The History of Somatics: Rediscovering Your Body’s Wisdom
Pandiculation is a primary cornerstone of Hanna Somatics Movement Practices. Most animals pandiculate!
Are you curious about how somatics can transform your movement, relieve chronic pain, and deepen your mind-body connection? Over the past few decades, somatics has emerged as a transformative practice in the world of movement, offering profound benefits for overall well-being. Whether explored on its own or integrated into yoga, somatics provides a unique path to restoring natural movement patterns and living pain-free.
What is Somatics?
The term somatic originates from the Greek word “soma”, meaning “the body as experienced from within.” In medical terminology, “somatic” relates to aspects of the living body, as seen in terms like somatic cell, somatic pain, and somatic nervous system.
Somatics focuses on internal body sensations and movement patterns. Practices such as somatic therapy, somatic psychology, and somatic education have gained popularity in the health and wellness world. These methods emphasize internal awareness over external appearance or results, making somatic movement a highly mindful and intentional practice.
At its core, somatic movement is about consciously engaging in movement while focusing solely on bodily sensations. This mindful exploration of movement allows the body to release tension, retrain habitual patterns, and restore freedom of movement.
The Foundations of Somatic Movement
Somatic movement focuses on internal experiences during movement rather than outward appearances or predefined results. By directing attention to bodily sensations, you can retrain your brain’s connection to your muscles, releasing chronic tension and improving how you move.
Slow and mindful movement is key to Somatics. It mirrors how the nervous system learns, much like mastering a language—you start with small, deliberate steps.
Closing your eyes during somatic movement is beneficial as it eliminates visual stimuli, enabling complete focus on internal sensations.
Exploration over outcomes: Instead of aiming for specific results, Somatic movement encourages you to explore and reconnect with your body.
Moshe Feldenkrais
Pioneers of Somatics
Moshe Feldenkrais and Somatic Movement Education
The development of somatics as a discipline began in the mid-20th century with pioneers like Moshe Feldenkrais, founder of the Feldenkrais Method. Feldenkrais emphasized movement awareness as a way to improve motor control and restore function. This approach helped individuals release chronic tension and develop efficient movement patterns.
Thomas Hanna and Hanna Somatics
Building on these foundations, Thomas Hanna revolutionized somatics with his method, Hanna Somatics, in the 1970s. Hanna introduced the concept of Sensory-Motor Amnesia (SMA), where the brain loses control over muscles due to repetitive stress, poor posture, or trauma. This condition leads to chronic muscular tightness, pain, and restricted mobility.
Hanna developed a groundbreaking technique called pandiculation to address SMA. Pandiculation involves gently contracting and releasing muscles while maintaining mindful awareness. This process retrains the brain to release habitual tension and restore natural muscle function—providing long-lasting relief from pain and discomfort.
Thomas Hanna
The Integration of Somatics into Yoga
While yoga has existed for thousands of years, its integration with somatic principles is a more recent development. This cross-pollination of practices has enriched yoga by emphasizing mindfulness, body awareness, and conscious movement.
How Somatics Enhances Yoga Practice
Somatic principles align naturally with yoga’s emphasis on:
Mindfulness: Cultivating awareness of internal sensations during postures (asanas).
Body Awareness: Paying attention to how the body moves and feels rather than focusing on external outcomes.
Conscious Movement: Moving slowly, deliberately, and with intention to retrain habitual patterns and reduce tension.
In a somatic-influenced yoga practice, students are encouraged to explore their movements rather than strive for specific postures. This shift in focus—from external results to internal experience—creates a more intuitive and therapeutic practice.
Why Somatics Matters: Benefits for Modern Life
In today’s world of stress, sedentary lifestyles, and repetitive movements, many people unknowingly hold tension in their bodies. Somatics offers tools to:
Relieve chronic pain by addressing the root causes of tension.
Improve posture and alignment through mindful movement retraining.
Restore natural mobility and easeful movement patterns.
Enhance relaxation and reduce stress by cultivating body awareness.
Somatics empowers individuals to take control of their physical well-being, providing long-term solutions for a healthier, pain-free body.
Explore Hanna Somatic Teacher Training
If you’re inspired by the power of Somatics and want to share it with others, consider Hanna Somatic Teacher Training. This specialized program equips you with practical tools to guide students in retraining movement patterns, relieving pain, and cultivating body awareness.
Why Join Hanna Somatic Teacher Training?
Learn from experts trained in Thomas Hanna’s revolutionary methods.
Transform lives by helping students overcome chronic pain and reclaim mobility.
Enhance your teaching if you’re a yoga instructor, bodyworker, or movement educator.
