Somatics

What is Somatics?

Somatics is a method of slow, focused, simple movements which allows muscles & joints to release chronic tension, giving lasting pain relief and a new way of sensing and moving the body.

Most chronic pain, tension, recurring injuries and joint degeneration are caused by how we sit, stand and move our bodies throughout our lives. The more we repeat a certain movement or posture, the more deeply the brain learns that pattern. Somatics changes these habitual patterns by re-educating the brain, re-aligning muscles & joints, and re-connecting mind to body awareness.

Somatic movement is a tool which enables us to fix our own pain and imbalance, targeting the root cause, rather than relying on expensive treatments and medication, which only offer temporary solutions.

"We cannot sense without acting and we cannot act without sensing."

- Thomas Hanna, PhD

What makes Somatics different?

Somatic movement re-educates the brain. Most treatments which address pain and imbalance are passive, the therapist works on you, and you don’t move. To affect change in the nervous system, we have to move. Being active in mind & body creates new neural pathways and habits.

It addresses the cause and not just the symptoms. Most other disciplines target the site of pain or injury, somatics works with full-body patterns of movement and posture, taking a truly holistic approach to identify and correct causes. We are treating the wound, rather than applying a plaster.

Practicing somatics teaches you life-long skills to fix your own pain, tension and imbalance, and restore fluid, effortless movement to your body.

What conditions can Somatics help?

· Chronic muscular and joint pain

· Headaches and migraine

· Sciatica

· Plantar fasciitis

· Scoliosis

· Fibromyalgia

· TMJ

· Piriformis syndrome

· Stiffness and poor posture

· Bursitis

· Carpal Tunnel

· Frozen shoulder

· Osteoarthritis

· Tendonitis

· Whiplash

And more.

The benefits of Somatics include:

· Releases chronic muscle tightness

· Improved flexibility and range of joint motion

· Helps prevent injuries and recurrence of injury

· Improves balance

· Reduces stress

· Improves sleep and breathing

"The basic somatic task during our lifetime is to gain greater and greater control over ourselves, learning to flow with the stress and trauma of life, like a cork floating on top of the waves."

- Thomas Hanna, PhD

Is Somatics for me?

If you are in pain, suffer from recurring injuries, postural imbalances or are stuck in stress, somatics is for you.

Somatic movement is slow, gentle and suitable for all ages and abilities. The movements are simple, mindful and achievable, and they feel great! We allow the body to discover new movement, without pushing or forcing – this is natural movement, not punishing exercise.

What happens in a Somatics session?

If we can’t control the contraction and release of our muscles, or access all joint motions available to us, our posture and movement becomes compromised leading to imbalance, pain and chronic tension. The somatic movement practices I teach address both these aspects – correct mobilisation and sequencing of joints and re-gaining control of muscles.

An initial somatics session will identify your chronic tension, habitual posture, where and how your body does and doesn’t move, and provide you with an individually prescribed movement practice to begin correcting your old patterns. Through a detailed injury history, postural analysis and joint mobility assessment, you and I will both discover where your body’s limitations are, how you have compensated for this, and which functional movements need to be reintroduced or re-learned to create equilibrium in your body.

We work as a partnership, I guide you through your own discovery of new movement, but it’s ultimately your unique body which heals itself through your commitment to practice these simple somatic principles in movement. We don’t seek to heal the problem area. We seek to create an environment in your whole body where the opportunity for healing can take place.

Creating new movement patterns takes patience, focus and time – how much time depends entirely on your individual patterns and restrictions. Habitual movement patterns are formed over many years with numerous causative factors, and eventually manifest in the body as pain, chronic tension and joint inhibition – your pain or restriction could be released in one session, or it may require a longer journey. The key to this work is long-lasting change: new awareness, re-awakened movement potential and the tools to re-align and re-balance brain & body – the magic happens as you take this practice into your everyday life, and allow your body to re-set.

I recommend booking an assessment to find out if this is the practice for you, and to also be amazed at what you did and didn’t know about how your body moves! If somatics resonates with you and you decide to embark on re-gaining ownership of your body, booking 6 sessions will provide a great foundation of movements and tools to reduce pain and imbalance.

Why manage your pain when you can heal it?

To watch the 'Introduction to Somatic Movement' video, please click here or visit the Media page.