Sensit Yoga Somatics

Sensit Yoga Somatics and Embodied Parts-Work

Maja Zilih — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 05:47:00 GMT

by Maja Zilih, Sensit Yoga Somatics founder and a psychotherapist in training under supervision. "Caring for our psychosomatic well-being helps embodied patterns shift and reorganize in supportive ways, allowing the mind to become more deeply embodied, and the body to collaborate more fully with the mind."

This course combines somatics with psycho-emotional exploration, offering a holistic practice with depth and lasting sense of integration

Gentle Sensit Yoga Somatics involves slow, interoceptive movement that supports the release of restrictions in the fascia and awakens embodied intelligence. It helps us develop a sense of safety, grounding, and rootedness in the body.

Embodied Inner-Parts Work

From this place of safety, we explore our inner parts as they arise through thoughts, sensations, and images, meeting them with curiosity and compassion. We come to understand their intentions and protective roles, and we can also see how they impact our lives. Interestingly, when we approach them with friendly interest and empathy, they tend to reveal what they need in order to become more integrated and collaborative within the whole system. We seem to create the conditions for greater trust and connection throughout our inner world.

6 Wednesdays 18:00-20:15, starting September 2nd.

Price: 260 Euros

Questions and registrations: info@sensit.yoga

Deepening Embodiment: The Interplay of Proprioception and Interoception

Maja Zilih — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:11:00 GMT

In person: Schmida Institut

4 Wednesdays: 2, 9, 23, and 30 April / 19:00-21:00 / 155 Euros

Online:
3 Mondays: 7, 14, 28 April / 18:30-20:30 CET / 60 Euros

Deepening Embodiment: The Interplay of Proprioception and Interoception

Maja Zilih — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:11:00 GMT

In person: Schmida Institut

4 Wednesdays: 5, 12, 19, 26 March / 19:00-21:00 / 155 Euros

Online:
4 Mondays: 10, 17, 24 and 31 March / 18:30-20:30 CET / 80 Euros

Somatics for yoga teachers, therapists and movement educators / Sensit Yoga Somatics Training

Maja Zilih — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 08:42:00 GMT

The essence of Sensit Yoga Somatics is tunning into the wisdom of the body as a source of support, healing and self-discovery. Whether you are a yoga teacher, a movement educator, or a therapist, your skilful guidance is an elemental part of this process.

The training offers you a variety of tools and methods for self-care and emotional regulation based on somatic awareness. They are designed to help students/clients better understand the language of their body, and thereby improve and refine the mind-body communication. They are simple but profound, and as such, they can be easily integrated into yoga, meditation or other therapeutic sessions.

Comprehensive training material is optimally balanced between the practical experience and methodology of teaching, serving both ones own deepening of embodiment practice, and honing their teaching skills.

The Practice:

►Movement as a practice of self-care
►Origins of movement: Embryology and developmental movement
►Bone intelligence and skeletal connections
►Relationship to gravity and space as our fundamental source of support. Actions of yield, push reach and pull
►Anatomy of the Breath: Lungs and Diaphragms
►Cellular and Embryonic breathing: Foundation for all pranayama techniques

Methodology, and Teaching:

►Sensit yoga somatics class structure
►Designing and teaching the class with emphaisis on bone intelligence and skeletal system.
►Asana sequences from a developmental perspective.
► Teaching interoceptive awareness. Articulation that engages students in self-inquiry and exploration. Vocabulary that empowers students to rely on their sensations, work with felt experience, and discover guidance from within.
►Anatomy of the breath, and pranayama for embodied breathing
►Conscious touch and self-touch for enhancing awareness and repatterning.
►Embodied yoga philosophy
►Teacher's tools: Research, preparing and laying out the educational material in regular classes
►Designing homework for your students and helping them assimilate and apply the knowledge gained in your class.

Sept-Nov 2025 | Sensit Yoga Somatics

Maja Zilih — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 15:55:00 GMT

Sensit Yoga Somatics is a practice of body-mind integration. The sessions combine embodied movement, breathwork and meditation. As we tune into the living tissues of our bones, fascia and organs, the mind settles and awareness expands. We discover supportive connections within us, and we deepen the nourishing relationship to gravity. In this process, we get to release accumulated tension and inhibitions, revitalize our tissues, and experience a joyful way of moving and being.

Schmida Institute / Lehárgasse 1/2, 1060 Wien

40 per session or 155 monthly

Online: Mondays 19:00-20:30 / 80 Euros monthly

Stress relief and mind-body resilience

Maja Zilih — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 15:55:00 GMT

As global developments continue to dissapoint and alarm, our bodies may experience increased stress levels. Let us remember that our inner state shapes how we perceive and, in turn, how we engage with the world, espeically with our closest ones. Somatic practices of stress relief and resilience are crucial in times like these, not only because of their calming effect but because they offer a ground for cultivating kindness and empathy in our relationships, despite the challenges of fears and frustrations. They also help us gain clarity and strength to resist the tendencies of hatred and exclusion and seek meaningful ways to contribute to society.

This workshop will involve plenty of regenerating movement and breath practices, while focusing on the areas of the face, throat, and organs of the digestive system—key spaces where stress manifests—to release the tension, restore balance, and deepen the mind-body connection.

In person: Schmida Institut
4 Wednesdays: 5, 12, 19, 26 Feb / 19:00-21:00 / 155 Euros

Online:
4 Mondays: 3, 10, 17 and 24 Feb / 18:30-20:30 CET / 80 Euros

January course | Sensit Yoga Somatics

Maja Zilih — Sun, 05 Jan 2025 15:55:00 GMT

Schmida Institute / Lehárgasse 1/2, 1060 Wien

Price: 155 Euros, or 40 per session

Online: 3 Mondays 19:00-20:30 / 60 Euros

Learning by feeling: Through felt sense to new patterns of movement and being

Maja Zilih — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 09:33:00 GMT

This self-inquiry practice will guide you in mapping skeletal connections and creating new movement patterns that emerge when we reenact the developmental stages of movement and perception.

Beginning with undulatory waves from center to periphery in pre-spinal movement patterns, progressing to integrated homolateral locomotion of crawling and walking, this felt sense of the body will help us remember the most natural and efficient ways of moving and being. This process often reveals stages where physical or psycho-emotional restrictions have occurred, offering insights into how to work with those areas to expand one's abilities and regain optimal support.

Online

5, 12 and 19 December 19:00-20:30 CET

In-person

4 Wedensdays: 27 November, 4, 11 and 18 December 19:00-21:00, at Schmida Institute Wien

More information info@sensit.yoga

Navigating transitions: Sensit Yoga Somatics for resilience & self-regulation

Maja Zilih — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 09:33:00 GMT

As we reluctantly say our summer’s farewell, tunning into our body and breath brings a graceful transition into the autumn season and all its hidden wonders. Our journey will focus on somatic practices that nurture our ability to adapt to stress and maintain equilibrium in times of change.

Nervous system explorations

Embodied learning offers more than just knowledge of the nervous system; it opens the door to profound insights and an experiential understanding that enhances our capacity for cultivating resilience and regulation. By attuning to bodily sensations, we can gently untangle them from the threads of thought, allowing us to engage directly with the felt sense as it unfolds moment by moment. We begin to sense the subtle dance of our basal neuromuscular tone, feeling its shifts through mindful movement, resonant sound, and the gentle pull of gravity on the body's places of tension, inviting a soft and nourishing surrender throughout the tissues.

September in-person / Wednesdays 19:00-21:00 / Dr Schmida Institute

September online / Mondays 18:30-20:00 / *starting on Sept. 9th

More information info@sensit.yoga

Diaphragmatic flows and rhythms for better breathing

Maja Zilih — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 09:29:00 GMT

In this workshop, we will use movements and sounds that gently stretch, activate and then release the tension held within our thoracic diaphragm, to improve our breathing habits. Our pelvic, thoracic and cranial diaphragms will coordinate in a soft pulsation - similar to that of the jellyfish - massaging and replenishing our heart, digestive and reproductive organs, and turning the breath into a delightful whole-body experience.

In person: Wednesdays 2, 9, 16 and 23 October / Schmida Institut / 19:00-21:00 / Cost: 120 Euros or 30 Euros per session

Online: Mondays 7, 14 and 21 October / 18:30-20:00 CET / Cost: 60 Euros

April: Biotensegrity in motion

Maja Zilih — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 18:02:00 GMT

I am happy to announce that in April, our group is moving to the new place - Dr Schmida Institute - in Lehárgasse 1/2, 1060 Wien, close to Karlsplatz. Our class will take place every Wednesday, 19:00-21:00. I feel fortunate and grateful to the Perform Studio for having hosted us for nearly two years, and I look forward to our future collaborations.

Central to our practice this month is the development of meditative awareness of subtle body cues. These cues help us develop reliable sensory feedback, guiding us towards what supports our healing and growth, and away from what doesn't.

When the body moves not as parts, but as an organism - a biotensegrity system with inborn templates of connection, fluidity and intelligence - we can see ourselves through the waves of sensations and emotions, and incorporate the external stimuli into the depths and wholeness of our being.

In-person: Dr Schmida Institute / Wednesdays 19:00-21:00 / 30 Euros per session

Online: Mondays 18:30-20:00 / 80 Euros per month

Heart-centered moving and being

Maja Zilih — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 08:30:00 GMT

This month we will dive into the mysteries of our embryonic origins, the time of immense change and potentiality. Within this period of continual folding and unfolding, inner volumes intertwined with membranes giving rise to the organs and glands, with all their complexity and intelligence. We will sense and trace the emotional energies within our body, helping them flow and transform through movement patterns inherent to our original design, such as pulsation, navel radiation and spirals.

The heart evolved as a spiral, a movement pattern that offers least resistance, and enables the free flow of fluids. It intertwined with the thoracic diaphragm through the fascial sac of pericardium, establishing the connection with our breath. Today we can feel how the heart, cradled safely between the two lungs, is being gently swayed and comforted by the tranquil rhythm of diaphragmatic breathing. The heart was the first - and for a long time - the largest organ in the body. The memory of the heart’s central role in our creation, helps us to embody, understand, and experience life from a heart-centered perspective.

In person: 4 Mondays of March / Perform Studio Wien / 18:30-20:45

130 Euros or 35 per session

Online: 4 Thursdays of March / 18:30-20:00 CET

80 Euros

Supporting The Nervous System

Maja Zilih — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 08:13:00 GMT

In January we explore ways to support and nourish our nervous system. Familiar practices of restorative yoga, pranayama and somatic spiraling will be enriched with tracing and sensing the fat tissue that is so essential for the good neuronal functioning, as it insulates, protects and supports the neurons.

Mondays 8, 15, 22 and 29 January | Perform Wien | 18:30-20:30 | 120 Euros

Thursdays 11, 18 and 25 Janaury | Online | 18:30-20:00 | 60 Euros

About restorative yoga:

Restorative yoga uses gravity and other forms of support (walls, cushions, chairs blocks) to create gentle passive openings in the tissues and achieve relaxation in the entire neuro-muscular system.
Maintaining restorative postures releases, hydrates and revitalizes fascia. It allows those areas of the body that tend to accumulate stress, to gradually soften the resistance and surrender to gravity. This process calms the nervous system and can become "imprinted" as a new habit of releasing stress at will. Gradually, this practice can lead to the prevention of future accumulation of tension in the muscles, fascia and the organ system.

Sensit Somatics:

In Sensit somatics we use the ground for rolling and effortlessly spiraling, to release tension in the fascia and the organ body. Movement and meditation merge into one practice of heightened proprioceptive and interoceptive awareness, gradually taking us to a place of no guidance or instruction, where the non-voluntary, spontaneous expression can emerge.

December course: The Fluid Body | Mondays at Peform Wien | Thursdays online

Maja Zilih — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:31:00 GMT

December course:

In the final month of the year, we immerse ourselves in the intelligent, living waters of our body, entrusting them to cleanse away what no longer serves us, and lead us towards healing and rejuvenation.

As we let our motion and sound arise from the awarenress of the fluid system, we not only experience enchanced mobility, but often get surprised by an emotional release, an authentic expression or a meaningful insight.

Mondays at Perform Wien - 18:30-20:30

Thursdays online 18:30-20:00

Sensit Yoga Somatics is a practice of body-mind integration. The sessions combine embodied movement, sound breathwork and meditation. As we tune into the living tissues of our bones, fascia and organs, the mind settles and awareness expands. We discover supportive connections within us, and we deepen the nourishing relationship to gravity. In this process, we get to release accumulated tension and inhibitions, revitalize our tissues, and experience a joyful way of moving and being.

Price: 30 Euros per in-person session, 20 Euros per online

Harmonizing the Systems: Somatic Journey into Organs and Glands

Maja Zilih — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 17:44:00 GMT

In November we will dive into the world of our organs and glands, tending to their health and vitality and exploring their intricate relationship to our emotional experiences.
Our organs respond positively to our refined attention, and fluid spiralic motions initiated from the inner body. Regular yoga-somatics practice with attention on our organs increases health, vitality and balance in the whole organ system. It opens up communication pathways between the organs and the brain. As we learn to release tension from our organs, this communication system evolves into an intelligent life-guide. It reminds us to shift our attention from the thinking mind into the feeling body, making us more fully present to ourselves and helping us make choices that serve our growth and well-being.

Price:

Monthly:130 Euros

Drop-in classes: 35 Euros

Advanced Sensit Immersion Online - for Sensit Yoga Somatics teachers and long-term practitioners

Maja Zilih — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 17:39:00 GMT

New series of advanced Sensit immersions for teachers starts next February. It is designed for you to deepen your embodiment experience and become more adept in facilitating somatic journeys for your students.

Each session contains 2 hours of practice and 30 minutes of Sensit Yoga Somatics teaching methodology.

The journey will include

- the exploration of connective tissues of bones and fascia,

- harmonizing the endocrine system,

- emotional regulation and expression through the somatic practices

- cellular consciousness

Price:180 Euros before January 25th, 220 Euros after.

You can attend live or via the recording, with unlimited access.

Hours lead to Sensit Yoga 300hr Advances Studies. In case of non-live attendance (via recording), if you wish the hours to count as studies, you will need to provide written answers to 10 questions for each session.

Online | Harmonizing the Systems: Somatic Journey into Organs and Glands

Maja Zilih — Sat, 28 Oct 2023 15:19:00 GMT

In November we will dive into the world of our organs and glands, tending to their health and vitality and exploring their intricate relationship to our emotional experiences.

Our organs respond positively to our refined attention and fluid spiralic movements initiated from our inner body. Regular yoga-somatics practice with attention on our organs increases health, vitality and balance in the whole organ system. It opens up communication pathways between the organs and the brain.. As we learn to release tension from our organs, this communication system evolves into an intelligent life-guide. It reminds us to shift our attention from the thinking mind into the feeling body, making us more fully present to ourselves and helping us make choices that serve our growth and well-being.

Price: 80 Euros

Skeletal Pathways of Comfort and Connectivity

Maja Zilih — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 09:55:00 GMT

Enhancing our understanding of the intricate skeletal pathways within our body, and achieving an optimal distribution of weight profoundly influences our overall postural comfort. This heightened comfort level has a direct impact on our emotional states and thought processes.

As we enter the month of October, our focus turns towards the realm of bone intelligence and the interconnectedness of our skeletal system. We will delve into the subtle perception of how gravity traverses and intertwines with the bones of our body. This sensory awareness gives rise to an alignment that naturally emerges from within, facilitating greater ease in movement and a newfound spaciousness within our joints.

Our journey will revolve around the pursuit of effortless locomotion, fostering a sense of fluidity in our bones, and nurturing the supportive inner connections that underlie our physical well-being. Throughout this process, we will lay a solid structural foundation, preparing us for a deeper exploration of the interconnected worlds of fascia and organs.

In person: 5 Mondays of October / Perform Studio Wien / 18:30-20:30

Cost: 160 Euro

Online: 4 Thursdays of October / 18:30-20:00 CET

Cost: 80 Euros

Sensit Yoga™ Somatics retreat on Crete | Week 1: 15-21 July / Week 2: 22-28 July 2024

Maja Zilih — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 08:46:00 GMT

Send Enquiry

10th consecutive summer at this very special place of Agios Pavlos! This year our program will focus on developing self-regulation skills, practicing embodied mindfulness and enhancing resilience. Somatic movement as a body-based approach to supporting our mental health and wellbeing.

Sensit Yoga

Sensit Yoga Retreat is a unique experience of reaching new depths of awareness through a sensitive yoga practice. Surrounded by a mesmerizing natural environment and feeling our body on a deeper level, we start to feel truly at home with ourselves.

Sensit Yoga practice and movement

The program consists of twice daily yoga and somatic practice. In each session you are guided into movement while exploring the body systems, such as skeletal, myofascial, organ, fluid and neuro-endocrine system.

In Sensit Yoga, moving into and through different shapes and postures, we always make sure that we move from the inner body, with sensitivity and awareness. As we become conscious in movement of the support coming from our relationship to gravity, and from the connections between our inner spaces and structures, our nervous system can relax and become receptive and open to new learning. This new learning is about honoring the body and breath, and listening to its guidance. It is about feeling connected to the earth and the environment around us, feeling its support.

The body communicates where it has been storing the unnecessary tension and we learn how to release this tension by directing our attention and breath, by initiating movement from certain areas, and by working with gravity in particular ways. It becomes much easier to tune into the body's signals, develop our intuition, recognise when we are falling into the unhealthy patterns and automatic reactions, and start to build new patterns of more conscious living.

Unleashing the energy that was used for holding the accumulated tension results in a grounded, energized, joyful and effortless way of moving and being.

Maja Zilih

Maja is the founder of Sensit Yoga™ Somatics. She has been teaching yoga and meditation since 2007. Her method Sensit Yoga is a mindful and interoceptive practice that aims at expanding the awareness of all the levels of our being. The practice combines yoga asana infused with elements of body-mind centering, natural/primal movement, functional exercises, tension release techniques and movements that arise for each individual in their own way. The sessions always complete with meditation and a long relaxation. Expect to be continuously invited to feel, sense and move from and through your inner body. Sometimes you follow the instructions, other times you inquire into the needs of your unique body and let it take the lead. You explore and utilize your relationship with space and gravity. You play with different ways in which you can awaken fluidity and ease not only in the body and breath but also in the mind. By becoming conscious of your deep primal inner connections you find new source of support. Your body begins to release the unnecessary tension and each movement becomes an opportunity for a total body-mind-spirit integration.

More about Maja here

Location and getting there

Our retreat base is located at Agios Pavlos, an area at the Southern Edge of Crete, with a majestic 180° view of the Libyan sea.

Rugged and unspoiled, the area offers breathtaking scenery with sandy beaches and crystal clean waters. Overlooking the stunning bay the hotel has a fine restaurant, a relaxing café/bar, and a mini market so you don't have to leave for any of your holiday essentials.

On the high rock above the sea, there is another, night bar formed as a cave naturally inside the rock and overlooking the sea.

There are two airports on the island at more or less the same distance from the retreat center. CHania (CHQ) and Heraklion (HER) the Crete’s region capital city

In both airports there are direct flights to and from all major cities in Europe and the world.

A mini-van taxi is arranged for arrival on July 15th and July 22th, and for departures on July 21st and July 28th. It fits up to 8 people and the cost is 30 Euros per person per ride

It is about 2 hour drive. If you wish to come by taxi independently, the cost is 130 Euros per ride.

If you have a possibility, we highly recommend renting a car at the airport (appx price 30 Euros per day), as this will enables you to move around more, and visit many amazing beaches near Agios Pavlos. Those who wish to connect with other participants to share a ride, need to tell us at least 2 weeks before the retreat.

Heraklion (HER)

How to arrive by car from the Heraklion (HER) or the Chania (CHQ) airports:

Chania (CHQ)

Coming from Piraeus by ferry line - to Chania, Heraklion or Rethymno port: from Rethymno you will need about 1:35 hours to reach Agios Pavlos Hotel. Itinerary from

The Grigorakis family run hotel can be found on the southern coast of Crete, in a region of exceptional natural beauty. Rugged and unspoiled, the area offers breathtaking scenery and glorious beaches making this a very special place to visit. Overlooking the stunning bay the hotel has a fine restaurant, a relaxing café/bar, and a mini market so you don't have to leave for any of your holiday essentials.

On the high rock above the sea, there is another, night bar formed as a cave naturally inside the rock and overlooking the sea. Occasionally there are dance parties, or concerts with traditional Cretan music, African music and other. Thanks to the configuration of the cave bar acoustics and the rock surrounding it, there is no noise outside the complex.

Yoga and Somatics Program

Monday - arrivals and 18:30-20:00 Sensit Somatics - gentle and grounding practice

Tuesday: 8:00-10:00 Sensit Yoga - energizing practice / 18:30-20:00 Sensit Somatics - gentle and grounding practice

Wednesday: 8:00-10:00 Sensit Yoga - energizing practice / 18:30-20:00 Sensit Somatics - gentle and grounding practice

Thursday: free day

Friday: 8:00-10:00 Sensit Yoga - energizing practice / 18:30-20:00 Sensit Somatics - gentle and grounding practice

Saturday: 8:00-10:00 Sensit Yoga - energizing practice / 18:30-20:00 Sensit Somatics - gentle and grounding practice

Sunday: departures

Fields of exploration include:

Bone intelligence and skeletal connections

Tracing skeletal connections improves our postural comfort, directly influences our physiological state, and elevates our emotional wellbeing. Skeletal clarity and coherence bring forth the natural and optimal alignment of the bones with space and gravity. Sensing how gravity moves through our bones contributes to our felt sense of being firmly and pleasantly grounded, well-integrated and safe in our environment.

Embodying fascia - A felt sense of wholeness

Embodying fascia in movement practice gives us a strong sense of inner and outer interconnectedness, because fascia is the connective webbing that envelops, integrates and distinguishes all the spaces in our body. However, fascia is also our largest sensory organ, and as such, it gives us important feedback about our psycho-emotional states, as well as about our energetic resonance field. In this deeply regenerating practice, our fascia comes alive through the whole-body movements that expand us from within. With mindful stretches and activation, we target deep fascial layers that, once accessed, are able to release the accumulated tension. We complete the practice by a deeply calming method of releasing tension from the visceral fascia.

Mind of the organs

Our organs constitute a highly intelligent internal system that nourishes, maintains and balances all life. In response to care and refined attention, organs can relax, revitalize, and return to balance
Sensit yoga with refined attention to the organs improves the functioning of the organ system, but it also strengthens its communication with the nervous and endocrine systems.
The movements, the asana, the sound vibration and gentle touch with presence, help us to locate tension in the organ tissues, and discover ways to release it. This practice brings a deep relaxation and relief, as well as toning and vitality in the entire organ system. In addition, having the external structure of the musculoskeletal system supported by the buoyancy of the internal organs, we get to experience all asana with more lightness and ease. We get to feel that external movement simply and beautifully "responds" to the internal drive for motion, breath, spaciousness or connection, that emerges from deep within.

Ever more subtle: Nerves, glands and self-regulation: restorative yoga, somatic spiralling and embodied meditation

In this exploration we abide in a deeply regenerating state of awake, quiet presence, which nourishes our body-mind, and helps alleviate some of the symptoms of chronic over-stimulation, such as stress, headache, insomnia, shallow breathing, inflammation, and other. The practice interweaves restorative yoga with pranayama, somatic spiraling on the ground, embodied meditation and other practical techniques of stimulating the Vagal tone. We are observing, sensing and harnessing the tone and the interchanging states of our neuro-endocrine system, in order to come to balance and become more skilful at self-regulation.

The anatomy of breathing - an interface between consciousness and our physiology

Our last exploration focuses on the breah - the ongoing life-giving process which brings together all of our systems - myofascial, respiratory, fluid, neuroendocrine. When we release inhibitions from the physiology involved in breathing, the movement of the breath becomes easy, rhythmic, responsive and adaptable to the circumstances. The jellyfish-like pulsation of our diaphragms revitalises our entire fascial system, as well as our organ body. As we become increasingly more conscious of the synergistic intelligence of our breathing architecture, the breath energy flows all throughout the body, and the act of breathing becomes a voluminous and pleasant experience. It invites the mind to settle down and ride on the graceful wave of the breath, emanating spontaneous meditation states.

Things to do | Excursions and activities

Once you have reached this Southern edge the continent you can dive to a mesmerizing and reinvigorating landscape.

-Swim in the warm inviting waters of the beach neighbouring the hotel which is also ideal for families.

- Descend to one of the most amazing beaches of Crete, called St. Pavlos Sandhills, offering spectacular sunsets.

Take a tour of the area and rest your gaze on the long oceanic-type Triopetra beach for a swim, a walk, coffee, lunch or dinner at the fantastic taverns with a breathtaking sea view.

- Enjoy the sunset view from the comfort of your room or at the yoga veranda.

- Hike the beautiful gorges of Rethymno. Kourtaliotis (length: 3 km) is one of the most spectacular natural attractions of Rethymnon.The huge cliffs of the canyon reach a height of - 600 meters and are full of caves, where significant fauna species live.

Or go further to the west, to the worldwide known Samariá Gorge. A National Park of Greece and a World's Biosphere Reserve. It will take 6 hours to cross it so plan wisely. There is a boat departing from Agios Pavlos to Samaria’s sea mouth (Agia Roumeli) and you can always visit without walking the gorge to its North exist.

- Visit Beach of Preveli, also known as Lake Preveli or Phoenix. During the 60s and 70s, it was a favorite destination for hippies. On the banks of the Grand River there is a large colony of Theophrastus palm trees, which give the region a sense of an African landscape. The river, forming a large lake, 1.5km long, before emptying into the sea, has water all year round. You can walk along the river, under the shade of palm trees and other trees, and start ascending in the beautiful canyon

For more information on the area and the sightseeing choices you can check: http://www.cretanbeaches.com/

Cost = Accommodation + Yoga program

Price includes the yoga program, accommodation and 2 meals daily (brunch and dinner).

Kavos Melissa rooms - LIMITED SPACE LEFT!

Melissa rooms are situated on the ground floor and on 1st floor, with a wonderful view overlooking the sea. They have a small terrace, kitchenette, own bathroom and an air condition.

Shared room with 1 person | 1 week stay = 820 per person, 2 week stay = 1600 per person

Single room stay | 1 week = 1200 Euros, 2 weeks = 2300

Luxury apartments Varkotopi

One-bedroom villa with a small pool, 1 double bed, living room with and modern kitchen and 1 adjustable couch

Shared room with 1 person | 1 week stay = 1250 per person, 2 weeks = 2400 per person

Single room stay | 1 week = 1900, 2 weeks = 3500

Payments via Paypal info@majayoga.gr or via bank transfer

Kavos Melissa (all rooms are looking over the sea, have air condition, private bathroom, shower, kitchenette, fridge, and a small balcony) - Distance from sea: 400m

Cavos Melissa 1 - One person - one room with double bed, living room, fridge and kitchenette, air condition, private bathroom and shower, balcony with panoramic sea view

Cavos Melissa 2 - two persons - one room with either two single beds or one double bed, living room, fridge and kitchenette, air condition, private bathroom and shower, balcony with panoramic sea view

Cavos Melissa 2x - Two persons - two separate rooms, living room, fridge and kitchenette, air condition, private bathroom and shower, balcony with panoramic sea view

Luxury apartments, Varkotopi (all rooms are looking over the sea, have air condition, private bathroom and shower, living room and a terrace with private pool) - Distance from sea 50m:

Varkotopi Luxury 1 - One person with a double bed, living room with a kitchen, private pool, terrace with panoramic view, air condition, private bathroom and shower

Varkotopi Luxury 2 - Two persons with a double bed, living room with a kitchen, private pool, terrace with panoramic view, air condition, private bathroom and shower

Varkotopi Luxury 2x - Two persons - two separate rooms, each with double bed, living room with a kitchen, private pool, terrace with panoramic view, air condition, 2 private bathrooms and showers

Varkotopi Luxury 3 - Three persons in two separate rooms, each with double bed and one adjustable 1.5 size couch, living room with a kitchen, private pool, terrace with panoramic view, air condition, 2 private bathrooms and showers

All tax included

What do participants say? - TESTIMONIALS

Testimonials:

What a very relaxing and memorable retreat this was! This spacious venue with amazing view is really idyllic space to relax! I loved your teaching style, with embodied anatomy and mindful breathing practiced. I now have an increased understanding of my own body and I receive more from each asana. I will use much of what I learned in sessions at home and in daily life. And last but not least, I met a beautiful mix of lovely people! For all that I am very thankful! - Hanka from Belgium, July 2021

Thank you for this incredible week. It has given me relief from stress and inner peace. Working with you and this group has helped me develop a strong relationship to myself and my body. It wasn’t possible for me to imagine how much I would receive from you and this location. It was incredible. After the yoga, my whole body and soul felt deeply grounded and connected to everything. I cant explain it well, but I am extremely grateful for being part of this retreat - Paula from Austria, 2021

What a wonderful retreat you gave us on this beautiful island! It helped me relax completely and recharge my batteries. I will not forget the warm welcome you and your lovely family gave me on the first day. May the long time sun shine upon you… - Ann from Belgium, July 2021

As a beginner, I felt like this was my first real contact with Yoga. Profound, deep, well-grounded. I enjoyed every single day of this retreat. And I am really glad that I got to know Yoga in this way. Thank you very much - Harald from Austria, 2021

Thank you for this wonderful yoga retreat and for the opportunity to be a part of this warm group of people. It helped me feel calm after a very long time. I loved the sea and the wind and the so many stars in the sky. I loved being at the beach every day, and in the evenings getting together and eating delicious meals. I am taking all these experiences with me now, and I will try to remember how it feels being the jellyfish in the sea - Eva from Greece, July 2021

Maja's knowledge is so vast; from pranayama to asana sequencing and alignment to meditation. Her teaching methods are so complete with no question going unanswered. Keep shining Maja, you're a true treasure to yoga!!! See you again! - Annika, J, Paros , 2019

Thank you so much for such an insightful week of learning, regenerating and healing. You are a gifted teacher and a talented leader and I hope the work you do will sustain and nourish you for a long time to come.

Jennie, Portland from USA, 2018

Thank you so much for setting up such a fantastic week in such a magical place. It is amazing what happens when a group of wonderful people get together for a common purpose. You have taught us so much and I appreciate it.

Bradley, Portland, USA, 2018

Thank you for a wonderful week in Crete, for showing me new approaches to poses as well as for sharing your views on yoga philosophy and spirituality. I really enjoyed the lectures and the meditations and I will certainly take these experiences home with me

Louisa, Vienna, Austria, 2018

What a wonderful experience! Thank you very much for a heart-opening week of becoming more of the person that I am. Thank you for your guidance that opened me to new experiences both on a physical and a mental/emotional level. I look forward to staying in touch

Stefanie, Vienna, Austria, 2018

Thank you warmly for this unique, interesting and rewarding week. Thank you for your spiritually guided lessons thanks to which I am a bit nearer to myself. Thank you for all your support from my heart! - Nadia from Italy, 2018

Being born and socialized in a country that produced and reproduced “followers”, I’ve never thought that I will wish one day to “follow” somebody. And here I am, happy to follow you and your spirit, happy to silent the mind and discover the truth around and the truth within. In deep appreciation

Rossalina, L. from Austria, 2017

You, your family, your enormous passion, have made this place and this retreat an unexplainable, yet fully acknowledged and felt necessity – for the unknown it leads to, as well as the answers and still deeper questions and truths. My love and admiration

Joanne

Thank you for organizing everything, thank you for bringing such a wonderful group together, thank you for transmitting us your knowledge, thank you for your energy!!! This place is indeed amazing and perfect for a retreat J. It was my first retreat and I am so grateful for your help to make us go further in our practice. I really feel that I accomplished a lot in my body and mind.I love your philosophical beginnings of the class, already from before. They make me think a lot and apply it in my daily life.

Mathilde

I enjoyed this week a lot. I learned so much about yoga and experienced my body and myself in new ways. All our yoga classes were a lot of fun and made me want to learn and practice yoga even more.

Markus, 2016

Contact details in Vienna
+4369918365788
info@sensit.yoga

Contact details in Athens
Athens Yoga Center
info@athensyoga.gr

Sensit Somatics: Moving the Feeling Body

Maja Zilih — Sun, 14 May 2023 08:34:00 GMT

This course provides an opportunity to explore emotions through the body, acquiring practical tools for regulation based on somatic awareness.

The practice begins on the floor, with various methods of tension-release – rolling movement, vocalisation, breath-work, tactile stimulation and gravity awareness. Plenty of attention is dedicated to reducing tightness in the area of the head: throat, jaws, and the brain.

As our systems relax and settle down, we sense into our natural vitality. The internal diaphragmatic rhythms and energetic flows become perceptible and available as a resource for our journey of exploring the movement and expression of our feelings.

This exploration takes places entirely within the realm of nurturing safety and mindful, open attention. It involves engaging in movement while being attuned to the felt sense of emotions as they arise and subside in the body. Different strategies are then explored, in response to the emerging experiences.

In person: Mondays 4, 11, 18 and 25 / Perform Studio Wien / 18:30-20:30

Cost: 130 Euro

Online: Thursdays 7, 14, 21 and 28 / 18:30-20:00 CET

Cost: 80 Euros

Virtual Yoga | Virtuelles Yoga

Miltos Pavlou — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 19:41:00 GMT

About Maja Zilih

Miltos Pavlou — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 11:49:51 GMT

Maja is the founder of the Sensit Yoga ™ Somatics system, with 20 years of teaching experience. In January 2026, she has achieved the status of Systemic Family Psychotherapist in Training under Supervision, in Vienna, Austria.

A continuous student of Somatic movement modalities, she draws inspiration from Body-Mind Centering, Feldenkrais and Continuum.

Her university studies include:

- Bachelor degree in Psychotherapy Science at Sigmund Freud University in Vienna, Austria

- Bachelor degree in Economics at the Greek National University of Athens,

- Bachelor (Honours) degree in Social Sciences at the Open University of UK

- Master degree in Political Science at the Greek National University of Athens, on conflict transformation in the Balkans by non-violent means and grass-root peacebuilding

Yoga Alliance International Registered Yoga teacher RYT500
Anusara Yoga™ Inspired Yoga Teacher

Maja's note: Increasingly integrating the seemingly scattered parts of the self through yoga and other awareness practices, we begin to see the profound connections and interdependence everywhere we look. From the separation dream, we gradually wake up to the fact that our personal growth is both contributing to, and strongly dependent on the degree of the evolution of the collective. Whether through meditation, mindful asana practice, aware parenting, acts of self-nurture, being in service to the underprivileged, or through simple random acts of kindness, yoga truly comes alive when the context behind our actions is a desire to contribute to the elevation of consciousness of humanity as a whole.

Yoga Studies:

Maja was drawn to psychology, meditation and spirituality since early childhood. As a teenager she started practicing yoga and periodically attending meditation seminars. With her first yoga teachers - Swami Nirvikalpa and Swami Bhajanananda of Satyananda Yoga tradition - Hatha and Raja yoga - she realised that yoga was a powerful tool for deepening the understanding of the self. For 20 years she studied and trained in yoga and meditation of various styles and traditions. She teaches since 2007. In the last 10 years she has been fully immersed in the field of somatics, studying and infusing her teaching with inspirations from Body Mind Centering, Feldenkreis ATM, Continuum, and other movement modalities.

Research & Publications

Maja's academic work on body-mind integration, somatic practice, and mental health

Body-Mind Integration in Psychotherapy: Theoretical Approaches and a Qualitative Case-Study

Master's thesis · Sigmund Freud University Vienna · 2025

This thesis investigates psychotherapy through the lens of mind-body integration, tracing the historical development of psychotherapeutic approaches toward the growing inclusion of body-oriented modalities. To ground theory in lived experience, Maja conducted a qualitative study with four long-term yoga-somatic practitioners, examining how sustained practices of body-mind awareness contribute to their mental health and wellbeing. The interviews demonstrated that yoga-somatics can enhance physical and emotional awareness, support resilience, and serve as a stabilising resource during critical life events. Together, the literature review and qualitative findings argue that incorporating body awareness, movement, and touch into psychotherapy may enrich therapeutic practice and lead to more holistic outcomes.

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.20686.73284 Read on Academia.edu Read on ResearchGate

Bringing therapy to life: Exploring the benefits of yoga and somatic mindfulness in psychotherapy

Research paper · Sigmund Freud University Vienna · August 2023

This paper reviews the substantial body of empirical evidence on the beneficial impact of yoga on mental health, with particular attention to stress reduction, anxiety and depression, emotional regulation, and pain management. It examines the growing trend of incorporating mind-body practices into psychotherapeutic work as a way of complementing and expanding traditional talk-based approaches, aspiring towards a more comprehensive, holistic way of healing. Maja explores both the clinical advantages and the potential challenges of such integration, including questions of practitioner training, therapeutic boundaries, and the careful adaptation of somatic practices for clients with trauma histories. The paper offers a foundation for understanding how somatic mindfulness can enrich contemporary psychotherapy.

Read on ResearchGate Details on majazilih.at

The development of social mental health care and community services: Greece as a case study

Research paper · Sigmund Freud University Vienna · 2023

This paper traces the remarkable progress achieved in European mental health care over the past century, particularly the evolution of medical services, diagnostics, social policies, and social attitudes. Central to the analysis is the process of deinstitutionalisation, which has progressed alongside the growing acknowledgement of the social and relational dimensions of mental illness. Maja examines the shift away from viewing mental issues as residing solely in the individual and their biology, toward a recognition of environment, social status, and economic conditions as meaningful therapeutic factors. Greece serves as a specific case study, illustrating both the achievements and the ongoing challenges of this reform process.

Details on majazilih.at

See all publications on Maja's professional site →

Retreats

Miltos Pavlou — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 11:49:51 GMT

Mind of the Body™ Sensit Yoga Somatics retreats are a week-long invitation to come home to the body — gentle, grounded, and guided by Maja Zilih, systemic family psychotherapist-in-training and founder of Sensit Yoga™ Somatics, with over 20 years of teaching experience.

Upcoming retreats

7–13 June 2026

Mind of the Body | Sensit Yoga Somatics Retreat on Crete

A 7-day retreat at Agios Pavlos, southern Crete. Twice-daily practice of mindful somatic yoga, interoceptive awareness, and psycho-emotional self-care.

What makes these retreats different and unique?

Gentle, mindful and recovering — the practice is slow and interoceptive, drawing from somatic movement modalities. Suitable for all levels, including complete beginners and those recovering from injury or burnout.
Body-mind integration — weaving mindful movement with nervous-system regulation, self-compassion practices, and resilience-building.

The practice is slow, interoceptive, and attentive — drawing from Feldenkrais, Body-Mind Centering, and Continuum movement, and weaving together mindful yoga with psycho-emotional self-care: nervous-system regulation, self-compassion, and resilience-building.

Through embodied intelligence, breath awareness, guided reflection, journaling, and listening to different inner parts, we explore how emotional experience is held and expressed through the body. We gently release the restriction patterns in the fascia, which calms the mind and brings a sense of relief and comfort in the body.

For twelve consecutive years, the retreat has returned to the same magical place on the southern edge of Crete: Agios Pavlos, on a yoga platform, with its 180° view of the Cretan sea, untouched beaches, and the quiet rhythm of the coast.

An invitation to move while listening deeply to the subtle intertwining of sensation, thought, breath, and the impulse for movement — to discover what becomes possible in the meeting places between physical awareness and mental acceptance.

About Maja Zilih

Maja is the founder of Sensit Yoga™ Somatics and Athens Yoga Center. She is a systemic family psychotherapist in training under supervision at Sigmund Freud University Vienna, and an E-RYT 500h Yoga Alliance registered teacher and teacher trainer with 20 years of experience. Her work draws from Feldenkrais, Body-Mind Centering, and Continuum movement.

Her method bridges mindful somatic movement with tools of emotional regulation, resilience-building, and psycho-emotional self-care — helping participants develop a more compassionate relationship with themselves, awaken inner resources, and open to growth and vitality.

Research & Publications

Maja's academic work on body-mind integration, somatic practice, and mental health

Body-Mind Integration in Psychotherapy: Theoretical Approaches and a Qualitative Case-Study

Master's thesis · Sigmund Freud University Vienna · 2025

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.20686.73284 Read on Academia.edu Read on ResearchGate

Bringing therapy to life: Exploring the benefits of yoga and somatic mindfulness in psychotherapy

Research paper · Sigmund Freud University Vienna · August 2023

Read on ResearchGate Details on majazilih.at

Looking for previous years? View past retreats →

Maja's blog & Articles

Miltos Pavlou — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 11:49:51 GMT

Blogposts & articles are here to share information on various topics, components of a more aware and conscious living, such as health and anatomy issues, tips for sustaining the daily practice, psychology and spirituality issues, and importance of reducing all forms of violence in raising children. The readers and yoga students are welcome to ask questions, and share their opinions and sentiments on all these matters

Teacher training and Workshops

Miltos Pavlou — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 11:49:00 GMT

Keep in touch

Miltos Pavlou — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 11:49:00 GMT

The Sensit Yoga™ System

Miltos Pavlou — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 15:25:00 GMT

Sensit Yoga™ Somatics | with Maja Zilih

Sensit Yoga Somatics centers on connecting with the body's innate wisdom, to find new avenues and sources of support, healing, and vitality. It is a practice of self-care and profound body-mind integration. The sessions combine embodied movement, breathwork, and meditation.

In Sensit Yoga, the healing of body-mind happens through a cultivation of gentle and supportive inner relationship, listening to our body, and being guided by its wisdom. We study the body-mind intimately through a direct experience of our bones, muscles, fascia, organs, glands and the ever-changing states of our nervous system.

We become aware of supportive inner structures and connections, whilst we also maintain awareness of the body as a whole. This awareness brings forth an optimally supported inner organisation, which can then be utilized in any given movement - be it walking, speaking, running, yoga postures or other.

When we move with relaxed presence and increased sensitivity, the body signals which places accumulate unnecessary tension. In Sensit Yoga we learn to release this tension by relating to gravity in particular ways, and initiating movement and sound from different points in the body. When the energy that was holding the accumulated tension gets unleashed, the result is an energized, joyful and effortless way of moving and being.

Maja is a passionate explorer of yoga as a process of human healing and growth. Her life and teaching are dedicated to connecting with people with presence and care. Her Sensit Yoga method consists of applicable, mindful, and embodied approach to physical movement. She invites students to experience asana as a platform for self inquiry and exploration. Each individual is invited to work at their own pace and within their field of comfort, so that the learning takes place with increased sensitivity and heightened awareness.

Sensit Yoga is inspired by Maja's many years of Hatha Yoga practice and teaching, as well as experiential anatomy learning through Body-Mind Centering, Feldenkrais and other methods of conscious exploration. She has been directing Yoga Teacher Training Programmes 200hr, 300hr, and 500hr, as well as continuing education modules, workshops and retreats in Greece and Austria.

Maja's note: The outside world is merely a reflection of our inner state. Increasingly integrating (the seemingly scattered) parts of the self through yoga and other awareness practices, we begin to see the profound connections and interdependence everywhere we look. From the separation dream, we gradually wake up to the fact that our individual spiritual growth is both contributing to, and strongly dependent on the degree of the evolution of the collective. Whether through meditation, mindful asana practice, aware parenting, acts of self-nurture, being in service to the underprivileged, or through simple random acts of kindness, yoga truly comes alive when the context behind our actions is a desire to contribute to the elevation of consciousness of the humanity as a whole.

Subscribe to the Sensit Yoga Youtube Channel

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Stefanos Patelis — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 14:30:00 GMT