Somatics - move pain-free

Release muscle tension, increase flexibility and joint mobility and relieve stiffness, aches and pain through gentle movements and find long lasting relief. Practised consciously, these somatic movements, taught by Thomas Hanna and constantly refined by practitioners and teachers, reprogram the muscles and reconnect forgotten neural pathways so that chronically locked in muscle tension can release and allow the muscle to lengthen.

Pandiculation

It is called pandiculation, and it is what we see our pets do all the time, and it is what we do when we yawn. It is more effective than stretching, especially for chronically tight muscles. Do the somatics movements first, and then stretch., for more effective results. Great for anyone who finds themselves moving with pain, whether that has become your default mode, or if you have just done some really tough exercise and have body soreness. There is relief.

The most wonderful part is that these are easy movements to learn, and you can practise them everyday to ensure that your body feels better and better over time.

The somatic movement story

Thomas Hanna, himself a student of Moshe Feldenkreis, coined the term somatics from the Greek word "somatikos" meaning the living, aware body, for a group of emerging alternative therapy disciplines such as Feldenkreis, Alexander Technique, the work of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and his own work, which he called Hanna Somatics Education.

In somatics the felt sense of the body is called the "soma".

Yoga is a somatic practice when practiced with mindfulness, attending to all of the sensations of the body.

Somatics understands that the body and mind are not separate. Conscious embodiment or kinaesthetic awareness is developed through movement and can address and alleviate many chronic issues in the body, such as pain, stiffness and limitations in range of movement.

Yoga Spirit Studios has several trained Somatics Exercise Coaches on staff who weave somatic movements into their yoga classes. Somatic movements are gentle, based around contracting and releasing muscles, retraining the brain so that it unlearns held patterns, and training the body to move holistically. These movements make great partners to traditional yoga, but can also be used independently to address body issues, release tension and become more pain free.

Weekly classes with Tina

You can learn somatics on Mondays at 6pm in the Studio Room in the "Pain free Body & Mind Somatics" 60 minute class. This is an ongoing class. Check in to this class

And also on Thursday evenings at 6pm "Pain Free Body & Mind Somatics & iRest®" is a 90 minute class that includes a 30 minute iRest® Yoga Nidra. Check in to this class.

Drop-in class prices