03/09/2025
Somatics is the practice of movement (and stillness) in which we get to know and understand ourselves from the inside out.
The branch of Somatics I’m trained in is Hanna Somatic Education but I draw on many modalities, including developmental movement, Feldenkrais method and Somatic Experiencing.
At its most basic level, Hanna Somatics is a gentle, floor-based, mindful, therapeutic movement system designed to release patterns of habitual muscular tension. It can help with alleviating the effects of stress and trauma (including associated symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, chronic pain, weakened immune system, fatigue etc), non-optimal postural habits, the residual effects of injury, muscular imbalances caused by one-sided activities… the list goes on!
Somatics is a wonderful compliment to Yoga and to other physical activities and sports, as it increases body awareness from the inside out, helping us to fine-tune our motor control and recalibrate our muscles and movement patterns.
In a Somatic movement class, the teacher guides you, often through a series of questions, to sense and feel your direct, moment-to-moment first person internal experience. It is a practice based on curiosity and self-enquiry rather than striving to achieve something.
With practice, we develop sensitivity to ever more subtle experiences, ranging from physical to emotional and psychological. We start to appreciate that the body has a wisdom and a language of its own, which is often drowned out by the thinking, analytical mind. These practices hone our ability to truly listen to the language of the body, with compassion and open-mindedness.
The next 6-Week Somatics course starts Wednesday 10 September, 6-7.15pm at Great Dunham Village Hall. You can try your first class for free (space permitting). No prior experience needed but you must be able to get up and down off the floor unaided and be comfortable lying on your front, back and sides for extended periods.
Book at www.somayoganorfolk.com/class-offerings (link in bio)
