Clinical Somatics Testimonials

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.