Megan MacCarthy, founder of Embody with MM, is a dedicated Somatic Yoga teacher and IAYT-Certified Yoga Therapist committed to guiding individuals on their path to healing and transformation. Through Somatic Yoga, retreats, teacher trainings, and personalized yoga therapy, Megan empowers others to cultivate nervous system regulation, deepen body awareness, and restore balance with curiosity and kindness. Whether through movement, breath, or sound healing, her approach integrates science and spirituality, offering a holistic journey toward well-being. MysticMag offers you an exclusive interview.
How do you guide individuals in incorporating somatic yoga practices into their daily routines, especially for those new to this approach?
Most of the individuals I work with in somatic yoga have little to no prior experience with traditional yoga. They are often new to being fully present in their bodies and, in many cases, just beginning their journey toward self-care. Reflecting on my years of teaching three somatic yoga classes a week for a decade, I’ve found that my students are not the typical yoga or fitness enthusiasts. Instead, many have experienced chronic pain, trauma, or illness—some form of dis-ease that has led them to seek self-healing methods.
Interestingly, I find that working with beginners in this context is often easier. Without preconceived notions of what yoga “should” look like, they are free from rigid expectations—there’s no final pose to perfect, no strict alignment to adhere to, and no right or wrong way to move. This absence of external pressure allows for a more intuitive and liberating experience.
In addition to working with individuals, I now focus extensively on training yoga teachers to integrate somatic yoga into more conventional styles, whether it be Vinyasa flow, hot yoga, or other traditional formats. This transition presents challenges, primarily because somatic yoga differs significantly from mainstream practices. There is no emphasis on achieving an aesthetically pleasing pose or capturing the perfect Instagram-worthy moment. Instead, students are encouraged to close their eyes, explore movement playfully, and even use sound as part of their practice.
My approach to somatic yoga is deeply informed by various somatic modalities, including Thomas Hanna’s work, the Feldenkrais Method, and the Alexander Technique, which I integrate with my foundation in yoga therapy. The practice involves slow, intentional movements—often referred to as “pandiculations”—synchronized with the breath. Yoga philosophy provides a strong foundation for breath-guided movement. Part of the therapeutic application of yoga in somatics includes the ability to embrace stillness, enter the subtle body, and deep internal awareness of self as spirit.
At the heart of my work is interoception—the ability to sense and interpret internal bodily signals, such as hunger, temperature, or fatigue. But interoception extends far beyond basic physiological awareness; it allows individuals to develop a profound connection with themselves on an intimate level. Many yoga practices operate externally on the basis of building resilience; often challenging students to push through movement rather than fully experience it. Having taught over a dozen classes a week for many years, I’ve seen how students often remain in a stress response throughout their practice – forgetting to breath and being pushed too far physically – preventing them from accessing a true state of rest and presence.
Somatic yoga, by contrast, happens within the parasympathetic nervous system—the “rest and digest” state. The first and most crucial steps I guide my students through are establishing safety and comfort. Unlike in a typical yoga class, these principles form the foundation of the practice, allowing for a deeply healing and transformative experience.
Could you elaborate on your process for creating personalized yoga therapy regimes that address the unique needs of each client?
Yoga therapy is, in essence, the medicinal application of yoga—an approach that has existed for quite some time. One can trace its roots as far back as the 13th century to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. More recently, traditions such as the Bihar School of Yoga, and Dr. Dean Ornish, who created the heart disease reversal program focused on the therapeutic facets of yoga, have found favor in clinical applications of yoga and insurance reimbursement. While I offer yoga therapy in both group and one-on-one settings, individual sessions allow for a deeply personalized approach, beginning with a comprehensive intake process. This in-depth assessment helps identify a person’s specific needs within a biopsychosocial-spiritual framework.
In yoga therapy, we work with the five layers of being, known as the Panchamaya Kosha model. The first layer is the annamaya kosha, or the physical body, where some individuals may prefer structural support or movement-based work. The second layer is the pranamaya kosha, the energetic body, which encompasses the chakras and subtle energy systems—what I often refer to as all the “juju” of our being. Beyond that is the manomaya kosha, the layer of the everyday mind, where many of our habitual thought patterns reside. The vijnanamaya kosha represents our higher witness mind, associated with wisdom and discernment, while the anandamaya kosha is the bliss body, the deepest layer of self.
Some of the layers of our being are more accessible than others, so we choose the “doorway” into healing based on what resonates most with the student. In working within any one of the layers, all parts of our being-ness benefit. Through the intake process, I gain insight into their goals and needs—whether they seek structural stability which may require a dynamic vinyasa practice, a somatic-based approach for trauma or chronic pain, or support for sleep or mental health challenges such as depression. Each of these requires a tailored approach using both my intellect and formal training and intuition. We co-create a practice that aligns with their unique journey.
One essential aspect of yoga therapy is that it requires self-motivation. To experience meaningful change, a minimum commitment of five days a week for at least 30 minutes is necessary. For those who are disciplined in practicing at home and can be inspired outside of, or in addition to the communal setting of a class, yoga therapy can be profoundly transformative.
What specific sound healing techniques do you employ during your sessions, and how do you tailor them to individual participants?
At Embody with MM, our sound healing sessions are a collaborative blend of my husband, Michael, and myself. Michael is a professional musician and composer, bringing his deep intuitive sense to the experience. While all the gongs and bowls belong to me—I personally select each one based on energetic resonance—Michael has a unique connection with them. For example, the largest gong, whom I’ve named Jupi, is technically mine, but she seems to have a special fondness for him.
During our sessions, Michael plays entirely by intuition, allowing the vibrations to flow naturally. Meanwhile, I move through the space, incorporating hands-on energy healing. I am certified in Healing Touch and Marma Therapy, and I use these modalities to help guide the vibration deeper into the body. This combination allows me to assess each person’s energetic state—whether they need grounding, whether they are floating outside their body, or if they require a different kind of energetic support. If someone is deeply in an expansive state, I honor that rather than pulling them back too soon.
Michael and I work together seamlessly, complementing each other’s strengths. His music creates the vibrational field, while my energy work helps facilitate its impact on a deeper level. The result is a profoundly immersive and healing experience; most of which comes from simply holding intention and space together for their highest good.
When organizing retreats, such as the Somatic Flow Yoga Retreat in Portugal, what key elements do you consider to ensure a transformative experience for attendees?
Over the years, I’ve had many students who attended classes four times a week yet did not experience the same profound transformations as those who joined me on a seven-day retreat. I firmly believe that true transformation, especially in a short period, requires being held in a space where all of your daily needs are fully taken care of—your food, your rest, your well-being—so that there are no distractions. What I often say is that you don’t have to be in all of your roles. You’re not a mother, a sister, a partner, or a professional in that space—you simply get to be. Free from the expectations of your everyday identity, you can step into your truest self, without the need to mask or perform. It also helps that you are in a place of profound natural beauty, connected to an energy bigger than yourself, where the fluid response is to follow your heart.
One of the most important aspects of these retreats is fostering a sense of community. Every time I host a retreat, one of my greatest joys is witnessing the deep bonds that form among participants. These connections last far beyond our time together—many of my students continue to stay in touch, whether they met in Ireland or Portugal, checking in with one another long after they’ve returned home. I believe these relationships serve as a powerful reminder of who we truly are in those moments of immersion. Even when we step back into our daily roles, we can look back and remember: That’s who I really am.
Since we are not renunciates living in caves but householders navigating complex lives, retreats offer a rare opportunity to step away from the noise and tend to the deeper layers of ourselves. On a physical level, I tailor practices to meet each person’s individual needs. Some students crave a challenge, wanting more core work or dynamic movement, while others require a space of deep nourishment and rest. By keeping groups intimate, I can observe these differences and respond accordingly—knowing when to gently push someone out of their comfort zone and when to hold space for them to simply be.
How do you navigate the interplay between physical, emotional, and energetic healing in somatic yoga, and what breakthroughs have you witnessed when clients connect with these layers of themselves?
The interplay between the layers of our being—the koshas—is central to how I approach somatic yoga and yoga therapy. Each individual has a different entry point, and my goal is to meet them where they are. If someone is deeply connected to their physical body, I guide them through sensation—cueing awareness of their bones, muscles, and movement. If someone is mentally oriented, perhaps struggling with anxiety, we might work with thought awareness and mindfulness. For others, the breath becomes the gateway, accessing the pranic (energetic) body through conscious breathing. Regardless of which kosha we enter through, all the layers are affected—each one influencing the whole system.
What I’ve found over my 17 years of teaching, particularly as both a yoga therapist and an energy healer (trained in Healing Touch and Marma Therapy), is that somatic yoga offers a profoundly different experience than traditional yoga. While conventional yoga often focuses on resilience-building—challenging the nervous system to adapt and grow stronger—somatic yoga provides a space for play, exploration, and encourages curiosity and joy. For those who have experienced trauma or chronic pain, this can be revolutionary. Instead of pushing through discomfort, they find safety, freedom, and comfort in their bodies, often for the first time.
What’s particularly unique about somatic yoga is that it functions as a self-induced energy balance. Many of my students who struggled with traditional yoga found that somatic practices allowed them to regulate their energy in a way that felt natural and intuitive. Even if they weren’t attending my classes regularly, I could give them specific somatic movements as self-care practices tailored to their imbalances. These movements kept their mind and energy body in balance without requiring them to sit still in meditation—which is a struggle for many people.
Essentially, somatic yoga becomes a form of moving meditation—one that not only supports nervous system regulation but also keeps the tissues of the body fluid and prana flowing. It’s a practice of embodied healing, allowing people to reconnect with themselves in a way that is accessible and benefits all the systems of the body.
In your experience, how does somatic yoga challenge conventional approaches to healing and self-awareness, and what shifts do you observe in individuals who fully embrace this practice?
Somatic yoga does not necessarily challenge conventional approaches today as it might have in the past. In the 1980s, when I first turned to yoga to manage panic attacks, the connection between thoughts and biology was not widely accepted. At the time, the idea that mental patterns could influence physical health was unconventional, whereas today, concepts like the vagus nerve and the mind-body connection are more mainstream. However, my personal experience reinforced this understanding long before it was widely recognized. I realized that my thoughts directly affected how I felt in my body—especially in cases of chronic pain, disease, or trauma. Discomfort and “dis-ease” in the body is often the result of “stuck” or compressed energy, while anxiety can be a sign of excessive energy flow.
Somatic yoga offers a personalized approach to movement, allowing individuals to choose the intensity and pace that best supports their needs. For those experiencing high anxiety, stillness can sometimes be overstimulating rather than calming. I often compare it to being locked in a phone booth with a lunatic—except the lunatic is your own racing mind. Early in my journey, I couldn’t begin with stillness; I had to work my way into having a regular seated meditation practice. On the other hand, individuals experiencing depression or grief may need gentle encouragement to move, or they may benefit from simply resting and being present. Somatic yoga teaches us to listen to our bodies, trust our intuition, and honor what we need in each moment.
Unlike traditional yoga classes, where everyone follows the same sequence at the same time, somatic yoga incorporates frequent moments of stillness—what I call the “magic moments.” These pauses allow us to experience ourselves in the sensation of stillness. For some, this can create deep calm; for others, continuous movement is more supportive. The key is choice—there are no rigid rules, only what feels right for each person that day. This flexibility is valuable for individuals with strong Pitta energy, those who are always on the go, checking their fitness trackers, and struggling to simply be in their bodies without external rewards.
Somatic yoga can also present a unique challenge for highly athletic individuals who seemingly know their bodies well. I once worked with a rugby player who was incredibly strong but suffered from back pain due to sensory motor amnesia—he was unable to voluntarily disengage one side of his gluteal muscles. Being unaware of this gluteal muscle imbalance (I call this common issue butt check confusion!) created chronic discomfort. Through somatic yoga, he learned to communicate with his body in a new way, discovering how to activate and release the correct muscle combinations and restore balance. The process was simple in theory but not necessarily easy. However, by slowing down and engaging in mindful movement, he was able to reawaken his body’s innate intelligence.
My work with somatic yoga began in cardiac and cancer rehabilitation at my local hospital. Many of my students had lost hope after enduring extensive medical treatments. What I discovered is that healing is not something that can be done for you—nor is it something that is done at all. Healing is something we are. While we cannot cure everything, we can cultivate healing within ourselves, no matter what life brings. Somatic yoga empowers individuals to access their own inner resources, fostering resilience, presence, and self-awareness in a way that is deeply transformative.
If you would like to find out more about Embody with MM, please visit https://embodywithmm.com/
