Shake the Dust: A New Practice for Nervous System Freedom and Embodied Expression

What if movement could be more than a workout?

What if it could be a gateway back to yourself—your instincts, your emotions, your wildness, your joy?

At Hum Yoga, we’re thrilled to introduce a bold and beautiful new offering: Shake the Dust. Created by Finnish movement teacher Satu Tuomela, this somatic practice is beginning to spread across the world—and we’re proud to be among the first in Aotearoa to bring it to the mat.

But what exactly is Shake the Dust?

And why might it be the movement practice your nervous system has been waiting for?

What Is Shake the Dust?

At first glance, it might look like a mix of dance, shaking, yoga, and intuitive movement. You’ll jump, sweat, move, shake, stretch, and explore. But at its core, Shake the Dust is a practice of liberation—a way to move what's stuck, rediscover your inner rhythm, and return to the intelligence of your body.

Every class is guided by music—sometimes fast, sometimes slow—and an intentional flow that combines elements of yoga, Pilates, HIIT, somatic shaking, and freeform expression. It’s structured enough to support you and open enough to surprise you.

Whether you're someone who loves dance or someone who usually avoids it, this practice invites you to move through whatever comes up—with curiosity, honesty, and permission.

Why We Shake

Shaking is a core component of the practice—and for good reason. Shaking is a natural stress response found across the animal kingdom. After a stressful encounter, animals will literally “shake it off” to reset their nervous systems. As humans, we’ve forgotten this instinct—but we can learn to return to it.

Somatic shaking has been shown to:

• Regulate the nervous system by activating the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) response
• Release stored tension and emotion
• Support emotional processing and trauma recovery
• Improve resilience to physical, emotional, and mental stressors

In class, shaking might feel strange at first—but over time, it becomes a trusted and empowering tool for letting go of what no longer serves.

The Full-Body Experience

Shake the Dust draws from several modalities to create a full-spectrum experience:

• Yoga offers moments of grounding, breath, and mindful movement, connecting us to presence.
• Pilates-inspired floor work builds strength and endurance, helping us feel strong and supported.
• HIIT-style bursts activate intensity and recovery, helping train the nervous system to manage stress more effectively.
• Freeform movement unlocks the most potent medicine of all: the freedom to move without rules.

This isn’t about being a good dancer. It’s about trusting your body to express, release, and rediscover what’s inside. There’s no “right way” to do it—only your way.

What People Are Saying

Students often leave class feeling:

• Energised, yet deeply relaxed
• Emotionally lighter, with a sense of release
• More connected to themselves
• Less judgmental, more open
• Alive, wild, and awake

Shake the Dust doesn’t ask you to perform. It invites you to feel.

A Practice for Our Times

In a world that moves fast and often demands we hold it all together, Shake the Dust offers a radical alternative:

• Let it move through you.
• Let it out.
• Shake, dance, sigh, cry, laugh.
• Come back to your body. Come back to your breath. Come back to yourself.
• At Hum Yoga, we believe movement is medicine—and Shake the Dust is one of the most liberating prescriptions we’ve found yet.

Whether you’re curious, cautious, or craving something new, we invite you to join us. Teachers Kirsty and Allie will guide you safely through this journey, offering a space free of judgment, full of vitality, and rich with possibility.

It’s time to shake off what’s been weighing you down.

It’s time to remember how free you truly are.