What is somatic movement?

Hanna Somatic Movement is a therapeutic movement practice that engages the body in pandiculation, a process of slow, conscious movements teaching the brain and body how to release chronic tension and how to move more naturally and effectively, helping to prevent stress and damage to the body.

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Soma is the Greek word for ‘what it means to be in the body’. What it feels like to be in our body and our experience of ourselves from the inside. Somatic movement understands that each person's experience is uniquely different.

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Somatic coaching is a neurological workout. By re-training the brain and its connection to the muscles which have become ‘stuck’ in a pattern of contraction and forgotten how to relax (Sensory Motor Amnesia).

 

Why practice somatics?

Regular practice of somatic movement can help:

• Headaches & migraines

• Arthritis

• Joint pain

• Chronic lower back pain

• Stiff neck & shoulders

• Sciatica

• Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) disfunction

• Fibromyalgia

• Hip pain 

• Sports injuries

• Postural habits

• Recovery from illness and injury

• Insomnia

• Pain management

• Chronic stress, anxiety, and depression

• Pregnancy and postnatal recovery

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As well as promoting ease of movement, improved range of movement, relieve general stiffness and tension, and maintaining health and wellbeing.

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Somatics vs. traditional yoga

In traditional Hatha Yoga classes, asanas (postures) are practiced often with an intention to feel the full expression of a pose. This can mean that yoga classes are often experienced as a more exercise-based class with the focus being on striving to get more flexibility or better alignment.

 

Sometimes, this can create an environment where there is a sense of competition or that there is a certain pose that needs to be achieved.

Somatic movement helps to create a more intuitive relationship with the body so as to empower the practitioner to self-sense and self-correct. The movements are subtle and yet can provide a profound experience of your own body and sense of well being. It is an educational experience process that strengthens and integrates the brain-to-muscle connection.

 

You will be encouraged to explore and notice where SMA (Sensory Motor Amnesia) is, and gain the tools for life to control your muscles and have the ability to live and move with freedom and ease.

 

What is pandiculation?

Pandiculation is a process of slow, conscious movements - teaching the brain and body how to release chronic tension and how to move more naturally and effectively, helping to prevent stress and damage to the body. Most animals in the vertebrate kingdom engage in this process. When an animal yawns (breaths deeply), they tense and then stretch their full body. It is this movement which is known as pandiculation. This process of tensing and then slowly releasing encourages the brain to communicate with the body, and through this communication the brain registers the presence of the muscles and learns to "switch them on and off" more efficiently, making it easier for us to use, and relax, our bodies.

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What is Sensory Motor Amnesia?

Over time, when your body gets used to staying in a pattern, for example, sat at a desk all day, your core muscles learn to become permanently contracted. Previously it was thought that the core needed strengthening. It has now been discovered that in fact it actually because your muscles are permanently contracting and become weak as a result of overuse. Sensory-motor amnesia occurs when the brain is constantly sending a message to your muscles to keep them in contraction or protection mode. Hence the word amnesia, your brain has forgotten to send the message ‘relax’ to the muscles.

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