Somatic Yoga | Embodied You
with Charli Van NessA Two-Day Immersion in Embodied Awareness & Somatic Teaching Move beyond teaching shapes and learn to teach from sensation, presence, and embodied intelligence. Through experiential practice, somatic inquiry, creative sequencing workshops, and supported teaching labs, you'll explore how to create yoga experiences that cultivate nervous system regulation, deepen body awareness, and invite students into a more authentic relationship with themselves.
Overview
Reignite your teaching, reawaken your body
This Somatic Yoga training invites yoga teachers to explore a different way of teaching and practising – one rooted in listening rather than directing, sensing rather than performing, and responding rather than controlling.
Across two immersive days, you'll explore the foundations of Somatic Learning and Embodied Awareness, discovering how slow, attentive movement, inquiry-based cueing, and nervous system-informed practices can transform the way we move, learn, and teach.
You'll learn how to create classes that are guided by sensation rather than shape, where movement emerges through curiosity, choice, and internal awareness. Through somatic movement explorations, reflective discussion, partner exercises, and teaching practicums, you'll experience how embodied learning creates deeper integration for both teacher and student.
Day One focuses on somatic foundations, embodied listening, nervous system regulation, neuroplasticity, somatic mapping, intuitive movement, and rest as a powerful teacher.
Day Two brings these principles into creative application, exploring somatic sequencing, motif and stimulus-based class design, transitions as embodied practice, music and rhythm as somatic tools, relaxation scripts, Yoga Nidra Scripts, Visual Journey Meditations, Mudras and symbolism, and practical teaching integration.
This training is an invitation to reconnect with the creativity, confidence, and curiosity that first brought you to yoga, while developing a teaching approach that feels responsive, authentic, and deeply human.
Take this training as a stand-alone Yoga Alliance YACEP Continuing Professional Development course or count it towards your 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training certification.
This training isn't about teaching more.
It's about feeling more.
Learning to trust sensation.
Learning to listen deeply.
Learning to create from experience rather than expectation.
Because when movement emerges from embodied awareness, teaching becomes less about delivering a sequence and more about facilitating a meaningful conversation between body, breath, and self.
"the journey back to the sacred self, when we feel our way, we find our way, when we feel our way, we become this way"
Who is this course for?
What's included?
Course Dates
Good to know
- Hours count towards 300–hour certification or CPD hours.
- Prefer a different payment plan? Pay your deposit and email us to arrange. Full payment must be received before the course starts.
- Select bank transfer (BACS) at checkout — it helps us keep course fees down by lowering card processing charges.
- Bursary available: one 50% bursary place is offered each year. Learn more →
- FAQs Learn more →
- T&Cs Learn more →
Register Interest View Dates
After this training, you will be a teacher who...
understands the principles of Somatic Yoga and can apply its benefits to both personal practice and teaching
understands how somatic practices support nervous system regulation and neuroplasticity
facilitates embodied listening and inquiry-based movement experiences guiding students towards deeper self-awareness, autonomy and embodiment.
uses trauma-sensitive and choice-based teaching language
What Our Students Say
What our students say
"Oh boy! It was such an amazing, intense, original, generous pack of teaching gems, psychological stimulus, wavy transition from the gentle start to the creatively intense dance. From individual work to sharing with the group. I loved it. No matter how much one thinks about it, it is utterly extraordinary how one person, Charli Van Ness, can give so much in so little time – and give it all condensed in some kind of magic formula to make it work with such elegance and make it all look as if it was easy."
José, GP & Somatic Yoga Student"Incredibly unique, empowering and transformational in learning the art of teaching yoga. Charli is an incredible person, teacher trainer and mentor. She radiates love and joy and is so very inspirational, warm and nurturing, always leading from the heart."
Somatic Yoga Student"Charli created a beautiful space, which was inspiring and fun. The content was thoughtfully designed and encouraging of everyone's individual teaching style and personality. She really got me out of my head and into my body. It was great to play and move intuitively, and Charli supported everyone's ideas, enabling us to create some beautiful, creative sequences."
"Charli is a beautiful and experienced dancer and yoga teacher – a creative teacher who taught us sequences and choreography combined. Her style is inspiring and beautiful and helped me remain enthused and capable in creative sequencing further into my journey as a yoga teacher."
Amy, Somatic Yoga Student"This course is inspiring and fun. Charli creates a beautiful safe space where everyone felt so at ease, so quickly. We learnt so much in such a short space of time, and I am so excited to bring it to my teaching and add some creative fun flows and transitions. Couldn't recommend Charli enough!"
Jacqueline, Somatic Yoga Student"I have been left truly inspired and excited to weave somatic movements into my classes following Charli's training weekend. More and more we all need time for stillness – mind, body, heart connection and intuitive movement to balance our often very structured lives."
Lucy Somatic Yoga StudentYour Teacher
Your teacher Charli Van Ness
Senior teacher across both the 200 and 300-hour programmes, bringing profound depth of knowledge.
Gallery
Course details
- Embodied somatic movement practices and intuitive sequencing
- Mindful movement designed to release tension and awaken sensitivity
- Breath, sensing, and nervous system check–ins
- Embodied contact work exploring flow, rhythm, and presence
- Themes of inquiry, felt sense, and embodied curiosity in teaching
- Stillness, subtle movement, and restorative practice as nervous system reset
- Somatic journaling and reflection
- Principles and neuroscience of body awareness, proprioception, and interoception
- How somatic movement supports injury prevention and longevity
- Understanding nervous system regulation – safety, ease, and resilience
- The role of breath, rhythm, and sound on nervous system states
- Shifting from "performing" yoga to feeling and sensing from within
- Yoga as a living, evolving practice rather than a fixed performance
- Self–compassion, presence, and curiosity as foundational ethics
- Sustainable practice as personal and professional care
- Reframing sequencing as an expressive, responsive art
- Building classes from inquiry rather than formula
- Inquiry led cueing
- Trauma-sensitive teaching principles
- Facilitating awareness rather than correction
- Music, rhythm, and pacing as teaching tools
- Mudras and somatic symbolism woven into class
- 2hrs – Self-study Preparing for their class
- Building classes that balance structure and freedom
- Practice teaching in pairs and small groups
- Designing and delivering somatically inspired yoga sequences
- Peer feedback and group reflection
- Closing rose ceremony and integration
- YACEP–accredited continuing education for Yoga Alliance registered teachers
- 15 hours of CPD, or 15 hours toward The Shala's 300–hour Yoga Teacher Training
- Certificate issued on completion
- 40’ Pre-course Reading Material – PDF Slide Show Presentation
- 20’ Mentoring Session online – in preparation for Somatic Yoga Class to be taught – to support any questions around their class plan
- 1hr Somatic Yoga Class to be taught to the community post in-studio training – write a summary as to how it went – what worked for you? What came up unexpectedly? Any wishes + stars? What would you do differently next time?
Course Dates
Course dates & schedule
This course will run again
Can't make the dates? This training runs annually. Here's what's next on the calendar.
Interested in this course?
Not ready to book yet — or want to hear about future dates? Register your interest and we'll be in touch with everything you need to know including when new dates are announced.
No commitment required · No spam, ever · Priority notification of new dates
We'll only use your details to contact you about this course and related Shala School news. Unsubscribe at any time.