Each month we’ll bring you a note from one of our therapists. It might be something they’re reading, learning or just something they want to share.
This month’s note is from Pam Steinick, owner of Therapeutic SomaYoga Services:
Pam currently offers her Therapeutic SomaYoga services inside our Core West Des Moines location. Pam is a certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) and has been an Occupational Therapist for 30+ years. In her new space, she offers private SomaYoga sessions along with group classes. She is also part of the faculty with Yoga North and is finishing the first 200 hour Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Training this April (and will be starting another cohort in October of 2022!). SomaYoga is a blend of breathwork, classic yoga poses, and Somatics.
Somatics is neuromuscular retraining and focuses on rebalancing the deep core muscles from imbalances that we have developed over time from accidents and injuries, everyday stressors, even emotions. Somatics looks at the neuromuscular system and reflex patterns rather than the symptoms, and teaches you how to release muscles that have been in chronic tension or tightness and how to connect with muscles that you aren’t necessarily using to their fullest ability!
Along with Somatics, breathwork is fundamental in SomaYoga. The breath is an amazing tool that affects all of our body systems, AND we have a lot of control over it, we just need to pay attention to it! Most of us today are over breathing. SomaYoga teaches you tools to return to what we think of as our “essential breath” or more like the breath we are born with. Both of these are really awareness practices, and take repetition, but are not physically difficult. In fact, they help to calm the nervous system and use it more efficiently. As you find a better “resting” pattern with your breath and your posture, you then start to work on the poses, which is really bringing in functional movement, to retrain your movement for your daily activities and the things you love to do in a way that doesn’t cause you pain. Pam likes to say “it’s not just THAT you move, but HOW you move.”
If you’re interested in learning more about Therapeutic SomaYoga, contact Pam at Pam@athasomayoga.com.