Somatics

A pain relief expert provides a gentle workout to relax and release tight muscles and help you move through the world more comfortably. Unlearn the psychic and physical responses to stress that cause discomfort—in less than 15 minutes a day! These safe, easy, natural movements will relax and release chronically tight muscles, resulting in a more efficient, coordinated, and pain-free body. Discover a gentle workout that can be done anywhere, anytime—at any age. Includes: Movements to help ease pain in your back, neck, hips, and other areas Facts on how the brain interacts with your musculoskeletal system Tips on developing body awareness and changing bad posture habits Photos illustrating postures and exercises and more “This book shows us how to regain the ease and freedom of movement of our youth.” —C. William Hanson III, MD, Professor of Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania

An essential tool for healers, therapists, activists, and trauma survivors who are interested in a justice-centered approach to somatic transformation The Politics of Trauma offers somatics with a social analysis. This book is for therapists and social activists who understand that trauma healing is not just for individuals—and that social change is not just for movement builders. Just as health practitioners need to consider the societal factors underlying trauma, so too must activists understand the physical and mental impacts of trauma on their own lives and the lives of the communities with whom they organize. Trauma healing and social change are, at their best, interdependent. Somatics has proven to be particularly effective in addressing trauma, but in practice it typically focuses solely on the individual, failing to integrate the social conditions that create trauma in the first place. Staci K. Haines, somatic innovator and cofounder of generative somatics, invites readers to look beyond individual experiences of body and mind to examine the social, political, and economic roots of trauma—including racism, environmental degradation, sexism, and poverty. Haines helps readers identify, understand, and address these sources of trauma to help us bridge individual healing with social transformation.

When our bodies start to feel stiff, sore, or tired, we often say that we're "getting old." But is that really the problem? In this groundbreaking work, Thomas Hanna shows that much of the physical decline associated with aging is not inevitable but avoidable. Building on the work of Moshe Feldenkrais, Hanna's practical program for the mind and body proves once and for all that problems you've always thought of as the symptoms of age--stiffness, bad back, chronic pain, fatigue, and, at times, even high blood pressure--need never occur if you maintain conscious control of your nerves and muscles. He shows how the body can turn a habitual action into an involuntary, destructive pattern called sensory-motor amnesia, and demonstrates a simple but effective method for conquering these habits with sensory-motor awareness. With only a five-minute routine once a day, you can maintain the pleasures of a limber, healthy body indefinitely and escape the confines of age or injury. Practical and easy to use, Somatics is the essential guide to reversing the physical effects of aging--or staving them off before they even begin.

We've been sold a lie: The world tells us that pain is inevitable, that our bodies must break down as we age, and that there's nothing we can do about it. Researchers develop new drugs to manage our pain; surgeons dream up new techniques to repair worn-out joints. But we never truly feel better. Here's the shocking truth: The vast majority of the pain that plagues our aging bodies is self-inflicted. It's caused by the way we use our bodies every day: the way we sit, the way we stand, the way we walk and run, even the way you open a jar of pasta sauce. But with simple exercises, anybody can learn to heal their chronic musculoskeletal pain, and prevent future pain, injury, and joint problems from developing. The Pain Relief Secret explores the fascinating science of pain, and instructs readers in Clinical Somatics, a method of neuromuscular education that relieves chronic muscle tightness, restores natural posture and movement, and eliminates pain. Students of Clinical Somatics have healed from chronic back pain, joint and nerve pain, scoliosis, and many other common pain conditions. Best of all, Clinical Somatics puts the power in your hands. You don't need special training or expensive repeat visits to a physical therapist. Clinical Somatics exercises are practiced on your own and in your very own home. This is The Pain Relief Secret: your key to taking back your body from a lifetime of pain. This book is great for anyone who has tried surgery, drugs, chiropractic treatments, naturopathy, yoga, physiotherapy, or massage therapy and still experiences chronic pain.

Training in somatic techniques—holistic body-centered movement that promotes awareness and well-being—provides an effective means of improving dance students’ efficiency and ease of movement. However, dance educators do not always have the resources to incorporate this knowledge into their classes. This volume explains the importance of somatics, introduces fundamental somatic principles that are central to the dance technique class, and offers tips on incorporating these principles into a dance curriculum. The authors demystify somatic thinking by explaining the processes in terms of current scientific research. By presenting both a philosophical approach to teaching as well as practical instruction tools, this work provides a valuable guide to somatics for dance teachers of any style or level. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Involuntary Motion contributes to the study of refugee flight by using movement as a lens to explore problems in refugee performance and understand the experience of bodies in motion. Drawing from somatics, movement analysis, and dance praxis, the chapters explore forces that set bodies in motion; the spaces in which forced movement occurs; the movement of refugee identity arcs; the monstrosity of refugee performance; and the relationship between writing and body culture. How does forced movement impact identity? What are the philosophical implications of robbing individuals of agency over motion? What performances does involuntary motion necessitate? These questions are important as the world confronts the threat of a return of the horrors of the twentieth century. Bringing together debates in migration studies and movement studies, the book argues that refugees are akin to dancers performing on disappearing stages not of their choosing. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of performance, dance, and politics.

Release tension and heal from traumatic experiences with therapist-approved activities in this easy-to-use guide to somatic therapy. Enjoy a great reading experience, with a $3 credit back to spend on your next Great on Kindle book when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. The effects of a traumatic event are more than just mental. Trauma can manifest in the body as chronic pain, sluggishness, and even depressed mood. Somatic psychology is an alternative therapy that analyzes this mind-body connection and helps you release pent-up tension and truly heal from past trauma. The Somatic Therapy Workbook offers a primer to this life-changing approach as a means for personal growth, designed for beginners or those already using somatic techniques in their current therapeutic process. Ideal for those suffering from PTSD and other trauma-based afflictions, this safe and approachable look at somatic therapy includes: - journal exercises - body-centered prompts for personal inquiry - movement exercises - real-life experiments Discover a new ability to process and accept your emotions—and an understanding of how to live a somatically-oriented and embodied life.

Discover the innovative intersection of somatic therapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS), featuring 5 core practices to transform modern therapeutic approaches. Enhance your clinical practice and patient outcomes by skillfully uniting body and mind through an evidence-based therapeutic modality—endorsed by leaders in the field, including Richard Schwartz. Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy introduces a cutting-edge therapeutic modality that merges the elements of somatic therapy, such as movement, touch, and breathwork, with the established principles of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model. Authored by Susan McConnell, this multifaceted approach is crafted for therapists, clinicians, somatic practitioners, mental health professionals, and anyone interested in innovative healing techniques. A valuable contribution to mental health treatment, this guide offers a new horizon for those engaged in the well-being of others. This comprehensive, bestselling guide presents: 5 core practices: somatic awareness, conscious breathing, radical resonance, mindful movement, and attuned touch, designed for seamless integration into therapeutic work. Strategies to apply these practices in addressing a range of clinical conditions including depression, trauma, anxiety, eating disorders, chronic illness, and attachment disorders. Techniques to assist clients in identifying, understanding, and reconciling their 'inner worlds' or subpersonalities, leading to improved emotional health and behavior. A compelling combination of scientific insights, experiential practices, and real-world clinical stories that illuminate the theory and application of Somatic IFS. Highly regarded mental health professionals, such as IFS founder Richard Schwartz, have applauded this essential guide. By weaving together holistic healing wisdom, modern neuroscience, and somatic practices expertise, this book serves as a crucial resource for psychotherapists across various disciplines and laypersons seeking an embodied self.