Have you heard of somatic movement? It’s gaining popularity in the fitness and wellness world, with celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Gisele Bündchen, and Naomi Watts embracing this mindful way of moving. But despite its recent rise in fame, the somatic movement has deep roots and has been evolving for decades.
When I was around 12, I noticed one of my teachers always moved with an effortless grace. Curious, I jokingly asked if he was sneaking up on students to catch them misbehaving. He laughed and explained that he used to have chronic back pain but had overcome it through the Alexander Technique. This method, pioneered by Frederick Matthias Alexander, an Australian actor, originated from his discovery that better posture improved his voice projection. Eventually, Alexander began teaching others how to relieve pain and even coached prominent figures, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in public speaking.
Alexander’s teachings inspired Moshe Feldenkrais, who expanded on this work to develop the Feldenkrais Method. Feldenkrais’s unique approach to movement later influenced Dr. Thomas Hanna, a neurologist who revolutionized the field by addressing how habitual neural patterns create chronic tension and pain. Hanna’s work birthed Somatic Education, a system designed to “reset” the nervous system and restore muscles to their natural resting state.
At its core, somatic movement addresses the neural patterns that govern muscle tension. Dr. Hanna introduced the concept of Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA), a condition where the body “forgets” how to relax certain muscles due to subconscious adaptations. He identified three primary reflexes contributing to SMA:
Hanna’s exercises focus on pandiculations—slow, mindful movements involving full contraction followed by relaxation. These movements mimic the natural stretching patterns of animals like cats and dogs, which “reset” their muscles dozens of times a day. Research suggests these movements recalibrate the nervous system, particularly the alpha-gamma co-activation loop, restoring proper muscle tone.
Intrigued, I attended a three-day somatic workshop led by Martha Peterson, a renowned practitioner in the field. Unlike traditional exercises, somatic movements are slow and deliberate, often performed lying down to eliminate balance-related compensations.
On the final day, we applied our newfound skills on real clients. My client was someone I had previously treated with osteopathy but with limited success. Using somatic techniques, I guided her through exercises to address her retained reflexes. Her posture improved significantly in just one session than after four osteopathic treatments. Moreover, she left equipped with exercises to continue her progress at home—a powerful, self-sustaining approach to healing.
Somatic movement has opened my eyes to the incredible potential of re-educating the nervous system. It’s a transformative tool, especially for those with chronic pain or “hard-to-treat” cases. If you’re curious to try it I would recommend following this video, where I show a simple movement that can really help relieve back pain.
This is one of the core movements I use in my Back Pain Correction Protocol and my Scoliosis Online Program to help people calm an irritated back so we can proceed with adding mobility and strength.
If you have any questions or want to know more, Contact Us and I’d be happy to chat.
Over the last 10 years Ed has been building a YouTube library to help people manage their own pain or movement limitations and increase performance through exercise. He regularly adds videos so be sure to subscribe and visit regularly
"Oh My Gosh- I am ALREADY feeling relief after a few days! I used to wake up 2-3 times a night with shooting pain that anti inflammatories couldn't touch. Now I have been waking up just because I want to notice what it feels like to lay in bed pain free- THANK YOU!."
"When I first started with your program I was experience a lot of pain. Walking was difficult. I had to stop and catch my breath every few minutes and lean against a wall for support. Now when I walk with my husband we go for over an hour. I never had to sit down and stop...and, hardly any pain!!! 😊😊 I can’t thank you enough."
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