulate and adjust movements appropriately in each moment.

Proprioceptipn is what allows us to feel all the movements of the mind, a well as in the body allowing us to relate to our own organism a a whole, both in relation to our surroundings and to connect more deeply to our inner nature and the world around allowing us to feel safe, strong and energised.

Fascia

Physically, it is the Fascia that allows the muscles, bones, ligaments, glands and internal organs, not only to support and maintain the form the shape of the skeleton, but also to keep all the soft tissue, cells and nerves in place so the body may function as a single unit with many parts, each one dependent on each of the others.

Fascia is the most sensitive organ in the body. There is no greater way to connect to living in a body, as a whole person, than being aware of the function of fascia and to directly experience how it feels when the body finds expression in yoga.

Fascia is a water based system, and it is the water in our bodies that allow the layers of fascia to slide and glide against each other. This makes movement possible. And it is why it is important to remain hydrated. It is because fascia works much slower than muscle that it can take time for the body as well as the mind to adapt to change, eg from the knocks in life including injury, surgery or abuse , or any shock to the nervous system. And it takes time to recover, restore and renew from changes, sometimes over a long time, due to the mechanics of the body and posture posture from aging, inflammation etc.

All classes at Horsham Yoga adopt these principles to better understand The Listening Body. This is a compassionate approach and one that is suitable for every body, whether sitting in a chair, standing, sitting on the floor or lying down on a yoga mat or even in bed.

If you wish to know or experience more about The Listening Body with Somatics, try any one of Kathryn's 60 min classes or 90 min classes

1815-1945 Monday Tythe Barn, Pondtail Road, Horsham, RH12 5EZ

1100-1230 Tuesday Friends Meeting House, Worthing Road, Horsham RH12 1SL

Contact Kathryn

Resources: Special thanks to Peter Appel, Movingness, for his undying curiosity, devotion to practice and his generosity and service of sharing his wisdom to inspire others