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Essential Somatics

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Manitou Springs, CO
Essential Somatics

Essential Somatics is a revolutionary approach to eliminating muscle pain. It's safe, easy, and common sense. Learn to move without pain!

It goes to the root of most chronic muscular pain: the brain and its control of muscles and movement. Since 2010, Essential Somatics® has grown from a small solo practice to a team of highly skilled and devoted Clinical Somatic Educators who teach multi-day introductory courses, clinical certification trainings, and embodied movement for corporate leadership. The trainings we provide are offered in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The teachings of Somatic Education have helped thousands of people worldwide to return to a more vibrant life of movement, self-agency, and awareness.

12/15/2025

“I’m skeptical.”

Good. You should be.

You’ve tried physiotherapy. Massage. Yoga.

Movements your doctor recommended.

Pills that barely took the edge off.

Some things helped for a week, maybe two. Then the pain came back. The stiffness returned. And you were right back where you started, minus the time and money you spent trying.

So now you’re reading about retreats and thinking: Is this just another thing that won’t work?

We get it. We’d be skeptical too.

Here’s what we’re not going to tell you: that this is a miracle cure. That seven days will fix everything. That you’ll never feel pain again.

Here’s what we will tell you:

Clinical Somatic Education works differently than what you’ve tried before. It’s not about stretching tight muscles or pushing through pain. It’s about re-educating your nervous system to release patterns it’s been holding for years.

It takes practice. It takes time. It takes actually showing up for yourself.

But here’s the difference: the people who commit to this work, who practice consistently, who learn the method, they get lasting results. Not temporary relief. Actual change.

You don’t have to believe us. Listen to the people who’ve been through it:

“I was so skeptical I almost didn’t register. Best decision I ever made.”

“After 15 years of trying everything, this was the first thing that actually worked.”

“I went in doubtful. I left understanding my body for the first time in my life.”

Your skepticism isn’t a problem. It means you’re paying attention. It means you’ve learned not to trust empty promises.
We’re not asking you to believe. We’re asking you to try.

Mar de Jade, Mexico | January 17-24, 2026
Registration open - link in bio.

What made you skeptical about trying something new? We want to hear your story.

12/12/2025

“Those years are behind me.”

How many times have you told yourself this?

That adventure is for younger people. That your body just can’t do what it used to. That it’s too late to feel different.

But chronic pain isn’t aging. It’s sensory motor amnesia.

Your muscles have learned to hold tension over years of stress and adaptation. And your nervous system can unlearn these patterns, at any age.

We’ve worked with people in their late 60s who’ve regained mobility they thought was gone. We’ve seen 70-year-olds move with ease they haven’t felt in decades.

Clinical Somatic Education works because it addresses how your nervous system learns. And your nervous system? It’s still learning, still capable of change, no matter how many birthdays you’ve had.

Those years aren’t behind you. They’re ahead of you, if you’re willing to try.

What if this year, you stopped telling yourself “I can’t” and started asking: “What if I can?”

12/08/2025

“I don’t have time for myself.”

You say it so often, it’s become automatic.

Between work deadlines and family responsibilities. Between appointments and errands. Between taking care of everyone else and collapsing into bed at night.

I don’t have time.

But here’s what that really means: You don’t have permission.
Because if someone you loved needed you, your parent, your child, your partner, you’d find the time. You’d rearrange everything. You’d make it work.

The question isn’t whether you have time. It’s whether you believe you deserve it.

Your body has been trying to get your attention. The stiffness when you wake up. The ache that won’t go away. The exhaustion that goes deeper than just being tired.

It’s not going to get better by ignoring it. It’s not going to resolve itself “when things calm down.”

Because things won’t calm down. Not on their own.

You have to choose.

Clinical Somatic Education teaches you how to release chronic tension, understand your body’s patterns, and move without pain. But it requires something most people struggle to give themselves: time and attention.

Even 15 minutes a day. Even considering that maybe, just maybe, you’re worth prioritizing.

You’ve spent years taking care of everyone else.

What would change if you finally took care of yourself?

11/17/2025

Before diving into the expected busyness of the new week, take a moment for yourself.

Pause.

Close your eyes.

Notice where you feel tension in your body right now.

Is it your shoulders? Neck? Lower back? Somewhere else?

Comment below with the area of your body that feels most tense, and we’ll recommend a simple movement you can try to release it.

11/05/2025

“The biggest shifts happen when you give yourself permission to fully immerse.”

Martha has been teaching Clinical Somatic Education for over two decades. She’s guided many people out of chronic pain and back into comfortable, joyful movement.

And if there’s one thing she’s learned, it’s this: being immersed in your own learning changes everything.

In this video, Martha shares why practicing Essential Somatics movements in a focused environment – away from daily distractions – can create transformation that simply can’t happen the same way during the busy work week.

It’s not about working harder. It’s about creating the conditions where your nervous system can actually let go.

When you’re immersed, away from daily distractions, practicing multiple times a day, surrounded by others on the same journey, guided by expert hands, your brain and body can finally do what they’ve been trying to do all along: release the patterns that have been holding you back.

This is the power of immersive learning. And it’s why we continue to lead retreats after all these years.

Watch to hear Martha’s perspective on why some lessons can often be learned and absorbed best when you step away from your daily life and step fully into the practice.

11/04/2025

How do you learn best?

When it comes to Somatic Movement, there’s no single right path, just the one that meets you where you are.

Our online courses are perfect if you want to learn at your own pace, revisit lessons, and gradually integrate the practice into your daily routine. You’ll gain a deep understanding of the principles of Clinical Somatic Education, all from the comfort of home.

But if you’re craving immersion, personal connection, and in-person, hands-on guidance, our retreats offer something different. They’re a chance to step away from daily life, feel fully supported, and experience profound change in real time.

Both paths lead to the same goal: more awareness, less tension, and a renewed sense of ease in your body.

So ask yourself: what kind of learning experience do you need right now?

11/03/2025

Why does a week away create change that lasts for years?

It's not magic. It's neuroscience.

When you practice Essential Somatics movements once or twice at home, your brain starts to pay attention. But when you practice multiple times a day, for several days in a row, in an environment designed for healing? That's when real rewiring happens.

This is immersive learning, and it's one of the most powerful ways to create lasting change in your nervous system.

In our latest blog, we explore:

✨The difference between learning a movement and embodying it

✨Why your environment affects how deeply you can learn

✨What happens in your brain when you're fully immersed in Clinical Somatic Education

✨Why community and connection accelerate your progress

Thomas Hanna understood that sensory motor amnesia doesn't release with a single session. It requires focused attention, repeated practice, and the space to truly feel what's happening in your body.

It requires a new perspective on your body and your movement.

That's exactly what an Essential Somatics retreat offers.

Whether you're curious about retreats or simply want to understand how to deepen your own practice, this article will give you insights into how transformation actually works.

Read the full blog here: https://essentialsomatics.com/the-power-of-in-person-learning-in-clinical-somatics/

11/02/2025

“The location was stunning, and the hands-on aspect was invaluable.”

That’s how Betty described her experience at an Essential Somatics Retreat, a week that changed how she felt in her body and how she approached movement altogether.

Our retreats aren’t just about learning Somatic Movements. They’re about slowing down enough to listen to your body, reconnecting with yourself, and rediscovering what ease truly feels like.

Surrounded by nature, you’ll have the time and space to unwind long-held tension – physically, mentally, and emotionally. Each day combines guided movement sessions, reflective discussions, and plenty of time for rest, laughter, and connection with others on the same journey.

By the end of the retreat, participants often tell us they leave not only with less pain and more freedom, but with a sense of clarity and calm that stays with them long after they return home. They're motivated to move forward in a new way.

If you’ve been craving a deeper reset, one that helps you move, breathe, and live with greater awareness, join us at an upcoming Essential Somatics Retreat.

We're next heading to Mexico, find out more using the link in our bio👆

10/31/2025

What are retreats all about?

They’re not about escaping your life, they’re about returning to yourself.

Our retreats create the space to slow down, reconnect, and rediscover how it feels to move with ease. Through guided Somatic Movement sessions, reflection, and time in nature, you’ll begin to release long-held tension and rediscover the freedom your body has been missing.

People often arrive feeling exhausted, stiff, or disconnected, and leave with a sense of lightness, clarity, and calm they didn’t think was possible.

If you’ve been craving rest that truly restores you, this is your invitation to join us in Mexico.

Address

Manitou Springs, CO
80829

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://essentialsomatics.com/, https://www.unionsquareandco.com/9781454953173/the-mindful-motion-deck-by-martha-peterson

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Our Story

Essential Somatics is grounded in the revolutionary approaches of Hanna Somatics, Moshe Feldenkrais and other modern day somatic pioneers. We teach people to eliminate their own muscle pain and create more freedom and ease in their bodies and their lives. Essential Somatics gets to the root of most physical discomfort and restriction: the brain and the way it communicates with the muscles through movement. Come learn safely and gently to move through life with mastery and joy.