Clinical Somatic Education

Pain free movement in the style of Thomas Hanna

“Somatics” refers to movement re-education that seeks to build internal awareness within the body. Your own awareness provides a very different perception from your doctor, chiropractor or massage therapist’s point of view.

Developed by Thomas Hanna in the 1970s, the Somatic experience creates a new self-awareness, viewing our movement from within to open our eyes to our own bodily sensations. Through simple, guided and controlled movements, Somatic Education teaches you how chronic muscular pain develops and what you can do to restore your nervous system’s muscular control. This can reverse chronic pain at its source and improve an overall freedom in movement.

Scientifically this is known as Neuromuscular Reprogramming. Early pioneers in the field of Somatics education created methodologies that foster a deep sense of internal awareness and an ability to control our body in space. Such early explorers include F M Alexander (Alexander Technique), Gerda Alexander, Elsa Gindler and Moshe Feldenkrais.  Yoga and Tai Chi can also be considered as a form of Somatic Education.

It was Thomas Hanna’s discovery of Sensory Motor Amnesia, and his understanding of the reflex patterns that our bodies create in response to stress that distinguishes Hanna Somatic Education from all other modalities past and present.

A source of chronic pain

Our brain controls our bodies. When our bodies live long enough in one pattern of movement or posture, our brain can forget other possibilities. When we “forget” healthier movement patterns, that is Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA).

So, our bodies are unconsciously responding to our environment, our activities and the daily stresses of life. Working long hours, sitting in cars, playing sports, accidents, injuries or just an “on the go” lifestyle…these activities create stress, or muscular tension, which accumulate over time. The long-term chronic muscular tension results in stiffness, mobility and postural problems, back and neck pain, a state of chronic fatigue.

When the muscles are held in tension long enough, our brain forgets how to release and relax them. Our body “thinks” the contracted state is its natural state, continues to contract and becomes painful.

Just as the brain can habitually hold muscles tight it can also release them and through somatic education. With simple movements, you can retrain your brain’s connection to the body and regain control and move towards living pain free.

This is the purpose of Clinical Somatic Movement – regaining control.

The core of Somatic re-education is Pandiculation.

Pandiculation  increases our ability to re-engage our brain with muscles to restore muscle length. It’s like at yawn.

The Pandiculation technique teaches our body to reset muscle length at the brain level and regain control of habitually contracted muscles. You’ll learn to voluntarily contract your muscles beyond their current state, so that you can slowly, deliberately release them until complete relaxation is achieved.

In our world of “more is better,” the challenge is to lengthen the muscle to a comfortable length and not beyond it. With this approach you’ll gain awareness of your own internal sensations and regain control of your muscles by giving your brain more feedback and stimulation.  The movements need to be done slowly and deliberately, and you’ll need to focus on what you’re doing so the brain is a participant in releasing the stuck muscles.

You are re-training brain and body so you can relax your muscles on demand. Somatic Movement teaches you specific skills and movements that improve self-awareness and self-monitoring to help you achieve long term pain-free, increased mobility, balance and coordination.