Draft:Somatic Yoga
| Submission declined on 8 May 2025 by KeepItGoingForward (talk). This submission does not appear to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. Entries should be written from a neutral point of view, and should refer to a range of independent, reliable, published sources. Please rewrite your submission in a more encyclopedic format. Please make sure to avoid peacock terms that promote the subject. This submission reads more like an essay than an encyclopedia article. Submissions should summarise information in secondary, reliable sources and not contain opinions or original research. Please write about the topic from a neutral point of view in an encyclopedic manner.
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| Submission declined on 23 January 2025 by Theroadislong (talk). This draft's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article. In summary, the draft needs multiple published sources that are:
This submission appears to read more like an advertisement than an entry in an encyclopedia. Encyclopedia articles need to be written from a neutral point of view, and should refer to a range of independent, reliable, published sources, not just to materials produced by the creator of the subject being discussed. This is important so that the article can meet Wikipedia's verifiability policy and the notability of the subject can be established. If you still feel that this subject is worthy of inclusion in Wikipedia, please rewrite your submission to comply with these policies. Declined by Theroadislong 3 months ago. | |
| Submission declined on 23 January 2025 by Drmies (talk). This submission does not appear to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. Entries should be written from a neutral point of view, and should refer to a range of independent, reliable, published sources. Please rewrite your submission in a more encyclopedic format. Please make sure to avoid peacock terms that promote the subject. Declined by Drmies 3 months ago. | |
| Submission declined on 23 January 2025 by Drmies (talk). This is really more inappropriate than before: after an essay-like introduction follows plainly promotional text, in the second person: "This creates a kinaesthetic awareness in which you connect both interoception (feeling the internal state of your body including pulse and ..." Declined by Drmies 3 months ago. | |
| Submission declined on 22 January 2025 by Chiswick Chap (talk). Topic may well be notable, but at the moment it says hardly anything at all about 'Somatic Yoga'. Nearly all the content, and all but 2 of the sources, could be in a general article such as Yoga as exercise or Asana, and indeed most of the article covers ground that is covered in more detail in those places. The article offers only 2 short sentences which are actually about 'Somatic Yoga', not enough either to establish that it is different from other approaches, to show that it is notable, or what it actually consists of. We learn only that Thomas Hanna has done some unspecified work at some unspecified time ("as years went by"), and it is hinted but not asserted that this is linked in some unspecified way to the work of Donna Farhi who is cited but not named in the article.
Declined by Chiswick Chap 3 months ago.Then at the end it is claimed that British Wheel of Yoga is going to accredit 'Somatic Yoga' in Spring 2025, i.e. in a few months' time: and the citation to BWY links to their website, which currently does not mention the phrase "Somatic Yoga" at all, i.e. the citation fails to verify the claim. The article is therefore not yet suitable for Wikipedia, and the submission is declined. I suggest that you wait until 'Somatic Yoga' actually is accredited, and actual independent reviews (Yoga Journal, etc) become available to provide evidence of the approach. Until then, you may like to collect any independent evidence that there may be, and rewrite the submission with a 'Context' or 'Background' section, an 'Approach' section which describes clearly what Somatic Yoga consists of, and a 'Reception' section which describes what independent sources think of it. | |
Comment: Note to reviewers: draft author confirms they have no COI qcne (talk) 10:17, 23 January 2025 (UTC)
- Comment: I think the creator is the only one who does not see how non-neutral this is: "t thus returns to the original spirit of yoga"... that's not neutral. Drmies (talk) 01:43, 23 January 2025 (UTC)
Background
Yoga is an ancient practice which combined mental, physical and spiritual traditions. When it was first popularized in the West during the 1960s, the main emphasis was on control of the physical body. Masters such as B.K.S. Iyengar compiled texts which described basic and advanced versions of asanas (classical positions)..[1]. This allowed yoga practitioners in America and Europe to combine Vedic approaches with sports training and physical education. Instructors promoted the health benefits of increased strength and flexibility, with a focus on attaining such specific postures in prescribed alignments[2].
As years went by, this original generation of yoga teachers began to diversify their approach. Some of the more extreme postures could put strain on the joints, making them less suitable for older students or those with existing injuries. Influential teachers like Donna Farhi began to incorporate a gentler approach into their work and writings[3]. This development coincided with a growing awareness of the work of Moshé Feldenkrais[4] and Thomas Hanna.
The Somatic Approach
Thomas Hanna[5] developed a system called Somatics[6] to promote healing through touch and movement. Somatic yoga draws upon this work, aiming to connect the body and mind through psychosensory awareness. This approach is less rigorous than most other forms of yoga, where students strive to reach specific postures (asanas) as precisely as possible. Somatics teachers encourage students to adopt postures that work with their particular body shape and to modify any positions that cause pain or trauma. There is not a 'correct' posture: what matters is sensory feedback to avoid damage, stopping at the boundary of whatever position the practitioner can comfortably hold. In a sideways twist, for example, rotation might stop at 45' rather than 90'. Teachers may present several options and encourage each student to perform the one that feels suitable for them. This aims to create a kinaesthetic awareness connecting interoception (internal sensations including hearbeat and breathing); proprioception (sensing where the body is in space); and exteroception (conscious awareness of the surrounding environment). By developing this inner and outer somatic awareness without judgement or expectation, the student learns to move easily and safely into each posture. Somatics proponenst suggest that enhancing the mind-body connection without preconceptions promotes a spiritual development of acceptance and non-judgement.
Reception
Over the past few years, somatic yoga - which emphasizes the internal experience - has become increasingly popular in the UK. Newspaper articles[7] and reviews[8] attest to its growing recognition as people turn to more mindful, contemplative practices[9]. Somatic yoga training is accredited by the British Wheel of Yoga[10]
References
[edit]- ^ Iyengar, B.K.S. (1966). Light on Yoga. Singing Pebble Books. ISBN 1855382253.
- ^ Mehta, Mira & SIlva (1990). Yoga, The Iyengar Way. Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 0-679-72287-4.
- ^ Farhi, Donna (2000). Yoga Mind, Body and Spirit: A Return to Wholeness. Gill Books. ISBN 978-07171-3155-6.
- ^ "About Moshe Feldenkreis: Founder of the Feldenkreis Method". Feldenkreis UK.
- ^ Hanna, Thomas (1980). The Body of Life: Creating New Pathways for Sensory Awareness and Fluid Movement. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. ISBN 0394423836.
- ^ Hanna, Thomas (1986). "What Is Somatics?". Somatics: Magazine-Journal of the Bodily Arts and Sciences. VI (1).
- ^ The Evening Standard (9 October 2019). "Somatic yoga is the mindfulness practice burnt-out Londoners are loving".
- ^ Gordon, Sherri (November 21, 2024). "Everything You Need To Know About Somatic Yoga". Health.
- ^ Eichenseher, Tasha (January 20, 2025). "What You Need To Know About Somatic Yoga". Yoga Journal.
- ^ British Wheel of Yoga. "Accredited Teacher Training Organizations". B.W.Y. Home.