About Marina
I am a yoga teacher, somatic bodyworker, and vocal artist. In all my work, I seek ways to support transformation and inner connection.
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With more than twenty years of experience as a yoga teacher, I have developed a unique approach that centers on restorative, gentle, and somatic yoga. In my classes and workshops, I invite people to connect more deeply with their body, their breath, and their authentic presence.
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Alongside yoga classes, I also offer sound bath concerts, yoga and voice workshops, personalized mini-retreats, and holistic energetic massages in my practice Deeply Relaxed in Arnhem.
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My passion for voice and sound has been a guiding thread in my work. Inspired by world music, as well as by intuitive and improvised singing, I have released two albums — Ballads of the East and Earth Chants — available on all major online platforms.
My approach
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I am a certified yoga teacher at the Iyengar Institute in Amsterdam, and a certified Somatic Movement Coach and somatic bodyworker. My background in bodywork, dance, movement, and voice has deeply shaped my understanding and the way I teach.
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The core of my work lies in deep relaxation, natural breathing, and releasing tension in both body and mind. I believe these are essential — yet often forgotten — priorities in modern life.
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The pace of Restorative Gentle Somatic Yoga is intentionally slow. This creates space to develop body awareness and to recognize and release long-held tension. Through soft, slow, and mindful movement, a natural precision arises and a sense of being centered.
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By using somatic movement techniques, we can explore yoga poses more deeply and combine them with restorative postures. This way of practicing supports the body in relaxation and makes effortless, free movement possible again.
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Somatic Origins in Yoga
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A somatic movement is performed slowly and with full awareness, focusing on the inner experience rather than on appearance or result. Moving in this way allows the nervous system to learn new patterns and release deeply stored tension.
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Somatic yoga was developed in the 1970s by Thomas Hanna, who was inspired by pioneers such as Moshe Feldenkrais and his Feldenkrais Method, which improves human functioning through self-awareness in movement. Earlier methods, such as the Alexander Technique, also influenced this field. Later, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, founder of Body-Mind Centering, expanded this work, and teachers like Donna Farhi integrated somatic principles into yoga.
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The yoga I teach is a unique blend of Somatic Movement and traditional yoga, shaped through years of study and practice. My training at the Institute for Somatic Movement Studies in Amsterdam brought me into contact with Feldenkrais, the Alexander Technique, Body-Mind Centering, Embodied Movement, Embodied Awareness, and Experimental Anatomy. A training with Donna Farhi (New Zealand) further deepened my understanding of how these transformative somatic skills can be applied in yoga.
Yoga as my path
My services
My music
Ambient music with drum, voice, nature sounds and ASMR by Martris
in collaboration with sound artist Sharon Stewart. This is music for stress relief, relaxation...
Ballades of the East, original music by Martris, in collaboration with pianist and composer Rudjer Glavurtic, is a set of contemplative world music songs with piano and voice...