Embracing our unity, our wholeness
Thomas Hanna, founder of Clinical Somatic Movement, coined the term Somatics in the 70s. Although from the original Greek, Soma means “of the body”, he used the word to denote more than our bodily selves. He referred to the Soma as our whole body, mind and spirit. He described the Soma as a process. When we shift to thinking of ourselves as a Soma, we come ever more into contact with the first person, subjective and direct experience of our whole self as a living, dynamic, ongoing process.
In Clinical Somatic work, pain and discomfort are always considered a full body somatic pattern. This may include the muscles and fascia, organs and other body systems including nervous, circulatory, digestive, etc. Pain and discomfort are always symptomatic of something going on in the whole Soma. Everything is connected to everything. We are a whole and undivided unity.
A part of our body may hurt e.g. our back or foot or shoulder. There may be local problems there, but these parts are a subset of the whole system. We are so used to thinking in terms of “parts” of ourselves that build the whole. Let’s challenge this thinking. Consider that we are a whole and that the construct of parts is a lens through which to explore aspects of that wholeness. So we can talk about parts and subdivisions AND at the same time hold that parts always participate in the whole Soma. Every movement we make invokes the whole.
This is so beautifully described by Gil Hedly, integral anatomist and “Somanaut” – dedicated to exploring inner space.
“one body,
many textures,
differential movement,
without separation”
Our Soma adapts to the way it is used and is self-organizing. This takes place at an unconscious level. We are continually shaping, maintaining, repairing and adapting to our lives.
In Clinical Somatic Movement, we enter the Soma through the muscular and fascial door. We slow down and move with awareness. This is an invitation to both experience and disrupt our habitual movement patterns with their habitual set of compensations. There are many ways our habitual patterns interfere with the continuity and fluidity of our wholeness: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Our orientation in somatic movement is ease of movement, open, curious awareness, rest and integration. We become more available to live our precious lives.
Please join me on this journey of living, exploring, dancing and embodying the fullness of our Somas:
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through Clinical Somatic Movement sessions, online or in-person in Cape Town
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Sessions combining Somatics and Pain Reprocessing therapy for healing chronic pain online or in-person in Cape Town
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Biodanza, transformational dance-movement practice in Sea Point, Cape Town
- Mindfulness develop a personalised practice of present moment orientation, in-person and online
Thank you Susan Koenig of Somatics for You.She recently did a wonderful somatic class entitled “Embracing our unity, our wholeness,” integrating Clinical Somatic Movement with the latest understanding from the world of fascia research. I took these notes from her introduction to class. She is an amazing teacher, one of Thomas Hanna’s original students. She shares her years of experience freely via her youtube channel and soundcloud. I have been doing many of her classes over the last few years and look forward to sharing what I have learnt from her with you over time.