Somatics as a Movement & Healing Practice
Most animals pandiculate! Pandiculation is a primary cornerstone of Hanna Somatics Movement Practices.
Yogis began showing interest in somatics relatively recently, within the past few decades. While the traditional practices of yoga have existed for thousands of years, the integration of somatics into yoga is a more contemporary development.
To grasp the concept of "somatic," it's essential to delve into its meaning.
In medical terminology, "somatic" pertains to aspects related to the living body, evident in terms like somatic cell, somatic nervous system, somatic disorder, and somatic pain.
The term "soma" refers to the body as perceived internally.
"Soma" and "somatic" have gained popularity in the health and wellness sector, seen in practices such as somatic yoga, somatic experiencing, somatic psychology, somatic therapy, and somatic education.
Given the broad nature of soma and somatic, they encompass various movement and healing methods. Essentially, any practice emphasizing internal physical sensations and experiences qualifies as somatic.
Somatic movement involves consciously engaging in movement while focusing on internal experiences rather than external appearances or outcomes. This means directing attention solely to bodily sensations during movement, disregarding external appearance or achieving specific results.
Closing one's eyes during somatic movement is beneficial as it eliminates visual stimuli, enabling complete focus on internal sensations.
Exploration is a fundamental aspect of somatic movement. Regardless of the intention behind the practice, whether it's to alleviate muscle tension, reduce pain, improve posture, or manage stress, the emphasis remains on exploring internal experiences rather than fixating on desired outcomes.
Shifting focus from end results to the process of movement may pose a challenge initially. Unlike traditional exercises that prescribe specific movements for predefined goals, somatic movement prioritizes exploration and conscious attention over quantity and intensity.
Somatic movement is typically performed slowly, mirroring the gradual learning process of the nervous system. Just as learning a new language starts with mastering individual words before progressing to sentences and conversations, adopting new movement patterns requires patience and consistency.
Moshe Feldenkrais
Somatic movement education, often referred to as somatic education, encompasses methods aimed at improving motor control, sensation, and altering learned muscular patterns. These methods, such as the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, and Clinical Somatic Education, enable individuals to retrain muscle memory for various benefits like releasing chronic tension, alleviating pain, and enhancing posture and movement.
Clinical Somatic Education, pioneered by Thomas Hanna, emphasizes pandiculation—a unique movement technique. Pandiculation effectively releases chronic muscle tension, offering lasting relief from musculoskeletal issues by resetting the nervous system's baseline muscle tension.
By incorporating pandiculation into regular practice, individuals can experience improved muscle relaxation, reduced pain, and enhanced posture and movement over time, rendering traditional methods like stretching and massage unnecessary.
Thomas Hanna
Cross-Pollination of Disciplines:
The exploration and integration of somatic principles into yoga practice are influenced by the cross-pollination of these various movement disciplines, (Feldenkrais Method, Alexander Technique, and Hanna Somatics). Practitioners and teachers drawn from diverse backgrounds bring insights and techniques from somatics into the yoga community.
There is a growing emphasis within the yoga community on mindfulness, body awareness, and conscious movement. Somatic practices align with these principles by encouraging practitioners to cultivate awareness of internal sensations, movement patterns, and the mind-body connection during yoga practice.
Overall, the integration of somatics into yoga represents a natural evolution of the practice, driven by a desire to deepen the mind-body connection, improve movement quality, and enhance the therapeutic benefits of yoga practice in the modern world.
What is the difference between Hatha Yoga incorporating somatic principles and Hanna Somatics?
Hatha Yoga incorporating somatics and Hanna Somatics are both practices that focus on the body's internal experience and aim to improve movement patterns and overall well-being. However, they differ in their origins, approaches, and techniques.
Hatha Yoga with Somatics: is an ancient practice originating in India that combines physical postures (asanas), breathwork (pranayama), and meditation. When somatics is integrated into Hatha Yoga, it emphasizes mindful awareness of internal sensations and movements during yoga practice. Practitioners may use cues to encourage students to pay attention to bodily sensations and movements during yoga poses.
( see Hatha Yoga & Somatic Training with Liliana at Yoga Moves)
Practicing Somatics at home with my cousin (with Lisa Petersen on Ekhart Yoga TV!). My late Uncle Stanley Brown was a student of Feldenkrais and was a colleague and friend of Thomas Hanna; he brought us all up knowing and practicing like this together.
- Hilary Brown
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Hanna Somatics, developed by Thomas Hanna, is a system of neuromuscular education focused on retraining the brain's control over muscles to relieve chronic pain, improve posture, and enhance movement. It draws from principles of neuroscience, anatomy, and movement science. Hanna Somatics employs a technique called pandiculation. Pandiculation involves contracting and then slowly releasing muscles to reeducate the brain and release chronic muscular tension.
(see the new program with Lisa Peterson: Hanna Somatics training and workshops)
In summary, while both Hatha Yoga with Somatics and Hanna Somatics focus on internal awareness and movement improvement, they differ in their origins, approaches, techniques, and specific goals. Hatha Yoga with Somatics integrates somatic principles into traditional yoga practice, while Hanna Somatics is a distinct system focused on neuromuscular education and retraining muscle control through techniques like pandiculation.
compiled by hilary brown
