GSY Events
upcoming events you don’t want to miss…
A MONTHLY ongoing 1.5-hr Livestream Workshop with optional .5-hr Q & A
- Saturday, December 14, 2024 10 am – 12 pm (PT) ~ Theme: Restore & Revitalize: A Gentle Somatic Yoga® practice to relax the soma from head-to-toe. Restoring the body to optimum functionality through the repatterning of muscle memory and an increased sense of inner awareness.
10am PDT San Francisco & Vancouver | 1pm EDT New York & Ottawa | 6p GMT United Kingdom
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This monthly series of livestream Somatic Sanctuary EXPERIENCIAL workshops, are designed to bring balance and alignment to the whole-self (Mind/Body/Emotions, and Spirit). Through this journey of deep self-care, we learn how to self-regulate and make nourishing choices for our soma.
In stressful life experiences, we can temporarily lose our ability to self-regulate. In Gentle Somatic Yoga® we call this sensory motor amnesia (SMA). When we are in this state, movement can become limited and everyday lifestyle is not as enjoyable.
With an attitude of exploration and discovery, we can learn how to listen to our inherent somatic intelligence and intuitively unwind from stressful life experiences stored in our tissues (muscles and fascia) and energy field. We can initiate this process through finding creative body shapes through Somatic Movement Flows® and meditation (Soma Scans).
All are welcome! These practices are designed and adaptable for most people and skill levels.
For more specific information on each month’s theme, please visit our landing page for Somatic Sanctuary HERE.
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Fee: Sliding Scale ~ $15, $20 or $25 USD
Each livestream Somatic Sanctuary workshop is approximately 1.5-hours of nourishing movement practices with an optional .50-hour Q&A session following. CEU’s available for yoga teachers and yoga therapists upon request.
RECORDINGS:
When you sign-up for this workshop, you will receive a Zoom invite via email. For those that live in other time zones that make it difficult to join us, you can still sign up and you will receive replay videos of the sessions for future practice. You will have access to the recordings for 30 days after the event. Beyond that timeframe, the follow-along videos will be available long-term in our ever-expanding virtual video library: Somatic Wellness TV.
LIVESTREAM workshop 6-part series hosted by YogaUOnline ~ Theme: Full-body tune up ~ Aligning and balancing all internal somatic systems (and energy field). Facilitated by James Knight
Dates: Wednesdays, November 6, 13, 20, 27, December 4 & 11, 2024
4:00 pm Eastern Time / 1:00 pm Pacific Time
Each class in the series is standalone; however, taken together, the classes are consecutive. Join us live or view and practice the follow-along recordings later (lifetime access!).
In this livestream workshop series, learn new techniques to significantly improve flexibility and soft tissue resilience by incorporating new approaches to whole-self nourishment: mind, body, energy, and emotions. Click the link below for more information.
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Overarching Theme: Full-body tune up ~ Aligning and balancing all internal somatic systems (and energy field).
Join James Knight for this 6-part livestream therapeutic and restorative workshop series. Each workshop can be taken both as independent stand-alone practices or as a consecutive sequence. Hosted by YogaUonline.
All sessions are on Wednesday’s from 1:00pm -2:30pm PDT ~ November 6, 13, 20, 27 and December 4, 11
Individual themes of all 6 workshops:
- A Somatic Approach to Greater Flexibility: Learn how to re-pattern muscles to their optimal length in a resting position. This process releases stiffness throughout the body and brings more mobility to the joints.
- A Somatic Approach to Fascial Unwinding: Fascial unwinding is an intuitive somatic movement practice that is explored through consciously creating different body shapes that not only feel good but significantly improve flexibility and soft tissue resilience.
- A Somatic Approach to Nervous System Balance. Learn how to enhance vagal tone by combining sound (Nada Yoga) with Somatic Movement Flows®. You will learn how to hum organic sounds (not chanting) to increase self-awareness and stimulate the Vagus nerve.
- A Somatic Approach to Strength-Building: Explore safe weight-bearing somatic movement sequences that will strengthen muscles, create more mobility for the joints, as well as re-educate the brain-to-muscle connection to improve balance and coordination.
- A Somatic Approach to Tight Hips and Legs: In Gentle Somatic yoga the focus is not stretching. Instead, we use a technique called pandiculation. Pandiculation is a process that turns on the sensorimotor cortex part of the brain and releases deep holding patterns of holding stiffness and lack of mobility. In this workshop, the focus will be freeing the pelvis and bringing significant flexibility to the legs: quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles. This workshop will also help to stabilize and improve join rotation.
- A Somatic Approach to Ease and Relaxation: Find your “inner yes” to increase somatic intelligence and release subconscious patterns of holding stress and trauma. Learning to self-regulate brings freedom and pleasure to everyday movement.
The Somatic Movement Flows® that you will learn in this course offers tools to make the benefits of yoga available to everyone, regardless of age, experience level, or physical fitness. CEU’s avaialable for yoga teachers and yoga therapists.
Join us live or practice with the recordings later ~ lifetime access!
90-minute classes: 1.15+hour movement classes, with optional 15-min. Q & A. To find out more info and to register click this LINK.
Seasonal LIVESTREAM Deep Dive Workshop Series ~ Featuring newly created Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) inspired methods that combine the neuroscience & philosophy of GSY and blend it with other complimentary self-care practices. Emphasis is placed on “Learning Laboratories”, which add an extra educational component with intent to customize the movements for you and your students/clients. CEU’s available to yoga teachers and yoga therapists.
- Saturday, November 16, 2024, 10 am – 1 pm (PDT) with THEME ~ Somatic Stability™ ~ GSY combines with mat Pilates that add safe weight-bearing somatic movement sequences that will not only strengthen muscles and increase bone density, but also repattern muscle groups to their optimal length in a resting position. Co-facilitated by James Knight and GSY practitioner Rachael Shepherd.
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Purpose and cumulative benefits to Somatic Stability™: Building core muscle strength and bone density
After age 30, the average person’s muscle mass decreases approximately 3–8% per decade, and this rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60. Muscle weakness contributes to fatigue, lack of coordination, and reduced activity tolerance. After age 50, bone mass and bone density decrease as well. Women can lose up to 20% of their bone density within 5 to 7 years following menopause. With weak muscles and bones, it’s no wonder there is such a high incidence of falls and broken bones as we age.
A common question people ask is what form of exercise to stay fit would complement Somatics and beat what Thomas Hanna referred to as the myth of aging. This question is especially relevant for people with pain, stiffness, and posture imbalances as a result of lifestyle, repetitive movements, injuries and surgeries, and mental and emotional stress.
In this session, James will guide us through safe weight-bearing somatic movement sequences that will not only strengthen muscles and increase bone density, but also repattern muscle groups to their optimal length in a resting position. Somatic Stability™ is inspired by mat Pilates combined with the technique of pandiculation (brain-to-muscle repatterning & strengthening). Modifications and tips will be offered to encourage people of all ages and abilities to follow along.
During these EXPERIENCIAL GSY livestream Deep Dive Workshops, you will go deeper into learning how to tap into your own somatic intelligence and make nourishing choices on how to incorporate movement as a lifestyle. These events are designed with emphasis on the Learning Laboratories (enhancements, tips, and interactive Q & A), so participants can not only embody the practice but also learn the method to share with others.
These Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) inspired workshops and discussions empower the Whole-Self (SOMA) for alignment, vitality, and an embodied sense of peace & well-being. James Knight, founder of GSY, often invites experts from complementary fields of somatic movement to join him to co-facilitate so we can learn, heal, and grow in a conscious community.
All are welcome! These practices are designed and adaptable for most people and skill levels. And, if you are a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, bodyworker, or other health care professional these skills that you learn can be immediately implemented into your classes and/or private sessions. Most people find immediate beneficial results that are long-lasting.
For more specific information on each seasonal Deep Dive themes, please visit our year-at-a-glance landing page HERE.
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Fee: Sliding Scale ~ $25 – $35 – $45 USD
Each livestream Deep Dive workshop is approximately 2-hours of nourishing movement practices with an optional 1-hour “Learning Laboratory” with Q&A session following. CEU’s available for yoga teachers and yoga therapists upon request.
RECORDINGS:
When you sign-up for this workshop, you will receive a Zoom invite via email. For those that live in other time zones that make it difficult to join us, you can still sign up and you will receive replay videos of the sessions for future practice. You will have access to the recordings for 30 days after the event. Beyond that timeframe, the follow-along videos will be available long-term in our ever-expanding virtual video library: Somatic Wellness TV.
2nd Annual ~ Somatic Wellness and Adventure Retreat ~ at the secluded beachside village of Yelapa, Mexico
Dates: March 23- 29, 2025
Join us for a week of combination of daily GSY classes, deep relaxation, self-care, ceremony, and fun! This venue has been hand-selected by James as it’s one of his favorite places to hold spiritual retreats. Immerse yourself into natural rhythms of the earth and cosmos. No cars or roads – only accessible by boat taxi (fly into Puerto Vallarta).
Facilitated by James Knight and local healers & artists.
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In March 2024 our 1st annual Somatic Wellness and Adventure Retreat in Yelapa was so well received, and everyone had such a great time, we decided to rebook the entire Retreat Center of Pura Vida again next year! This will sell out, so reserve your preferred room accomondation now before it is taken (each room accommodation/palapa is unique with view and design). Some air conditioned rooms available – althought not needed this time of year.
Join James Knight, founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY), for an unforgettable spiritual eco-vacation getaway for personal and collective transformation.
James is known for creating spiritual and eco-adventure retreats for many years that are off the beaten path. This retreat is special because you can only get here by boat (nearest international airport is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico), and James has been visiting (and staying for extended times) in Yelapa for over 30 years. He knows this charming beach village well (no cars, roads, or large hotels), and cannot wait to share some of his favorite experiences with you.
Some highlights of this Retreat (more to be announced soon once our landing registration page is published):
- Every morning starts off with a Gentle Somatic Yoga® class. Afternoons bring optional adventures like: taking a boat taxi to small nearby islands for snorkeling and lunch on the beach; embark on a jungle hike upriver to waterfalls, specialty self-care practice sessions with local healers and movement educators, swimming in the warm Pacific Ocean, sweat lodge, sound healing, cacao ceremony, explore one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the world… to highlight a few of the activities
- Learn therapeutic Somatic Movement Flows® for self-care, resiliency, health, and wellbeing. Experiential classes are designed to activate the energy body (aura and chakras) as well as bring balance to the emotional body.
Not only will you be empowered with new skills for personal and/or professional development, be ready for some great surprises of local culture, secluded beaches, yummy food, and more…
Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) is a simple, practical and effective form of brain-to-muscle re-education that goes to the root cause of most chronic muscular pain: the way in which the brain senses, controls, and organizes muscles with movement. The result is living life with an embodied sense of ease and freedom through everyday movement and vibrant health.
In person GSY Level 1 Training ~ at Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson, Arizona
Dates: August 17-21, 2025 ~ Facilitated by GSY founder, James Knight
Theme: Your Self-Care Journey Begins with a Supportive Foundation. Learn 25+ Somatic Movement Flows®, the neuroscience, philosophy, and method of GSY. This course is not only designed for yoga teachers, yoga therapists, bodyworkers, and health care professionals, but also for the everyday person who wants to invest in learning how to develop a home practice of deep self-care.
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Our official registration page will be published soon. Please use the link on this page to sign up on the interest and be the first to know all the details.
More info about the training:
Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) is a simple, practical, and effective form of brain-to-muscle re-education that goes to the root cause of most chronic muscular pain: the way in which the brain senses, controls, and organizes muscles with movement. The result is living life with an embodied sense of ease and freedom through everyday movement and vibrant health.
What You Will Learn
- 25+ Therapeutic Somatic Movement Flows® for self-care, resiliency, health, and wellbeing
- How and why Somatic Movements get to the root cause of persistent pain, stiffness, poor posture, anxiety, and lack of energy
- Ways to practice nourishing movements that are suitable and effective for your body. Emphasis will be on finding your own inner teacher and relying less on “doing it right” according to instruction or demonstration
- How to embody the experience of wellness and build the self-confidence for continued self-healing
- How to practice mindful and compassionate ways to move that inspire deeper connection with your body
- How GSY is firmly rooted in leading-edge neuroscience and balanced with heart-based wisdom
- What tips and modifications you can adapt to your own body, or your clients, in both group classes and private sessions
- How to replace static stretching with innovative brain-to-muscle re-education
More about the Venue, Tanque Verde Ranch: Established in 1868, this unique retreat center and spa is recognized as the last luxurious outpost of the old west — providing guests with comfy accommodations, unparalleled amenities, and a vast array of exciting activities including: horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing, arts and crafts workshops, hiking, and more! It is no wonder that the Ranch was awarded by Conde Nast Traveler as the #1 top resort in the American Southwest.
In person GSY Level 2 Training ~ at Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson, Arizona
Dates: August 20-24, 2025 ~ Facilitated by GSY founder, James Knight
Theme: Your Healing Journey Continues. Learn 30+ additional Somatic Movement Flows®, balance and enliven your energy body (chakras and aura), and release defense structures/trauma held within the soma. More focus is also on whole-self nourishment. Like our GSY Level 1 course, this program is not only designed for yoga teachers, yoga therapists, bodyworkers, and health care professionals, but also for the everyday person who wants to invest in learning how to develop a home practice of deep self-care. *Prerequisite: GSY Level 1
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Our official registration page will be published soon. Please use the link on this page to sign up on the interest and be the first to know all the details.
Your Healing Journey continues through an increased awareness of the connection between your physical body, emotional body, and your energetic body.
Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) is a simple, practical, and effective form of brain-to-muscle re-education that goes to the root cause of most chronic muscular pain: the way in which the brain senses, controls, and organizes muscles with movement. The result is living life with an embodied sense of ease and freedom through everyday movement and vibrant health.
More of what You Will Learn:
- 30 ADDITIONAL Somatic Movement Flows®
- Practices from the fields of Core Energetics and Bioenergetics (Body-oriented psychotherapy exercises to move energy through the soma) to enliven and increase harmony within your auric field and your chakra system
- Deeper understanding and embodiment of the GSY philosophical underpinnings
- Meditations inspired from quantum physics
- Pranayama (breathing exercises to increase life-force energy
More about the Venue, Tanque Verde Ranch: Established in 1868, this unique retreat center and spa is recognized as the last luxurious outpost of the old west — providing guests with comfy accommodations, unparalleled amenities, and a vast array of exciting activities including: horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing, arts and crafts workshops, hiking, and more! It is no wonder that the Ranch was awarded by Conde Nast Traveler as the #1 top resort in the American Southwest.
Somatic Wellness & Adventure Retreat: Day of the Dead 2025 ~ Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Mexico
Dates: October 31- November 8th, 2025
Mexico’s most famous holiday, the Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos), is a multi-day festival packed with things to experience. A myriad of altars, performances, installation art, and creative collaborations infuse this procession with a powerful sense of remembrance and celebration of life.
James has spent a lot of time in Ajijic recently and is enamored with this part of the world. Lake Chapala is the largest natural lake in Mexico and the community is vibrant and thriving. He is inspired to create a retreat, and has many surprises in store for us including soaking in local thermal hot springs, visiting an energy vortex, costume design and face painting ~ to name a few! A landing page will be published soon with more details. Please click the link below to sign up and be notified when it is live.
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Some highlights of this Retreat Venue (more to be announced soon once our landing registration page is published):
The Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) is a holiday that is typically celebrated every year on November 1 and 2. This tradition is rooted in the native Mexican belief that life on earth is a preparation for the next world and that it is important to maintain a strong relationship with people that have passed away. There are major festivals on the streets and people dress in costumes and paint their faces. Families gather in the cemetery during this celebration to welcome the souls on their annual visit. In the houses, people prepare altars known as ofrendas with traditional art, sculpture, marigold flowers, copal incense, fresh bread, candles, papel picado (a traditional Mexican craft that features colorful paper sheets with intricate cut-out details), and Calaveras (sugar skulls). Photographs, mementos, and favorite items used by the departed are included in ceremonies. It is a time of celebration and remembrance of loved ones that have passed on.
During this retreat, we start most days with Gentle Somatic Yoga® (GSY) classes and meditation. The afternoon and evening are filled with a myriad of optional activities. All which will be outlined on our registration landing page that will be published soon.
Please sign up on the interest list to be the first to know all the details.
