Open to Possibility
In 2013, I opened the door to a way of moving that resonated with both my body and my mind. For close to 15 years I had been exploring different modalities to harness my anxious mind. I knew that vigorous movement practices ramped me up, and that I needed something in a slower realm to shift my nervous system — something almost meditative, without sitting still. For those familiar with the anxiety spectrum and the ripples into the physical body, the concept of muscular relaxation was seemingly beyond my reach.
My ongoing yoga studies with Donna Farhi had opened the door to the somatic practices of Mind-Body-Centering™ and Hanna Somatics™. I loved the curiosity and awareness that was sparked by these inquiry-based practices and the innate wisdom that I discovered within my own body.
At that point in time, I was teaching upward of 10 -12 classes per week and had little to no physical recovery time from my schedule. To help soften the issues I was developing in my tissues, I booked a 1/2 hour massage appointment every 2 weeks for close to a decade. My myriad of concerns included plantar fasciitis, bulging & herniated lumbar discs, De Quervain tenosynovitis and hip bursitis, as the high spots. Regardless of my yoga training, I was unable to find a “fix” and sadly, long-term relief had evaded me. It was a double-edged sword of frustration and pain, but I continued to look at outside sources to fix the issues plaguing my body.
Those who took classes at path to stillness yoga studio were aware that in 2013, I chose to dive deeper into the somatic work of Thomas Hanna, with Martha Peterson of Essential Somatics. Through her somatic movement training course, I discovered the technique of pandiculation and how the 3 “stress responses/reflexes” had manifested so clearly within my body. I was also excited by the changes I was seeing. My RMT reflected back the shifts in my posture, movement and muscle tonus when he both visually observed me and palpated my muscles through massage.
In 2016, my curiosity continued around Hanna’s work and I began a 3-year, Clinical Somatic Education (CSE) training with Essential Somatics. One thing that was becoming increasingly clear, was that clinical somatics was a practice I knew I could age with. The work was maintaining my mobility while at the same time, reducing the chronic muscular tension that had been a big part of my life. There were tangible changes through minimal effort and focused attention. Not only were shifts apparent in my physical body but also in my ability to self-sense and regulate my nervous system. It also seemed that connections to the world around me, were heightened in a positive way and my creativity blossomed.
The beauty of Hanna Somatics/Essential Somatics is that it is complementary to any activity or as a stand-alone practice. I was able practice pretty much anywhere as I adjusted the movements to both my surroundings (from the floor to a chair, airline seat, to standing and even as I laid on my bed) or physical presentation at the time (achey back, tight neck, sore shoulders…). I was able to guide clients confined to a wheelchair in micro-movements or through visualizations and they indicated positive shifts in their ability to sense, move and discomfort levels. Wow!
Once I became familiar with the basic movements and principles, I was able to find relief in both single or sequential movements. I could devote anywhere from 5 minutes to 60 minutes, and my familiarity of my body/soma was clearer than it had been in years. I discovered my ingrained “habits” that were problematic but I now had the increased ability to dissolve issues before they began to run the show.
If you have found yourself in the never-ending circle of issues that may be familiar to mine, I offer you the opportunity to open the door to possibility of ease, mobility and pain-free living. Reach out and let’s chat. The door to possibility is endless. Let’s move forward doing what brings us joy.