Gorkem makes the case that most yoga instruction is built on anatomical studies, not on kinesiological studies of how a living, moving body actually organises itself – and that many common instructions in yoga classes (grounding evenly through the hands, fixing your gaze to hold a balance pose) are inadvertently triggering the same primitive stabilisation strategies the body uses to deal with threat and danger.

In our conversation, we explore:

• The developmental sequence every body already knows – Why extension, flexion, lateral flexion, and rotation must be learned in that exact order in infancy, and why skipping straight to twists or side bends in a yoga class creates compensation instead of strength and capacity

• Polyvagal theory and the nervous system in the room – How safety, threat, and freeze states show up as posture, breath, and muscle tone, and why modern "threats" like a difficult boss or school bullying can leave the body stuck in fight-flight for years

• The body as evidence – Why constipation, cold hands, brittle nails, and autoimmune flare-ups can all be signs of a nervous system locked in chronic stress, long before anyone calls it that

• The "fantastic four" for down-regulating the nervous system – Proprioception, vibration, deep pressure, and vestibular input, and how each shows up in a well-designed yoga sequence

• Reading the red flags in a pose – What clenched jaws, curled toes, and raised shoulders are really telling an instructor, and why the fix is not to merely"push through it"

• Why the hand should never bear weight evenly – A small, very concrete example of how a widely taught practice works against the body's own design

Gorkem's approach asks a provocative question: if yoga's alignment instructions were built on an incomplete model of the body, what would it look like to rebuild them on the model of how humans actually develop movement? This is a rich episode for yoga teachers, therapists, and anyone who has ever struggled with their yoga practice.

Learn more

📌 Neurodevelopmental Yoga: 🔗 https://norogelisimselyoga.com/

📌 Follow Gorkem Dizdar on Instagram: 🔗 https://www.instagram.com/gorkemdizdar/

💬 If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share on your preferred podcast platform!

#NeurodevelopmentalYoga #GorkemDizdar #YogaScience #Kinesiology #PolyvagalTheory #NervousSystem #SomaticTherapy #Embodiment #SensingMindPodcast #ClausSpringborg #YogaTeacherTraining #DevelopmentalKinesiology #TraumaInformedYoga #BodyMindConnection #PosturalControl

In this episode, we’re delighted to welcome Nathan Blair, Founder of The Somatic School—the world’s first ICF Level 2-accredited training in Body-Oriented Coaching. Nathan left the corporate world to immerse himself in Somatic Psychology, Interpersonal Neurobiology and Body Psychotherapy—ultimately creating the training he had always wanted-

In our conversation, Nathan shares the roots of somatic coaching, emphasising the power of combining attention to felt sense with process-oriented coaching, and why “grace” or “revelation” are fitting terms for the kind of deep, life‑shifting insights that emerge from working directly with the body in coaching.

Key highlights from the conversation:

• Why standard coaching frameworks miss half the picture—and how Body‑Oriented Coaching fills it
• The distinction between adjustment, discharge, and process models in somatic work
• The remarkable, lasting clarity that comes from embodied insight—“insights that over‑deliver”
• The power of hot tubs
• …and a lot! of interesting names and history!

If you’re a therapist, counsellor or coach curious about the intersection of science, spirituality and personal development, this episode offers both theoretical and practical inspiration—plus an invitation to explore somatic coaching for yourself – for free.

Links: 📌 The Somatic School: 🔗 https://www.thesomaticschool.com/ 📌 Free introduction to Somatic Coaching: 🔗 https://www.thesomaticschool.com/book-an-intro

#SomaticCoaching #BodyOrientedCoaching #FeltSense #InterpersonalNeurobiology #ProcessCoaching #TherapyAndSpirituality #CoachingTraining #SomaticPsychology #Embodiment #CoachingTools #ProfessionalDevelopment #TheSomaticSchool

Click this link to get notified when new episodes are released

In this episode, I speak with Mar Barroso, a clinical psychologist, international trainer in somatic psychotherapy, and founder of the Escola de Psicoterapias Corporais Integradas in Portugal. Mar teaches both Bodynamic Analysis and Somatic Experiencing, and is known for her deeply integrative approach to therapy—bridging developmental psychology, somatic awareness, and spirituality.

I met Mar at the First International Conference of Bodynamic in Istanbul (2024), where her clarity and depth left a lasting impression. In this conversation, she shares her insights from over 20 years of experience working with therapists and clients across modalities and cultures.

Together, we explore:

• Developmental trauma as missed learning – How therapy can help us complete ego functions that were never fully developed

• The role of the body in change – Why working with muscles and posture helps shift emotional, behavioural, and cognitive patterns in a sustainable way

• Equal space for body, mind, emotion, and behaviour – Why transformation depends on engaging the whole person, not just insight or sensation

• Bodynamic’s unique map of human development – The curriculum of the school of life, which we all go through in the first 12 years of life, even if we do not "graduate" all courses

• Spirituality in daily life – How pain and challenges comes from the push of our spirituality

• Therapists as teachers – Why developmental repair requires not just love, connection and presence, but also guidance, repetition, and new learning

Mar brings a rare blend of clinical precision, warmth, and spiritual insight to the conversation. Her work is especially relevant for therapists, coaches, and practitioners interested in body-based developmental models, integrated healing, and the relationship between trauma, embodiment, and spiritual growth.

Learn more

📌 Learn More About Mar Barroso: 🔗 https://www.instagram.com/mar_barroso_

📌 Learn More About Bodynamic: 🔗 https://www.bodynamic.com/

💬 If you enjoyed this trailer don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share in your preferred podcast platform!

#MarBarroso #SomaticTherapy #Embodiment #Spirituality #Therapy #SensingMindPodcast #Bodynamic #SensingMindInstitute #ClausSpringborg #SomaticPsychotherapy #DevelopmentalTrauma #EgoFunctions #Embodiment #BodyOrientedTherapy #SomaticExperiencing #PsychologyAndSpirituality #TraumaHealing #BodyMemory #DevelopmentalPsychology #EmotionalRegulation #SpiritualIntegration #SomaticCoaching #EmbodiedSpirituality #TherapeuticPresence #InnerDevelopment #TherapistTraining´#HealingThroughTheBody #NeuroscienceAndTherapy #MuscleMemory #HolisticTherapy #PersonalGrowth