Great ready to release the inner expectations that you hold yourself up to in this somatic yoga flow. Designed to heal chakra blocks and foster inner confidence, this practice integrates intuitive movement, mindful breathing, and playful exploration to balance your energy centers.
Unlike traditional yoga, somatic movement encourages freedom and self-expression, allowing you to move in ways that feel good while releasing tension and stagnant energy keeping you in the same repetitive patterns of doubt, anxiety, and overthinking.
Somatic Movement Practice
Make this practice your own! You get to choose how big, small, soft, or strong each movement feels. While some somatic practices are more serious to help move through emotions, I invite you to have FUN with this one!
Standing Warm-Up: Bounce and Shake
Start standing with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Let your arms hang loosely by your sides and invite a soft bend in your knees.
Settle into the space around you by taking a few deep breaths. You might place one or both hands on your heart, belly, or ribs, or let your arms rest naturally by your sides.
Begin bouncing gently through your knees, allowing your joints to stay soft. Let this movement evolve, maybe your arms sway as your weight shifts side to side, or you widen your stance.
If it feels good, start to swing your arms around your torso like a child twisting playfully from side to side. If you’d like, add a backstroke motion, tossing one arm back at a time to open the shoulders and chest.
No movement is wrong, trust that what you’re doing is just what you need!
Energetic Clearing
Come to stand at the top of your mat. Inhale, reach your arms toward the sky, hooking your thumbs and spreading your fingers wide.
Exhale, bend your knees and fold forward, allowing your fingertips to trace down as if you’re painting the space in front of you.
Inhale, rise back up, keeping your thumbs hooked. Option to invite in a gentle backbend, squeezing your glutes to protect the lower back. Exhale, hinge at the hips and fold forward again, surrendering into the movement.
Repeat a few more times, imagining you are clearing and opening your energetic space.
Downward Facing Dog and Rocking Lunge
From forward fold, step back into downward facing dog. Explore subtle movements in your down dog by wiggling your hips and rolling your spine like a wave.
Lift your right leg high and shake it out, as weird as it may feel! Then, bend your right knee and draw big circles, allowing your hip to fully open. Step your right foot forward to the outside of your right hand, keeping your back knee lifted into a lunge.
Rock gently forward and back, shifting onto your left toes before pressing your left heel back. Notice the stretch through the front of the left hip and the back of the right leg.
Standing Splits and Yogi Squat
Walk your hands forward as you shift your weight onto your right foot, lifting your left toes toward the sky into standing splits. Roll your left ankle, spread and curl your toes, or try “flointing” your foot (pointing the foot but flexing the toes like a Barbie doll foot).
Extend your left leg out wide and lower it to the ground, stepping to the outer edge of your mat. Heel-toe your right foot wider, dropping your sit bones into yogi squat (malasana).
Bring your hands to your heart center, gently pressing your elbows against your inner thighs. Option to stay here or round through your spine, walking your hands forward and spreading your shoulder blades wide.
Try a lion’s breath here to open the throat chakra and your self-expression. Inhale deeply, then exhale forcefully, sticking out your tongue.
When you’re ready, lift your hips and heel-toe your feet back to hip-width distance, returning to forward fold.
Puppet Arms
Slowly roll up to standing and gently bounce as you come upright. Extend your left hand high and bend deeply into your left knee, stretching through your side body. Switch sides, reaching your right hand high and bending into your right knee.
Allow your top wrist to go limp, letting the hand flop naturally. This playful movement is called puppet arms, a somatic way to release tension in the shoulders and side body.
On an inhale, reach both arms to the sky, then exhale to fold forward and step back into downward dog. Repeat the sequence on the left side, moving through the rocking lunge, standing splits and yogi squat.
Sufi Grinds
Come to sit cross-legged on the mat, with the option to sit on a block or cushion. Begin sufi grinds, circling your torso forward, right, back, and left in a circular motion, letting the circles be as small or big as you like.
Are you craving bigger, faster movements or smaller, slower ones? Change directions and allow your intuition to guide you.
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Come to stillness and bring your right hand to your face, using your peace fingers (first and second fingers) to touch your third eye.
- Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale deeply through your left nostril.
- Close your left nostril with your fourth finger, pause briefly, then open the right nostril and exhale.
- Inhale through your right nostril, close it, pause, then exhale through the left nostril.
Repeat this balancing breathwork for several rounds. You just moved a lot of energy, this Pranayama exercise helps to integrate and restore balance between your left and right energy channels.
When you’re ready, release the Pranayama and rest your hands on your thighs, taking a few moments to rest before returning to your day.
What’s next?
- Interested in the chakras? It’s a great place to start or continue your healing journey.
- Make somatic yoga a part of your daily routine!
- Try my other somatic yoga classes for free by subscribing on YouTube!