Somatics: Reawakening the Mind's Control of Movement, Flexibility, and Health

A wise Pilates/Feldenkrais teacher introduced me to this book. Using "Somatics" I personally found relief from chronic lower lumbar pain, and got help retraining my gait and balance after a severe ankle injury.The book is simple to understand with sections for various problems. Somatics are a system of gentle movements - while breathing and mildly focusing (and sometimes simple "looking" in certain directions)- which through a combination of neuromuscular stimulation and the gentlest of stretches (no pain!) manages to to roll back years of stiffness, aid injury recovery, and significantly relieve some of the stresses of aging. Somatics is based on sound science, and Feldenkrais, yoga, and Pilates are related. But Somatics exercises - movements really - are even gentler, and smarter, No equipment but a towel or mat is needed. Any level of fitness can benefit, even someone in a wheelchair or bedridden can do some of the movements. If you have the patience and interest, I suggest reading the book and working through every single exercise presented, which is what I did coming back from traumatic injury. Some will "speak to you", and you'll incorporate them later into daily practice. If you lack the patience or the time for this, the book is still valuable for its simple "CAT STRETCH" a five minute series of gentle movements which gently moves the whole body and seem to me like "the fountain of youth" . I do the cat stretch twice a day - on arising and before bed. I could not recommend this book and Somatics in general more highly. Your back, ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and neck will thank you!!!! And so will your friends when you pass this book along!

In this book, Thomas Hanna provides a clear, readable explanation of how our brains can become conditioned to maintain unnecessary muscle tension, why that causes pain and limits movement, and most importantly, how to re-educate our brains to release tension, restore free movement, and eliminate pain. The book tells the stories of people who developed limiting pain problems, and how they were able to rebalance their muscles to restore better health. It also gives specific exercises that you can do at home to rebalance your own muscles and relieve pain. The exercises depicted in this book gave me my life back, freeing me from back and neck pain I had for 14 years after being hit by a truck while riding my bicycle. I had undergone many types of treatment with little enduring relief, and this work is what gave me the tools to finally heal my body. Finally feeling well and energetic after so many years of pain and limitation was such a miracle for me that I went on to study to become a certified Hanna Somatic practitioner myself, and I now practice in Sausalito, California. This work, and this book, is a gift--empowering us to take an active role in our own well-being with simple tools that really work.

I am a massage therapist and use elements of Hanna's work daily.Most people don't understand that their posture and how they use their body comes from how they have unwittingly programmed theirbodies. Their bodies are on "auto-pilot". Hanna makes this clear to the reader and then discusses how the reader can re-awaken their brain circuits and change their body programming, releasingmuscular tension, using the exercises in the back of the book. Granted that the wooden figures showing the exercises can be difficult to discern, it is worth your patience to work it out. Your body will thank you. I have adapted many of the movements to my table work sessions and always assign one or two movements as homework. You can do much on your own. I have given away many copies of this book to clients who showed great interst in Hanna's work and in taking care of themselves.

This book really changed my life. I used to suffer from shoulder tendinitis and other muscular ailments, but by using the material in this book I'm now 99% pain free. In addition, "Somatics" taught me about the causes and cures of muscular tension, "aging", and poor posture. By applying what I learned in "Somatics", my body has become much more supple and relaxed, making activities from walking to playing tennis to doing the dishes much more enjoyable. But what is the catch? As Thomas Hanna explains, once you learn how your body really works, its up to you to learn how to improve its function. The bad news is that it takes time and persistance to effectively apply the knowledge in "Somatics" to your own body. The good news, however, is that by applying this knowledge you'll gain control over your own muscular (and thereby skeletal) health, now and for the rest of your life! I also like this book because even though the material is fairly scientific, the book's occasional humor and its case study format make it an enjoyable read.

This book uses visual aids to teach you how to solve your own skeletal problems, such as a painful back, headaches. Chronic problems such as poor posture can be changed in very little time. You will learn to troubleshoot your own problems and gain flexibility and strength. It has truly saved me hundreds of dollars on Chiropractic bills. Thank you Mr. Hanna. I have bought about 10 of these books for friends in pain. A very easy read and reference