Somatics with Stacey

05/14/2024

If you’re feeling a little stressed 😫…

04/14/2024

Hanna Somatic Education, is neuromuscular learning/re-learning.
It brings the brain into an active learning process.
We use very slow, focused,conscious movements that teach and/or remind your brain how to release chronic muscle contraction.
It works to relieve chronic pain, it can correct “bad” or improper posture and prevent recurring injuries.
It also allows you to practice being in the present moment, calming your nervous system.

The Somatic Exercises (adapted from Thomas Hanna, the creator of Hanna Somatic Education) have two parts.
First you voluntarily contract a group of muscles; then you slowly and with control, release those same muscles. The most important part of this two part movement is a technique called pandiculation. It is a slow, gradual release out of the voluntary contraction to complete rest.

Class concludes with a guided body scan meditation to leave you feeling serene, relaxed and rejuvenated!

New 6 week session starts soon!
Thursday Apr. 25 @ 7 pm
Tuesday Apr. 30 @10:30am or 6 pm
Space is limited. Contact me to register -youryogasarnia@gmail.com

03/08/2024

Happy International Women’s Day!

I’ll be at this event this evening, along with some other awesome women 🤩
Stop by and check it out!!

Theme: Empower your inner self
Place: Lochiel Street Kiwanis Centre
Time: March 8, from 5 to 7pm
Target: Women in Sarnia Lambton
Cost: Completely free community event!

02/28/2024

Mitton Village Neighbourhood Connects is hosting its first event of 2024.
Come out to celebrate International Women's Day!
I’ll be holding a short demo class. Bring your mat or a blanket and join us!

02/27/2024

There are still a few spots left in our Spring Equinox Yoga Nidra class , March 19.

Not sure what Yoga Nidra is?
Checkout the link below 👇

Yoga Nidra (aka NSDR- Non Sleep Deep Rest protocol) is a guided, systematic meditation practise that induces complete mental, physical and emotional relaxation. The physical body is led into a relaxed state while the mind remains alert and aware.

02/27/2024

BEGINNERS SOMATIC MOVEMENT CLASS
This is a slow paced, Mindful Movement class, perfect for anyone looking for a gentle and relaxing practise. This class is an introduction into Hanna Somatics based movements. You’ll learn how to use groundbreaking Somatic Movement exercises to help you recognize where there may be muscle tension in your body ,alleviate common musculoskeletal conditions, improve your posture and movement all while reducing stress & anxiety.
This class focuses on releasing muscle tension in the core of your body : your back, waist, abdomen, shoulders and hips. The core of your body is where your posture and movement patterns begin- it’s your foundation! It is very important to address problems and imbalances in your core before moving outwards to your extremities.
Come explore just how easy it can be to release muscle tension and rediscover comfort & ease in your body!

UPCOMING MOVEMENT SESSIONS:
4 week session starts Thursday March 14 ,7pm $70

Class size is limited.

*** Class full. Space available in the Tuesday 6pm class

02/10/2024

Upcoming Somatic Movement Sessions:

Tuesday March 12
10:30am
6pm

6 week session $105
No previous experience required

Thursday March 14
7pm
4 week Beginners session $70

To register please contact Stacey at youryogasarnia@gmail.com
with preferred day & class time

02/10/2024

Upcoming Classes:

SPRING EQUINOX YOGA NIDRA CLASS

Tuesday March 19, 7:30-9pm

Get ready to bloom, and set intentions (sankalpa) for the coming season ahead.
In this 90 minute practice you'll be guided through the 5 koshas (layers of being/ brainwave states) into the realm between sleep and wakefulness. You’ll emerge from the practice feeling rested and whole.
This is a beautiful class to tap into the energy of the Spring Equinox - celebrating release, growth and transformation while clearing the way for new ideas and intentions.

COST: $25
*Somatic Movement class pass holders may use their pass 😊

For more information about Yoga Nidra visit
http://www.youryogasarnia.com/yoga-nidra/

Interested in hosting a Yoga Nidra class for your group? Please contact me for special group pricing.

Yoga Nidra (aka NSDR- Non Sleep Deep Rest protocol) is a guided, systematic meditation practise that induces complete mental, physical and emotional relaxation. The physical body is led into a relaxed state while the mind remains alert and aware.

12/28/2023

Somatics is a safe, gentle, and common sense approach to eliminating chronic muscle pain for the long term. Founded on the work of Thomas Hanna, Ph.D., it's the only sensory-motor training method that shows you how to reverse the root cause of most chronic muscle pain.
Through simple movements, you'll learn how to relax the muscles that contribute to your pain and gain strategies for managing it in the future
Suitable for all body types Somatics can be safely practiced well into your senior years.
Each class begins with a soma scan to bring awareness within your body and is then followed by 3-6 progressive movement patterns to tense and release the body. Participants generally feel a difference within the first few classes and the changes are often found through ease of pain and increased mobility during everyday tasks.
Class Schedule-
Tuesday 10:30am
Tuesday 6pm
Thursday 7pm

To register please send an email with the class and time you’re interested in to youryogasarnia@gmail.com

"Movement is life. Life is a process. Improve the quality of the process and you improve the quality of life itself.– Moshe Feldenkrais"

12/08/2023

Have you ever been told that you have kyphosis, lordosis, or scoliosis and that it is the cause of your pain? From a Clinical Somatics perspective all three of these conditions are examples of Sensory Motor Amnesia.

Let’s break them down:

Kyphosis is defined by the Mayo Clinic as “an exaggerated, forward rounding of the upper back.” What creates that rounded upper back and hunched posture? The Red Light Reflex of protection, worry, anxiety – and more often these days, computer work. When the muscles of the front of the body are tight they shorten the front and draw our chest and ribcage down and our pelvis under. These muscles bring our face forward and round our shoulders.

Lordosis is the exact opposite. It is a habituation of the Green Light Reflex of go-go-go and forward action. We all have a natural lumbar curve, yet when it is pronounced it is called a “swayback.” These overly tight back muscles that won’t fully release contribute to chronic low back pain and are very common in athletes, dancers, and those who are active and on their feet getting things done.

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine. It is often diagnosed in adolescence, though “adult-onset scoliosis” is something we hear more and more about. For many, scoliosis can have its roots in a habituated Trauma Reflex. This reflex is evoked by an accident, injury, one-sided surgery, fall, or repetitive one-sided activity. When the muscles on one side of the body are tighter than those on the other side these muscles (which attach to the spine) can pull the spine out of alignment, creating a curvature.

The good news is that pandiculation and Somatic Movements can help restore balance and symmetry to the entire body so you can move pain-free, with ease and freedom.

Join the next session of Somatic Movement classes starting January 9 or 11th.
For more information visit www.youryogasarnia.com

11/24/2023

👇👇👇

11/20/2023

🚂👫 🧠

11/17/2023

11/14/2023

🥰

11/01/2023

The theme for this week’s class is all about exploring how the red light reflex might be showing up in us, and practising the skill of pandiculation to begin releasing this pattern.

In truth, we all most likely have this reflex pattern. It relates to any holding tension through the muscles of our front; neck, shoulders, chest, tummy, groin, inner thighs. Not only do feelings around fear, worry, sadness manifest as tightness through our front, but lifestyle also plays a huge part. Spending time slumped on the sofa, at a desk or over any number and types of computer screens all contribute to us accumulating tension through our front.

Why might this be a problem?

Moving into any position isn’t in itself a problem. The difficulties only arise when we get so good at going into that position that we get a bit, or a lot stuck there, and are unable to freely move in other directions. In addition, when we hold even just a little resting tension through our front, maybe we’re always holding our belly in for example, we restrict our ability to breath freely and fully. This means less oxygen flowing through our system which means less overall energy.

Who wouldn’t like to feel like they have a little more oomph and energy?

Along with low energy and fatigue, other common symptoms of having a habituated red light reflex pattern include:

Neck, shoulder and mid back pain / discomfort
Shallow breathing
Digestive issues
Pelvic floor issues
Difficulty standing or sitting upright
Restricted movement lifting arms
Rounded shoulder / “aged” posture

Learning how to release this holding pattern at the root cause, helps us to release and even eradicate these symptoms. How cool is that?

10/19/2023

As the term somatics is becoming more widely used and heard, (hurrah!) I thought it would be a good reminder to clarify what kind of ‘somatics’ you experience when you join my classes.

I am trained in and teach Clinical Somatic Education, also known as Hanna Somatic Education.

This is movement education that enables you to:

~Learn where your unconscious holding patterns are(known as sensory motor amnesia / chronic muscle tension) that cause pain, disconnection and restricted movement.

~Learn lifelong skills to releasing these holding patterns

~Restore functional, pain free movement

~Restore function and connection as a whole system

The term somatics is a general umbrella term, that means “living body experienced from within”.
Under this umbrella are many types of somatic methods and approaches, including somatic therapies.

What you experience in my classes is not therapy or exercise.
It is movement education.
And , as with any learning, you are at the centre of creating long term change in how you feel, function and live.
With that comes empowerment, freedom and autonomy.

Class schedule-
Tuesday 10:30am
Tuesday 6pm
Thursday 11:00 am
Thursday 7pm

New 5 week session starts Jan. 9 or Jan.11
Cost- $88
Please contact me to register - email youryogasarnia@gmail.com with the class day/time you are interested in.

Thanks and I look forward to seeing you soon!!

Offering Somatic Movement Classes
Discover Relaxation & Pain Reduction using Easy, Gentle Movements

10/14/2023

Somatic Movement classes will retrain your stretching needs and give you better results!

6 week session starts Oct 26 @ 7pm . Limited spaces available . Register now to secure your spot!
Email youryogasarnia@gmail.com