Episode 3: Somatics
Somatic movement is one which is performed consciously with the intention of focussing on the internal experience of movement, rather than the external experience or result.
History
Somatic education, as it came to be known, began with the work of F.M. Alexander at the end of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century. He was an actor who struggled with vocal problems during performances; not satisfied with his doctors’ diagnoses, so he set about to figure out the cause of his hoarseness. He studied himself in front of the mirror and found that the way he was using his body had directly affected the way he was functioning. He developed a technique to ensure his posture wasn’t impacted by his performance and soon began teaching others who struggled with other medical conditions caused by postural issues.
In the mid 1940-ies, Moshe Feldenkrais, was inspired to explore how subconscious muscular habits led to problems with physical functioning as a result of his personal health issues. He had suffered injuries to both of his knees, but did not want to get surgery to repair his damaged cruciate ligaments. Feldenkrais observed how learned muscular patterns led to dysfunction and physical degeneration. He observed that when people attempted to correct learned muscular habits such as standing with rounded posture, they usually ended up hiding their faulty habits with new habits instead of going through a process of unlearning the faulty habits. Feldenkrais’s refined method was highly effective in improving posture and voluntary motor control. And while he was adamant that he developed his techniques solely for the purpose of sensory-motor education and not to resolve any specific pathologies, his students experienced healing from many functional disorders.
Thomas Hanna was a philosopher who spent his life searching for ways for human beings to become free- physically and intellectually. In 1973 Hanna attended a workshop by Feldenkrais and it changed his life.
His study of neuroscience taught him that every psychological process occurs along with changes in the systems of the body. It became clear to him that issues of the psyche cannot be fully addressed without working with the functioning of the physical body, and vice versa. He began to refer to the interconnected living process as a “soma,” a term which in ancient Greece was used to describe “the living body in its wholeness.” Through years of research, developed Clinical Somatic Education
“The human body is not an instrument to be used, but a realm of one’s being to be experienced, explored, enriched and, thereby, educated.”
Principles of Somatic Education
Chronic pain, chronic stress, muscle tension, postural distortions, joint degeneration, and stress fractures are most often the result of how the nervous system is functioning —how it is telling our body to stand and move.
Active movement on the part of the client is necessary in order to create lasting change in learned muscular patterns. We need to reprogram the brain in order to rest the neutral body position.
The underlying cause of a problem must be addressed. Somatics addresses the underlying cause of pain by working with the nervous system to address full-body patterns of posture and movement. Working from the core to the extremities
Somatics works with people to create awareness and teach the movements, so people can help themselves
Clinical Somatic Education uses slow and mindful movement to retrain the movement patterns in the mind and allow chronically tight muscles to be released through active stretching (or pandiculation).
Breath
Before we start the practice one more comment on the breath; some movements work well linked to the breath (ie arching back will go neatly with inhale) but overall just cultivating a deep belly breath will calm the nervous system slowing things down - which allows better learning.
Practice
The practice at the end of the video consists of Standing Awareness, where we start creating awareness of patterns in the body. We practice this at the start, and at the end of the Somatics practice, to really notice the impact of the practice. Just stand normally, don’t try to have perfect posture, with your arms by your side and your eyes closed.
After the Standing Awareness we practice Lower Belly Breathing; this is done while lying on your back on the floor. It is great for the nervous system and we need a slow, deep breath in order for the Somatic practices to have an impact.
From Lower Belly Breathing we move to the Arch & Flatten practice, which targets and releases the lower back and abdominal muscles in order to correct any postural issues in the lower back. Try and practice with your eyes closed as this will help you tune into the sensations you are feeling.