https://www.timothytillman.com/about daily 0.75 2026-10-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6abf2877fc631b42e84020fa/731e4142-600d-4f7c-a436-57413e68674f/Autumn+Trust+Walk+in+the+Mountains.png About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6abf2877fc631b42e84020fa/f64381ea-a2ae-40a9-9b0c-578ddb01e987/AR1_3166.jpg About https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6abf2877fc631b42e84020fa/00098880-03c4-45ac-9e8e-8f8f3d5acc6f/Timothy+Meditation.png About - An interview with Timothy tillman On Somatic Meditation: Somatic Therapist and Meditation Teacher Timothy Tillman in conversation with former Yoga Soup Manager and Teacher Camille Robins I sat down with Timothy on a sunny spring afternoon to talk somatic meditation and Timothy’s journey toward teaching and living the practice. You can join Timothy for a donation-based class at Yoga Soup every Thursday morning at 7:45 a.m. C: For those who are curious: What is somatic meditation? T: It’s a form of meditation that holds the body as the path and vehicle for meditation practice. Everything we experience -- emotions, thoughts, sensations, and relations -- we experience through our body. By tuning our awareness to our body, we shift from our pre-occupied thinking brain to the present-centered experience of being in our body. Initially the practice assists students through guided meditations in sitting and lying down postures to access more relaxed open states in our bodies. It is difficult to meditate when our bodies and minds are full of tension. The somatic meditations initially focus on relaxing this tension through bringing awareness to breath, sensation, spaciousness. And our inherent connection with the earth. Once we have accessed a sense of relaxation and groundedness it is much easier to sit still and open to the meditative state of just being. C: Somatic meditation seems like a practical practice -- not one accessible only to monks on a mountain top. Is that true? T: Yes this is true even though these practices have roots in the esoteric traditions of Asia, especially in Tibetan and East Asian Buddhism and spiritual Taoism. It is important to note that these body-centered practices were cultivated by lay practitioners not monks and nuns. The Tibetan Vajrayana lineage which I practice within does not require cloistering ourselves far away from the busyness of the world. The practice centers upon taking refuge within the solace of our own bodies as the path to waking up within the world. It’s a “feet on the ground” experiential practice that addresses every day practical issues of being human in a world of work, family, relationship, and demands. C: What led you to taking an interest in somatic meditation? Why this particular practice? T: I was athletic growing up and loved being in the woods. The more I listened to my body and nature the more curious I became: How am I here in this living body? What’s happening inside of me? How do I exist in this huge universe? This wonder and my love of movement inspired me to become a physical therapist. During my 15 years working with patients I was drawn deeper into the question of why people suffer. I began to see that underneath the physical pain and dysfunction there was an intimate connection between the mind, body, and emotions. For the next 10 years I was a devoted practitioner of Zen Buddhism while professionally pursuing Somatic Psychology, specifically Hakomi body centered psychotherapy. For me, meditation became a practical bridge between the philosophy of spirituality and everyday living. C: What’s most inspiring or interesting to you about this practice? Does it have the power to influence the lives of practitioners? T: I love the simplicity of how this practice can quickly shift us from a cognitive, overthinking state, to a relaxed, embodied state. What’s most inspiring is the recognition that the body itself is already present, connected and awake. When we come home to a state of ease within ourselves we naturally have more space and capacity to manage the stress of our lives. It’s reassuring to know that we all have access to this practice at any time. C: What else can this practice do for us in an increasingly busy, chaotic, digitally-connected world? T: As a culture we’re distracted and separated. In the U.S. we get so enthralled with our individuality -- which can be such a beautiful thing -- but if we go too far in that direction, it can cause isolation and suffering. Somatic meditation reveals our inner connectivity: we are connected to the earth below us, made of the very same elements, and we are connected to each other. Remembering that helps us grow our empathy for ourselves and those around us. C: Do you see somatic meditation as a spiritual path? T: Spirituality and spaciousness are equivalent to me. So yes, somatic self-study and creating a sense of space within is a spiritual practice of mine. I believe that our bodies are temples, and that we all have the ability to awaken; somatic meditation is awakening within the body. It’s a rooted, grounded spiritual path where we’re in devotion to our own life experience while connected to the experience of all beings. C: Our education and experience influence how we perceive the world around us. Architects notice the way buildings are put together just as botanists notice the way plants interact. Your path seems to illuminate the interconnectedness of all things -- the landscape and ourselves. It seems like it’s given you a wonderful framework for perceiving your world. T: It has. We’re all looking through some sort of lens, and as my teacher says, we’re all living in some sort of unconscious trance. Part of our work is to notice what that lens is, and to see if it’s helpful for us and the planet. It’s not easy to break trances if we stay in our left brain. If we’re able to switch to our right brain -- which is intimately connected to our whole body -- we’re afforded a different perception of reality. And that’s important because awareness of our trances gives us more freedom and access to the nourishment that’s available through connection. C: What makes somatic meditation different from other styles of meditation? T: Many mindfulness practices these days are devoid of connection to our bodies. Witnessing what happens in the body from our mind is one type of practice. In the somatic tradition we are actually experiencing awareness from within the body, rather than watching it safely from a distance. The body is not just an access point, it is awareness itself. In reality, there is no separation. The body is awareness expressed. To be present in our bodies is to realize the interconnectedness and love of the whole universe. Timothy Tillman is a somatic psychotherapist, Hakomi trainer, and meditation teacher with over 20 years of clinical experience. He holds a B.S. in physical therapy and an M.A. in clinical and somatic psychology, and he has been a longtime student of Zen Buddhism and embodied spirituality. He draws on his personal and professional experience to provide a fresh mindfulness-based and embodied approach to the art of facilitating groups, guiding individuals toward self-inquiry and freedom. https://www.timothytillman.com/contact daily 0.75 2026-10-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6abf2877fc631b42e84020fa/9e0fbb1b-9e12-48cf-96e7-575fca7fc3be/Feast+and+Fire.png Contact https://www.timothytillman.com/home daily 1.0 2026-10-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6abf2877fc631b42e84020fa/1790912640030-7SPWCKN97R69F27962FF/sophie-655081-unsplash.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6abf2877fc631b42e84020fa/11094eb2-2621-401b-b1df-5f8fe0825c46/AR1_3194.jpg Home - SOMATIC therapy Schedule an in person or virtual body-based therapy session with Timothy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6abf2877fc631b42e84020fa/8eed9e20-b05f-4d30-9fce-13ef346ff3e1/TOB_2698.jpg Home - Movement & MEDITATION Inspiratia’s meditation sangha, offers weekly, monthly, and seasonal somatic meditation and movement classes and retreats in Santa Barbara, CA and Aspen-Snowmass, CO. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6abf2877fc631b42e84020fa/4ec1d542-d9a8-46da-a37a-7455d172b3ab/DarkRetreat2024.png Home - Dark Retreats A supported and guided practice of turning inward, using darkness and sensory withdrawal to deepen awareness, self inquiry, and connection with your inner landscape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6abf2877fc631b42e84020fa/8c195961-6a54-47a5-b6b2-6cb741e28087/FireTenders.jpg Home - Men’s Work FireTenders men’s groups and programs offer intensive group somatic work, and annual wilderness adventures.