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Soma Yoga Institute: Somatic Movement Training for Yoga Teachers

Course program

Somatic Movement Training for Yoga Teachers by Soma Yoga Institute is a 15-hour Yoga Alliance continuing education course on integrating somatic movement into a yoga practice. Taught by C-IAYT yoga therapist Liz Heffernan, it introduces slow, brain-led movement patterns that help students relieve chronic pain, calm the nervous system, and build interoceptive awareness.

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.

Graduates earn 15 Yoga Alliance continuing education credits, which can be applied toward maintaining an existing Yoga Alliance registration. Students who wish to receive the CE credits complete a final quiz, with retakes allowed.

Meet your teacher

Liz Heffernan

Liz Heffernan is the founder and director of Soma Yoga Institute. An E-RYT 500 and C-IAYT Yoga Therapist with 25+ years of teaching experience, she specializes in therapeutic alignment, biomechanical safety, and adaptive yoga for all bodies.

Read more about Liz
Liz Heffernan

Host reviews

  • Ellyn Gaughan

    I absolutely love the vibe of working one on one and everything learned in this module made it easy for me to put together sequences for my private client volunteer (who's still coming back for more). The benefit of working one on one is you really get to see results. Every time we meet we check in first and I'm just thrilled with the positive feedback from someone who really needed some positivity in her life.

  • Miriam Marshwood

    Peggy is a superb excellent teacher. Not only is she highly knowledgable and experienced in teaching and training others, she delivers material very well, easy to follow, and uses training tools such as slides and handouts which promotes the efficacy of her teaching. She is pleasant and gladly responds to questions with clarity and completeness. She is a great asset to the SOMA institute. I much love and enjoy her practices.

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