What Are Somatics? Understanding the Mind-Body Connection

In our fast-paced world, it's easy to treat the body as a machine—something to stretch, strengthen, or "fix." But deeper healing, mobility, and resilience come not through force, but through awareness.

This is the foundation of Somatics: the practice of reclaiming the mind’s control over the body’s movements, patterns, and posture.

The Birth of Somatics

The term "Somatics" was coined by Thomas Hanna, a philosopher and movement educator, who recognized that chronic pain and tension were not merely physical phenomena. They were patterns held within the sensory-motor system—the link between the brain and the muscles.

In his view, many musculoskeletal issues were not caused by structural problems, but by a loss of voluntary control over muscles. Hanna called this phenomenon Sensory-Motor Amnesia (SMA).

When we experience injuries, stress, or repetitive movements, our nervous system adapts—locking muscles into involuntary patterns of tension. Over time, we "forget" how to fully relax or move naturally. This leads to postural distortion, chronic pain, reduced breathing capacity, and emotional stress.

Somatics, then, is the art of remembering. It is the conscious re-education of the nervous system, teaching the body to release habitual tension and restore natural ease.

Pneuma Yoga Method: Reconnecting Breath, Body, and Mind

The Pneuma Yoga Method is a therapeutic program designed to reconnect the mind and body through somatic principles based on Rick Fulton's education at Yoga North International SomaYoga Institute.

By gaining skillful awareness of the sensations within, we can access and transform more subtle patterns—specifically our breathing.

At its core, the Pneuma Yoga Method is based on the fundamental principle that by becoming a better breather, we reshape our entire internal landscape. Through subtle somatic movements, breath awareness, and nervous system regulation practices, students learn to foster an organic, innate breath that more closely resembles our true natural breathing—light, effortless, and sustaining.

Rather than imposing breath techniques from the outside, Pneuma Yoga retrains breath from the inside out—awakening the soma's capacity to breathe itself back into balance.

Why Somatics Matters for Modern Pain, Breathing, and Stress

• Pain Relief: Chronic muscle contraction, when left unchecked, can compress joints, nerves, and connective tissues. By teaching the muscles to release, many chronic pain conditions resolve naturally.

• Improved Breathing: Locked ribcages, compressed diaphragms, and shallow breathing are often linked to sensory-motor amnesia. Breathwork integrated with somatic movement retrains the respiratory system to operate with greater efficiency and calm.

• Stress Regulation: The nervous system cannot distinguish between physical and emotional tension. Somatic awareness, when combined with breath retraining, shifts the system from "fight or flight" to "rest and digest."

• Mobility and Posture: True mobility isn't about forcing flexibility; it's about freeing the brain's ability to move the body. Somatics restores natural movement pathways.

Somatic Movement vs Traditional Exercise

Unlike traditional exercise or even stretching, somatic movement focuses on internal sensation rather than external achievement. It's slow, mindful, and deeply nourishing.

Where exercise may strengthen muscles already caught in compensation patterns, somatic movement seeks to reset the baseline—allowing true strength and freedom to emerge naturally.

A Return to Wholeness

Somatics invites us to live from the inside out. It reminds us that health isn't achieved by "fixing" the body from the outside—it’s reclaimed by waking up the innate intelligence within.

In the Pneuma Yoga Method, every movement, every breath, and every moment of awareness is a step toward reconnecting with that wholeness.

It is a remembering.

It is a homecoming.

"Soma is not a thing, but a process — the living body as experienced from within." — Thomas Hanna

Want to experience somatic yoga? Try a class here: Somatic yoga for mobility and pain

Stay tuned for our next post: A deeper dive into the incredible senses of proprioception, interoception, and nociception — and how they shape our experience of pain, posture, and breath.

To learn more, explore our upcoming classes in the Pneuma Yoga Method at pneuma-yoga.com.

The Power of Somatics: Reclaiming Your Health with Pneuma Yoga

In a world where chronic pain, stress, and tension have become the norm, it's easy to feel disconnected from your body. Many of us have been taught to push through discomfort, ignore fatigue, or rely on external solutions for relief. But what if the key to healing wasn’t outside of you? What if you had the power to retrain your body and mind, restoring ease and vitality from within?

This is where somatics comes in.

What is Somatics?

Somatics is a practice that focuses on retraining the nervous system and restoring natural movement patterns through awareness and gentle, intentional movement. Unlike traditional exercise that often emphasizes strength and flexibility alone, somatics works directly with your brain and muscles to release habitual tension, improve mobility, and enhance overall well-being.

At its core, somatics is about relearning how to move with ease—not by forcing change, but by inviting the body to let go of unconscious patterns that no longer serve us. These patterns can be the result of past injuries, stress, or simply years of repetitive movement and poor posture. Over time, they become deeply ingrained, leading to discomfort, stiffness, and even chronic pain.

Through slow, mindful movements, somatic practices allow you to feel and understand how your body holds tension, providing an opportunity to release it. This process not only improves physical function but also creates a deep sense of relaxation and self-awareness.

The Sovereignty of Somatics

One of the most profound gifts of somatics is sovereignty—the ability to take control of your own healing and well-being.

Instead of depending on outside interventions to “fix” your body, somatic practices put the power back in your hands. You learn to listen to your body’s signals, respond with mindful movement, and develop an intuitive understanding of what you need to feel balanced and whole. This practice cultivates autonomy, confidence, and long-term resilience.

How Somatics Integrates into the Pneuma Yoga Method

At Pneuma Yoga, I integrate somatic principles with breathwork, meditation, and self-reflection to create a holistic approach to healing. This method is designed to not only relieve pain and tension but also to regulate the nervous system, restore optimal breathing, and develop a deeper connection to your own inner intelligence.

Each step of the Pneuma Yoga Method incorporates:

• Somatic Movement: Targeting specific patterns of tension (such as the Red Light stress response) and re-educating the nervous system.

• Breathwork (Kriya Practices): Techniques that enhance nervous system regulation and promote deep relaxation.

• Meditation & Reflection: Cultivating mental clarity, emotional balance, and self-awareness.

• Yogic Principles (Yamas & Niyamas): Applying ancient wisdom to modern life for a well-rounded path to well-being.

By practicing Pneuma Yoga, you develop a sense of mastery over your health, rather than feeling like a passive participant in your wellness journey.

Why Somatics Matters for Your Well-Being

If you’re experiencing chronic pain, stress, or physical discomfort, somatics can be a life-changing practice. It offers a way to: ✅ Reduce muscle tension and pain ✅ Improve posture and mobility ✅ Increase body awareness and coordination ✅ Regulate the nervous system for better stress resilience ✅ Cultivate a sense of ease and relaxation in daily life

The beauty of somatics is that anyone can do it—regardless of age, fitness level, or experience. The movements are gentle yet powerful, and their effects extend far beyond the mat. This practice teaches you how to move smarter, not harder, leading to profound shifts in both body and mind.

Taking the First Step

Your journey to reclaiming your body and well-being begins with awareness. The first step is simply noticing how you move, breathe, and hold tension throughout your day. As you begin to explore somatics, you’ll uncover a new level of freedom—one that allows you to move, breathe, and live with greater ease.

If you’re ready to make a change, to step into a practice that empowers you, Pneuma Yoga is here to guide you. Through somatic movement, breathwork, and self-awareness, you’ll unlock the potential within you to heal, grow, and thrive.

You don’t have to accept pain and discomfort as your reality. The power to transform is already within you—let’s uncover it together.

Breathwork and Somatic Yoga: A Path to Healing and Resilience

Welcome to the Pneuma Yoga blog! This space is where we’ll dive into the transformative practices of somatic yoga, breathwork, and nervous system healing. Whether you're new to these practices or a seasoned practitioner, this blog is here to inspire, guide, and deepen your understanding of healing and growth.

The Healing Power of Breathwork
Breathwork is a powerful tool to regulate the nervous system and create resilience. Many of us unknowingly hold our breath or breathe shallowly, leading to tension, fatigue, and even anxiety. By practicing light, slow, and deep nasal breathing, we allow the body to relax, detoxify, and optimize oxygen exchange.

• What You Can Expect: In future posts, I’ll guide you through specific techniques like nadi shodhana, humming, and power breathing to help you balance energy, calm the mind, and enhance vitality.

• We will explore the importance of breath, and how this simple act can make a tremendous change to your life experience.

• Here is a link to a Pneuma Yoga breath practice:

What Is Somatic Yoga?
Somatic yoga focuses on mindful, slow movements to release tension, improve mobility, and re-educate the nervous system. Unlike traditional yoga, this practice emphasizes interoception (awareness of internal sensations) to help you reconnect with your body on a deep level.

• Somatic movements are key to undoing patterns and habits that cause pain, tension, poor mobility, inflammation, and a dysregulated nervous system.

• Want to feel the difference of a Pneuma Yoga class! Here is link to a somatic yoga practice.

Why Healing in Community Matters
Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. Joining a supportive community amplifies your ability to thrive. At Pneuma Yoga, we’ve seen people not only heal physically but also experience a renewed sense of belonging and purpose through shared practice. Humas are social creatures, join others who are curious about how to feel more connected to themselves and others!

Yoga Philosophy: Living with Purpose and Clarity

• The Koshas: Learn how the five layers of being—body, breath, mind, wisdom, and bliss—work together to create balance and harmony.

• The Kleshas: Learn the five causes of suffering and how we can observe them influencing our life without us even noticing.

• The Yamas & Niyamas: Explore these ethical principles and how they offer guidance for living with integrity, mindfulness, and compassion.

Ayurveda: A Blueprint for Holistic Health

• Understanding the Doshas: Discover how your unique constitution (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha) influences your health, emotions, and energy.

• Understand Ancient Nutritional Wisdom: How to nourish all your tissues and grow a healthy and thriving body & mind by nourishing all your senses and tastes.

• Daily Practices (Dinacharya): Learn simple cleansing and self-care rituals like tongue scraping, oil pulling, and seasonal eating to restore balance.

Personal Story
As someone who has faced significant challenges, including my journey through two devastating battles with cancer and a horrific motorcycle accident. These experiences had a profound effect on my health and my life took a turn for the worst, I suffered my body and my mind for twenty years, struggling to find ways to cope. My days were filled with severe pain, extreme digestive issues, depression, addiction and I had a constant feeling of being lost in life.

I found soma yoga and breathwork at the age of 39 and my life has been in a state of renewal ever since, these practices were truly life-changing. Breathwork and somatic yoga gave me tools to not only heal but thrive. My goal is to share these tools with you, so you can live with greater ease and resilience.

Continueing from here
I am excited to share with you all the practical tips that I have learned throughout my training and in my hunger for continued education and practice. Yoga is my passion and I will continue to practice and grow so that I can share deeper insights to enhance your journey. I look forward to growing together.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts where we’ll break down techniques, share stories of transformation, and provide practical tools to support your journey. Want more? Subscribe to the blog for updates and exclusive content, or join me in person for one-on-one therapy, classes and workshops.

How to Reset your Nervous System

5 Minute Nervous System Reset.

🌿 How to create a calm and relaxed body, breath and mind.

1. Standing Shake (Spondana):
Begin by standing tall and gently shaking out your limbs. This simple movement helps release stagnant energy, awakening your body's innate rhythm.​

2. Somatic Shoulder Release:
Seated comfortably, elevate and release your shoulders with mindful awareness. This movement dissolves built-up tension, especially from prolonged sitting or stress.​

3. Halo Breathing:
Drawing a small circle with your nose, synchronize this motion with your breath. This technique slows respiration, calming the mind and soothing the nervous system.​

4. Somatic Arch and Flatten (Supine):
Lying on your back, gently arch and flatten your lower spine. This movement nurtures spinal flexibility and fosters a sense of grounding.​

5. Somatic Twist:
With knees bent, allow them to drift to one side until the pelvis begins to rotate, turning your head in the opposite direction. This gentle twist massages the spine and encourages detoxification.​

Visual Tip: Include high-quality images or short GIFs demonstrating each movement. Tools like Canva offer customizable yoga templates to create visually appealing graphics.

🌿 The Practice: A Journey Inward

Each movement in this sequence invites the body to soften and the mind to come home. Spondana, or shaking, isn't just a release—it resets the nervous system by loosening muscle holding patterns and inviting lymphatic flow. The shoulder release invites awareness to the places we carry stress without even noticing. Halo breathing is a subtle but powerful doorway to inner stillness, training the breath to flow evenly and lightly. Arch and flatten reconnects the brain with the spine, establishing a safe rhythm through the centerline. Finally, the twist gently wrings out tension while encouraging the spine and breath to harmonize.

🧠 Why It Works: The Science Behind the Serenity

When we engage the body in slow, mindful movement, we activate sensory pathways that speak directly to the brainstem and limbic system—where our emotional and physiological states are regulated. Practices like these gently interrupt the stress loop and bring us into the parasympathetic “rest and digest” state. This reset is especially important for people living with chronic tension or emotional overwhelm. Repetitive, conscious motion paired with breath builds new neurological pathways—meaning, with practice, your body begins to remember calm more easily.

🌌 Turning Inward: The Path to Sovereignty

In somatic yoga, we often say that "awareness is the movement." As we turn our attention away from the noise of the world and toward the quiet rhythm of our breath or the subtle sensation of a shoulder softening, we reclaim space. This is the foundation of pratyahara—the yogic sense of withdrawal—not as avoidance, but as agency. When we practice tuning into our inner world, we learn to pause before reacting, to breathe before bracing, to choose curiosity over contraction. Sovereignty comes from this space: the moment where presence replaces programming.

🌟 Embrace the Practice

This five-minute sequence isn’t just a technique—it’s a declaration. A declaration that your peace is worth cultivating, even in small doses. The more often you return to these movements, the more fluent your body becomes in the language of calm. And each repetition becomes a seed planted—toward resilience, toward presence, toward a life less driven by stress and more guided by awareness. Let this be your moment to pause, breathe, and begin again.

Try the 5 Minute Nervous System Reset:

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.