Sharon Smith-Carter Movement

Sharon Smith-Carter Movement Sharon has taught yoga and movement since 1999 in her community of Kawartha Lakes.

She opened the first dedicated yoga studio in Lindsay Ontario, path to stillness yoga and focused on mindful practices that could help support positive shifts for health and wellbeing. Her interest has been rooted in the therapeutic aspects of movement as a way to settle the nervous system. Since 2014 she has continued her Somatic studies with Martha Peterson and Essential Somatics. Clinical Somatic Education and somatic explorations have offered Sharon (and her clients) a powerful practice towards rewiring patterns of movement to reduce pain and increase ease. She believes somatics cultivates a more vivid sense of presence to move through daily life. Beyond her studio walls, she is on the team for Essential Somatics Movement Training, a facilitator for the Mind-Body Mental Health program at her local hospital and continues outreach for organizations with an interest in mental health. Sharon has an on-going commitment to her professional development and practices that create conscious change. She is a Clinical Somatic Educator and Movement Teacher (ISMETA), a Yoga instructor (E-RYT500) and Group Facilitator in the Amherst Writers & Artist (AWA) Writing Method.

03/24/2026

Feel a tightness or pull along one side of your waist?

It’s natural to want to lean into a side-bend to stretch it out — but if that side is already in a “holding” pattern, more tugging can feel like too much effort.

This is a variation of a Hanna Somatics movement called a “hip hiker,” done standing. Instead of pulling against the tight spot, we move intentionally into it, then slowly let it go. That’s called a pandiculation.

As the muscle begins to soften its hold, space opens up naturally — and the side-bend often feels easier without any effort at all.

One tip: let your body stay centred over both feet rather than leaning into your supporting leg.

No pulling. No stretching required.

03/23/2026

It’s not always the knitting. It’s the way the body settles in —over and over again.

Head forward. Shoulders lifting.
Hands gripping. A hip that subtley hikes.

These patterns build slowly… until your body starts to grumble. I’m not a diagnostician but a body watcher, shifting shapes that may reduce bit by bit what is holding. (Clinical Somatic Movement Educator)

Knit Without the Knots is a 4-week seated series for knitters (and other makers).

Maybe it’s time to try something that might just shift those aches.
Be curious. Let’s lean in to creating expansion instead of living in contraction in our body , and life.

Registration closes April 5.
Link in bio.
PS Coloring Book Raglan by Aimee Sher 🫶

03/21/2026

There’s a reason you feel tight.

Muscles don’t tighten overnight.

Over time — injuries, habits, stress, and the ways we adapt to them — can increase muscle tension.

When that tension stays elevated, the muscle begins to rest at a shorter length.

That’s what we experience as tightness.

Over time, the brain adapts to those patterns. Each time we accommodate to pain, stress, or habit, that ongoing tension can slowly shorten the muscle’s resting length.

Dogs and cats naturally counter this. Every time they get up from a nap, they pandiculate — that stretch-like yawn — helping reset their nervous system and keep muscle tension in check.

Instead of stretching, which just tugs on the muscle, we can pandiculate to slowly regain more of our muscle’s resting length — helping reduce discomfort and keep us mobile.





03/18/2026

If you knit a lot, you may notice your body starting to grumble — your neck, shoulders, or hands after a long knitting session.

Knit Without the Knots is a four-week series designed specifically for the knitter’s body — working with the tension patterns that develop from repetitive handwork so you can keep knitting with less tension and more comfort.

Details in bio. 🧶
[Ps. Yes it’s a Sophie Scarf & a Felix sweater 😉]

“A lucky day is simply one where you notice the gifts already around you.” – Orla Ní BhraonáinHappy St. Patrick's Day to...
03/17/2026

“A lucky day is simply one where you notice the gifts already around you.” – Orla Ní Bhraonáin

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my Irish family & friends.

🍀

"By March, the worst of the winter would be over. The snow would thaw, the rivers begin to run and the world would wake ...
03/16/2026

"By March, the worst of the winter would be over. The snow would thaw, the rivers begin to run and the world would wake into itself again." — Neil Gaiman

New newsletter. This one's about spring, somatics, and knitting — three things that are on my mind right now.
Subscribe for future emails via my website if you'd like to join in.

https://www.sharonsmithcarter.ca/campaigns/viewcampaign/hXyLXkg9zyQlvEYWyX361TlGg4hsfUsOlpErWCHQ0MzdKxL7qUKENJV6LqXT2zgPJbs6D7QKAo5mTEZz3hZq046jaa5b3m7

03/14/2026

Wide-leg seated poses can make inner-thigh tension very clear.
When muscles are already contracted, pulling and holding a stretch isn’t always helpful.

This is a somatic warm-up — using slow lengthening, gentle contraction, and a pause to relax so the nervous system gets clearer information before you move on.

Try this first, then return to your seated pose and notice what feels different.
No stretching required 😉



03/08/2026

If your glutes are always “on,” stretching them out may not be the answer.

Tight glutes can add to low back discomfort.

And if you’re prone to sciatica, they can stir that up too.

Sometimes tight glutes show up in a sway-back posture (Green Light) — more of the back body staying “on.”

Instead of the “figure-4” butt stretch, try a pandiculation-(3 steps: conscious or mindful contraction – slow release – complete relaxation) take a couple of breaths before repeating.

Belly or back.
Less painful side first.
3–4 slow reps each side, then both together.

It’s not about pulling longer.
It’s about teaching the muscle to let go.

No stretching required.

.
. .

"She wasn't looking for a knight. She was looking for a sword." – AtticusHappy International Women's Day to every woman ...
03/08/2026

"She wasn't looking for a knight. She was looking for a sword." – Atticus

Happy International Women's Day to every woman who knows her own strength. 🗡️

03/08/2026

If you get an "email" from me with an invitation, do not open. Hackers. Grrrr.

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Kawartha Lakes, ON

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Tuesday 9am - 12:15pm
Wednesday 1:15pm - 2:45pm

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Hatha Yoga, Hanna Somatics, Yin Yoga, Chair-Adapted Yoga, Qigong, Yoga for Low Back Pain, Dharma Wisdom Talks, Yoga Basics for Newbies, Restorative Yoga, AWA Writing Method Circles, Aromatherapy, Workshops & more.....