What is Sensing Yoga?

Where does Sensing Yoga come from?

Sensing Yoga was created by Mia Elmlund in Kungsbacka and took shape in 2019. She describes it as a gentle form of movement that draws its thinking from how animals, small children and indigenous peoples move naturally – with the motto natural movements on the body's own terms.

How does it differ from other yoga?

In yin yoga you hold still poses for a long time, and in vinyasa you move in flows, often at a faster pace. Sensing Yoga is instead built on small, intuitive movements, on stretching and yawning with the whole body and on alternating between movement and rest. You listen inwards and let the body show the way.

Who is it for?

For you who are new, for you who are tired, for you whose body is telling you to stop – and for you who simply want a gentler moment. No prior experience is needed. If you have an injury or are pregnant, you adapt the movements to yourself and are welcome to tell the teacher.

What does the research say?

There is as yet no research on Sensing Yoga specifically, and we want to be clear about that. On yoga in general, however, there is a great deal. A meta-analysis of 42 studies linked yoga to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, a lower resting heart rate and lower blood pressure. Another found a small but clear improvement in sleep among women.

Yoga is a way of taking care of yourself – not a substitute for healthcare.

Sources

• Sensing Yoga: about the form of movement and its background.
• Norra Halland: Mia sprider ny och mjukare form av yoga.
• Pascoe et al. (2017): Yoga, mindfulness-based stress reduction and stress-related physiological measures. Psychoneuroendocrinology.
• Wang et al. (2020): The effect of yoga on sleep quality and insomnia in women. BMC Psychiatry.

This text was written by Earth & Heart Sisters and was updated on 1 October 2026. It is general information and does not replace advice from healthcare professionals.