A simple approach to finding a neutral pelvis is to experiment with the anterior and posterior tilting of the pelvis in relationship to the bony landmarks to find the place in the centre.

These landmarks are incredibly useful in bringing awareness to a vital and yet vulnerable part of the body that we often ignore. Even though we spend so much time sitting on our bum, what we do with our pelvis and pelvic floor are often only brought to our attention when we are experiencing pain or discomfort.

From the bony landmarks, we can begin to explore the intrinsic movement of breath within the inner body, in particular the relationship between the ribcage and the pelvis.

Our respiratory diaphragm sits just beneath the ribs. The heart and lungs rest above the respiratory diaphragm, and our internal organs are below this diaphragm. On the other hand (end), the pelvic floor (also a diaphragm) supports the weight of our internal organs, in addition to sexual and elimination functions.

The respiratory diaphragm and the pelvic diaphragm is actually one continuous integrated “being” that modulates our life force! Their ability to move in resonance with each other is important in the healthy and intricate functioning of all our biological processes, such as oxygenation, circulation, motility of organs, digestive and reproductive processes etc.

Creating an embodied awareness on the symbiotic relationship of the intrinsic rhythm of our breath pulsating through the different diaphragms will not only create optimal alignment and ease in the way we move, sit, stand, walk, but also help regulate our nervous system, return us back to health, and cultivate a sense of grounding and safety.

The post The neutral pelvis as an embodiment PROCESS, rather than just a shape or a form appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

There is so much jargon on ‘correctness’ of our postures and alignment in the modern yoga world, where we should place our hands and feet and rotate shoulders and turn pelvis and engage our core to somehow conform to a set of universal rules to make our yoga body Instagram-worthy, or to fulfil some teacher’s perception of what is ‘right’.

But as I delved deeper into understanding my own body, making sense of habits and patterns intrinsic to my genetic make-up, lifestyle and conditioning, I’ve discovered a whole new terrain in uncovering movement patterns that are simply unique blueprints of our being, honouring who we are as individuals, and melding into the universal sentience that is already within our innate consciousness.

As a movement teacher and therapist, I wish to facilitate, encourage, allow, and most importantly, not obstruct the flow of deep, self-manifested movement patterns to rise up from within, creating the space for inquiry, for practitioners to re-discover their own strength, balance and healing – Our moment-to-moment perfect existence, a.k.a. alignment.

“To unleash our life force, maybe even change our course, we can choose to consciously turn towards the brilliance of intelligent life. Unguided, self-movement (which is not directed by anyone) bubbling up from deep within is elemental for becoming integral. Valuing how intrinsic this self-movement is for supporting our quality of life, we can look no further than the river. Like the river, we too are part of a larger earth and cosmic life force. We are not inanimate (body objects) lacking perception and volition. We cannot achieve good posture by simply correcting, stabilizing, or objectifying. Rather being human, we must become flowing expressions, animated by the movement of the inner sea, the underground springs, and the outer planets…fluid, dynamic, ever changing, a life force… if you will.”

~ Liz Koch on Core Awareness

The post We are all unique appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

4 years have passed since you stepped into the light.

The waves of grief no longer carry the weight of a Tsunami,
Sometimes it’s still stormy and sobering
Sometimes it’s a gentle reminder of ebb and flow, of change, of being alive.

4 years can feel like 40 years, or 4 months, or 4 days, or 4 seconds
Somedays I still feel the warmth of your embrace, the tickle of your laughter, the purity of your love
Somedays I still feel your pain, your longings, your strife and your despair, of not being heard, witnessed, understood.

4 years since you closed your eyes and we closed the door
4 years of trying to make sense of who was the one bidding farewell
4 years of walking amidst the shadows of my monsters, of not being able to say I love you once more.

4 years but the time has never been gone
Your hand is always holding mine
As you gently whisper…

Let there be no darkness in your heart.

#griefandexpansion

The post Dear Papa appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

I’ve been facilitating this particular course for several runs now since my return to Singapore. And every intake brings its own unique tinge. Each time my mind is blown by the curiosity, presence, and openness of the participants.

I feel deeply privileged to be able to guide this work, and immensely grateful to have crossed paths with 11 brilliant minds and beautiful souls in this run!

May the seeds planted during the course sprout, and blossom in divine time 🌱

#nervousystem #polyvagaltheory #homeostasis #mindbody #yogawithdaphne #somatictherapy #somatictherapyasia #somaticswithdaphne #somaticyoga #somaticssg #somaticssingapore #yogasg #sgyogis #resilience #yogatherapist #yogatherapy #neuroplasticity #nervoussystemreset #sgbodywork #somaticbodywork #somatictherapytraining #yogatherapy #yogattc #therapeuticyoga

The post Post TTC Thoughts appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

For this final class, we tap into more movement sequences (expansion, contraction, spiral movements) to help guide us towards a deeper sensing of our navel space. The navel space, which as mentioned in the previous 2 classes, lies at the centre of intrinsic and extrinsic movement. We also explore how this navel centre, on a macro level, can be extended to the idea of a bigger source – the earth’s centre. The class ends with exploratory movement and a short restorative exercise.
When we are able to move in an embodied manner from our navel centre, we will find greater grounding, ease, connectedness and a sense of being.
​
Props required:

• 1 yoga mat
• 1 pair of socks
• 1 weighted ball (or water bottle)
• 1 cushion (or bolster)
• 1 blanket

This post was previously posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on December 24th 2021.

The post Somatic Workshop Series: Navel Radiation (3/3) appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

The first class of the navel radiation series.

In today’s session, we learn about the core of our body. In the fitness realm, there’s so much emphasis on the core. Most of the time, the core was associated with the much desired AB(S)dominal muscles. Many modalities also explore pelvic lumbar stability, and the iliopsoas complex.

Through the years of teaching and exploration into Body Mind Centering (BMC), I’ve began to explore the concept of the core as the centre of our “being-ness”, located behind the navel space. It is the space in which the umbilical chord connects each of us to our mother during in-utero fetus days. From a developmental perspective, this very core is also the seed in which all the other limbs of our body (arms, legs, head and tail) develops from. It is the centre between the front and back, the top and bottom half, and the 2 sides of our body. It is the centre in our 3-dimensional body moving through 3-dimensional space.

We start off the session with a navel radiation meditation, followed by sensing how the quality of conventional vinyasa movement changes when we initiate such movement from the core, and end off the session with exploratory movement with the weighted ball.

Props required:

• 1 pair of socks
• 1 weighted ball (or water bottle)

This post was previously posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on December 11th 2021.

The post Somatic Workshop Series: Navel Radiation (1/3) appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

This is 2 out of 3 classes of the Creating Safety Workshop conducted last year.

This second class of the creating safety workshop starts off with exploring a sense of integration between our individual bodies (the micro), with that of the earth (the macro). We tap into body weight, and the forces of gravity and rebound to find a sense of ease, support and body awareness. I also speak about yielding and collapsing, and how through the somatic exploration exercises, we can strike a healthy symbiotic relationship between these two states. In this sense, yielding would not equate to the over-activation of our nervous system, and collapsing would not equate to the total lapsing or shut down of our nervous systems. The ability of our nervous systems to calibrate and shift itself flexibly between these two states translates to a greater sense of being. We also explore feet work and a somatic play exercise with a chair.
​
Props required:

• 1 yoga mat
• 1 blanket
• 1 yoga block
• 1 weighted ball (or water bottle)
• 1 chair

This post was previously posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on November 26th 2021.

The post Somatic Workshop Series: Creating Safety (2/3) appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

I force my lungs into space
Push into verticality from gravity
Search the upswell for a reason
to try again

Today
Another day like yesterday
Start over again
So tomorrow will be better

Put on my gear
Put on my smile
Put on my gig
For time is commodity in the roulette called Life

Lingering there in the shadows
Heavy, looming darkness
Taunting, mocking
Spinning tales

Of un-belonging
Of never being whole
Of never being met
Of being just too much

Darkness says
I’ve been in your dreams
I’ve been in your wake
Time and again you’ve looked away

Now I’m in your head
Now I’m under your skin
Now I’m screaming in your ears
Now let’s see you plead!

In the deafening silence of suffering
The graveyard of hearts, wings clipped
Drenched in the dense cold liquid of fear
Shackled by the rusted chains of wants

Undress your armour of pretend courage
Untether from your longings and heartaches
Put out the fire of your rage
Let it go let it go let it all go!

Let’s plunge … Into the darkness of metamorphosis
A realm dense with void
A playground of pain to revel in
Till there’s no more …

Oh, the relief, the catharsis!
Of never having to care again
Of never having to try to do better
Of never having to seek an-other

But there…in the distance
A glint of an ember
An echo of reason
In the balm of being
​
Through the dark cold swamp of shadows
I got down on my knees
And offered my mangled heart for keeps
For Love still deserves a place by the light

This post was previously posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on October 30th 2021.

The post Unbeatable (a mental health piece) appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

This post was previously posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on June 20th 2021.

The post Podcast hosted by Shubra Venetti appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.

This post was previously posted on Yogawithdaphne.com on May 14th 2021.

The post Let’s get real appeared first on Somatic Therapy Asia.