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Essential Somatics

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United States
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.

09/10/2025

Essential Somatics is dedicated to guiding people out of chronic muscle pain and back into movement that feels joyful, effortless, and alive.

For more than 15 years, we’ve shared Clinical Somatic Education, a scientifically grounded, body-aware practice that helps reconnect your brain with your muscles and undo what’s known as Sensory Motor Amnesia.

Our mission is simple: to help you move with mastery and joy.

We teach Somatic Movement as a way to retrain the nervous system, reduce tension, and free your body from patterns of stress and discomfort.

From self-paced courses like Move With Ease to hands-on training for educators (ESMTT and CSET), we offer pathways for anyone, from someone looking for lasting relief to professionals seeking to transform lives with this powerful work.

Whether your body feels stuck or you’re ready to guide others, Essential Somatics meets you at the intersection of science, movement, and mindful awareness.

09/07/2025

These thoughts are only stopping you from getting to the point of moving freely.

When pain lingers, it’s easy to get caught in the spiral of self-doubt:

“Maybe this is just how I am now.”

“I’m too old to change.”

“Nothing will ever work for me.”

But these thoughts are not the truth. They’re barriers, keeping you stuck in the same patterns of tension and frustration.

Your body is capable of change.

With the right approach, you can relearn how to release unconscious tension, restore control, and move with freedom again.

The first step is noticing the story you’ve been telling yourself, and choosing a different one.

What’s a thought you’ve caught yourself repeating about your pain?

09/05/2025

Chronic pain doesn’t just show up in the body.

It changes the way you think and move through life.

You start questioning every step, every reach, every choice: Will this hurt? Am I making it worse?

Over time, that doubt chips away at your confidence.

You stop doing the things you once loved, not because you don’t want to, but because you’re afraid of what your body might do.

It’s not your fault.

You were never taught how to truly release tension or retrain your brain to feel safe moving again.

Clinical Somatic Education helps you rebuild trust with your body, so you can move with confidence instead of fear.

Have you ever avoided something you love because of pain or fear of making it worse?

Share your experience in the comments.

09/03/2025

Struggling with sciatica?

That shooting pain down the back of your leg, the ache in your lower back, the way it makes sitting, walking, or even resting uncomfortable… it’s draining.

The good news? Relief is possible.

Somatic Movement helps address the root cause of the tension patterns contributing to sciatica, so you can release, rebalance, and move with greater ease.

Head to our YouTube channel for the full Sciatica Relief Routine with Martha.

https://youtu.be/ujVI0B9yjAs

Have you ever experienced sciatica? Let us know in the comments

08/28/2025

You can’t think because your brain is foggy with pain, finding everyday activities hard?

When chronic pain takes over, it doesn’t just affect your body - it hijacks your entire nervous system.

Your brain becomes so consumed with processing pain signals that simple tasks feel overwhelming.

Focus disappears.

Mental clarity vanishes.

This isn’t weakness. This isn’t “all in your head.”

This is your nervous system in a constant state of alarm, unable to return to its natural state of ease.

The good news? Your brain has an incredible capacity to rewire itself.

Through gentle somatic movement practices, you can teach your nervous system to release these chronic patterns of tension and pain.

As your body learns to relax again, mental clarity returns.

Tasks that felt impossible become manageable.

You don’t have to live in this fog. There’s a way back to feeling like yourself again.

Move with Ease teaches you exactly how to restore this balance - gently, effectively, and at your own pace.

Ready to clear the fog and reclaim your life? Comment MOVE below to join👇

08/26/2025

Ever think “I used to move like that... but not anymore”?

You’re not alone. Getting up from chairs, avoiding activities that leave you sore, feeling stiff and restricted - we’re told it’s just “getting older.”

But what if it doesn’t have to be that way?

Join me for a FREE online movement class next week! We’ll reconnect with the ease and fluidity that’s always been there, just waiting to be reawakened.

What you’ll get:

20-minute guided Clinical Somatics experience (gentle + effective)

30-minute live Q&A discussion

Understanding why we lose movement ease - and how to get it back

Sneak peek at our “Move with Ease” online course

Perfect for beginners or anyone curious about this transformative work. No pressure, no obligation - just learn, move, and explore what’s possible for YOUR body.

Ready to rediscover your natural ease? Comment CLASS below and we’ll send you the link👇

08/22/2025

Discover “Free Your Movement!”, a 5-day deep-dive retreat with Martha on the stunning Cortes Island!

📅August 31 – September 5, 2025

📍Hollyhock Lifelong Learning Centre

Are you exhausted from chasing short-lived relief from chronic muscle or joint pain?

This immersive experience isn’t just another retreat; it’s a journey to regain freedom, vitality, and ease in your body.

What makes it powerful:

Get to the root: Learn how stress, habits, injuries, and even emotions contribute to long-held tension patterns.
Gentle, life-changing movement: Experience safe and profoundly effective Somatic Movements that reset muscle function and restore natural ease in your body, without stretching.
Mind–body integration: Understand how thoughts, emotions, and physical stress shape your movement, and how to transform that relationship.
Daily routines for life: Leave with a simple, safe Somatic Movement sequence you can keep practicing, nurturing lasting change.
Why it matters:

This is the retreat where pain, stiffness, and the idea of "just getting older" get challenged.

Here, you’ll rediscover balance, core control, self-awareness, and joy in movement.

Spaces are limited — if you’ve tried everything but never found lasting relief, this might be the experience that finally shifts your body and life.

Want to grab a spot?

🔗Link in bio to explore the full program, and check out available accommodation options, meals, scholarships, and more.

08/20/2025

We’ve all been there…

That familiar ache creeps back in.

You book the massage. Or the chiropractor. Again.

You feel better... temporarily.

But the tension returns, and the cycle continues.

Because while hands-on treatments can offer short-term relief, they often don’t get to the root of the problem:

👉 Unconscious, habituated muscle tension stored in your nervous system.

This is what Clinical Somatic Education helps you change.

Not just temporarily manage, but unlearn what’s causing the pain in the first place.

With Somatic Movement, you can:

• Release chronic tension gently and effectively

• Reconnect to your body’s natural patterns of movement

• Build lasting relief

You don’t have to keep outsourcing your wellbeing.

You can learn to move differently, feel differently, and live differently.

Sound like something you’re ready for?

Join the waitlist for Move With Ease, our signature digital course designed to help you take back control of your body, with practical tools that last.

08/18/2025

You sit down to start your day, and within minutes, the discomfort creeps in. A dull ache in your lower back. Tightness in your hips. Tension running up your neck and into your head.

Sound familiar?

Long hours at a desk can take a serious toll on your body, especially if you’re already dealing with chronic pain. Here’s why:

🔹 Your muscles are stuck in ‘hold’ mode — when you stay in one position for too long, your muscles don’t get a chance to reset. They stay contracted, leading to stiffness and pain.

🔹 Your posture adapts to your discomfort—when something hurts, your body adjusts—often in ways that create even more imbalance. Leaning, slumping, or shifting to one side can put extra strain on your spine and joints.

🔹 You’re missing essential movement — your body isn’t designed to stay still. Without regular movement, circulation slows, tension builds, and your nervous system stays on high alert.

So what can you do?

✅ Break up long periods of sitting — stand and move every 30–45 minutes to wake up your muscles.

✅ Release stored tension — gentle Somatic Movements help retrain your body to let go of chronic tightness rather than just stretching it.

✅ Be mindful of how you sit — small adjustments (like planting your feet flat and keeping your hips slightly higher than your knees) can reduce strain.

Pain at your desk isn’t something you just have to ‘put up with.’ There’s a way to move smarter, so your body works with you, not against you.

Ready to reclaim rest, calm, and comfort?

Join the waitlist for Move With Ease, our digital course designed to help you gently unwind the patterns causing your pain and exhaustion.

You’ll learn tools to support your body, your sleep, and your energy for the long term.

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.