Somatics
What Is Somatics?
Somatics describes practices that uses the mind-body connection to help you survey your internal self and listen to signals your body sends about areas of pain, discomfort, or imbalance.
Quick
History
From Ancient Greek
σωματικός (sōmatikós, “bodily”), σῶμα (sôma, “body”).
Thomas Hanna, an educator in the field and founder of the method we teach here, coined the term in 1970 (although it has long been used in medical terminology) to describe a number of techniques that share one important similarity: They help people increase bodily awareness through a combination of movement and relaxation.
Many types of somatic exercises exist. They include:
Rolfing
Alexander technique
Feldenkrais method
Laban movement analysis
Body-Mind Centering
Mindfull Yoga
And many more…
How It Works
Our technique focuses on conscious Pandiculation.
Pandiculation is generally defined as the act of stretching oneself and yawning, especially upon waking.
Pandiculation is the nervous system’s natural way of waking up the sensory-motor system and preparing for movement. Humans, and all vertebrate animals, tend to automatically pandiculate when we wake up or when we have been sedentary for a while. If you’ve ever seen a dog or cat arch their back when they get up from a nap, you’ve witnessed the pandicular response.
Pandiculation contracts and releases muscles in such a way that the alpha-gamma feedback loop (a feedback loop in the nervous system that regulates resting muscle tension) is naturally reset. Preventing the buildup of tension in our muscles is critical to maintaining healthy posture and movement throughout our lives.
The Exercises
The exercises are slow and usually performed laying or sitting, they are low impact and suitable for almost everybody.
Muscles throughout the body are carefully contracted and slowly relaxed to imitate the body’s natural Pandicular response.
You focus totally on your inner experience as you move, this helps you release chronic tension by retraining your nervous system to understand what resting muscles feel like.
In order to be most effective, a somatic movement should be performed as slowly as possible. The human nervous system, which controls our posture and movement, must learn new things very slowly.
Somatics
Conditions
Helped
Back pain
Bursitis
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Disc problems
Frozen shoulder
Joint pain
Kyphosis (rounded or forward-head posture)
Lordosis (arched lower back)
Piriformis Syndrome
Plantar Fasciitis
Sciatica
Scoliosis
Shallow breathing
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
Tendinitis
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Uneven leg length
Try It
Here
We’re offering a free 4 week Somatic Set Up Podcast Course!
Learn more about it by clicking the button below
After compleating the podcast course you’re eligible to join our weekly video class, which delves deeper into movements that release chronic tension throughout the whole body!
Alternatively we offer personalised private 1to1 sessions either online or in our studio.
Just get touch to book
07871918000
Other
Benefits
Releasing chronic muscle tightness
Improving posture and movement
Reducing stress
Improving sleep
Improving breathing
Enhancing athletic performance
Preventing and recovering from injuries
Effectively warming up and cooling down from workouts
Increasing flexibility and range of motion
Improving balance and coordination