Testimonials from people who have tried Clinical Somatics.
I'm writing to thank you once more for introducing me to Clinical Somatics. For years I've had aching hips, which I attributed to the wear and tear of aging. Little did I realize that by standing and walking as I did I was unconsciously exacerbating the problem, and, in fact, causing it. Now, after taking your class and practicing somatic exercises, I get up in the morning, walk two miles, and have no pain whatsoever.
This series has been most helpful. [My Clinical Somatics Exercise class teacher] is very thorough and knowledgeable. She has a gentle, caring, generous way of helping us free our bodies.
Looking forward to more classes and the convention. I'm indebted to Thomas Hanna, Steve Aronstein, and [my Clinical Somatics teacher].
Much love,
At Age 92, [Somatics] taught me how to walk again; what more beautiful gift is there to give.
In a very short period of time, Somatics has dramatically improved the quality of my life. [Somatics] can help people understand how to alleviate chronically contracted muscles that cause them pain — it's as simple as that. People can do this for themselves each day, like I do, if they learn how to do Somatic Exercises...
Clinical Somatics is both transformative and restorative. Somatics has given me improved flexibility and range of motion which has had a number of benefits: a higher quality of life and sense of well being (I am pain-free after struggling for years with bad posture and related stiffness in my back, neck and shoulders from desk work); improved athletic performance and shorter recovery time after strenuous exercise (I barely need to stretch anymore if I do my somatic exercises regularly — truly amazing) and lastly, a rapid and complete recovery from hernia surgery.
Imagine starting and ending each day feeling like you've just had a fantastic massage. 20 minutes of somatic exercises a day can do this for you. Suffice it to say that I'm telling everyone I know about [Clinical Somatics] and how [it] can help them improve their quality of life.
I couldn’t believe that in a few hours [my Clinical Somatic Education practitioner] showed me how to relieve the pain that I had spent hundreds of hours with physical therapists trying to exercise away! My posture and sense of well-being improved so much that people told me how great I looked and even asked me if I had lost weight! I recommend [Clinical Somatic Education] to everyone I meet who has chronic pain from an injury or an illness.
I feel great after every class. When I'm careful — as [our class teacher] tells me to be — the benefits can sometimes last all week.
We love Thursday nights because it is the "end" of our work week. Thanks for your sacrifice and efforts for our [Somatic Exercise class]. I can appreciate how much care and planning goes into this. Somatics is now built into my life.
With Gratitude,
Being educated as a Physical Therapist I anticipated acquiring the knowledge and skills to treat people with physical disabilities and symptoms. I realized prior to my graduation that was not even close to being the case. I spent the next eight years attending courses. I did a tremendous amount of self-guided study at home. I also organized seven courses at the hospital I was employed at, and brought in experts to teach. My skills did grow and my success with patients increased. My last year at that facility I had 120 patients referred to me by nine different physicians. I was and am persistent in trying to understand and treat this endless population. I could also see the medical obsession with structure and inflammation was misguided and its interventions caused injury to many.
At the same time I was dealing with my own personal crisis. In 1986, I was involved in a 70 MPH motor vehicle accident while I was a YMCA Fitness/Physical Director. I walked away with a sore neck/scapula which resolved quickly. Through the next four years I had no persistent physical pain or problems. I noticed a sore neck with sustained postures, some stiffness on my left side and intermittent spasm; that I now know as the trauma reflex from the accident. But to me the accident was a thing of the past over and forgotten. Thanks to being so physically active with my job it didn't slow me down. I remember though people would comment ‘Why is your head tilted to the side and back?’ I passed it off. I didn't know what they were talking about.
In 1990 in PT graduate school during a research project on neck ROM, my neck got really painful. From 1990 to 1999 I sought treatment without any sustained relief. I consulted an osteopath, orthopedic, neurologist, chiropractor and had physical therapy treatments. Much of it was costly and abusive. I even went out of state to Hartford to a PT clinic specializing in intensive manual treatment for three separate weeks. I called it the one side of the body phenomenon. I saw it in my patients too. What was it? Why is it my left side? Why is my balance off and my weight on my right leg mostly? My despair and anger increased with my pain. In 2000, my brother mailed me Somatics. I immediately recognized its truth. I did the exercises and quickly felt changes and symptom reduction. I owe Thomas Hanna quite a lot.
As a nurse case manager, I have referred many clients to [Clinical Somatics]. These people experienced chronic pain that modern medicine has been ineffective in treating. Every single client has come back to me and said that they are getting relief from their pain with somatic therapy.
[Somatics] heals pain in a non-intrusive and gentle way. Truly a holistic mode of treatment, Somatics also has offered me the opportunity to develop a more compassionate relationship with my body. I always leave our sessions with exercises to do at home. And they REALLY work. I have recommended [Somatics] to many of my clients who have needed an intervention on the physical level.
[Somatics] opened up a new world for me; one that was inside me the whole time. [Somatics] taught me that stretching and strengthening is not always the right approach to treating chronically sore muscles. Now, I routinely calm painful muscle spasms with meditation and slow, thoughtful Somatic movements.
As a neurologist I frequently see people who are suffering from chronic pain, which limits their movement, therefore further increasing their pain and their need for pain-killers. [Clinical Somatics] consistently helped the patients l have referred… achieve lasting relief without depending on medication… I wholeheartedly recommend [Clinical Somatics].
Somatics has revolutionized the way I move. I feel so much more freedom in my neck, shoulders, waist. There's a “fluidity” to my joints. I am beginning to be able to sense my body, to understand it, to move with it, to “get out of its way”! And it's a wonderful self-corrective, empowering thing.
[Somatics is] a perfect match for me. My years of headaches are truly a thing of the past...
I went to the Somatic Systems Institute in June, 2009. I have scoliosis, and have had back pain my entire life. After two sessions, I was pain free. AND I have remained pain free since then. I am amazed that this method of pain relief isn't more well known, it is simple to learn, easy to practice on a daily basis, and the difference is astonishing!!!!!
The change in my posture is amazing. Before my Somatics sessions, when I was standing "straight", my right shoulder drooped, which threw off my entire body, enough to be clearly visible in photos over the last 30 years! I always attributed this (as well as constant lower back pain) to having scoliosis, as did the primary care doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors and orthopedic surgeon that I consulted looking for relief.
Now when I stand up straight, both shoulders are level, because the muscle spasm that was pulling my shoulder down was released with Somatic exercise. If I try to put my shoulder back into that drooping position to show someone how I used to stand, it actually hurts. The best way I can describe my experience with Somatics is that I always wanted a new back, and after two sessions, I truly feel like someone replaced my creaky, old back with a new, improved one! I used to spend an hour weeding in the garden, and then two hours laying in bed in pain. Now I can spend three hours in the garden and not have any pain. I can truly say that Somatics has had an extremely positive impact on my life!
I am 30 years old. I work as a Home Support Worker in the Comox Valley, Canada.
On October 9, 2000 I had a work accident and herniated two discs in my back. I was in severe pain, and my body became very distorted. My left hip was way over to the left and the top of my body was leaning over to the right by at least 30%. When I walked, my right leg took all my weight, and my left big toe would just touch the ground. X-rays showed my spine was very curved.
I tried massage therapy, both traditional and acupressure. I also tried yoga, physiotherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture and exercises from a book on back health. I read everything I could.
Everyone told me I needed to straighten up, as it was not good for my body to be in this posture. No amount of painkillers could help with the pain of even sitting up straight for a few seconds. I got very depressed.
Then my daughter's grandmother suggested a good friend of hers, who does Somatics. I was very skeptical, having spent a lot of money on different therapies. She was persistent, and has good judgment. So I tried it.
Within a few sessions I noticed incredible improvements. My muscles were not contracting continuously. Stiffness disappeared, and I began to straighten up. After 4 sessions I am walking straight. I do my exercises once or twice a day. The amount of medication I now take has decreased dramatically. After each session I have been making miraculous improvements. I still have a little ways to go, but am so happy to walk straight and have my mobility back.
After surviving cancer and the debilitating surgeries that would save my life, I had almost given up hope of regaining flexibility and pain-free movement. Somatic education has restored my hope and freedom of movement.
As a fitness professional, I see a lot of people moving on a daily basis. And one thing is readily apparent — pretty much everybody has a major limitation and most of the time they are not at all aware of it. We are aware of some of the symptoms that our learned postural patterns have caused, but in general we don’t know how to reclaim the freedom lost. Somatics is the number one solution to getting your freedom back. Anyone who is serious about being and moving free and healthy needs to do Somatics… period.
I went to the Somatic Systems Institute in June, 2009. I have scoliosis, and have had back pain my entire life. After two sessions, I was pain free. AND I have remained pain free since then. I am amazed that this method of pain relief isn't more well known. It is simple to learn, easy to practice on a daily basis, and the difference is astonishing!!!!!
The change in my posture is amazing. Before my Somatics sessions, when I was standing "straight", my right shoulder drooped, which threw off my entire body, enough to be clearly visible in photos over the last 30 years! I always attributed this (as well as constant lower back pain) to having scoliosis, as did the primary care doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors and orthopedic surgeon that I consulted looking for relief. Now when I stand up straight, both shoulders are level, because the muscle spasm that was pulling my shoulder down was released with Somatic exercise. If I try to put my shoulder back into that drooping position to show someone how I used to stand, it actually hurts. The best way I can describe my experience with Somatics is that I always wanted a new back, and after two sessions, I truly feel like someone replaced my creaky, old back with a new, improved one! I used to spend an hour weeding in the garden, and then two hours laying in bed in pain. Now I can spend three hours in the garden and not have any pain. I can truly say that Somatics has had an extremely positive impact on my life!
