Who do I work with, and who is Somatic Movement for?

In this post, I’ve wandered a little away from my usual themes, in which I try to give you a little motivation or some practical ideas about Somatic Movement. Instead, I want to share with you a little about what I do, including who this work is for, as well as who I tend to work with.

Read on, or you can listen here if you prefer.

(Summary of the upcoming - because I hate the term tl;dr!! Somatic Movement is a fantastic practice for so many of us - we just need to be curious and open-minded, and to take self-responsibility. If you want it, it’s yours! Find out more about how to get involved here.)

I have been teaching Somatic Movement for about 5 years now, building on my background of dance teaching as well as the inner work I supported people with for many years (such as parent coaching, Way of the Luminous Heart coaching and women’s circles).

I came to Somatic Movement partly because of my developing knowledge about trauma and how it is stored in the body, and partly because of my own chronic pain issues.

I stayed because it helped me sow the seed of hope that things could change for me - as well as for others, once I got into teaching.

I’ve seen many profound changes in my life through doing this work, which I’ve spoken of before so I won’t go into too deeply, but which include a huge reduction in my chronic pain and an increase in energy, an increase in my body awareness, and a big shift in my own reactivity as my system learnt to spend more time in a settled state.

It hasn’t been quick, and it hasn’t always been easy - but Somatic Movement has changed my life, and it is one of the great delights and honours of my life to share it with you too.

So here’s a bit more about the amazing souls who come to work with me - my guess is, if you’re here, you’re one of them too!

Who is this work for?

The short version of ‘who is this work for?’ is - anyone and everyone who wants it!

Because all of us carry some habitually held muscle tension, we all benefit both from learning to release that, and from having an ongoing practice that maintains and deepens the gains we get when we bring Somatic Movement into our lives.

Habitually held muscle tension - i.e. the muscle tension we hold and either aren’t aware of, or are aware of but can’t get rid of! - leads to issues like chronic pain, postural changes, reduced available energy, stress in the system, reduced freedom of movement… And it is challenging to shift!

But Somatic Movement teaches us a way to recognise and release the muscle tension we hold, so that we can free up movement, reduce pain, increase energy, and so on.

It is a very effective practice, and at the same time is very gentle - in the sense that you can access it at whatever level you’re ready for, staying within your current capacity.

But!!

You do have to want it!

It’s not easy work (it’s a brain workout if ever there was one!), and it isn’t (usually) quick. So it takes time and practice to see big shifts.

Having said that, some people do see big shifts really quickly - and everyone who gets stuck into it sees smaller but very useful and hopeful shifts within a few weeks or even in the first session.

If you can see the power and potential of those small changes, and hold onto those as you move forwards with this work, you’ll really be onto something!

So people who do this work tend to be motivated by something like reducing pain, or developing their body awareness, or wanting a very gentle way in to moving more. And they tend to be able to see the big picture, and understand that shifting years of habitual muscle tension isn’t usually an overnight process.

And it’s work that’s suitable for almost any age group - again, you just have to want it! People just need to be of an age/stage where they can follow some directions and pay attention to some sensations. I tend to work with adults, although have colleagues who are doing this work very successfully with school groups (from primary right through to older teens). And my own kids do see the value and use the practice a little too, which of course I’m delighted about! Going the other way, I’ve worked with adults in their early twenties who are managing chronic pain, right up to fantastic elders in their 80s, who see the immense value of keeping movement as free as possible for as long as possible.

And it’s never too late to start. For sure, earlier is better - if this practice were routinely taught from early on, and became as much a ’thing you do’ as doing your teeth, lots of us would avoid much of the pain, tension, stress and fatigue we end up in. But most of us won’t be lucky enough to get into it early - so now is the next best time!

Who do I work with?

I work with a huge variety of people but they do have one thing in common - they are all awesome!

Getting slightly more specific… I’ve noticed that the people I work with tend to be open-minded and curious and to want to learn. This is absolutely ESSENTIAL for this work!

When I teach Somatic Movement, I am really your guide - but YOU are the expert in your own soma*. I can give you ideas of movements to try, I can cue you in certain ways, I can spot some of your patterns that might be showing up as you do the work and help you to identify and shift them. But it’s you doing the work - showing up, trying things out, noticing your sensations, choosing where to take the work and deciding what you need in any given moment.

And that brings me on to something else that the people I work with have in common - they are willing to take personal responsibility for their own progress and development. They understand that the words they hear me say are just the start, just the scaffolding - and that they are the ones who are forging their own path. I can point things out and share experiences and encourage you and accelerate your shifts… But I can’t do the work for you!

I’m your guide - but what you choose to notice or use or take ownership of on your journey, that’s up to you.

And finally, although some people do get immediate shifts in one area (such as reducing chronic pain), again, the people who work with me understand that this path is not a quick fix (I don’t think there is one out there to be honest), that it’s not a magic wand, and that what they invest into the work and themselves is directly correlated with what they get back.

There’s no judgement on how much people do in our community - some of us try to attend class once a week, and that’s what we can manage right now and we make slow and steady progress. Others of us try to have a daily practice and we will tend to see more progress more quickly. Some people are able to book some 1:1 sessions and get more tailored support. Some of us are working away behind the scenes via recorded materials. We all do what’s within our capacity and what’s right for us at any given life stage.

But one thing I do know about the wonderful people I work with, is that we all know that if we did one session and said ‘it didn’t work’, we’d be barking up the wrong tree!

You might not want to work with me if…

Let’s get this bit out of the way, shall we?!

Although Somatic Movement is brilliant for pretty much everyone - it’s simultaneously not for everyone!

Maybe you’re not at a life stage where you see the value, or where you have the capacity (or time or money or energy…) to start this work.

And that is totally ok! Maybe you’ll come back to the work later, or maybe you’ll just dabble with some short stuff or some free stuff or something like that for now, right?

The other path that people sometimes take, is wanting me to do the work for them, to wave my magic wand, to get a quick fix… If that’s the case, this work isn’t going to ‘work’ - because it’s like learning any new skill, in that it takes time and work and effort and some commitment to the work. If you want all the answers laid out on a plate, with ‘do exactly this and you’ll be fixed’ - that’s so far from what Somatic Movement is about, it’s untrue.

Imagine learning a new musical instrument or a new sport. Your teacher will give you some direction, and you’ll take on board some of that but likely not all of it straight away. And there’s going to be some confusion and frustration and questioning as you lay down the foundations of the new work, slowly build your understanding, and layer on your experience and skill through exploration and practice.

And Somatic Movement is a lot like that! If you want clarity and skill and changes, you are going to have to work for it! (Sorry, but that’s how it is lol!)

On a more personal level around who might not want to work with me, I am a one-woman business, so pretty much all elements of the work, including admin, marketing (such as it is!), planning and delivery are all down to me. I try to make things happen as smoothly as I can but if you’re going to be irritated because I have to occasionally cancel a session when I’m ill or similar, or because the website is temporarily playing silly buggers, or if you’re going to be annoyed that you signed up without carefully checking the dates/times of classes and suddenly realise you can’t attend and I can’t offer a refund as I now can’t fill that space, then I’m probably not your woman. Not taking self responsibility is not a great thing in this work!

I hold myself to that too - if something that is my responsibility has gone wrong, I will try my best to own that too. None of us is perfect, and that’s ok!

Overall, even though I find it very hard, as I really don’t want to ’let anyone down’, I am working hard to model a sustainable business and things aren’t always going to be trouble free. Which means, for example, when my family is on their way back from a weekend away (having left me at home to do some work), and they break down in a motorway services, and it takes half the night to get them home - I’m going to cancel the next day’s teaching and invite people to work from a recording if that’s what they wish to do. Otherwise I’ll run myself ragged, and that is not something I want to do, nor something I want to model for others.

For too long we’ve lived in a world that sees productivity as the only marker of success - but I want to promote sustainable living, and sometimes something has to give.

Don’t worry - I won’t take the piss with it though. I only cancel when absolutely necessary to look after myself or my family - and my amazing members know this and find patience and acceptance when it happens. THAT’s who I work with!

(Mini rant over - the world we live in is tough isn’t it!!)

I love working with people who…

Ok, back to the positives! I’ve said or alluded to lots of this above, but here are some things I love about the people I work with - I imagine because you’re here in this space, you will see lots of this in yourself too!

I love working with people who are interested, enthusiastic, curious and open to new ideas. I love the commitment of our members - and yes, it takes a bit of faith to get going, and to get your feet under the table with this work, but if you do… The rewards are pretty much endless!

I love working with people who are understanding of me and my humanness. With me, you will get such a personal service, but it’s not always seamless (as I said above, sometimes I have to cancel class, maybe a link isn’t working in the portal occasionally, I am very likely to get my lefts and rights muddled at some point in class…!). I’m very professional in terms of the service I deliver and the quality of the work, but I am human and consequently messy, and like I talked about above, I really want to normalise some of that messy humanness in this world - especially in small businesses that don’t have a big team smoothing out the way as you move forwards, or sweeping up behind you when things don’t quite go to plan. You’ll get to know me as your Somatic Movement teacher, as well as as a person, through this work. And I will do the same with you - you’re not just a body to me!

I love working with people who are encouraging and supportive towards others, even if it’s quietly in the background, or maybe even silently (not everyone has the capacity or personality to be active in social spaces, AND we know your good heart!). There’s no judgement in our space - just time and space for exploration, which necessarily means getting things wrong at times. In order to learn, we have to make mis-steps along the way, so ‘mistakes’ are very very more-than-welcome in this work!

I love working with people who see the big picture, and who know that in any learning situation, confusion and frustration will at times be part of the process. All of that is welcomed in our space, and everyone is met right where they are, with understanding and celebration.

How to work with me

So, if you have the motivation, the capacity, and the willingness to learn, and you saw yourself in some of my words above, here’s how to get started with this work.

Our membership is the best, most seamless, most supportive, most progress-making way of getting going with this work. It gives you a great foundation, enables you to connect with others (through the live classes or the WhatsApp group), and then enables you to deepen your insights with new layers of learning as you progress.

There are also ways to get started via recordings only, which are great if you can’t be tied to a particular time, or if you just prefer to work at your own pace. You can join the on-demand membership (option 1), try a themed course, or have a go at our Small Steps to Somatic Movement course (a bit more bite-sized, so very useful when we’re trying to fit bits in here and there!).

I also offer 1:1 sessions which can be great if you have very specific issues or want to work at your own pace with specific guidance. I see people both online and in-person - if you’re local enough! (Berkshire, UK.)

Wow! That turned into more of an essay than I’d planned - thanks for reading this far to everyone who made it here! In short, I’m so incredibly glad that I tried Somatic Movement and gave it a fair go (believe me, I had my wobbles!), and I work with the most amazing people now that I am teaching it too. Somatic Movement has totally changed my life, and I don’t know where I’d be without it. I hope you’ll give it a go too and enjoy the benefits it brings.

Happy moving everyone!

*Soma = your living body as you experience it from the inside.