Somatic Yoga for Weight Loss: A Guide for Beginners

If you’re tired of trying trendy fad diets and workout programs or spending hours at the gym just to lose a few pounds and get in better shape, somatic exercise may be the perfect fit for you. Truthfully, losing weight requires more than simply moving more and eating less; the mind also plays a powerful role in weight management.

“Somatic yoga” is an innovative approach to weight loss, combining the insight-building approach of somatic exercises, the body composition-changing effects of yoga, and the stress management effects of both. It addresses the root causes of patterns underlying weight gain.  This is why it can be so beneficial—it combines your movements with deeper personal awareness, contributing to better weight loss maintenance. 

The Perceived Stress – Weight Gain Connection

Science has shown that stress is linked to an increase in levels of a hormone called cortisol (1), which is tied to metabolism and belly fat (2,3). In fact, there’s even an informal term for this: Cortisol Belly. In addition, poor emotional coping may also be linked to weight gain through comfort eating (1).

Both somatic exercises (4) and yoga (5) have demonstrated that they can help improve emotional coping abilities. As research (6) has shown, some people who struggle to manage stressful situations may be “stress eaters”. This behavior can potentially be helped by somatic exercises and yoga.

For example, somatic workouts promote mindfulness, which can help you get better control of what you eat and how much when it’s applied to eating habits (7). The outcome of this can be weight control.

Yoga also improves mindfulness (5) by anchoring your present-moment awareness to your body and breath. This also can contribute to a more non-judgemental view of the self, and build a sense of self-efficacy through small accomplishments with the practice, each of which can contribute to good emotional awareness and regulation. In addition, some studies point to yoga as having the potential to improve eating habits (8).

What Is Somatic Yoga for Weight Loss?

So what if we were to combine them? If we pull the insight-building advantages of somatic exercises into the yoga practice, it may make for a winning combination!

While traditional weight loss methods generally just target calorie intake and burning, somatic exercise aims to connect your emotions with what you’re feeling in your body, essentially raising awareness of your body’s sensations, emotional triggers, and coping mechanisms.

So, while somatic yoga doesn’t necessarily burn tons of calories, the way it works for weight loss is by using it as a tool to help relieve, reduce, or eliminate contributing factors for weight gain.

Whether you want to learn how to exit the spiral of self-harming behavior, overcome anxiety, cure insomnia or simply give yourself the time and space to bliss out and soak up the moment of complete peace and quiet – BetterMe: Meditation & Sleep app is exactly the tool for that ! If you don’t take care of number one, who will?

Which Somatic Workout Is Best?

Whether your goal is to build insight into your mind/body interactions, reduce stress, or tone up and burn more fat, somatic yoga can help. By moving while you focus on internal physical perception and experience, you’ll also enhance body awareness and learn to release tension, which will set you up for improving weight control.

So somatic yoga not only gets your body moving (9), it also helps you become more flexible and balanced (link to “Do Somatic Exercises Work?”). 

Somatic yoga benefits us by improving a number of areas:

• Body Awareness: Improves posture and movement by increasing practitioners’ awareness of their bodies.
• Reduces Stress: Through mindful movement and breath work, this technique promotes relaxation and reduces stress.
• Relieve Pain: This can help relieve chronic pain and tension by addressing habitual movement patterns.
• Improve Flexibility: Gentle stretching and moving of the body improves overall flexibility and range of motion.
• Improved Emotions: It boosts emotional well-being through mindfulness and presence.

Read more: Somatic Healing Techniques: A Holistic Approach to Physical and Emotional Recovery

Where to Start with Somatic Exercises

If you feel overwhelmed with the idea of starting somatic exercises, don’t worry. Somatic yoga for weight loss for beginners is a lot simpler than it may sound. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources and guides to help you get started. The great thing about somatic yoga is you don’t need exercise equipment or a gym; you can do it in the comfort of your home.

The first step in somatic yoga for weight loss for beginners is to prepare a place for doing it. You want it to be a quiet environment and a comfortable space where you won’t be interrupted. You can use a yoga mat or a soft surface for your somatic stretches.

Somatic yoga exercise is an incredible routine for people to experience somatic stretching without special training or a big-time commitment (10). Somatic yoga for weight loss at home is simple enough to do every day, and it only takes approximately 10–20 minutes per day to start seeing and feeling the results!

What’s an Easy Somatic Exercise I Can Start Today?

One of the most popular somatic yoga exercises is a body scan exercise. The body scan is a mindful exercise that’s used to closely tune into the body and generate an open attitude. This pose is easy for anyone to do. 

Here’s how to do a body scan (11)exercise:

1. Start in a comfortable, supported position, lying on the ground, on a chair, or on a cushion.
2. Next, focus on your breath and feel the sensation of air as you inhale through your nostrils and exhale through your mouth.
3. Note your feelings, whether it’s tension or discomfort.
4. Bring awareness to the physical sensations one area at a time, moving up starting with your feet, then calves, knees, and thighs. Note any sensations in your muscles as you mindfully focus from the soles of your feet up to the top of your head. 
5. Focus on and note any tensions during this body scan to attend to any areas of tension or holding, then allow the tension to dissipate and release.
6. Continue focusing upward on each body part and maintaining a rhythmic, slow breathing style that allows any physical discomfort to be released as you slowly exhale. Once you’ve finished focusing on each part of your body, this body scan mindfulness exercise is complete.

Whether you want to learn how to exit the spiral of self-harming behavior, overcome anxiety, cure insomnia or simply give yourself the time and space to bliss out and soak up the moment of complete peace and quiet – BetterMe: Meditation & Sleep app is exactly the tool for that ! If you don’t take care of number one, who will?

FAQs

• What is cortisol belly?

Cortisol belly is a buildup of fat around your belly that is caused by high cortisol levels. For some people, high levels of cortisol can lead to overeating and weight gain, particularly in the abdominal area. Somatic yoga can be an effective way to bring down cortisol levels and related belly fat by addressing the underlying cause (1).

• Is there an app for somatic exercises?

One of the best apps for somatic exercises is BetterMe. The BetterMe app includes a wide variety of somatic resources, including articles and tutorials for somatic workouts for any level. The BetterMe app also offers personalized workout and nutrition plans that are supported by real human coaches. Whether you’re a beginner to somatic workouts or a seasoned pro,  the BetterMe app has amazing resources for everyone!

• Is 30 minutes of yoga a day enough to lose weight?

Somatic exercises do not take a lot of time. In fact, just 20-30 minutes each day will help reduce stress and promote healthy weight management. It’s recommended that you do your somatic workouts at the beginning of the day.

• Is yoga better than walking for weight loss?

Somatic yoga is more than just about burning calories—it focuses on your mind, feelings, and emotions. It helps you develop a better relationship with your emotions, which results in less overeating. In addition, it helps improve your sleep, reduces stress, and improves flexibility and balance.

• How is somatic yoga different from regular yoga?

Somatic yoga is different from regular yoga as it focuses on becoming more in touch with your emotions. It’s used as an outlet for stress and tension to leave our bodies, and because we can never fully eliminate stress completely from our lives, it’s best if we find a way to reduce or relieve it.

• Are somatic exercises safe?

Somatic exercises are generally considered safe. Make sure to find reliable somatic workout guides to help make sure you’re doing them accurately, and if you have any doubts, always consult your physician to ensure the exercises are safe for you.

The Bottom Line

Generally, it’s quite beneficial to practice a consistent somatic yoga routine for weight loss. Somatic yoga for weight loss is used as a tool that helps weight management by getting your body moving and providing benefits such as improved sleep, less stress, better mobility, and improved flexibility. 

In addition to the mindfulness of somatic workouts, this can help you be more aware of your feelings, emotions, and mind. As weight loss is also mental, this can help you make better decisions outside of the workout room, such as reducing emotional overeating.

Somatic yoga for weight loss for women may be just the method you’re looking for if you want a weight loss technique that combines your mind and body. As it focuses on your mind, it can help you mindfully overcome hurdles that come with weight management, such as a stronger willpower not to overeat due to your emotions. 

If you’re looking for more resources on getting started with somatic exercises, check out a few additional articles that detail the benefits of somatic movements: Simple Yoga Poses, Japanese Yoga, and Somatic Workouts.