How to do Somatic Movement - a beginner’s guide

If you’re new to Somatic Movement, getting started can feel a bit overwhelming. I’ve written this post to help you with exactly that, no matter whereabouts you are on your early journey!

First of all, what is Somatic Movement? Perhaps you’re here because you’ve heard the word ‘somatic’ and you know it’s everywhere at the moment, and you want in on this. Perhaps you’re looking for somatic yoga and have stumbled across my website. Maybe you’ve heard of Thomas Hanna’s work and know how effective it is for pain relief, and so you’re exploring the options around Somatic Movement.

So, first of all, I can tell you that Somatic Movement is not the same as yoga, or any other movement practice you might have come across. I say this because it’s the question people most often ask - ‘Is it like [insert movement practice of choice here]. Does it have its similarities to various other movement practices? Yes, yes of course - you move, and you might sometimes move in similar ways. But that’s about it. Somatic Movement has a different intention and uses very different techniques to other movement practices. It is also less of a movement practice (bear with me here!) and more of a personal education into your unique soma and how it moves - that happens to use movement to aid our understanding.

Somatic Movement focuses on the release of unconsciously, chronically carried muscle tension, by helping us to understand our patterns of ‘holding’ in the muscles of the body, through movement education. Thomas Hanna, who created Somatic Movement, described 3 reflexes (Red Light, Green Light and Trauma) which we learn to consciously recreate so that we can “decreate” them. To do this, we use a technique called ‘pandiculation’ which works at the level of the nervous system to ‘undo’ our unconscious holding of muscles that pulls us into certain postures, that reduces our range and ease of movement, and that causes chronic pain. Through this we address the ‘sensory-motor amnesia’ that means we have forgotten how to sense and control the movement (including the release) of our muscles, so that we can free up both awareness and movement in our soma - our living body as we experience it from the inside.

If you want to read in a little more depth about how Somatic Movement works and how we practice it, you can find more information in this blog post.

So, where do we start? First, I share here some options, depending on where you’re at on your journey and what you need right now. Personally I run and attend (for myself) both online and in-person classes, as well as providing (and using!) recorded resources. They all have their pros and cons - so just have a ponder about what would work best for you in your current stage of both life, and Somatic Movement practice.

Then keep reading, for the best tips to incorporate into your practice, to make it the most effective and easeful it can possibly be, for you personally.

First of all, let’s get you started. There’s no point in me telling you how to maximise your practice, if you’re yet to get going!

I’ve never done Somatic Movement before, and I don’t really know what it’s all about. Where do I start? The absolute best thing to do with Somatic Movement is to try it! You can get a completely free, short trial session here - and quickly see what it feels like to engage with this incredible practice.

I know a bit about Somatic Movement - or at least enough that I want to give it a good whirl. Where should I look to get going? The membership is the absolute best place to get started. I won’t go into tons of detail here, as you can find all the information you’ll need on the membership page on the website, but you can either join just to access recorded resources which you can work through in your own time (membership option 1), or you can join live classes, either online (option 2) or in person (option 3) - as long as there are spaces available. (If you want to join the live classes, just make sure you start at the beginning of a new, themed block, or work through the pre-recorded beginner’s course that’s included in the membership before joining the lives. Otherwise you might feel a bit like you’ve jumped in at the deep end.)

If there are currently no spaces available on the membership option that you want to join, feel free to come and join us in our newsletter community to hear when spaces open up.

I have done a bit of Somatic Movement elsewhere, or did some a long time ago and feel a bit out of the loop. Have you got anything for me? The best thing in the first instance is probably to get in touch and we can see where you’re at and what you need. Or, you can just come over and join us in the membership and check out the available resources there to get back on the wagon.

The absolute best way to get started with Somatic Movement is to try it out. If you’re anything like me, you might be a bit of an “over"thinker. (I don’t actually like that term, hence the quotes.) But just thinking about what Somatic Movement is and how it works only scratches very lightly on the surface of what it can do for us. So my invitation to you is to get some experience of it, and you will start to see how powerful it is, and what can shift for you. It brings so much hope when we feel stuck in pain or restricted movement, or are confronted with the seemingly “inevitable” decline of aging.

So now I’m doing the work - what are your best tips for me?! So you’ve made a start, or are just about to (that’s awesome - I’m celebrating you!!), and as promised here are my best tips for making it all work for you. Enjoy!

1. Start where you are. What a cliché - but it’s so true! When we see someone do a particular movement in Somatics, or when we hear something described, we might think ‘but I can’t do that’ - and we risk giving up before we’ve even started. (Well, hopefully not, as your lovely teacher will guide you to a suitable starting point - but still!) But Somatic Movement is eminently adaptable - we use the position we need to use, the supports we need to use, and the amount of movement (which is sometimes none!) that we need to use right here and now. You might need some guidance to adapt lying down movements to a seated position, or to get specific ideas on ‘what to do when’ for your own unique case, but the basic principle is to meet yourself where you’re at, and start there.
2. Approach classes, recordings and your practice with curiosity. As Thomas Hanna used to say: ‘leave everything you know at the door’. Make no assumptions. Cultivate ‘beginner’s mind’ in every practice. Every day is completely new - don’t assume that you know what’s going to show up for you in your practice, or how you’re going to feel. Even if you have done a particular movement before, you’ve never done it on this day, in this moment, at this stage in your practice - there’s always new information and ideas and insights to uncover that will help you make progress. Avoid going into automatic pilot wherever you can.
3. Bolster yourself. If you need something to make you comfortable in the suggested position - a cushion, folded blanket etc - go ahead and use it. Just try to use as little as you can. And check back regularly with whether you still need that particular bolster, in that particular movement or position - things change so much in our somas through Somatic Movement, and it’s well within the realms of possibility that over time things become easier to access without so much support. Keep an open mind.
4. Find your best position. The ‘ideal’, if I can even say such a thing, is to do your practice (usually) lying on the floor. The floor gives great external feedback in terms of noticing our sensations and position, and doesn’t have too much ‘give’ like a bed would. Lying down allows you to fully let go of your muscles once you’ve completed a movement, in a way that isn’t possible in seated or standing. However! Getting down to the floor might not be an option for you (yet) - so you might start in your bed, or on a chair. Or lying on your front might not be an option for you - so you might need to do the movement in seated, or to bolster yourself and adapt the movement in lying down. The best position is the one that works for you currently - get advice for sure, but if something doesn’t feel accessible to you at any time, know that you can make the necessary changes to adapt it to your unique situation.
5. Don’t over-effort. Western culture is very much one of ‘strive’ and ‘work hard’ and ‘achieve’. Somatic Movement is the polar opposite of this sort of attitude. Aim to do the movements with as much comfort and ease as you can. Make them slow always, and small if you need or if it helps you to notice your sensations. Never force anything.
6. Take your time. Somatic Movements are to be done slowly and with conscious awareness. Take your time as you do the movements, noticing what is present for you in terms of sensations as you go along. If you go fast, you’ll do the movements in your usual, automatic way, you won’t sense what’s going on and you won’t be able to make changes.
7. Avoid the perfection trap. Don’t aim for perfection in your practice (whatever that might be!). It’s your experience of the movements that is important. As you practise, you layer on new insights and awareness, and your movements will improve (e.g. in terms of range or comfort or accessibility). Aim for the next step, not the final goal.
8. Adapt as you need. Can’t do a movement as described? Just get as close to the suggestion as possible - or check in with your teacher to ask how to adapt it.
9. Find a good-enough time and place. A beautiful practice space… Hours of free time… Nothing on the to-do list… Wouldn’t those things make our Somatic Movement practice easier?? Are we going to wait for them before we start?? No!! Because they’re just a fantasy. Make your practice real and functional; practice in the windows of time you create for yourself, in whatever space you have available. Don’t wait for the perfect time/place/headspace, or you’ll never get started. You know I’m right ;-)
10. Create. The. Time. Following on from that… I no longer say ‘I didn’t find the time’ when I don’t get around to something. I say ‘I didn’t create the time’. Why? Because ‘didn’t find it’ feels vague and passive somehow. ‘Didn’t create it’ is up to me. So the invitation is don’t ‘find’ the time - because it won’t be there when you look. You’re going to have to carve it out, prioritise it, be active about it. Even if it’s 5 minutes at the end of the day. Make it happen!
11. Find a supportive teacher / community / class / practice buddy. It’s So Much Harder on your own. Find others doing the work. Get inspired. Feel like you’re part of something. It will really help you as you explore. Like our Saturday morning online classes - the MOST beautiful group you could ever hope to connect with. Even if we do say so ourselves.
12. Drop expectations and intentions. Well, maybe keep one intention - make it be to explore where you’re at, and what possibilities might be opening up to you. Don’t strive to achieve something (not even pain relief - sorry!) - strive to stay open to what’s happening in your soma right now.
13. Pay attention to your before and after. Our brains learn when things change. How have you changed in your practice today? What is new in your sensations, position, insights, and so on? Paying attention to how we feel at the beginning of our practice and comparing it to how we feel at the end of our practice allows our brain to embed our new learnings. Don’t skip this!
14. Welcome everything that arises. Yes, it can be hard to welcome frustration, or the desire to eliminate pain Right Now. Annoyingly, it’s all part of the process. If it annoys you just hearing that - know that’s welcome. But annoying. But welcome.

That’s it. Maybe there are more things that I’ve forgotten. But this is more useful to you out there, than it is sat in a document on my computer. Progress not perfection. Just like Somatic Movement.

If you’re ready to start, come and join us in our Somatic Movement membership - you’ll be made most welcome.

“I’ve now been attending Somatics sessions with Emilie for a year and absolutely love coming. My chronic back, hip and neck pain have hugely reduced and I can manage my pain a lot better. I understand my body and have so much more body awareness during my day-to-day life and am better able to look after my body as I get older. I love learning about body movement each week and really enjoy the connection with the others in the lovely like-minded community that Emilie has created. I’d highly recommend coming along and giving it a try!"

Emilie Leeks

Author

Emilie is a heart-centred life mentor and space holder, supporting those on a healing path. This is not an easy journey, and often we can find ourselves losing our way. Emilie's work meets you where you're at, with beautiful, accepting support and connection, and weaves that support with practices and explorations in self-compassion, body connection, and a return to a deep trust in ourselves. Note: all blog post content which refers to them, has been read and agreed to by Emilie's children.

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