“As we grow older, our bodies and our lives should continue to improve, right up until the very end.”
—Thomas Hanna, PhD
founder of Hanna Somatic Education
Embrace Ease, Mobility, and Strength
Clinical Somatic Education (private sessions) and Somatic Movement Lessons (group classes) are based upon Thomas Hanna’s Somatic Movement exercises to create a revolutionary practice in neuro-muscular re-education to safely increase strength, flexibility, and balance. It retrains your nervous system and muscles, allowing you to find increased mobility in your body and providing newfound freedom where before you may have experienced restricted movement and possibly pain.
Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA)
When the cortex, the brain’s control center, loses its ability to sense and manage muscles due to repetitive stressors like accidents, injuries, surgeries, emotional/physical trauma, or repetitive activities, muscle relaxation becomes challenging. Maladaptive movement patterns may develop, leading to habitual muscle contraction that goes unnoticed by the cortex. The practice explores habituated tension resulting from such stressors, giving rise to what we call a red light reflex, green light reflex, trauma reflex, or a combination of two or all three in your body.
Exploring Reflexes
Reflexes are part of our shared human experience, helping us navigate life, safeguard ourselves, and maintain balance. However, complications arise when we become ‘stuck’ in these reflexes, impacting our ability to move freely and influencing our perception of self and the world around us. The following section provides a concise overview of the reflexes addressed in clinical somatic education, shedding light on their role in our physical experience and aiming to restore a sense of unimpeded and balanced motion.
The Reflexes
Red Light or Startle Reflex
At birth, we embody the Red Light Reflex, akin to a newborn’s fetal position. As we routinely engage in activities that pull us into a forward-flexed posture — like texting or working at a computer — the Red Light Reflex influences our stance. Emotions like worry, fear, depression, sadness, or anxiety can amplify its effects. Recognizable by raised shoulders, a depressed chest, a forward-flexed trunk, internally rotated limbs, a head forward posture, and more, the Red Light Reflex intertwines physical and emotional elements.
The Red Light Reflex may be the cause the following symptoms:
- neck pain
- dowagers hump
- tension headaches
- lethargy
- tinnitus
- shuffled gait
- collapsed arch
- shoulder immobility
- pain in thoracic spine
- depression & anxiety
- low self-esteem
- carpal tunnel
- hip and knee problems
- abdominal discomfort
- breathing problems
- jaw pain (TMJ, teeth grinding)
- constipation and frequent urination
Green Light or Landau Reflex
The Green Light or Landau Reflex marks the beginning of a child’s journey into movement and exploration. As infants transition from the comfort of their initial forward flexion, they engage curiosity and develop motor skills like lifting their head, sitting, crawling, standing, and walking. However, stress and constant demands in our lives can lead to habitual contraction of posterior muscles. This results in a distinct posture characterized by drawn-back shoulders, externally rotated limbs, anteriorly rotated pelvis, and a pronounced arch in the back. We may also have this posture when experiencing joy or excitement.
The Green Light Reflex may be the cause of the following symptoms:
- low back pain
- plantar fasciitis
- lower extremity pain in the hips, knees and feet
- neck pain w/restricted movement
- shoulder issues and pain at scapula
- overworked and overactive
- stress & anxiety (overwhelm of type A personality)
Trauma Reflex
The Trauma Reflex can emerge from one-sided repetitive activities like computer mouse usage, carrying a child on a specific hip, or engaging in predominantly one-sided sports. Additionally, injuries or surgeries on one side of the body, such as a sprained ankle, knee or hip replacement, or a shoulder injury, can trigger this reflex. In response to trauma, individuals may unconsciously cringe and twist away, a protective response. Observable signs of the Trauma Reflex include asymmetry in posture, with one shoulder lower than the other, head tilted to one side, pelvis elevated on one side, imbalance through the feet, and a potential twist in the torso.
The Trauma Reflex may be the cause of the following symptoms:
- SI pain
- sciatica
- scoliosis
- bursitis
- frozen shoulder
- tennis elbow
- uneven gait
- hip and knee pain/replacements
- carpal tunnel syndrome
Pandiculation
The fantastic news is that because Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) has been adaptively learned by the brain we can retrain the sensory motor cortex of the brain to sense and move the muscles more effectively and efficiently, reversing the effects of SMA. This technique is called a pandiculation.
When we pandiculate we are consciously increasing the contracted state of the muscle(s) from their current “resting” state followed by a conscious slow and deliberate lengthening of the muscle(s) to where they are relaxed. The key is ensuring the cortex senses and feels the sensations throughout the process — from muscle contraction to slow lengthening to complete relaxation. This practice emphasizes the quality of awareness, not the quantity of repetitions, making it unique and effective.
Clinical Somatic Education and Somatic Movement Lessons as well as Yoga Therapy will create a new way for you to embrace the life you love. If you’re committed to exploring how your body can move with ease, open to receiving transformative knowledge, and willing to practice for improved well-being, these practices are tailored for you.
“The human body is not an instrument to be used, but a realm of one’s being to be experienced, explored, enriched and, thereby, educated.”
—Thomas Hanna, PhD—
founder of Hanna Somatic Education
About Thomas Hanna
Thomas Hanna was a trailblazing figure in Somatics, shaping the landscape of neurology with his innovative approach. As the founder of the Novato Institute for Somatic Research and Training, he introduced Hanna Somatic Education, emphasizing the intricate connection between the brain, central nervous system, and muscle function. Hanna’s method distinguished itself through his keen insights into brain plasticity and the identification of Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA).
Hanna’s enduring impact lies in his work addressing sensory motor amnesia, providing relief from chronic pain. His legacy persists through devoted students and practitioners, offering a path to freedom and joyous awareness.
Unlock your full potential with clinical Somatic Education
Turn your attention inward to reconnect to yourself on a physical level.
Get strategies and tools to manage, reduce and/or completely resolve pain on your own.
Prevent recurring injuries by changing how your brain communicates information to your muscles.
Increase your mobility, energy, strength, coordination, and balance.
Establish a sense of relaxation and ease in your body, breath, and mind.
Improve your quality of life as you gain more freedom and choice through your movements – so you can do what you love to do for as long as you want to.
Complement and support physiotherapy, massage therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, and other methods of healthcare.
Restore Your Body. Reclaim Your Life.
Are You Ready To Leave Pain Behind and Reclaim Your Life?
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