Somatic Movement Education.
What is Somatic Movement Education
Somatic Movement Education is a field of movement-based learning that focuses on increasing body awareness and improving movement patterns through internal sensing, mindfulness, and self-exploration. The word “somatic” comes from the Greek word soma, meaning “the living body as experienced from within.” SME is not just a physical exercise but a method of reconnecting with the body’s sensations to develop better movement habits, release tension, and enhance overall well-being.
Key Principles of Somatic Movement
Body Awareness: The practice emphasizes internal awareness of the body’s sensations, movements, and alignment.
Mind-Body Connection: Movement is explored with a focus on the relationship between body and mind, acknowledging that thoughts, emotions, and physical patterns are interconnected.
Re-patterning Movement: By becoming aware of habitual patterns of tension or misalignment, participants learn new, more functional, and efficient ways to move.
Pandiculation: Unlike stretching, pandiculation activates the brain's natural ability to release muscle tension and reset the nervous system, providing long-term benefits for movement and function.
Self-Regulation: The slow, mindful approach fosters relaxation, nervous system regulation, and the release of chronic stress or pain.
Personal Exploration: It is experiential and individualized, with an emphasis on learning from one’s own body rather than following external instructions or routines.
Goals of Somatic Movement
To improve posture, coordination, and ease of movement.
To release chronic tension and pain caused by habitual movement patterns or trauma.
To promote a sense of embodiment and self-awareness.
To restore natural, functional movement patterns.
To enhance emotional resilience and mental clarity by addressing the mind-body connection.
Somatic Movement helps people reconnect with their bodies, making it a powerful tool for healing, learning, and personal growth.
Sessions combine integrated whole body movement patterns with specific exercises to help improve the mobility of the spine and core of the body. Once learnt these can be done at home to provide ongoing care .
These classes are a forum for your learning . I will thus be asking you for feedback on your experience of a movement - observing your experience is key to this method , and often one of the biggest challenges. Most of us worry about getting things “wrong” . The Somatic experience is what is felt by you from within - there can be no right or wrong - it is fact and true to you at that moment. This can be the concept which liberates you to feel your actual experience, you then have the choice to explore whether it serves or hinders you and explore if there is a alternative which could serve you better.
As a teacher-in-training these classes are charged at a reduced rate.