HaNeshama Lach: Yom Kippur Somatic-Inspired Yoga

A collaborative practice developed by Rabbi Jonathan Pearl and Anastasia Nevin (MS, RDN, CEDRD-C, SEP). When we first launched Ashreynu, Anastasia and Rabbi Pearl connected around a unique offering: Yom Kippur yoga. It may seem counterintuitive, but as they learned together, they shaped a practice that embodies the themes of Yom Kippur, resetting our bodies, hearts, and minds right before the hardest hours of the fast.

As Anastasia guides our community through this evolving practice, she witnessedsthe energy of the room transform. "I could feel how each of the participants dropped into more presence and felt some more ease and even energy afterwards," she shared, adding how special it was for Rabbi Pearl to join in, too!

This powerful and grounding practice is an energizing way to enter into the final hours of Yom Kippur. We connect to our own bodies just before Ne’ilah, looking inwards to feel the words of the liturgy as we become more present with ourselves and God/the Divine.

This practice has been created to be accessible for all bodies, ages, and abilities.