How to Teach Somatic Yoga: A Practical Guide for Instructors

Adding somatic techniques into my teaching has been one of the most rewarding parts of my teaching journey.

Not because it increased revenue or brought me new clients, but because seeing the messages from my students on how my somatic classes led to profound shifts in their lives truly fills my cup. It shows me that my life’s work is making a difference. That I’m helping people heal.

As a fellow healer I’m sure you want that for your clients and students too. If you’re looking to deepen your knowledge of somatic healing and incorporate it more with your teaching, keep reading, I’ve got all the details.

What Is Somatic Yoga?

Somatic yoga is a mindful movement practice that focuses on body awareness to release tension, improve mobility, and restore the mind-body connection. It combines gentle movements, breathwork, and meditation to help you sense and move your body more consciously. 

You might be thinking, “But Brett, yoga IS a somatic practice”. And while yes, you’d be correct that somatic just means “of the body” and therefore yoga itself is a somatic practice; I’d argue that somatic yoga is actually a little different. In traditional yoga you’re often repeating the same poses in each sequence. Granted they may be in a different order or there might be slight adjustments but they’re still the same repetitive moves. Traditional yoga also focuses more on the external alignment of your body, and rightfully so. You don’t want you or your students to hurt themselves. Somatic yoga is a bit different.

Somatic practices emphasize internal sensations over external alignment. When you take a somatic approach to yoga you focus on non-habitual movements and movements you’d find in nature like spirals, waves, or shaking. It’s not trying to calm the mind, rather turn it off and get you fully feeling into your body. Do you see the difference? 

When you come back into your body fully you can finally close the loop on the stress cycles that have you feeling out of sorts and you feel more centered and aligned.

Experience My Somatic Yoga Workshop (usually $67) FREE!👇

Benefits Of Teaching Somatic Yoga

I could go on and on about somatic yoga benefits, from neuroplasticity to increased relaxation. I love this practice. But while teaching somatic yoga offers numerous benefits for your students, it has benefits for teachers too:

Benefits For Teachers

• Accessible for all levels: As teachers and healers we often want to help as many people as we can. And while I definitely think you should niche down as much as possible, somatic yoga is accessible for most everyone. The gentle, mindful approach of somatic yoga makes it suitable for beginners, seniors, and those with physical limitations.
• Trauma-informed healing: Being a trauma informed teacher is becoming increasingly important these days. Somatic practices are known to help with individuals suffering from trauma. These trauma informed techniques help individuals process emotions stored in the body. Teaching yoga somatically means teaching from a trauma informed space.
• Improved teaching adaptability: The fact that this type of movement is accessible to all levels means you, as a teacher, can tailor sequences to meet the needs of diverse demographics, from athletes to those recovering from injury. Not only that but incorporating the more intuitive aspect of this movement style allows you to bring more creativity into your sequences if you so desire.

Benefits For Students

• Deep stress relief: Somatic techniques help release chronic tension and stress through mindful movement. This has been shown to lower cortisol levels and promote relaxation. It’s even been shown to help heal trauma in those suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).
• Enhanced body awareness: Somatic yoga sequences encourage students to develop a deeper connection with their physical sensations. This fosters greater self-regulation and emotional balance, leading to personal transformation and trauma healing.
• Pain relief: A lot of students may come to yoga because they are dealing with chronic pain. Somatic therapy can help with postural imbalances and misalignment within the body which helps to reduce pain.

When you experience these benefits in your own body you’ll definitely want to add somatic healing to your teaching skills. 

Who Somatic Yoga Is For

Somatic practices appeal to a diverse range of students seeking relief from physical tension, emotional overwhelm, or simply looking for a deeper understanding and connection to their bodies. This includes: 

• Stress-prone individuals: Professionals and caregivers dealing with high-stress environments often turn to somatic yoga for relaxation and mindfulness.
• Trauma survivors: Those working through emotional or physical trauma find it beneficial for its gentle, non-triggering movements that focus on safety and body awareness.
• Seniors or individuals with mobility issues: Its accessible, low-impact techniques make it ideal for those with limited flexibility or chronic pain.
• Athletes and active individuals: Somatic yoga complements rigorous physical training by improving body awareness, preventing injuries, and enhancing recovery.
• Mental health seekers: People dealing with anxiety, depression, or emotional dysregulation often use somatic yoga as a therapeutic tool to release stored emotions and ground themselves.

As a yoga teacher you are also a business owner. One of the most important parts of business is figuring out who you are marketing to. That means discovering your ideal client and your yoga niche. Offering somatic yoga creates opportunities for you to cater to niche markets like trauma recovery programs, senior wellness, and corporate stress-relief initiatives. Addressing the specific needs of underserved communities while fostering meaningful transformation through yoga and somatic work is a beautiful way to stand out as a yoga teacher. I encourage you to start thinking about who exactly you want to bring this healing practice to.

How To Teach Somatic Yoga

The first step to teaching somatic yoga is understanding its core principles and techniques. You want to create a nurturing environment for self-awareness and healing. Whether you’re teaching in person or filming online classes, here is how to teach somatic yoga.

Get To Know A Few Somatic Yoga Techniques

Somatic yoga techniques focus on slow, mindful movements that enhance body awareness, release tension, and retrain the nervous system. These various mindfulness practices may include somatic experiencing techniques, somatic shaking, micro-movements, breathwork, and guided visualization. Although you want to start out slow, somatic movements can also be a workout. Check out one of my favorite somatic workouts:

Use A Pre-Made Somatic Yoga Sequence

A typical sequence might include gentle movements like pelvic tilts, cat-cow variations, and side bends. (See my blog post about creating somatic yoga sequences.) Focus on flowing transitions and encourage students to move at their own pace, tuning into how each movement feels in their body. This is especially important when teaching somatic yoga to beginners. A pre-made sequence is one that’s already written up and ready to teach. This can help give you a solid foundation when honing your somatic teaching skills. You can get my done-for-you somatic sequences, for free, to get you started.

Somatic Principles To Center Classes Around

Emphasize body awareness, non-judgment, and the exploration of sensation. Encourage students to focus inward and honor their unique experience rather than achieving a specific posture. Ask them to let their bodies guide them in where to move next, to feel into where emotion is stored in the body and explore how it wants to move. Incorporate movements that work with the somatic principles of exteroception, interoception, and proprioception:

• Exteroception – The external sensations of the body: external temperature, fabric, the mat, etc.
• Interoception – The internal sensations of the body: muscle tension, heart rate, how you are breathing in this moment.
• Proprioception – How the body moves in space: is one side more mobile than the other, how is your balance, etc.

Consider Somatic Yoga Certification

While certification in somatic yoga or a related field is beneficial, many yoga instructors integrate somatic principles into their classes without formal credentials. That said, I’d encourage you to take professional training so that you fully understand the concepts and how to incorporate them. Whether you want to incorporate somatic healing into life coaching, yoga therapy, yoga teaching, or another healing modality you’re already working with; it’s a good idea to take formal training. If you’re blending concepts you want to ensure they align with your existing expertise.

For example, if you want to become a somatic exercise instructor, then you’ll want to look for specialized training programs in somatic yoga or somatic movement therapy which often cover anatomy, trauma-informed practices, and teaching methodologies.

Take my feminine energy quiz to get a recommended practice for balancing YOUR feminine energy 👇

Choosing A Somatic Yoga Training Course

Selecting the right somatic yoga training course requires careful consideration of your goals, teaching style, and desired expertise. Look for programs that offer a strong foundation in somatic principles, such as body awareness, nervous system regulation, and trauma-informed practices. Prioritize courses led by experienced instructors with credentials in somatics or related fields, and ensure the program includes both theoretical knowledge and practical application. 

Things you may want to ask yourself when looking for a professional training:

• Do you have lifetime access to the training modules?
• Does the training cover the emotional bodies as well as the physical systems(enteric nervous system/sympathetic nervous system, etc.)
• Is the training accredited/certified with certain governing bodies(Yoga Alliance, American Council on Exercise, National Academy of Sports Medicine, clinical organizations, etc.)
• Does it offer continuing education credits?

You’ll likely also want to consider the course format—online, in-person, or hybrid—to match your schedule and learning preferences. It’s also important to read reviews, testimonials, and sample materials to confirm the course aligns with your values and teaching aspirations.

Common Questions

What Equipment Is Needed For Somatic Yoga?

This is a practice rooted in the mind/body connection. So really, all you need is your own body. However, it never hurts to provide yoga mats, bolsters, blankets, and blocks to ensure comfort and support for your students. An open, quiet space enhances the calming atmosphere.

What Training Do You Need To Be A Somatic Therapist?

Just like a certified yoga therapist is different from a yoga teacher or coach(learn how in this article on how to become a yoga therapist), a somatic therapist is different from a coach or teacher. Becoming a somatic therapist typically requires advanced degrees and certification in somatic therapy, which includes training in psychology, bodywork, and trauma-informed care. Ensure you meet any licensing requirements for your region if working in therapeutic settings. If you’re wanting to incorporate somatic principles into your teaching or coaching you can look at certification programs like my Somatic Yoga Training or Embodied Life Coaching Certification.

I know this sounds like a lot, but incorporating somatic movement into your personal practice and teaching does not need to be complicated. If you find the right training that works for you, you’ll gain the knowledge base and skills you need to start teaching yoga through a somatic lens right away.

Closing Thoughts

From healing trauma to just trying to improve emotional well-being, somatic healing can be a transformative journey for you and your students. Teaching somatics gives you a whole new tool in helping your students to release the holding patterns that may be keeping them stuck and heal. Consider where you want to go as a teacher or therapist and research which programs may work best for you. I hope to see you in one of mine!