I am an Essential Somatic Movement teacher in the tradition of Thomas Hanna.
WHAT EXACTLY IS SOMAICS?
Somatics are soft, easy, slow movements that may remind you of yoga.
There are several basic movements but each movement can be adjusted and expanded according to someones needs, possibility’s, pain and ability’s
at that moment.
Everyone can do Somatics. Somatics can also be practised on a chair if lying on the floor is challenging.
When doing Somatics, our attention goes to our inside and our bodies are experienced from the inside.
What are you feeling? What is going on in your life and your body? Which paterns have become stuck and what kind of affect do your thoughts
and emotions have on your body?
Mindfulness is a part of Somatics.
Every time with each movement you can focus your attention on a different part, for instance, your body, your emotions, the breath,
your thought paterns or a combintaion there of.
Using Somatics you are reprogramming your body and brain. Think about letting go of old patterns, releasing chronic tension and pain.
This will bring balance, relaxation and a sense of overall wellbeing in your system.
Your posture improves and you can move with greater ease.
During Somatic movement we make use of pandiculations.
Pandiculations are done by cats and dogs and actually all animals. You see them them doing a strecht after taking a nap.
This is the same kind of stretch humans do after waking up.
A pandiculation is consciously going into a stretch like movement while retaining some muscle tension.
The movement is then slowly and deliberatly released followed by a full relaxation at the end.
Because of the slow and conscious movements, new connections are made in the brain and between the brain and the body.
Old patterns and connections are let go. This also has an overall positive effect on the entire body and your health.