In this second class on the upper limb we worked with movements of the humerus, elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand. Our spine and trunk are the foundation of limb movement. Therefore attention is paid to how the spine and trunk support each movement we did in this class. We worked in supine, prone, and sidelying. In an effort to be practical I led movements related to playing a magical fiddle, opening a jar, variations on twisting and rotating the forearm. I started the class with a series of pictures to stimulate both anatomical understanding and the role of body posture and grace in moving the upper limb.

3-6-21 Zoom Class: The Arm: Class 2 of 2 The Shoulder Girdle and Upper Limb

The focus of this class is the pelvis and hips. The first part of the class reviewed some anatomical understandings of the pelvis and hips. Hopefully this increased awareness of anatomy can be applied towards us being able to move with more ease. In addition to being guided through the 6 fundamental movements of the pelvis and hips we also covered some important concepts. One important concept is that our limbs, our arms and legs, need the support and control of the spine and trunk to move with ease and efficiency. Another concept is the importance of starting contraction from full resting length. We defined the concept of sensory motor amnesia (SMA), how it comes about, and the value of pandiculation to reset the resting length of the muscle. We will continue exploring both the anatomy and movement of the pelvis, hips, and lower limb in future classes.

4/3/21 Zoom Class: Pelvis, Hips and Lower Limb: Class 1 of series for Pelvis, Hip and Lower Limb

Class started with a brief explanation of the "tripod of balance" which is: Proprioception, Vestibular System, and Visual System. We did a variety of activities starting in standing, mobilizing our feet through somatic movements with: dorsi and plantar flexion, dorsi rocking (from Erik Dalton), and inversion and eversion movements. We practiced techniques for easy and comfortable movements of sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit. We did a series of preparatory movements leading up to and including balancing on one foot. We will continue the theme of balance in future classes including movements for head position, vision, one legged balancing, and more. We ended class, lying on the floor, with a guided somatic meditation focused on sensing gravity in our bodies/somas.

10/2/21 Zoom Class: Balance and Somatic Movement

Let me start by recommending a book, "Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve," by Stanley Rosenberg. We began class with a series of head/neck and eye movements to help reset the ventral branch of the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is a very important part of the autonomic nervous system. The ventral vagal branch promotes the health of our lungs, heart, and our ability to engage in positive social relationships. We spent some time in guided nostril breathing along with some explanations of good breathing habits. In the side lying position we practiced balancing on our bottom-side lateral line with both legs long and extended and our top arm lying long on the top side of our body. We will be continuing some of these themes in future classes.

11/6/21 Zoom Class: Vagus Nerve Health, Breathing and Balance through Somatic Movement

Participants from previous classes requested jaw work and more head & neck somatic movements. As I began to plan this class, I realized it would be novel to include not only muscles, but also some of the neuro-vascular anatomy involved, such as the vagus nerve and the carotid artery.  

All the movements from this class relate to self regulation and the resetting of the autonomic nervous system. We worked with the jaw, vagus nerve, head-neck, ribcage, thoracic spine, breathing, and the carotid and vertebral arteries. 

Enjoy the breathing meditation below from the HeartMath Institute. 

Breathing Meditation
1. Lie down comfortably. You'll probably be more comfortable with some support (pillow) under your head and under your knees.

2. Slow your breathing. Use nostril breathing. Let your exhales be longer then your inhales.

3. Shift your focus from your mind to your heart. Breath as if you are breathing through your heart. You can even touch your heart with your hands.

4. After you've been breathing for a few minutes, feel the shift from your mind to your heart.

5. You can deepen this meditation by choosing a heartfelt, positive feeling, such as gratitude. You can say thank you for your life, family, friends, pets, health, beauty in the world, a poem, nature, delicious food, and much more. This changes your body chemistry and sends a strong signal from your heart to your brain. This helps bring your heart and brain into “heart-brain coherence.”

6. Add a real smile (can be very small and subtle). Perhaps you feel your face and eyes “brighten-up.”

12/4/21 Zoom Class: Inter-Relationships and Self Regulation: Jaw, Neck, Ribcage, and Breathing

In this class series we continue to explore the movements of the feet and how they relate to full body movement. In addition we practiced an important upper body spiral pattern and it's anatomy. This pattern starts with neck rotation, continues through the opposite rhomboids, to the anterior serratus, to the external oblique, to the internal oblique on the opposite side, to the hip (ASIS). We combined the spiral upper body pattern with variations in lower body spiral patterns (all the way through the feet). We worked in standing, supine, and side-lying. We ended the class with standing, a contralateral dance pattern, and walking.

4/2/22 Zoom Class: Class 3: Feet to Full Body Movement, Including Upper Body Spiral Patterns

Most people are not familiar with the concept of "horizontal bands or straps" in their body's myofascia. They are thickenings in the various layers of muscle and fascia. They show up superficially as a flattening or depression running horizontally in seven common bands, from the eyes to the groin. I first heard about them from Thomas Myers in his book, Anatomy Trains. This book referred me to the book, The Endless Web, Fascial Anatomy and Physical Reality, by R. Louis Schultz, PhD and Rosemary Feitis, DO. In this class we explored somatic movements to help create freedom in these bands. We will continue this theme in the next 1 or 2 classes.

5/7/22 Zoom Class: Horizontal Bands in the Body's Myofascia, Class 1

In this second class on "horizontal bands" we continue exploring movements to help loosen or break-up these myofascial thickenings. I suggest you view my May 7, 2022 class as well. We started with seated movements working through the seven-band areas as described by R. Louis Schultz and Rosemary Feitis, in the book "The Endless Web": pubic, inguinal, navel, chest, collar, chin, and eye. In this movement sequence I also brought in relationships with the chakra system. There is so much to explore with various horizontal banding systems including information from Carl Jung and Stanley Keleman, in which both discuss the emotional origins of these bands or straps.

6/4/22 Zoom Class: Horizontal Bands in the Body's Myofascia, Class 2

I periodically get requests for ideas as to how people can vary their somatic movement routine. I've now been doing my somatic movements for over 30 years, pretty much on a daily basis. So I am constantly coming up with variations, not only to the Daily Cat Routine, but also movements I can do from a chair while sitting at my desk, and movements I can do in standing, and while taking a walk. This is class 1 of 2 or more classes on this theme. The main question I ask myself as I'm doing my regular daily cat movements is what else can I do that involves these movements but is somewhat different. For example, as I do "Arch & Flatten," I might bring my awareness to my pelvic floor. I focus on the sensations in my pelvic floor as I do "Arch & Flatten" and begin to notice that when I flatten the posterior part of my pelvic floor is squeezed tighter; and when I arch I can feel my low back muscles strongly contract. I bring my attention to both the movement and the sensations and modulate levels of effort and comfort. Whenever we do a movement, we contract muscles. The problem is getting stuck in the contraction and not being able to release out of the contraction. That is why we focus on the slow controlled release coming out of the contraction to rest. I hope you get some good ideas for creating your own variations to your somatic movement routine.

7/2/22 Zoom Class: Enhance Your Somatic Movement Routine, Class 1

This is class 3 of enhancing your somatic movement routine. We spent a good part of the class focusing on the internal and external obliques as reference muscles embedded in a variety of movements. We started with a review of the anatomy of these muscles. Both the internal and external obliques attach to a number of lower ribs and much of the iliac crest. By their tendons they also attach to the abdominal aponeurosis in the front of the body and the thoracolumbar aponeurosis in the low back. Therefore both these muscles literally attach from the midline in the front to the spine in the back. Bilaterally they flex the spine, their lateral vertical fibers are side-benders (lateral flexors), and their diagonal fibers are trunk rotators. The external obliques rotate the trunk toward the opposite side and the internal obliques rotate the trunk toward the same side. Among the movements we did, we especially focused on combining side-bending and rotating forward and backward from sidelying. This is one of my favorite somatic center movements. We also did the "propeller" from sidelying. You'll have to watch the video for instructions.

9/3/22 Zoom Class: Enhance Your Somatic Movements with the Internal & External Obliques, Class 3

It's 2023 and our overall theme for this year is going to be about our wholeness and the unity of our soma. We'll continue to explore the fascia and the myofascial organization of the body. In this class I started to introduce the concept of bio-tensegrity and we'll continue learning about this throughout the year. For our opening body scan I introduced, from the Alexander Work, the semi supine position and giving ourself internal, kinesthetic thought directions to help us undo muscle tension and allow our whole body to release into length and broadness. The movements we worked with in this class included the diaphragm, hip adductors, iliopsoas,  variations on contralateral twisting and more.

1/7/23 Zoom Class: Embracing Our Unity, Our Wholeness, Class 1

Our overall theme, "our wholeness and the unity of our soma," continues for this year. This class focuses on a few specific areas which then get re-integrated back into our new restored, coordinated whole. The areas we focused on were: the suboccipital muscles, pelvic floor, low back, the internal obliques, and internal shoulder rotation. In my clinical experience many of the movements we  do on the floor are not adequately translated into upright movement, standing and walking. Therefore, we did a number of movements in standing so that participants could more clearly understand how to translate and practice related floor and standing movements. We even learned a standing stability test, called the "Bounce Test" as conceived by Eric Franklin, creator of the Franklin Method, so we could perceive improvement in balancing and stability when standing on one leg.

4/1/23 Zoom Class 3: Embracing Our Unity, Our Wholeness: Suboccipitals, Pel Floor, Low Back, Int Obl

My guest teacher, Astrid Cruse, presented thoughtful and clear somatic movements for the hips, pelvis, shoulder joint, and scapula. She did much of the class from the side-lying position which offers a wonderful differentiation of each side for easy comparison. This is a perfect class for anyone with pain or problems in these areas. The movements in this class are also terrific to incorporate in our daily cat routine. Many participants in this class commented how good they felt at the end of the class. In the first part of the class Astrid focused on legs and hips. Then we had an interlude of somatic movements coming from the basic cat routine. This was followed by movements for the shoulders and scapulas. She integrated the awareness of the upper and lower extremities into our basic contralateral walking pattern. I hope you come back to this class over and over.

8/5/23 Zoom Class: Pelvic & Shoulder Girdles, with Guest Teacher Astrid Cruse

My guest teacher, Nikki Semeniuk, presented a lovely and thoughtful Cat Routine class with many wonderful enhancements. Enhancements included the pelvic floor, hamstrings done in 3 positions, and several variations involving hip rotations. Many participants in this class commented how good they felt at the end of the class. I hope you come back to this class over and over. 

For more information about Nikki's classes and trainings see her website: www.serenitysomatics.com

9/2/23 Zoom Class: Cat Routine Enhanced, Pelvic Floor, Hamstrings, & More, Presenter Nikki Semeniuk

My guest teacher, Karen Meyer, presented a lovely and very thoughtful somatic movement class. Karen started in standing with a number of gentle movement awareness activities so we could discern and notice our posture in standing and in walking, in relationship to our feet, legs, torso, midline, and head/neck. Karen has a very clear and step by step way of guiding us, making it possible for us to notice many aspects of ourself. The floor work reinforced much of what we did in standing and walking. Her guidance of our movements in the prone position was beautifully orchestrated to capture many nuances of the walking pattern which allowed us to feel or experience how our somas coordinate feet, legs, pelvis, somatic center, ribcage, and head/neck in contralateral movement. This class contained many gems and I hope you revisit it many times.

10/7/23 Zoom Class: Walking, Class 1 of 2, Presenter Karen Meyer

My guest teacher, Karen Meyer, again presented a lovely and very thoughtful somatic movement class. Karen again started the class in standing and walking. She added more movement experiences for us to notice how we feel our patterns in our feet, ankles, knees, pelvis, spine and on up the body through our head/neck. Again the floor work repeated and enhanced many of the movements we did in standing. In this second class she brought in more awareness and movement through our shoulder girdle in relation to our pelvic movement. She very skillfully guided us into the rotational movements of the pelvis and shoulder girdle, culminating with very clear contralateral/rotational movements between the upper and lower torso. She ended the class with an excellent series of walking movements. She carefully guided us to focus on bringing our right hemipelvis forward which brought our right leg and foot forward and then she did the same with the left hemipelvis, leg and foot. At the same time she carefully guided our arms/shoulder girdle/ribcage to coordinate contralaterally with our lower body. These 2 classes will help all of us walk more freely and with more awareness and joy. Thank you Karen for this wonderful series.

11/4/23 Zoom Class: Walking, Class 2 of 2, Presenter Karen Meyer

Lee Brewster's interest has always been how to integrate her meditation practice with her Hanna Somatic Education training.This class gives you a wonderful introduction to Lee's style and integration process. She starts the class with a short breathing and meditation session, so that at the end of the class we can compare our experience with a longer ending breathing and meditation session. In between she guided us in a number of somatic movements. Her instructions are very clear. Her choice of somatic movements ranged from basic and foundational to more sophisticated. For example, she guided us in some very interesting psoas movements from the prone position. Enjoy!

12/2/23 Zoom Class: Somatic Movement & Meditation, Presenter Lee Brewster

Lisa Sack, my guest presenter, led an elegant and very clear somatic movement class focused mostly in the abdominal region. This class was based on her personal experience working with women who have had many children, sometimes as many as 8 children by the time they are 40. These women always request that they want their abdominal region, their core, to be stronger. Lisa guided us in a number of somatic movements that are centered in the somatic center, the center of our body. She nuanced and created a number of variations that built on each other using many of our basic Cat Routine movements including: Arch and Flatten, Arch and Curl, Sidebending, Contralateral Arch and Curl, The Washrag Twist, The Back Lift, and more. She educated her clients so they could understand that becoming stronger is not just about building more muscle mass, but also increasing muscle efficiency and coordination. The content of this class applies to all of us and is a class you could view many times. Enjoy!

1/6/24 Zoom Class: Somatic Movements for Abdominal Awareness, Presenter Lisa Sack

Samantha Holland exquisitely guides us in a somatic movement journey you will want to take over and over. She begins and ends the class in a standing and walking postural assessment. The beauty of this assessment is the way in which we are guided to notice our sense of support starting at our feet and climbing up the body. For example, she might say, "Does your pelvis feel supported by your legs and feet?" Then she gives us time to notice our experience. She would continue this format through the whole body. She did a wonderful job of connecting, for example, our jaw, hands, arms and legs, torso, head/neck, and our feet. She called our attention, for example, to how opening and closing our hands might be effecting our jaw, our shoulder girdle, or our spine. She emphasized how our sense of relaxation is actually a full-body sensory motor experience. Enjoy!

2/3/24 Zoom Class: Somatic Movements for Posture, Habit, and Relaxation, Presenter Samantha Holland

Kelli Peacock presented a lovely class. I need to mention that due to the extreme windy weather in Northern California, Kelli's internet was somewhat unstable and there are some frozen moments. They pass quickly. Enjoy her class anyway.

She started with breathing. Kelli has a gift for guiding us in our breathing and keeping our focus and attention on breathing into different areas of our body, respiratory basket, and into our pelvic rhythm of "Arch & Flatten." We did many interesting things in this class including movements for our head and neck, chest and sternum, and even getting up and sitting down from a chair. She spent a section of the class guiding us in side lying with various lateral movements. In one of these side lying movements she had us opening and closing our chest through arm movements and at the same time opening and closing our legs-pelvis in a wonderful twisting, almost dance like, somatic action.Thank you Kelli.

3/2/24 Zoom Class: Breath and Movements for Pelvis, Neck & Shoulders, Guest Presenter Kelli Peacock

Back by popular demand, Nikki Semeniuk, presented another wonderful and informative class.  Usually in Hanna Somatic Education we only give instructions verbally to encourage the participant to use their internal proprioception "to find" the movement. Nikki requested that we use a model so that participants could take a peek if they got lost. I finally gave in and consented. Jacqui Neurauter agreed to be our model and she was wonderful. I've gotten very positive feedback on using a model.

Here is one example of feedback Nikki has received from a participant, Pamela Frydman.  "Great class today. Nikki’s pace, clear instructions, and calmness were perfect. She created a sense of trust to allow participants time to slow down and release. My sense is that instructor’s letting go of ego is key to inviting participant healing. Thank you for these monthly offerings."

I will piggy back on Pamela's feedback. Nikki has a way of guiding movements without any sense of rush. She cleverly builds each movement sequence starting with a simple foundational movement and then is able to add to that movement with grace and ease. Nikki selected movements geared toward a sense of freedom and mobility in walking. 

She culminated the class with a walking movement series in which she deftly guided us, first in slow motion, to bring our right hemipelvis forward as we bent our right knee, and then we placed our right foot forward on the floor to take a step. We practiced this movement with both sides. We increased our speed slowly as we continued to walk forward. Nikki then guided us to add  contralateral movement in our upper body, completing normal adult contralateral walking. This was an elegant, easy to follow, walking series.

4/6/24 Zoom Class: Somatic Movements For Walking, Guest Presenter Nikki Semeniuk

Danny Burke did a wonderful job of combining and intertwining Hanna Somatic Education movements with Somatic Yoga. Somatic Yoga follows the same principles as Hanna Somatics, and there is no stretching. He guided us to move slowly, within our comfort zone, and to pay attention to our internal experience. After our initial body scan Danny led us in a 5 count breathing exercise to bring us into a calm, relaxed state. He often used intentional breathing between movements. From Somatic Yoga he added, for example, standing movements and movements for strength and balance. Whether he was leading more traditional Hanna Somatic movements or Somatic Yoga poses, called asanas, his cadence was wonderfully calm and well paced.

5/4/24 Zoom Class: Somatic Yoga and Hanna Somatics, Guest Presenter Danny Burke

Learn the "pelvic clock" movement.  This may be the key for you to release pain and discomfort in your low back, pelvis, and hips.  By learning to move your pelvis and low back in various vectors of "clock" movements, you re-connect your brain and muscles in the hub of the body.

12 - 13 - 14

This class focuses on hip joints and knees in the context of a full body routine.  A number of students wanted movements for stiff hips, especially hip flexion.  And they loved this class for all the movements pertaining to hips.  The other request was for knee issues.  We thoroughly worked with the hamstrings and quads at the knees.

5 - 20 - 17

Extremities and Trunk Support.  In this class we do specific movements for the upper extremity, including upward and downward rotation of the scapula.  We also do specific movements for the lower extremity, including hip flexion, extension, rotation, as well as hamstring and quad movements.  Interwoven with the extremity movements, are movements for the trunk and spine.  It is the efficient functioning of the trunk and spine which is the foundational and organizing support for competent and pain free movement of the limbs (extremities).

6 - 3-17

My Daily Somatic Movement Routine.  I am frequently asked what I do for my daily somatic routine.  This class is an example of a routine I might do.  My general guideline is to follow the regular Daily Cat Movements and add a few variations of each movement as I go through the routine.  I spend between 15 - 30 minutes a day.  I always explore different variations or cycle around to variations I haven't done for a while.  I include movements I've learned from others as well as those I've made up myself.  Sometimes I add seated, standing, walking, and breathing movements as well.

10 - 7 - 17 My Daily Somatic Movement Routine

This class contains a general Hanna Somatic Routine with variations of the Daily Cat Routine.  Later in the class I lead a "Somatic Movement Relaxation" which can be used for general anxiety,  calming, or to help you go to sleep.  At the very end of the class I lead a short walking integration.  Remember the feedback to your brain from your body has changed due to the change in muscle tonus from doing the somatic movements.  Thus it is very helpful to walk after a floor session allowing the brain to integrate the changes.

11 - 4 - 2017 Somatic Movement Relaxation

Psoas and Scapula.  In this class we explored movements relating to low back and pelvic comfort via the psoas and iliacus  muscles.  We explored shoulder girdle comfort via scapular movements and muscles, particularly the upward and downward rotators.

4-7-18 Psoas and Scapula

Deep Versus Superficial Musculature.  Today's class focused on differentiating deep and superficial musculature in two ways.  First we learned about some anatomical information of some of the deep muscles such as the multifidi, transverse abdominis, quadratus lumborun, and the internal oblique.  Then in our somatic movements we practiced focusing our awareness either more deeply or more superficially.  We noticed not only the difference in sensations but also how we could explore a fuller movement by incorporating deep muscle control as well as superficial muscular participation.

5 - 5 - 18 Deep Versus Superficial Musculature

Today's class focuses on the pelvis with an emphasis on the pelvic floor. We'll start with some somatic movement warm-ups including an unusual, gentle series of head/neck movements beginning in the eyes.  We'll also focus on breathing with awareness of both the thoracic/breathing and pelvic floor diaphragms. We'll do some basic Daily Cat Movements as well as bringing our pelvis through its basic six movements: flexion and extension, R and L lateral flexion, and internal and external rotation. Don't miss the wonderful somatic pelvic floor movement I learned from Judith Aston.

11 - 3 - 18  Pelvis and Pelvic Floor

Trunk and Limbs. As I've said before the trunk and spine both organize and support the efficient use of the limbs. Many movements from this class will illustrate this concept. There are six basic ranges of motion of the trunk and spine: flexion and extension, right and left side-bending (lateral flexion), and right and left rotation. As we practice each of these movements we'll also incorporate arm and leg movements that illustrate how the spine and trunk both organize and support the limbs. We'll do these movements somatically, that is slowly, comfortably, voluntarily, pandicularly, and with awareness.

2 - 1 - 2020 Trunk and Limbs

Please note the first two minutes of this class is cut off. I love to introduce lots of variations to the basic daily Cat Routine, which is how I organized this class. I introduced the concept of "stops and starts." This is a very powerful technique for increasing voluntary muscular cortical control to the pandicular process. Briefly this means that as you slowly release out of contraction you stop and then start a few times on the way to full release and rest. We also did a number of rotational movements both ipsilaterally (same side) and contralaterally. As usual we ended with a simple breath meditation taught to me by my friend, Maggie Connolly.

Zoom Class 5-2-20: Somatic Movements to Release Stress and Feel Good

Disclaimer: These recordings are for educational purposes only.  Please do all somatic movements comfortably, slowly, and without pain or force. Please consult appropriate medical or health care providers if you have any concerns about whether the movements are suitable for you, especially if you are dealing with an illness or injury, are pregnant, or have other health, balance or mobility issues.

Popular tracks by Susan Koenig