Soma Yoga Institute: Somatic Movement Training for Yoga Teachers

This course is for yoga teachers who want to skillfully incorporate somatic movements into their classes or teach full-length somatics classes, and for students of yoga who want to use these tools in private practice or with clients. Some yoga experience is assumed. Because it awards Yoga Alliance CE credits, it is most relevant to teachers already holding a credential.

The curriculum opens with the health benefits and current scientific research behind somatic movement, then moves into therapeutic adaptations and sequences for specific musculoskeletal issues including back pain, shoulder issues, chronic neck tension, hip and knee issues, scoliosis, and trauma. You will study neuroception, interoception, exteroception, and proprioception, and learn how the nervous system shapes habitual patterns in the body.

A core thread is the anatomy of trauma and how to unwind traumatic reflex patterns, alongside sensory motor amnesia and the technique of pandiculation. The course covers functional anatomy and biomechanics for common musculoskeletal issues, and explores somatics applications for unwinding imbalanced patterns along the myofascial lines of the body. The final sections focus on teaching skill development, including how to cue, voice tone, and rhythm for quality delivery, plus practice principles, guidelines, and practice-teach opportunities.

The course is led by Liz Heffernan, MA, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, founder and director of Soma Yoga Institute. She is a certified Yoga Therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapists and brings over 24 years of yoga teaching experience, combining in-depth anatomy and biomechanically informed alignment with practical therapeutic wisdom. She also serves as faculty-mentor for the Kripalu School of Integrative Yoga Therapy.

The format is self-paced online with lifetime access to the material. Content is delivered through video, slides, lectures, prerecorded practices, and homework assignments designed for direct application in your classes. The course is structured as a four-week program with roughly three to four hours of content and practice each week, but students can move through it at their own pace. An online practice library includes full-length somatics classes and videos of each exercise individually with cue sheets.

The curriculum opens with the health benefits and current scientific research behind somatic movement, then moves into therapeutic adaptations and sequences for specific musculoskeletal issues including back pain, shoulder issues, chronic neck tension, hip and knee issues, scoliosis, and trauma. You will study neuroception, interoception, exteroception, and proprioception, and learn how the nervous system shapes habitual patterns in the body.

A core thread is the anatomy of trauma and how to unwind traumatic reflex patterns, alongside sensory motor amnesia and the technique of pandiculation. The course covers functional anatomy and biomechanics for common musculoskeletal issues, and explores somatics applications for unwinding imbalanced patterns along the myofascial lines of the body. The final sections focus on teaching skill development, including how to cue, voice tone, and rhythm for quality delivery, plus practice principles, guidelines, and practice-teach opportunities.