Living Somatics presents a brand-new movement teacher training (LSMTT).

Living Somatic Education is a system of neuromuscular education and a movement awareness practice. The focus of this training is to learn to teach the key movement lessons, theory and principles of Living Somatic Education. This method teaches us how to use movement and awareness to increase wellbeing, health, and access our greater potential.

This work teaches us to recognize and release holding patterns and chronic pain resulting from injury, stress, repetitive strain, and habituated posture. The Somatic exercises are slow, mindful movements mostly done lying down on the floor. The primary focus is on finding ease and quality movement and the form of the movement is secondary.

This Living Somatic Movement Teacher Training draws from the lineage of the late somatic pioneers Thomas Hanna and Moshe Feldenkrais. Living Somatic Education is a safe and gentle approach to neuromuscular re-education. Through this sensory-motor approach you learn new ways of improving functional movement patterns, self-regulate your nervous system and addresses the main cause of pain in the body.

In this Training You Learn:

• To teach a series of Somatic Movement Explorations. Each lesson has a unique design to improve a specific function, such as breathing, walking, bending and reaching.
• A daily self-practice of Somatic movements.
• Principles and learning strategies of Living Somatic Education.
• The pedagogy of teaching Somatic Movement Explorations.
• How individuals respond to stress and its effects within somatic body patterns (green light, red light and trauma patterns).
• What Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) is and why it is the most common cause of chronic pain in the musculoskeletal system.
• Assessment of Somatic habituations through observation in standing and walking.
• Thomas Hanna’s clinical hands-on technique “pandiculation”. This technique restores voluntary control over muscles and improves the sensory motor feedback loop.
• How Living Somatic Education can reverse the effects of stress, trauma, accidents and injuries.
• History and philosophy of Living Somatic Education.
• Functional neurophysiology as it applies to Living Somatic Education.
• Anatomy from a functional and embodied approach.
• How this work enriches other movement methods, like yoga, dance, martial arts, sports, etc.
• How Living Somatic Education can relieve specific functional movement limitations and reduce pain.
• To improve posture and freedom of movement.
• How to develop your own proprioceptive sense of self-awareness, curiosity for self-inquiry and self-practice.

Segment 1 (3 days)

The first segment focuses on the principles and theory of Living Somatic Education. The movement lessons of this segment are designed to release the somatic center, which frees up the movements of flexion, extension, side bending and rotation. You learn to develop a daily movement practice to deepen self-awareness and embodiment. You are also taught assessment of somatic body postures, how we respond to stress and its effects on posture and functional movement patterns. Segment 1 also covers learning strategies and principles to be able to teach the movement lessons. Lectures include use of language to encourage self-sensing and safe teaching practices.

Between each segment there are assignments to complete, designed to deepen the learning that has taken place during the training segments.

Segment 2 (3 days)

In the second segment the postural reflex patterns will be explored in more depth, connecting them to specific functional movement issues and pain such as sciatica, neck and shoulder pain, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, leg, hip and lower back pain. We explore breathing from a somatic perspective, including how to release the diaphragm, ribcage and the primary muscles of respiration. The second segment focuses on the principles and language for teaching Somatic Movement Explorations. Students will practice their teaching skills with each other and receive feedback on their teaching.

Segment 3 (3 days)

In the final segment you learn to assess the mechanics of walking and different gait patterns. You continue to learn more advanced Somatic Movement Explorations and teach a movement lesson and receive feedback to further advance your teaching skills. In this segment you develop your sense of touch for a safe and receptive approach towards your students. Lectures include ethics and the art of unconditional regard.

Those who successfully demonstrate competence in their embodied understanding of Living Somatic Education, teaching Somatic Movement Explorations and who have completed all assignments will be certified as a Living Somatic Movement Teacher (LSMT). 

Learning Resources

In addition to the in-house training you will receive:

• A course book covering the material taught during the training.
• Lesson plans for Somatic Movement Explorations in an easy-to-teach-from chart.
• An assignment book to document your learning.
• Online education between segments.
• Audio recordings of the training lectures and movement lessons.
• Access to mentors between segments.
• Mentor meetings with a mentor and students-in-training.                                

Registration and More Information