"Marina creates a welcoming stillness in which I can settle in and meet myself again. The flow of the class was just right for me. Since I was new, Marina has been attentive and supportive, allowing me the space to find my own rhythm. I really appreciate the space she gives to let each of us listen to our own bodies. Definitely recommended for reducing stress and fatigue. I felt thoroughly rejuvenated."
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Sharon
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Weekly class schedule
Velperweg 95, in Arnhem
Wednesday 09.00-10.15
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Restorative Gentle Yoga
(still a few spots available)
Wednesday 10.30 -11.45
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Restorative Gentle Yoga
(We will soon state with the second lesson. Are you interested? Let me know and I will reserve a place for you)
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Gentle Restorative Yoga, also called Somatic Yoga, focuses on deep relaxation, energy recovery, natural breathing and the release of physical tension. The pace of the class is slower, which gives you the opportunity to develop body awareness and thereby recognize and release deep-seated tensions in the body.
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In these yoga classes we pay a lot of attention to the essential yoga principles such as posture, breathing, flexibility and strength. By consciously moving the body and using the so-called 'Somatic Movement' approach, we can dive deeper into each yoga pose. In addition, Gentle Restorative Yoga practice includes gentle and restorative yoga postures. I use various physiotherapy balls for support. Think of small/large physio balls and trigger point balls.
In my classes we use them as a therapeutic massage tool that targets the trigger points of the body. Yoga balls help release tension in the connective tissue, build tissue resilience and release tension. You will be taught a series of yoga poses that encourage gentle, flowing body movements. These yoga classes are an ideal balance between traditional hatha yoga exercises and restorative yoga practice.
Gentle Restorative Yoga: For whom?
These yoga classes are ideal for anyone who wants to start practicing yoga, who is recovering from long-term or short-term injuries and who wants to release accumulated physical tension due to daily workload and overexertion. These yoga classes are also suitable for people who are looking for a simple and powerful yoga practice that suits their own personal body and needs. For anyone who wants to learn the essential yoga principles in a safe and focused way and for anyone who simply wants to find a better connection with their body.
Location​
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Yoga classes and workshops are given in Home of Zen, a quiet center for mental wellness and awareness at Velperweg 95 in Arnhem. You can park on site at Home of Zen. There is also sufficient (free) parking on Velperweg or direct side streets. Home of Zen is easily accessible by bicycle. You can park your bicycle safely behind the building.
 Yoga in Home of Zen |  yoga in Home of Zen |
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 Yoga in Home of Zen |  Zachte Herstellende Yoga |
 Zachte Herstellende Yoga |  Studio Home Of Zen |
 Yoga in Home of Zen |
Origins of somatic work in yoga​
A somatic movement is generally a movement that is performed consciously with the intention of focusing on the internal experience of the movement rather than the appearance or outcome of the movement. Movements are performed slowly, with an emphasis on quality rather than quantity. Working in this way can teach the body and, more importantly, the human nervous system that controls our posture and movement, new ways of moving. ​
Developed by Thomas Hanna in the 1970s, somatic yoga was heavily influenced by the methods of Moshe Feldenkrais – a pioneer of the Feldenkrais Method, which is used to improve human functioning by increasing self-awareness through movement. Additionally, earlier methods such as the Alexander Technique, developed at the turn of the century, helped improve the evolution of this practice.
Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen pioneer of the somatic disciplines and the founder of the Body-Mind Centering system developed it further and created a new form in understanding Somatic Movement in relation to yoga. Donna Farhi has her own teacher training in which she combines the teachings of yoga and somatic movement. ​
Yoga that I teach is a mix of Somatic Movement and Traditional Yoga that I have studied and practiced with some of these teachers over the years. The work of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen - Body Mind Catering, as well as Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, Embodied movement, Embodied awareness, Somatic Movement, Experimental Anatomy has been part of my coaching training at the Institute for Somatic Movement Studies in Amsterdam, (NL). In training with Donna Farhi, (NZ), I learned to apply these profound transformative therapeutic skills to the practice of yoga.