Maggie McKay (Host): If you or someone you know has breast cancer, there's a therapeutic yoga called Soma that could help. Joining us to tell us more is Suzanne Larsen, Yoga Therapist and Director of the nonprofit Main Street Yoga at Ease. Welcome to Stoughton Health Talk. I'm Maggie McKay. Thank you for being here, Suzanne.

Suzanne Larsen: Thank you for having me.

Host: What is Soma Yoga?

Suzanne Larsen: Soma Yoga is a therapeutic style of yoga that combines classic yoga philosophy and postures with modern, therapeutic and healing modalities.

Host: And how is Soma Yoga different or the same from a regular yoga class?

Suzanne Larsen: Soma Yoga is a unique fusion of somatics, restorative breath work, polyvagal theory, and the therapeutic application of classical yoga practices. It's aimed at promoting awareness throughout all of our layers of consciousness, easing movement, and improving overall well being. So unlike what we often associate with regular yoga, which can be a little daunting, big physical practices; Soma Yoga emphasizes the connection between the brain, the muscles, the heart, the nervous system, and also our intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. So community and environment to release tension and improve movement patterns and relationships.

Host: It sounds very beneficial. In service and support of those managing symptoms from breast cancer treatment, what therapeutic benefits does Soma Yoga offer this population?

Suzanne Larsen: For those managing symptoms of breast cancer treatment, Soma Yoga gives us more opportunities to practice than just focusing on the physical body. When we experience a health crisis that can be abrupt and ongoing, our relationship with ourselves is constantly changing. And sometimes the body doesn't feel like a very hospitable place to be. And so we have tools that we can use to help get current with curiosity and compassion. So we have ways that we can work depending on what each individual needs to help get comfortable and build a loving and conscientious relationship even when the circumstances seem daunting and disorienting.

Host: What would you tell someone who's considering attending this weekly class, but they've never tried yoga before?

Suzanne Larsen: I would say that showing up is the hardest part. And that we are able to customize practices to whatever people are experiencing at the moment. So if you're dealing with joint pain, or neuropathy, or fatigue, or anxiety, we have really sweet tools to help address all of those. And if you're feeling you would like more energy or a little more strength or a little more stability, we have tools for that as well.

So I say come and try it because self care is not a luxury and it's not optional, but it's a learned skill and it's something that we can continue to improve just through our own compassionate participation. And also, there's a tendency sometimes when we're not feeling well to feel disconnected and isolated.

And there are real benefits to healing in community and connecting with people who understand the experiences that you're going through and can share resources and inspiration.

Host: I love that you say self care is not a luxury or optional, it's necessary because I think a lot of us feel guilty, you know, when we take time for ourselves and we shouldn't, like you said. So how does this class bring ease to the students who attend?

Suzanne Larsen: By holding a safe and accessible and welcoming space to get current with whatever you might be experiencing with a lot of curiosity and compassion. And we have tools that run the entire breadth of our experience. So maybe you're not comfortable connecting into your body today, and that's valid and okay.

And we can do breath work that gives us still really amazing benefits of reducing tension and inflammation and feeling more comfortable with where we are. In fact, we talk about the entire Soma Yoga methodology is predicated on this idea that we have relationship within our physical body, our energetic body, our senses and emotions, our intuition, and then also our community and environment.

And when we are undergoing a health situation, sometimes we get disconnected on any or all of those layers. And so coming back into a mindfulness practice about just feeling reconnected and understanding that we don't have to be perfect. We don't have to be symmetrical to be comfortable and functional, but we do have that invitation, but we don't have to do that. But we get to do that. And the invitation is to really come into this moment with so much curiosity, so much compassion, and to regain agency instead of feeling disconnected and isolated.

Host: What else can students expect in this class? Do they need to bring anything special with them?

Suzanne Larsen: They do not. We have all the props available. People are encouraged to bring their own personal comfort items if they would like. We usually begin class with some check in and just connecting in community, understanding that we are not alone. We practice nervous system regulation just to settle into the space.

That doesn't mean that we're always going to be at ease or comfortable, but beginning a practice and giving ourselves a break from anxiety. When we practice that, it gives us some relief. So, you know, our stress reflexes are not bad. They're not something we should be upset about. It's our body's intuition loving us and protecting us.

They only become problematic when we hold them over past the point when we need them. So we really focus on learning skills to give ourselves some space to process, to rest, to nourish. To just reconnect. It can be exhausting being a patient and an advocate. So we invite ourselves to turn some of that love and attention within.

So it's nurative self care rather than externally facing distraction or validation or resistance.

Host: Will one class have an impact?

Suzanne Larsen: Yes, you'll feel great after a single practice simply by virtue of turning some positive attention to yourself. We get these amazingly complex body minds and they come with no user's manual. We don't know what to do with them, but they respond really well to even just a little bit of self-care.

That being said, it is a practice and the benefits are cumulative. So sometimes people say to me, I feel so great after class. How long do I have to keep doing this? And I'm like, well, how long would you like to feel well? And to that end, Maggie, it does not have to be an hour every day. A big part of our work is to help bridge the gap between clinical care and self-care by helping people to interpret the directions they get from their physical therapist.

By holding spaces so that people can interact together, and by giving people small, short practices and also the reasoning behind it, the understanding, so that they can take those practices and use them whenever they need it. When they're waiting for a procedure and feeling anxious, maybe they close their mouths and take some humming diaphragmatic breaths, whatever they find works for them.

So it's really about developing a toolbox for resourcing so that we feel more comfortable, more agency, more connection even when things are scary.

Host: So one class is great but of course the benefits of a regular practice far outweigh that. Is there anything else you'd like to add, Suzanne, in closing that we didn't cover?

Suzanne Larsen: I just want to emphasize that people are always welcome, within this practice and within this space, even if that is just coming in and getting comfortable and getting out of the house and that we can customize our practices to meet whatever specific needs individuals within our community are experiencing.

Host: Well, this has been so informative. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. I'm sure this will help a lot of people.

Suzanne Larsen: Thank you so much. I love this work and love sharing it with people.

Host: Again, that's Suzanne Larsen. To learn more about the Soma Yoga for breast cancer support or other Soma Yoga classes, please go to MainStreetYogaStoughton.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels. And check out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you.

Thanks for listening. I'm Maggie McKay. This is Stoughton Health Talk, a podcast from Stoughton Health.