‘Soma’ means living body and Somatics is the experience you have in your body while going through a series of very gentle movements. These movements allow you to reverse the root cause of most chronic muscle pain and give you strategies to reduce muscle tension and pain in the future. In Somatics I will teach you, through simple movements, how to relax the muscles that contribute to your pain or postural issues.
Many conditions that are commonly thought to be structural in nature, are actually functional problems that can be prevented and improved with Somatic Education. When the brain forgets how to sense and control muscles properly, coordination and balance are impaired and pain develops. Chronically tight muscles are the result of Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA). This means that the body has forgotten how to release the muscles in a particular range of motion or movement. This is a response to stress such as accidents, injuries, surgeries, and repetitive stress which has become a longterm habit.
You may experience Sensory Motor Amnesia as:
Chronic back pain
Neck and shoulder pain
Sciatica
Hip joint pain
Frozen shoulder
Tension headaches
TMJ
Herniated discs
Leg length discrepancy
Piriformis syndrome
Whiplash
Scoliosis
Knee and foot pain
Plantar fasciitis
How Somatics can help:
These conditions cannot be "stretched" away or alleviated for the long term through passive manipulation. Stretching often causes muscles to become tighter which worsens your muscle pain. Medication blocks the pain but does not address the root cause. Passive methods such as chiropractic and massage therapy only provide temporary relief. Physio and chiropractic manipulation can be a great help but they are external changes. Until we look at how our movement patterns are contributing to the pain we will never be free from it. Somatics allows us to retrain the muscular patterns by bringing the unconscious to the conscious so we can take back control of our bodies.
Somatics is not magic
These movements will require your participation in order to eliminate chronic muscle pain that has developed due to your unique responses to stress. As instructors, we don’t fix you; we teach you to fix yourself! Creating new habits requires practice, just like any other skill. The slow, gentle, safe Somatic Movements taught are movement patterns that reprogram your brain. This muscle connection creates more efficient movement and improves your self-awareness. Somatic Movements mimic human movements such as running, walking, reaching, bending. When you remember how to move without overly contracted muscles, your movement is more efficient and effortless and your pain disappears!
Somatics will benefit:
Office workers and computer specialists
Athletes of any age (including "weekend warriors") or those with repeat injuries
Factory and construction workers
Medical professionals: doctors, nurses, dental hygienists
Frequent drivers of any type of vehicle
Hairdressers
Gardeners and landscapers
Mothers or caregivers
Military personnel
Survivors of severe illness
Anyone recovering from accidents or surgery
Anyone experiencing muscle pain
| Having FUN, getting FIT, Feeling BETTER...that’s Nancy’s goal for you at Forever Fit! Fitness Training with Nancy McNeil at Forever Fit means finding beneficial activities that you enjoy so she can help you meet your fitness goals. You don't have to be an athlete to get, or to be, fit. Nancy will help you find a program that fits in with your goals and fitness abilities. There are a wide range of opportunities available at Forever Fit Studio. Click on either link, Classes or Schedule, for more inspiration. “Hope to see you soon!” |