Land to Water Yoga
Shin Somatics Moving Way
Land to Water Yoga is a clear meditation guide whose functional, emotional, and esoteric dissection of every part of every pose stands to be beneficial within therapeutic practices.
Shin Somatics founder Sondra Fraleigh’s updated meditation guide Land to Water Yoga explores a sequence of gentle and intuitive yoga poses.
Introducing the philosophy behind Shin Somatics, which is built on the idea that there are five fundamental phases of human development that move backwards from walking to floating, the book suggests that each somatic phase is accessible to all bodies. Photographs of Shin Somatics students and teachers demonstrating many of the poses appear alongside thorough explanations of the physical, mental, emotional, and energetic ramifications of each movement. The chakras are the subject of the book’s final section, in which each chakra is matched with its corresponding poses and human developmental stages, as well as with affirmations and visualizations, a color, and a two-word statement (“I see,” “I love,” “I sing”).
The book includes a meticulous level of detail for each pose. The everyday acts of standing and walking, for example, are the first poses in the sequence and are covered in depth, with information about where to look, what to do with one’s arms, and ways to use one’s feet. There are also notes regarding which chakra is being activated, what to feel and think about, and the integration of all of one’s body parts for maximum ease and healthy movement.
The book’s functional, emotional, and esoteric dissection of every part of every pose stands to be beneficial within therapeutic practices. It also includes guidance for creative visualization—for example, it suggests mimicking animals in poses such as Dolphin Breach, Tiger Crawl, Cow Face, and Seahorse Wave. Principles of playful seriousness are exemplified well throughout, including in nature-inspired pose names like Bending Bamboo, Little Boat, and Feet in Mountain that tie to the central suggestion that practicing yoga sequences outdoors or in water can be meaningful.
The book’s tone is somewhat uneven, though. It is sometimes dry and instructional; at other times, it is more gentle and compassionate. It does an excellent job of emphasizing safety and accessibility for all bodies, though, taking care to explore the transitions between poses at length. Indeed, there are clear discussions of factors as specific as ways to protect and strengthen one’s wrists while moving from crawling to sitting. The text also encourages practitioners to meditate on, and celebrate, each bit of what happens as the body moves through a sequence to foster mindful engagement.
The inventive yoga guide Land To Water Yoga is flush with instructions for widening one’s practice in supportive, creative directions.
Reviewed by
Patty Sutherland
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
