The biggest difference between somatic yoga and regular yoga is where your attention goes. In regular yoga, you’re typically focused on external alignment — “Am I in the pose correctly?” In somatic yoga, the focus shifts inward — “What am I feeling in my body right now?” Both are valuable. But they create very different experiences and outcomes.

What Regular Yoga Emphasizes

When most people say “yoga,” they mean styles like vinyasa, Hatha, or power yoga. These classes focus on physical postures, alignment, strength, flexibility, and often a good workout. The teacher cues specific shapes, you try to match them, and you might use props to get there. The nervous system benefits are a wonderful side effect — but they’re not the primary focus.

Regular yoga tends to work from the outside in: correct the shape, and the internal experience will follow.

What Somatic Yoga Emphasizes

Somatic yoga flips the approach. Instead of achieving a shape, you’re tuning into sensation. Instead of pushing deeper, you’re often moving slower and smaller. The practice works directly with the nervous system — helping you release chronic tension patterns, process stored emotions, and build a deeper relationship with your body’s signals.

Somatic yoga works from the inside out: listen to the body first, and let the movement follow. For a deeper explanation, check out our complete guide on what somatic yoga is.

Three Models of Somatic Healing

There’s more than one approach within somatic yoga. Here are three frameworks that inform how I teach:

Thomas Hanna’s somatics — focuses on sensory-motor amnesia (areas of the body that have “forgotten” how to move freely) and uses slow, mindful movements called pandiculations to retrain the brain-body connection
Trauma-informed somatic approaches — draws from the work of Peter Levine, Bessel van der Kolk, and others to help the body discharge stored stress and trauma through gentle movement, breath, and awareness
Polyvagal-informed practices — works with the vagus nerve and your body’s autonomic states (fight/flight/freeze/fawn) to support nervous system regulation

All three share a common thread: the body holds wisdom, and your job is to listen — not override.

When to Choose Each

Regular yoga might be right for you if: You want a physical challenge, enjoy the flow of movement, are building strength or flexibility, or love the community energy of a group class.

Somatic yoga might be right for you if: You deal with chronic pain or tension, feel disconnected from your body, carry stress or trauma, or find that regular yoga sometimes leaves you feeling more activated (rather than calmer).

Can You Combine Both?

Yes — and this is actually my favorite approach. You can bring somatic awareness into any yoga class by simply shifting your attention inward. Notice what you feel, not just what you do. Move at the pace your nervous system wants, not the pace the teacher dictates. Use the poses as containers for sensation rather than achievements to nail. ✨

If somatic yoga is speaking to you, our somatic yoga certification teaches you how to integrate these principles into your practice and your teaching — whether you’re brand new or a seasoned yoga teacher.