In our current approach to Somatic Yoga, we more and more engage with the subtle, the small, and those dimensions that were previously imperceptible. This subtlety is not merely about refining movement but about refining perception itself. When we shift our awareness towards what has been overlooked, we open the door to transformations that ripple outward, shaping not only how we move but also how we experience ourselves in our world.
for me, a powerful visual metaphor for this approach is the mandala. In a mandala, the outer rings are broad and expansive, while the inner rings become progressively smaller and smaller all the way into the centre. By going closer to the centre you can discover that it is here that a subtle shift in one of the more internal rings can create profound changes in the ring that are arranged around it. This simple yet powerful metaphor also represents the nature of change within the body—a small, seemingly minor internal adjustment can create potent cascades of transformation throughout the entire system. It is by focusing in on these finer-tuned layers of our somatic experience that we can enable major global shifts to emerge naturally effortlessly. Distinctly different than if we attempt to force large, unwieldy modifications from the outside.
Contributing to Growth Rather Than Causing It
This understanding also informs our approach to teaching and assisting. Instead of positioning ourselves as the direct cause of transformation in our students and trainees, we recognise that our role is subtler—yet more powerful. We recognise that we are not causing, we are contributing to changes happening. By contributing to their development rather than trying to impose change, we honour their own innate capacity for learning and self-organisation. Within a system organised on the principles of contribution – a well-placed suggestion, a soft invitation to notice, or a slight shift in the focusing of attention can be far more impactful than lengthy overt instruction. By focusing on contribution – we become catalysts and facilitators to unique unfolding processes than can transcend what we previously considered possible.
The Power of Small Daily Adjustments
Returning to the principle of subtlety – this can extend far beyond the classroom and into the very way change unfolds over time. Imagine taking a transformation and extending it across 100 days – in doing so allowing for small, 1% adjustments to occur each day. This gradual approach will actually enable a 100% change over time, but it will do so without the strain and resistance that sudden, dramatic shifts can produce. When we allow for these incremental shifts, adaptation becomes organic, supported, and deeply integrated. This methodology aligns with how the nervous system learns best—through consistent, progressive engagement rather than overwhelming leaps.
Doing Less to Perceive More
In Somatic Yoga, slowing down and reducing effort are not about doing less for the sake of achieiving total stillness—rather it is about opening space for greater perception. When we do less, our neural networks are freed from unnecessary activity, allowing them to receive more refined and nuanced sensory information. The action of reducing down enables change that is effective, efficient, and elegant. Each micro-adjustment becomes a bridge to the next, forming a progression of unfolding refinements rather than a forced imposition of new patterns.
Tuning Into Signal and Reducing Noise
One of the core insights of Somatic Yoga is the relationship between signal and noise. In a world where we are conditioned to amplify effort and push for results, the subtle signals of the nervous system often get lost in the noise of excessive action. By reducing unnecessary movement and simplifying our engagements, we create space for the more refined signals to emerge. This allows the neurophysiological system to receive the exact information that supports alignment with more nuanced, finessed actions—enabling movement choices that are both precise and deeply congruent with our true authentic design.
A Path of Elegance and Refinement
Through this lens, Somatic Yoga becomes an art of attunement. It is a process of perceiving what was previously unseen, unheard, unfelt, engaging with what was previously imperceptible, thereby allowing change to emerge as an elegant progression of subtle graduated refinements. The quieter we become, the more we can hear. The less we force, the more we allow. And in this allowance, transformation unfolds—not as something imposed, but as something recieved – something that reveals itself to us.
Join Us for new Somatic Yoga classes online
Coming up from February 24th we have a plethora of Somatic offerings including new Somatic Breathing, Yoga and Dance sessions. Click here for more information and or to book your place.
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