Somatic Awareness: The Art of Connecting with Body, Mind, & Spirit

"If we can let go of our preconceptions and dive into the level of pure, experienced sensation, we can begin to experience the world as it truly is: an unlimited expanse of vibration; a contraction of the awareness in which it lives." ~Richard Miller

We hear a lot about the mind-body connection and the close link between body, mind, and spirit.

Yet, for most of us, this remains an abstract, elusive concept. We may notice that when we feel stressed, it affects our body as well. 

But we really have not been taught how to delve into that magical, mysterious realm of our that lies at the heart of our being where mind, body, and spirit breathe as one.

The quest to connect with the deepest parts of our nature lies at the heart of the yoga tradition. As Patanjali wrote in the Yoga Sutras 1.2 and 1.3: 

Yogash Chitta Vritti Nirodhah 
Tada Drashtuh Svarupe Avasthanam

“Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind
Then the Seer abides in his own nature.”

In other words, yoga is that vehicle that enables us to settle the usual chatter of the mind, until we are able to, as Richard Miller puts it above, “experience the world as it truly is: an unlimited expanse of vibration. . .”

This is the true richness of the yogic tradition. But did you know that in the West, there are voices of similar traditions, which use the body as a gateway to delve deeply into the mystery of our innermost, essential nature?

In particular movement and bodywork traditions that delve into the realm of somatic awareness share many similarities with the yogic tradition.

These traditions offer a guide into the somatic level of awareness - a gateway to a profound level of reality, which lies beyond our habitual level of perception. The ability to experience this level of pure sensation is also referred to as the faculty of interoception - the capacity to read the subtle sensations of the body.

We are pleased to invite you to a 3-part live course with one of the pioneers in this tradition, Judyth Weaver. At 83 years old, Judyth is literally a living piece of history in the somatic tradition.

She holds a Ph.D. in Reichian Psychology and she studied directly with Wilhelm Reich’s daughter Eva Reich. She is certified in Reichian Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, massage, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, and the Rosen Method and Sensory Awareness. 

She co-founded Santa Barbara Graduate Institute and created its Somatic Psychology program, which was the first program in the world to offer a Ph.D. in Somatic Psychology and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Somatics.

In this course, with Judyth as a guide, learn how to dive into the realm of somatic experience as an important adjunct to your yoga practice.

Through this work and applying it to whatever else we are doing, we can find our way to live more fully in the world, responding to our studying and teaching in whatever field we may be involved.  

Awareness allows us to rediscover the wisdom and interconnection of our bodies, our minds, and spirit  – our whole selves and reclaim our natural being…whatever practice we may be doing.

From this center, we can find peace and satisfaction in our life and the ability to extend it further into the world.

This Course Also Includes:

• Recordings of All Webinar Sessions: It’s generally acknowledged that many people only retain 10-20 percent of what they learn in a workshop. You will get access to the recordings of all webinar sessions - both MP3 (downloadable) and MP4 (streaming online), enabling you to go back and listen to the workshop as many times as you like.

• Transcripts of All Sessions: Ever wanted to refer to a certain part of a course? Even the best note-takers miss a point every so often. With the transcripts of the webinar sessions, you can go back and refer to particularly important passages or clarify sections you were in doubt about.

This course qualifies for 3 non-contact hour CEs with Yoga Alliance.